Zodiac Academy

3. Focus

  After what happened three days ago, the twins -my closest friends, mind you- have been avoiding me. I don't know if it was because Jaxson had some sort of anxiety attack or because they wanted to recoup. The least they could do was wave to me in class.

  I had to start spending time with my Aquarius friends. And they didn't understand me a lick as much as the Gemini twins did. I missed them. I hate to admit it, but I really do miss those idiots.

  I was lounging on Jenny's bed. She was one of my friends because she looked past Cho's pretty face and dark brown eyes and saw the egotistical boy hidden underneath. She was down to Earth and I liked that about her - even if her white-blonde hair had been dyed to fade into blue near the ends.

  "Have you been receiving letters from your family?" Jenny asked, going through her mail. "Mine seems to have stopped. Do you think the Zodiacs are keeping them from us?"

  I shrugged. "My family never wrote me any letters."

  Jenny started. Her mouth hung open as she dropped her mail onto the thin mattress. "Never? What cruel people."

  I shrugged again. "Its no big deal. I never knew them anyway. They never came to see me on family day."

  "What the fuck," Jenny exclaimed. "That's messed up!"

  Picking at her galaxy-themed sheets had become a great distraction from the conversation. She decided not to continue on the subject when I had successfully removed a thread from the sheet. She turned to reprimanding me instead.

  "I have Extras tonight," she sighed, "I'll hang out with you some other time." Jenny stood from her bed and gathered a few things.

  "Yeah, okay. I have Discussion Group. I should probably be heading out as well." I waved at her as I left her room.

 
  The entire time I sat in the classroom with the group, I was thinking about the Gemini club. I wanted to be there instead of here. Anywhere but here, really.

  I wonder if the twins were there again. How many times did they skip their Extras? Zodiacs would probably confront them if they didn't show up to enough of them.

  "What do you think, Aquarius?"

  I snapped back into reality. A quick survey around the room quickly showed what they had been talking about.

  "I think solar energy would definitely help with the issue, but if we had cloudy skies we would still have to revert back to electricity. Unless we all wanted to have a world-wide day off. That would get people nowhere."

  The Aquarius Zodiac smiled. "I find your opinion intriguing. I find your ability to listen and stare off into space simultaneously impressing. Anyone else have a different opinion?"

  Multiple hands raised and I tuned them all out again. Like I said, I didn't want to be here. It was all their fault. They made me want to skip this routine to go do something new. Something against the rules.

  Something the twins said suddenly stuck out. It rang through my skull like a bell being tolled.

  Doing something against the rules only brings you to be thirsty for more.

  I hated that they could be eerily correct sometimes. It would have been so much easier had I told them I was just going to Group. I should have just gone to Group.

  Allowing them to take me to one of the most interesting places on this stupid property was idiotic of me. I should have denied. I should have done so many things differently three nights ago.

  And yet, a part of me wanted to see what they had wanted to do. They had awoken a part of me that was supposed to be kept sleeping.

  I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them again. I had to pay attention. Being called out again would be embarrassing. Especially by the head Zodiac of Aquarius.

  I started to tune back into the discussion. I was Aquarius born. I was respectful. Aquarius didn't zone off in the middle of a class.

  Actually listening shouldn't be a problem. It never was before. But as the discussion kept dragging on, I found myself imagining a dark room full of swaying bodies and multicolored lights flashing through glass cups of various drinks.

  The most surprising thing was I was imagining Jaxson beside me the entire time. Leo somewhere else with other Gemini girls. Jaxson being left alone with me in the club once again.

  Man, I missed those idiots.