Chapter 6:
"Syl, wake up," Jondy leaned back through the seperation of the front seats. She pocked Syl with her sharp pointer finger nail.
"Yeah," she yawned and stretched her limbs out graciously like a cat after an afternoon nap in the afternoon sun.
"You gonna come in or not. If not you could stay in the car for a while." Jondy shrugged.
"Zack wants to stay, what a miricle," she mummbled under her breath because she was yet to know what kind of person Jondy is. She could be a back stabber and go and say something, even though it wouldn't bother her.
"He wants to be gone by evening," Jondy leaned against her closed door waiting for Syl.
Syl joined her. Zack was already inside.
"Heard your going to New York," Jondy said linking her arm with Syl's.
"Yeah, thinkin about it for the holidays," she added matter-of-factly.
The purple haired girl looked up at the building a moment and leaned in close to Syl, "I'm spending the holiday with Zane." She smiled showing off perfect teeth.
"Yeah?" Syl hinted with fake enthuism.
She nodded. "He asked me to join him and his garage crew, saying something about knowing someone who could cook."
"Does G.I Zack know?" she asked bitterly looking at the crumbling gravel under their feet as they made their way to the entrance.
"No, but I bet he will find out sooner or later; better later."
She seemed like a trustworthy person. She also went behind Zack's back to have some company.
"Do you think I could talk to you later about somethings?"
Jondy looked concerned, but nodded. "Yeah, we can. A girl talk, because I could sure use one as well. For now lets go see if big bro ate everything in my fridge yet."
-
Up in her apartment Zack was in her bedroom reading something. Syl indicated to Jondy this.
"Don't worry," she went into the room and sat next to Zack, "It's just bills."
Syl entered as well and looked down at the paper. "Jondy Johnson?" she arched a brow. It sounded like something out of a child's television program, you know the girl with the weird hair. Ok, bad timing.
"Yours any better?" she challenged back, not offened but curious. She must have received weird looks a lot when people heard what her name was.
"I don't have one," she said and left the room.
Jondy's apartment was nice. It was comfortable for her to live, and it was very secure. Unfortunently, she was one of those stable-body who settled and lived, living a normal life with a job, and friends held at an arms distance, and boyfriends.
Jondy worked in a bar, so she must have the hook-ups.
Sitting on the floor in her living room the blonde girl ran a hand through her hair. She wasn't feeling good. A little achy and icky she felt the on sets of a seizure.
Her fingers tangled in her hair toward the bottom. It was still too long for her taste. Maybe Jondy'll cut it. She would ask her if she didn't forget.
Jondy came into the room and sat on the floor oposite of Syl.
"You okay?" she questioned.
Syl nodded, "I just feel a little down and out."
"You need any?" she questioned ready to retrieve the Trypophan.
Syl nodded again.
When she came back Zack was with her. He sat on the couch not saying a word.
Jondy sat down next to her.
Syl held the small bottle in her hands. Turning it a few times in her hands she looked at Jondy.
Jondy's phone went off in the other room. She made no move to get it.
An obvious question, "Aren't you going to get it?"
"No. They're probably going to ask me to come into work when clearly nobody gives a damn about me, for nobody cared to bail me out. I'm not working tonight. I'll return on-" she thought for a moment, "Friday. If you guys were staying then you'd be able to hear the live band. They're hot. Especially their last song," she said mostly to Zack.
It was something between the two of them. It was their business. She wouldn't pry into it.
"Syl, what's your number, so, you know, I can contact you just in case."
Syl shook her head.
"How do you not have a number? What if you need help? How are we supposed to know?"
She shrugged. Her head was starting to hurt, and her leg twitched. She didn't want Zack or Jondy to see her like this.
Zack stood, "I'll be back," and he was out.
Syl brought herself against the wall and started to shake.
"Talk to be," she blurted with a bitter edge to her voice. Her breath came out in heavy gasps. With the bottle gasped tightly in her hand she took two pills and downed them.
Jondy had said something, but she missed it completely. "Say that again," she asked her bigger sister.
"I was telling you that if you were here by yourself, and we kicked it off, then we'd meet up with Zane."
She clutched around her legs tightly. "Who else do you see, or have met up with since the escape?" She couldn't take the wall anymore; couldn't take her head tapping the wall, so she broke away and layed onto the couch Zack was on previously and held her arms around her head.
"Please don't tell Zack," she pleaded.
"I won't," she looked unsure, but sat close to her on the ground facing the couch. She moved Syl's hair off her sweating forehead. She knew, like Syl knew that there wasn't much someone could do to help during a seizure. They just had to wait it out.
Syl closed her eyes and bit onto her lip before releasinbg.
"Talk to me still," she added after a moments silence. She ws trying, really trying to hold herself still. "Answer my question." The bottle rolled out of her hand and onto the floor.
"I only had contact with Zack, Zane and Ben. Now you. As for the other girls, I know they are around, but don't know where. I think it's better that way."
"Why?" she questioned.
"I just don't think I should know."
Syl opened her eyes.
Jondy handed her the bottle that had laid on the floor. She took it in her hands and held it. Now Syl let her head rest on the pillow.
"Do you love Zack?" The question just blurted out her mouth. It didn't come to mind, it wasn't even a thought in the recess of her brain.
That took Jondy aback as well. The quick shock was very apparent. Like hiding secrets from the enemy, knowing their move, using their strength against them- all seemed easy compared to the question with an emotion they hadn't learned to have until after the escape. They couldn't learn how to block it out, or act like they didn't have it because they weren't trained for it. It was natural; managed to catch Zack off guard a moment or two; she was proud of that.
Her shakes simmered down and she was able to sit up.
Jondy turned and sat back against the couch not saying a word. It wasn't that hard of a question. Well it was, but still…..
"I can never do that," she said with a bitter sound of sarcastic hysteria. "You know that can never be. We can never let go or hold to someone that would instantly compromise us. We have to work for our freedom and a foolish thing as love will make
you careless, and it will make you foolish. You'll get caught, hauled back and never see your life or happiness again. And it will all be because of one, stupid foolish emotion."
Ok, Zack has offically gotten to her. She didn't obviously see that Zack wasn't someone who could compromise her. He was one of them.
Maybe she had told him before, and he barked that speech at her. Now, she was replaying her pain through the repeat of his words.
Of course Zack would say those words. He has the emotional range of a nickel; not a shiny one either. It was more like one that was found in dirt and stuffed into someone's pocket.
One thing, one saying, her relationship, might break her or make her see the light. Or she could see the disgust of their relationship and accuse her. Only one way:
"I love Krit," she replied calmility to her voice, on a normal level. Saying it felt like the most obvious thing in the world; like she could say it freely to Jondy, anyways. Zack knew; but she never uttered the words to him. There was always that look in his eyes.
"You love him?" the disbelief in her voice really bothered Syl. Was it that hard to believe? Sometimes it felt hard to believe that they were together, but she made it work; they made it work. Though they had extremes with their emotions: they were either really in love, or they really hated eachother. But in both were emotions they'd never let go, the ones they would always hold tightly in a closed fist.
Syl nodded. It was the truth, and there was no denying it. She'd scream it to the world if she could.
By now Jondy was seated on the couch next to her. She looked at Syl with such big eyes.
"Why? You can't be, like together," she was at a lost of words.
"On the night of the escape Zack paired us up, but once we were free we promised each other that we would always be together no matter which way, or how; we will always find one another; even in dangerous parts of the country. We make it work, no matter what, we really do."
The sound of boots on the stairs stopped the conversation. She knew Jondy knew now, and wouldn't spill to Zack. For every kind of girl's 'girl talk' it means to stay only between those girls and in that room. Nothing could break that; even if the girls were astrange, and very different.
It was nice to have a girl from her youth to talk to, though they didn't cover some matters. Maybe another time, because they could only discuss important matters, that would otherwise confuse normal girls.
There will be other times, Syl would make sure of that.
Zack had two bags in his hand which he unloaded on the table.
"Beer?" Jondy looked at him downtroutened; like she couldn't believe this.
"Yes, beer," he said. "Why? You can do better?" he challenged.
"Yup, you bet. I make it myself; my brew that is," she jumped to her feet," Gets 'em drunk and they drop their money as well as their pants." She left with a wink.
That last part was for Zack's benefit. She was really teasing. There was something there, but just knowing she couldn't, kept her at a distance. By the looks of it, she was still able to mess with him.
Zack and Syl started to eat the burgers and junk he brought. Jondy came in with a juice pitcher and three glasses. The blue concotion inside looked pretty. Did it taste pretty?
"Who wants to try first?" she questioned pouring it into the three glasses.
Neither of two volunteered. She looked from one to the other.
"Zack, be my friend and try it," she laughed. She held the glass out to him. Syl looked at him. His expression never changed. He put down the burger he was eating and took the glass and took a sip.
He put the glass down and continued to eat.
Was it that bad? She wondered.
She handed Syl a glass who hesitated, but then took it and took a sip. The drink was strong, but for flavor it tasted like strawberry.
If it tasted like strawberry then why was it blue?
She suddenly decided that she didn't want to know. If it was concotecd in Jondy's kitchen then something was going down. She had to remember that she didn't know anything about her after they left Manticore.
"What's in it?" she questioned enjoying the aftertaste. A strawberry fizzle tingled in the back of her mouth like pop rocks candy. It was quite enjoyable.
"If I told you that I'd have to kill you, then I'd have to kill Zack because he saw me kill you." Jondy downed her whole glass.
The two of them looked at her because of her action. Syl contiued to sip hers, and beside her Zack didn't touch his. It wasn't bad, it was blazzin'. She never had anything like it before.
The phone rang again. This time it was a different tone. Still Jondy ignored it.
"You must be pissed at them," Syl indicated toward the other room with the jerk of her thumb over her shoulder. She finished her burger in Jondy's silence. Taking Zack's fries she started to eat those until he snatched them back, and took a bite of one.
"I'm short tempered, and still pissed off that I had to sit there for days," she elaborated with the shake of her head. "I mean come on now, what the hell. I'm the best worker there, I don't break shit, and when the time comes I have their back's when they need my cover. But, oh, when the time comes to come to my aid everyone acts like they know nothing, and leave me there. Shit, of course I'm pissed." She took Zack's fries and ate them.
-
An odd number of drinks later the three finished off the pitcher; well mostly Jondy and Syl. The two girls had a great time talking to eachother about normal things: jobs, boys, people who came into the bar and just things they had had to deal with since the escape. Syl, coated many things in thick sugar because there still were things she didn't want Zack to know.
Unfortunently when five o' clock rolled around Zack was ready to leave, saying they spend way too much time there already.
Syl gave her a tight hug and whispered, "I will come see you again, I promise."
"I wish I could contact you. Why don't you have a number?"
It was time to tell the truth. "Krit smashed my phone. Hand to hand combat can do that for you," she chided. If anything she tried to make a joke out of it.
"Well you now know my number," Jondy said, even with the look on Zack's face, and quickly added, "Don't be a stranger."
Syl nodded.
Jondy broke into Zack's space, "And you?" she suggested.
This wasn't her scene. She was invading on something that wasn't her place to be.
"I'll be outside," she mumbled walking out the door. She bet everything in her pocket they didn't hear a word she said.
-
Downstairs she leaned against the car watching a guy and his girl going at it in strong argument. Both held ground, though the guy towered over her and shouted down on her like she was one of his boys or something.
She caught the tail end of the conversation, "I do things only for you, I would never go against you. What you think you see is just imagination in your eyes. I only want to be with you. Let me be with you. You have to trust me, and not anybody else."
The guy slapped the girl and shouted, "Don't lie. Never talk to me again, never call me again, and never write me anymore letters. You're dead to me." Then he walked away with her trailing behind. She tried to get him to talk to her, but he was off, breaking her gasp from his arm.
Why would someone say something like that? You're dead to me; why would they say that to someone they really cared about? What if you never saw that person again?
Zack came out from the building and they left on the road again. What sucked was the look in his eyes. He was pissed off again. What was biting his ass?
"Whats going on?" she questioned. She knew she wouldn't get the answer, but at least she would get a reaction from him.
He turned the corner and almost rear-ended a corvet. Beeping his horn he barked insults.
"They can't hear you," Syl spoke out the obvious. Besides that she didn't push the matter. She did her normal thing; roll down the window and laid her head out. Blind eyed, she pushed the button to the radio and what emited was a soft tuned love song. It was far from her taste, but when she went to change it he said, "Don't."
Some words do actually come out of his mouth.
"Wow, didn't know you had a soft side," she added for effect. It was okay to have some emotions, and he was cooling down his attitude.
"The news is next," he said and that was that. She had to remind herself that Zack was a robot; no emotions, no feelings, nothing at all. Back at Manticore, that's all he was, back there where he wanted to escape. The two don't fit together, so why was he trying so hard?
The song ended to silence before a lady came on with a very seriene sounding voice and said the song was called, 'Somewhere Out There.' The news came next, but it was nothing to get excited about. Everyhing was about the upcoming holiday season, and how to protect your store from looters. Just the drone of her voice made Syl tired; very tired.
-
"In Nevada we split," he spoke out of the blue a while later. It was dark outside and everything was dirt and road.
Her eyes drooped back to sleep because he didn't say anything else.
-
Next chapter soon.