Centuries(On Hold)

Chapter 4 Pt 1

Saturday was the day most people looked forward to – teenagers like Zed looked forward to but Zed wasn't like most teenagers and that didn't bother her too much. It wasn't like she wanted to have people to call Mom or Dad – she really didn't – nor did she want blood related family of anything like that. No, what she wanted was enough money to be well off – not rich but well off.

When she was younger and stayed at Good Will Home for Children in the city she'd heard the adults talking about money, always talking about money and it disgusted her at how much they reminded her of dirty pigs. She didn't want to be like them but as she got older she realized how important money was and the people who said otherwise were idiots.

They were idiots who didn't know how hard life was when you didn't have money, how much you struggled but even so she never ran after it; never worshipped it or lived her life solely for it she just accepted that it was a necessity.

Zed all but kicked her door in as she entered her hovel as she liked to refer to it on good days tying her brunette hair in a pony tail – the ends that were dyed burgundy this week swinging back and forth below her shoulder blades – before slamming the door shut and throwing her denim jacket on the ground feeling completely drained to even care.

Light from the street lamps outside were rushing into the room from creases in the boarded up windows on the wall giving the room a greenish glow from the tattered blinds that casted shadows on the faded and peeling wall paper.

Kicking a pizza box out of the way Zed made her way through the apartment in the dark not bothering to turn the light on. The only reason she never thought about replacing any of the otherwise useless appliances in the apartment was because she resented her landlady with a passion.

Zed was craving a nice hot shower but that would be asking for too much – she only got lukewarm water most days. She was out for the entire day and only managed to escape from Rowan's grasp by saying she was worried about Slade who didn't come back last night. She really wasn't she just never liked staying around Rowan's people longer than necessary.

Rowan being the make shift older brother – if older brothers had their sisters work for them then that was what he was caring but never truly caring and Zed didn't mind, she had a job that paid that was all that mattered. She was earning her keep in Rowan's gang not that she was a fully fledged member or anything – she could leave whenever she wanted unlike the others – she only went along because Rowan had asked for her help and she owed a lot to him.

Zed was almost at the bathroom already pulling her shirt over her head when a loud BANG, BANG, BANG resonated from the apartment door.

Somebody was knocking on her door. Zed stopped pulling her shirt back on, she turned staring at the door for a second her eyebrows furrowed. Silence followed then the banging started again.

Sighing loudly Zed stalked over to the door her shoulders tense with daily unresolved problems ready to punch whoever was at the door.

So help me god if it's you Slade...

Flinging the door open she came face to face...well more like face to neck with her landlady. The tall muscular woman was scowling, "Took you long enough...now pay up!" she had her hands outstretched thick beefy hands that were two times the size of Zed's.

Zed bit the inside of her cheek nodding her head slightly. This woman infuriated her beyond control; every time Zed saw the woman she wanted nothing more than to bash her head in. Sometimes she wondered if the woman had some sort of mutation – wondered if she was a wielder that could manipulate people's emotions.

Zed grabbed the envelope from the back pocket of her jeans – the money Rowan had paid her – slapping it in the woman's palms grinding her teeth together as she dropped her hand at her side.

I swear this woman can smell money from a mile away.

"Oh and I need extra, you were late on your rent and I need money for the damages."

Raising an eyebrow Zed crossed her hands over her chest and leaned on the door way looking up at the taller woman confused, "damages?"

Pushing past Zed the woman walked into the apartment and over to the couch, "Damages. Look at what you did to my couch, to the walls and not to mention you blew out the lights!"

Biting down on her tongue, Zed dusted the white powered substance that she was certain was cocaine off her shoulder that was transferred when the woman pushed past her.

"Those were like that when I got here and the freaking bulb still works." Zed slammed her fist on the light switch – the room was lit with the dull glow of the bulb overhead – anger was coursing through her veins. Her face was getting red from the anger she was holding in for the sole reason of not wanting to get thrown out on her ass with nothing but the clothes on her back. She knew if that happened the pig of a landlady would take everything in the apartment.

She would take ownership of what little belonged to Zed.

Her landlady let out a small animalistic sound, "now listen here brat," she glowered walking over to Zed, grabbing a fist full of her shirt in hand, "I run this place and what I say goes," she pulled Zed to her level, Zed's feet barely touching the ground, "and when I say you give me money you give me money! Got that kid? Or else you're out on the streets!"

She let go of Zed's shirt pushing her to the ground and proceeded towards the door not before spitting on Zed slamming the door shut as she left.

This was too much, Zed could feel the burning rage in her stomach grow and for a split second she lost her control.

Zed was seeing red biting the insides of her cheek so hard she tasted blood. Her fists were clenched tightly as she pounded the floorboards over and over again until she saw blood. Rage burned under her skin like never before as she let out an almost animalistic growl.

Kill the old bat, her mind was yelling at her.

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