The Golden Rule

Ch 12: In Trouble

Acci twisted the little bunch of yellow flowers between her finger tips while sat on a stone step. She swished her stored saliva and spat out a big glob of green gunk into the dirt. She licked the edges of teeth to get the stray pieces of plant out of her mouth. They had told her that the plants were edible, but by the bitter taste stubbornly sticking at the back of her throat, she believed that they were trying to make a fool of her and horde all the good stuff for themselves. Then a thought came across her mind that she might have misunderstood what they said. After all, she had to admit that the way they spoke sounded so long and complicated that she had to ignore half of what they were saying if she did not want to get a headache.

She put the flowers in her pants and adjusted herself on the seat. Looking from side to side, she hoped to see Valor coming down the road with a box full of Juices like he promised her he would yesterday, but all she saw were the nervous looks of passerbyers who were in her line of sight.

Really? Like I'm some wild animal or somethin. She regretted that she just reminded herself that people could not stop watching every move she made and then tried to look away as if she did not see them. She breathed deeply to keep herself from getting up and punching that bald fat Pearlie man who took five extra steps to the right when he walked in her direction. After waiting for a short while after that, she stood up and started stomping away from the step. She hadn't even left the area near the stoop when she heard Val's voice from behind her.

“Hey Acci! Where you goin? I'm here,” he yelled.

She stopped for a moment and listened to his foot steps as he approached her then continued walking on, enjoying his desperate groans for her attention.

“If you don't want I have in this box, then I guess I'll go back home eat it all myself,” he continued.

She stopped again, waited for a moment, then strode confidently toward him in a way that would show she was coming to him because she wanted to not because he commanded her. She was not going to let him think she was his toy.

“Hope what you brought somethin good cuz I'm gonna kicked your ass if you if it's not good.” she said with a sneer, grabbing the small box he held in both hands.

“It's the good stuff. But let's not talk about it here unless you want to keep being stared at.” He looked up and shouted, “Does anyone else wanna have some of this!”

He winced as she pulled his ponytail to bring him down to her annoyed face.

“You wanna make a mob or somethin! Keep yo mouth closed!” Looking from left to right in the corners of her eyes, but surprisingly she noticed that the road seemed be much emptier than they were a moment ago and people were moving much faster to get out of the alley.

“'Lax girl. No one's gonna do anythin to us. Isn't that right!” he yelled. She heard some collective mumbles but nothing that sounded like a challenge. Though she overheard the words, or “stained” or “damned stain” in whispered voices surrounding her. “See. Cowards. All of them are.” A scowl spread across his lips and he began to run.

“Where you goin!” She ran after him. He maneuvered through the crowd with care free ease and headed towards a cart filled with something red and pulled his hand in and then out of it.

“Thief! Thief Get back here and pay you for them! Someone get him!” The shocked Pearlie woman behind the cart yelled out to the crowd. To Acci surprise, a group of men gathered and started chasing them. The frail woman did not look like a boss or anyone with power unless those red things were some kind of Dreamer, but of course that did not make any sense because she was selling it out in the open. It looked like the power of her word just stirred them in a frenzy which did not make sense to Acci, but she had no time to think about that as she tried to follow him.