The Zodiac War

Chapter 9

  Spafina decided to stay in the hotel to help Wolf scrub off the ink while her friends explored the capital. They had discovered a carnival and figured they should go. Now arrived, the crew split up.

  "Jewel! Let's go ride the Ferris Wheel!" Aria squealed, grabbing Jewel's hand and forcing her to come with.

  "Welp. Blue, lets go waste our money," Colin said, making his way to a stand.

  "Imma go with Jewel and Ari. Have fun dealing with him, Rose!" Jessica saluted her friend sarcastically before joining Jewel and Aria. Rosalie groaned at the fact she was left with no girls.

  "Aw. I'm not that bad, am I?" Chase made puppy dog eyes. Rosalie scoffed, pushing him back.

  Rose rolled her eyes. "I'm going to get cotton candy, thank you very much. You can go do whatever weird thing you wanna go do."

  "I'll stay with ya. You might need my protection," Chase smirked jokingly.

  "Whatever. The only thing I'll need protection from is you."

  Moments later, Rose sat, consuming her cotton candy happily. Chase watched her inhale the sugary treat.

  "How the hell is it all gone? You just got it like five minutes ago!"

  "Yeah, yeah. Shut your trap." Rosalie chewed on the stick out of boredom.

Chase stared in disbelief. "How?"

Rosalie shrugged and responded dryly, "It ain't a big deal. I was hungry for sugar. Let's go play some games or something, you're boring."

"Excuse you? I'm not boring!"

"Yeah... Totally. Let's go find some popcorn," Rosalie suggested, hopping up from her seat on the bench.

"You just ate something."

"But now I need something warm and salty!" Rose whined loudly. Rosalie's face turned blank and horrified. "I said nothing..."

"Why don't we go find our friends..."

-=+=-

Jess, Jewel, and Aria were riding all the rides they could. Aria eventually got sick and started throwing up. Jewel and Jess waited outside the bathroom stall patiently.

  Jessica shook her head slowly. "Poor Ari. I told you that fourteen rides were enough! But we just had to go on a fifteenth."

  "Yes! Yes, we did! Oh, God-" Aria vomited, making Jewel and Jess wince.

  "Ugh... Aria, while you're puking your guts out, we will be outside. Try not to die," Jewel remarked, urging Jess out of the bathroom.

  The two sat under a tree, worried about their sick friend. Jess began tugging at the grass and Jewel twirled her hair. An older man in a dress suit padded up to them.

  "Well well. What are you two pretty ladies doing out here?" He was going gray and his blue eyes were piercing into Jewel and Jess. The man talked in an almost cartoonish voice.

  "We are sitting, breathing, blinking. Ya know, basic shit," Jessica replied. Jewel snickered.

The man looked annoyed and offended but he tried hiding it. "Well. That's nice. But hasn't anyone ever told you to respect your elders?"

Jewel spoke this time. "Yeah. But you're too old to be labeled 'elder.'"

The man was taken aback. He rubbed his wrinkly forehead, frustrated. "I understand you two are on the Grand Tour? Are you Leaders' kids?"

  Glancing at each other uncertainly, Jewel and Jessica shook their heads at the stranger.

  "That's unfortunate. It's real fun."

  "Should you even be speaking to us? You know, we're different signs?" Jewel eyed him suspiciously.

  "Oh my, I'm terribly sorry, but I must be going now. Have a good day!" And with that, he disappeared into the crowd. Jessica was pondering what just happened when Aria emerged from the restroom.

  "Ok, let's go get some food!" Aria led them to the vendors.

-=+=-

"Damn it! I lost again!" Colin grumbled, losing the ring toss.

Blue rolled his eyes, unamused. "At this rate, our money will be drained before noon. Let's do something else. This is getting really boring."

Before Colin could respond, he noticed a shadowy figure lurking behind a cart, staring at them. Colin inched away slowly, dragging Blue with him.

  "Do you see that person over there? I feel like they've been watching us..." Colin mumbled to Blue.

  Blue turned his head to search for it. "There's nothing there, Colin."

  "What? There was someone there!"

  "This game has fucked with you too much. C'mon, we're going to our friends."

  "But! But!"

  "Don't care, so shut up."

-=+=-

  The group of friends reunited back in the hotel, discussing their adventures in the carnival.

  "Rose ate like a pig the entire time," Chase teased.

  "Aria got sick and almost threw up on us. Oh yeah, and we met a crazy dude," Jewel informed, eating her chips on Colin's bed in the boys' room.

  "Hm. I saw something. Might be your crazy dude," Colin wondered aloud, resting his head on his hand.

  Blue sighed. "I didn't see anything. I think you're making it up."

  "I'm sorry, what are you guys talking about?" Rose stared at them all.

  "Me and Wolf weren't even there, so..."

  "I saw something in the shadows," Colin answered.

  "Oh. Okay... Wait, what time is it?" Spafina worried, checking her watch. "We gotta go initiate the plan!"