The Chosen

6

"So where do you want to go?" Alkai asks me as soon as we close the door behind us.

"Um.....options?"

"Um......basically anything?" he says mocking me.

"Does the palace have an apple orchard?"

"I think so. Do you want to go there?"

"Yes!"

He laughs.

"Why are you laughing?!"

"You had everything you could ever choose, and you chose an apple orchard?"

"I'm simple, and I love apples! But I've never seen an apple orchard."

"Well then, the apple orchard it is."

~

"This place is beautiful!!!" I say as soon as we get outside.

I didn't even see any of this coming in on the first day.

"Just you wait until we get to the orchard then!"

We walk in silence -probably because Alkai wants me to keep my attention to loving every piece of this garden. We pass the rose bushes, the food area of the garden, the flower area, the bushes, and the tree orchard. I love it all.

The tree orchard is beautiful. Alkai lead me down a dirt path that lead to beautiful trees full of every kind that you could ever imagine. It's the size of four football fields. It doesn't quite look like woods though, because each tree is evenly spaced out. Alkai then leads me down another, less followed path that leads through a patch of woods, and ends up by the apple orchard.

I'm in love as soon as I see it. I run to one of the trees and hug it. I chose an apple and bite into it. It's juicy and so good! I plop down next to the tree and lean my back and head against it. I close my eyes and take in the appley scent. 

"It smells delicious."

"I know." Alkai says as he plops down next to me. "You must love it here."

"I've only been here for like five minutes and I LOVE it here!" I say finishing off my apple.

"Wow, you must really like apples."

"I told you. Apples are amazing, and call me weird but all I want to do is spend all my time here."

"Why can't you?"

"Because I'm not allowed to leave the palace."

"I can give you a note that tells you it's ok, or you can have your guard, Neveni, take you."

"How do you know about Neveni?" I ask.

"I know who some select guards are." 

We both laugh. I pick another apple from the same tree.

"You seriously like apples, huh?"

"Uh, yeah!"

"I don't really like the taste of them. The always taste bad, not like an apple should taste like."

"The apple chooses the person, if it doesn't like you, then it probably tastes bad."

"Haha very funny."

"Seriously, you can count the seeds in an apple, but you can't count the apples in a seed."

"What does that mean?" he asks.

"Whatever you perceive it to mean." I laugh.

I get up and roam around all the apple trees.

"I love it here." I say.

"I know you do." he says. "And you look really pretty here."

I blush. "Thanks."

"Hey, we should head back."

~

"You're doing it wrong!" Rhyliegh shouts at me.

"She's doing it fine!" Lindsey shouts back. "Mrs. Brown, isn't Foster doing this right?"

"Actually, Rhyliegh," Mrs. Brown "is correct. Foster, you are doing it wrong."

"But what's the wrong way to hold books on your head and walk?" Lindsey asks.

"The way Foster's doing it." Rhyliegh snaps back at Lindsey.

I frown and take the books off my head.

"Ok, I'll fix it by tomorrow, Mrs. Brown, I promise." I say.

"Ok, you can go. But don't forget to practice!" she says.

"Thank you." I mumble and leave with Lindsey at my heels.

"So how was your date? What did you do?" she asks.

"It was good. He took me to an apple orchard, because I wanted to. But, I feel lame. I'm so lame and plain. How will he fall for me?"

"OMG! ARE YOU SERIOUSLY SAYING THIS?! YOU'RE THE ONE THAT HE'S BEEN EYEING SINCE WE ALL MET HIM!" she yells at me, playfully. 

"But seriously, stop it!" she yells at me as she walks away.

I open my door, and slide down to the bottom, and onto the floor. I sigh, ready to go to bed right now. I get up and walk to my bed. But I can't lay down. On top of the bed, is a small box. I sit down and open it. Inside, is an apple shaped necklace. Underneath it is a piece of paper. I open it and instantly smile. 

It reads:

"You can count the seeds in an apple, but you can't count the apples in a seed."

Hey!! *eyebrow wiggle* Sorry, I know I'm weird. Ok, imma keep this short, so bye!!