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Earth Angel

By Pseudo
Created: 2021-05-13 01:00:19
Expiry: Never

  1. 1.
    >”I’m gonna getcha!”
  2. 2.
    “Ah!”
  3. 3.
    >Weaving in and out of the wiry trees, you scream, brushing against the bundles of grapes which hang from the thin branches above you
  4. 4.
    “You can’t get me!”
  5. 5.
    >Popping out of the foliage, you make a last ditch effort to sprint towards the porch when you hear his pounding footsteps behind you
  6. 6.
    >Heart racing, you watch as your safe haven draws closer when suddenly your feet leave the ground
  7. 7.
    >”I’ve got you now.”
  8. 8.
    “No-aha! Stop!”
  9. 9.
    >As your world flips upside down, you feel a spider crawl against your stomach and attack you viciously with its spindly legs
  10. 10.
    >”Go on, say it.”
  11. 11.
    “Never!” you belt out, giggling in sheer terror as you swipe at the creature tearing at your skin
  12. 12.
    >”C’mon now, it’s easy. Say it with me. Un-cle.”
  13. 13.
    “No!”
  14. 14.
    >A moment later, your mauling ceases
  15. 15.
    >Phew, for a second you thought he was gonna-
  16. 16.
    >Flipping right side up, you feel something wet slam into your stomach
  17. 17.
    >”Pfffffft!”
  18. 18.
    “Uncle! Uncle! S-Stop, please!” you screech, futilely trying to shove their head away from you
  19. 19.
    >Released from their torment, you see the ground slowly getting closer when your head gracefully makes contact
  20. 20.
    >Lowered to the ground, you prop yourself up on your arms to catch your breath
  21. 21.
    >”Good to see ol’ Uncle Pseudo still got it.”
  22. 22.
    >Kneeling in front of you, he grins and wipes a bead of sweat from his brow
  23. 23.
    >”I ain’t gonna lie, you really gave me a run for my money.”
  24. 24.
    “I told you I was fast.”
  25. 25.
    >”You sure are, squirrelly.”
  26. 26.
    >Leaning forward with a fist, he gently rubs it against your skull before ruffling your hair
  27. 27.
    >Glancing up towards the burning sun, he sighs, resting his arms against his knee
  28. 28.
    >”You gettin’ hungry, buddy?”
  29. 29.
    >Nodding, you feel your stomach tumble and turn, groaning loudly
  30. 30.
    >”Alright now,” he chuckles, hooking an arm beneath your legs and back
  31. 31.
    >Rising from the ground, you smile in anticipation
  32. 32.
    >”Hurgah, hurgah,” he audibly grunts, lifting you off the ground
  33. 33.
    “I’m not that heavy.”
  34. 34.
    >”I don’t know, I think I’m gonna,” shooting to the dirt floor, he immediately bounces back up, “drop ya!”
  35. 35.
    “Again, again!”
  36. 36.
    >”No can do, buckaroo.”
  37. 37.
    “Why not?”
  38. 38.
    >”’Cause we’re already here.”
  39. 39.
    >Setting you down on the porch, he sighs, stretching and popping his back
  40. 40.
    >”Lets get on inside, ya hear?”
  41. 41.
     
  42. 42.
    >Yanking open the screen door, you burst through the doorway and bolt towards the kitchen to see your parents
  43. 43.
    “Mama,” you squeak, stopping mid-run and walking to her
  44. 44.
    >”Yes sweetie?”
  45. 45.
    >Lightly tugging on her skirt, you gaze into her warm, inviting eyes
  46. 46.
    “Can we have lunch now?”
  47. 47.
    >Smiling, she cups your cheeks and kisses your forehead
  48. 48.
    >”Of course. Nito,” she asks, turning towards your dad, “can you and Anon peel the potatoes?”
  49. 49.
    >”Yes mam,” he responds, resting his newspaper on the table and wrapping an arm around your waist
  50. 50.
    >Hoisting you from the wooden floor, he follows her to the counter and sets you on top of it
  51. 51.
    >”Really honey? He’s dirty.”
  52. 52.
    >”Ain’t nothing a little water and soap can’t fix, darlin’.”
  53. 53.
    >Kicking your legs, you see your mom puff her cheeks out and cross her arms as she glares at your dad
  54. 54.
    >Uh oh, mama’s mad...
  55. 55.
    >”Starry-”
  56. 56.
    >”Incog,” she growls, maintaining her boiling visage
  57. 57.
    >”O-kay,” he says without another word, lifting you off the counter and on a nearby stool
  58. 58.
    >Snagging a sack of potatoes and a peeler, he sets it in front of the both of you
  59. 59.
    >Placing the peeler in your palm, he grips your hand, placing it on the potato and moving it away from you
  60. 60.
    >”Always look at what you’re doin’ and keep the peeler away from yer hand.”
  61. 61.
    >After the entire potato’s peeled, he claps you on the back and hands you another potato
  62. 62.
    >Focusing on your work, you occasionally sneak a glimpse at your mom chopping some carrots and your dad peeling his potatoes with a knife
  63. 63.
    “Papa, why are ya peeling towards you?” you question, continuing to peel your share
  64. 64.
    >”This is what ya do when yer usin’ a knife.”
  65. 65.
    “Can I try?”
  66. 66.
    >”When yer older, sure.”
  67. 67.
    >Pouting, you cross your arms and glare at him, staring daggers straight into his soul when you hear a creaky laugh
  68. 68.
    >”Oh lord, he really is his mother’s son.”
  69. 69.
    >Twisting your head, you spot your grandma shuffling into the kitchen
  70. 70.
    >”Ya coulda said you were fixin’ lunch and I’da help ya.”
  71. 71.
    >”You really don’t need to, Miss Hope.”
  72. 72.
    >Flapping a hand towards your mom, she continues her trek
  73. 73.
    >”Gleaming, ya’ve been in the family fer how many years and yer still makin’ a fuss ‘bout manners? Now scooch and lemme help ya.”
  74. 74.
    >As time ticks by, the stack of peeled potatoes grows higher, and when your hands begin to cramp, you realize the sack is completely empty
  75. 75.
    >Jumping off the stool, you follow your dad back to the kitchen table and climb in his lap to read the newspaper with him
  76. 76.
     
  77. 77.
    >While the intoxicating smell of lunch greets your nose, you notice something as you try and locate the funny pages
  78. 78.
    >’UPCOMING WINTER PREDICTED ON TIME AND NOT AS HARSH, METEOROLOGISTS SAY’
  79. 79.
    “Papa, what’s a metreologist?”
  80. 80.
    >”A metreologist?” he questions, looking down at you with a confused expression
  81. 81.
    “That,” you reply, pointing to the headline
  82. 82.
    >”Ah, that says meteorologist.”
  83. 83.
    “What does a meat-er-ologist do?”
  84. 84.
    >”They tell us what the weather’s gonna be like.”
  85. 85.
    “How?”
  86. 86.
    >Scratching his chin, he hums in curiosity
  87. 87.
    >”While I ain’t sure, but I think we can find out if we read it.”
  88. 88.
    >Reading through the article, you say the words you know and pat his hand on the words you don’t
  89. 89.
    “It’s espected-”
  90. 90.
    >”Expected.”
  91. 91.
    ”-expected that the comin’ winter is goin’ ta be lighter than the last. No blisserds-
  92. 92.
    >”Blizzards.”
  93. 93.
    “-blizzards are expected.”
  94. 94.
    >”Very good,” he whispers proudly, patting your head
  95. 95.
    “But how do they know?”
  96. 96.
    >”I guess you’ll find out when ya go to school this fall. Ya excited?”
  97. 97.
    “Yeah!”
  98. 98.
    >”Attaboy.”
  99. 99.
     
  100. 100.
    >Picking you up and carrying you to the dining room, the scent of lunch draws near
  101. 101.
    >When all the plates and platters are placed on the table, you listen to the dinner bell chime and wait patiently in your seat
  102. 102.
    >Soon, all your relatives enter the house and take their respective places as they shovel food on their plates
  103. 103.
    >After your mom finishes getting you your food, you have your own fill of lunch
  104. 104.
    >A flurry of conversations and cacophonous laughter erupts, and as soon as it began, it ended with the entire table completely barren
  105. 105.
    >Satisfied, you rub your tummy when you feel two sets of hands on your shoulders
  106. 106.
    >”Sweetie, we have to talk.”
  107. 107.
    >”Yer mother and I have been thinking, and we think that what we’re ‘bout to tell ya is the best fer us all.”
  108. 108.
    >”Anon, we’re going to be moving to Canterlot.”
  109. 109.
    “Will Uncle Pseudo come with us?” you ask, turning to her
  110. 110.
    >”No sweetie,” she coos, frowning as she rubs your back, “but we’ll still see him and everyone else when we visit.”
  111. 111.
    “B-But how much? And fer how long?” you whimper, tears growing in your eyes
  112. 112.
    >”Every winter.”
  113. 113.
    >A river trails down your cheeks as you struggle to breathe, your chest tightening in a vice
  114. 114.
    >”Shh, it’s okay, sweetie. It’s okay.”
  115. 115.
    >The sound of her humming drowns out everything around you as you fail to notice being picked up
  116. 116.
    >Now in the back of the truck, all you can do is cry
  117. 117.
    >Wailing and weeping until you pass out in her chest, the bumps of the road and her arms cradling you to sleep
  118. 118.
     
  119. 119.
    =========================================================================
  120. 120.
     
  121. 121.
    >”Anon,” a light voice sings nearby, “it’s time to wake up, sweetie.”
  122. 122.
    >Burying your face in your pillow, you moan half-heartedly as something brushes against your arm
  123. 123.
    >”It’s a shame that you’re asleep,” she announces to no one in particular before whispering into your ear, “because I made crepes, so I guess I’ll have to eat them myself. All of them.”
  124. 124.
    “Crepes?” you ask, shifting your head towards your beaming mom
  125. 125.
    >”Oui, so get your clothes on.”
  126. 126.
    >Pinching a cheek, she plants a kiss on the tip of your nose and gets up from your bed
  127. 127.
    >As she leaves the room, you immediately jolt into action
  128. 128.
    >Rolling out from underneath the covers, you unceremoniously undress yourself, catapulting your night clothes around your room
  129. 129.
    >Down to your skivvies, you snatch your clothes for the day from the dresser and head towards the kitchen as you dress yourself
  130. 130.
    >Pulling the other sock on, you nearly trip through the kitchen doorway and face plant on the cool, marble tile
  131. 131.
    >”Your breakfast is on the table, honey.”
  132. 132.
    >”Thanks, darlin’.”
  133. 133.
    >Scurrying over to your seat, you sit beside the window and reach for the jam jar
  134. 134.
    >Smearing a healthy scoop atop your breakfast, you return the jar to the center of the table and roll the flat cakes with your hands
  135. 135.
    >”Anon Y. Mous!”
  136. 136.
    >Snapping your head in her direction, you sheepishly drop your food back onto your plate and grab a fork
  137. 137.
    “I love you, mama,” you shout, shooting her a toothy grin
  138. 138.
    >”I wonder where you’re learning that from.”
  139. 139.
    *snort*
  140. 140.
    >Before you can take your first bite, she turns her attention to your dad, glaring at him with a plate of her own
  141. 141.
    >”I love ya, darlin’.”
  142. 142.
    >Sashaying her way over to the two of you, she tilts his chin towards her and pecks him on the lips
  143. 143.
    >”I love you, too.”
  144. 144.
    >Beginning your breakfast, you shove forkful after forkful down your craw, ignoring your mom’s look of disappointment
  145. 145.
    >Sighing, she digs into her own cooking, occasionally taking a sip of some coffee here and there
  146. 146.
    “Papa,” you ask, swallowing your last mouthful, “can you come with us?”
  147. 147.
    >Pursing his lips, he reaches out and holds your hand in his
  148. 148.
    >”Sorry son, but there’s still work that needs done.”
  149. 149.
    “Still?”
  150. 150.
    >Without a word, he squeezes your hand with a weary smile
  151. 151.
    >”Oh shi-oot!” she declares, shock washing over her face, “brush your teeth, sweetie, we don’t wanna be late!”
  152. 152.
    >Scrambling for the bathroom as your dad laughs in the background, you hastily brush your teeth and rush for the already running truck
  153. 153.
     
  154. 154.
    >Buckling up, you hold onto anything nearby as the car lurches forward
  155. 155.
    >”Sorry Anon,” she laments, placing a hand on your chest, “I really shouldn’t have done that.”
  156. 156.
    “It’s alright, mama.”
  157. 157.
    >Huffing, she takes back her hand and focuses on the road
  158. 158.
    >”Aren’t you excited to make new friends?”
  159. 159.
    “Uh-huh.”
  160. 160.
    >”I’m sure you’ll learn and have a lot of fun.”
  161. 161.
    >Comforted by her words, you lean your head against the window and watch as the sun rises from the horizon
  162. 162.
    >Time seems to crawl on forever when you’re shaken back to reality
  163. 163.
    >”We’re here, sweetie.”
  164. 164.
    >Rubbing your eyes, you realize you aren’t in the countryside anymore
  165. 165.
    >”You have a great day,” she squeaks, pulling you into a hug
  166. 166.
    “Thanks, mama.”
  167. 167.
    >Grabbing your bag, you leave the car and walk with the other children towards the front of the school
  168. 168.
    >”Hello students! Welcome in, come inside!”
  169. 169.
    >Stepping through the front doors, you follow your past self’s movements and eventually find your way to your homeroom after getting lost twice
  170. 170.
    >...okay, maybe it was three or four times, but hey!
  171. 171.
    >”Hi Anon, come on in and take a seat!”
  172. 172.
    >Entering the room, you freeze in place
  173. 173.
    >T-That’s a lot of people
  174. 174.
    >”Go on, don’t be shy,” Ms. Cheer encourages, gently nudging you further inside
  175. 175.
    >Finding a card with your name on it, you take a seat
  176. 176.
    >”Howdy!”
  177. 177.
     
  178. 178.
    >Twisting yourself in your chair, you notice one of your classmates happily waving her hand in your face
  179. 179.
    >”I’m Applejack, but my folks call me AJ ‘cause they always have and I ain’t never heard ‘em call me anything else,” suddenly, a wave of confusion washes over her as she starts to count on her hand, “well, ‘cept Jack, Jackie, Jackie Jack, Apple Jackie and Jack Apple.”
  180. 180.
    >Returning from her state of intense pondering, she flashes you a wink
  181. 181.
    >”What ‘bout you? What’s yer name, partner?”
  182. 182.
    “My name?” scratching the back of your head, you let your vision trail to your desk, “It’s uh, Anon.”
  183. 183.
    >”Well it’s nice to meetcha ‘uh Anon.’”
  184. 184.
    >”It looks like everyone’s here!”
  185. 185.
    >Clapping her hands, Ms. Cheer stands in front of the chalkboard patiently waiting for everyone’s attention
  186. 186.
    >”Hello class! Today is a wonderful, wonderful day, and I can’t wait to spend it with all of you.”
  187. 187.
    >Motioning towards her name written in cursive, she beams at no one in particular
  188. 188.
    >”For now, we’ll start by introducing ourselves and something we like to do for fun. I’m Ms. Cheer,” she announces with a bow, “and I love, love, love to learn!”
  189. 189.
    >Looking at Applejack, she claps and giggles with glee
  190. 190.
    >”And what about you?”
  191. 191.
    >Standing up, Applejack turns towards the rest of the class holding up her name card
  192. 192.
    >”I’m Applejack, but ya can just call me AJ fer short, and something I like to do for fun is pickin’ apples with my family.”
  193. 193.
    >As she sits back down, you take your cue and stand up yourself, your heart dropping beneath your gut
  194. 194.
    ”H-Hi,” you start, glancing from peer-to-peer as your eyes grow larger in size, “I-I’m... I’m...”
  195. 195.
    >”This here’s Anon.”
  196. 196.
     
  197. 197.
    >Terrified, you somehow feel your spine straighten even more than it could possibly be
  198. 198.
    >Footsteps echo behind you, and when something rests on your shoulder, you take a glimpse back and see Ms. Cheer
  199. 199.
    >”That’s right, AJ.”
  200. 200.
    >Lowering herself to your height, she tilts her head to the side in playful curiosity
  201. 201.
    >”And what’s something you like to do for fun, Anon?”
  202. 202.
    “I-um, I like workin’ with my papa,” you mumble, focusing on your hands as you fidget with them
  203. 203.
    >”Wow, that’s very nice of you and AJ to help your parents.”
  204. 204.
    >Sitting back down, you realize you’ve been holding your breath the entire time and sigh
  205. 205.
    >Drowning out the voices of the rest of the students, you feel something poke your side
  206. 206.
    >”Hey Anon,” AJ whispers, leaning closer to you
  207. 207.
    “Yeah?”
  208. 208.
    >”Whatcha do with yer dad?”
  209. 209.
    “Plant seeds’n’stuff, why?”
  210. 210.
    >Sucking in air, her eyes shine in excitement as she covers her mouth
  211. 211.
    >”Ya live on a farm?”
  212. 212.
    “Yeah?” you answer, concern seeping into your voice
  213. 213.
    >”I do, too! Eh, kinda.”
  214. 214.
    “Whatcha mean ‘kinda?’”
  215. 215.
    >”We call it an orchard since we grow fruit trees, but we still grow stuff like you.”
  216. 216.
    “That’s cool,” you squeak, excitement building in your voice to match
  217. 217.
    >”I know,” she squeals, tightly hugging her chest, “you and me are gonna be best friends, I can tell.”
  218. 218.
    >Hearing a throat clear, the two of you glance in Ms. Cheer’s direction
  219. 219.
    >”Now that we’ve got to know one another, lets get started! Get your colored pencils and crayons out and draw whatever you want on your cards.”
  220. 220.
     
  221. 221.
    >You know, school ain’t so bad, though it ain’t like what mama was saying it was gonna be
  222. 222.
    >Searching through your backpack, you pull out your box of coloring supplies
  223. 223.
    >”Ah shoot.”
  224. 224.
    >When you lay your box down on the table, you notice AJ pursing her lips
  225. 225.
    >”Hey Anon, can I use some’a’yers please?”
  226. 226.
    “Sure.”
  227. 227.
    >Nudging the box in between you and her, you try and pop open the lid when she wraps her arms around you in a hug
  228. 228.
    >”Thanks bestie.”
  229. 229.
    >When she releases you from her embrace, she flips open the top and swipes a red colored pencil
  230. 230.
    >Whatever we want, huh?
  231. 231.
    >Reaching for whatever first brushes your fingertips, you pull out a short, green highlighter and tap it against your lips
  232. 232.
    >Hmm, maybe ya could draw something ‘bout the Daring Do comics?
  233. 233.
    >Shaking your head, you frown at the idea
  234. 234.
    >Nah, that ain’t it
  235. 235.
    >Nibbling on the cap, you roll your eyes to the ceiling as a whirlwind of thoughts whip and soar through your mind
  236. 236.
    >Ah shoot, ya just don’t know what to do
  237. 237.
    >Searching for inspiration, your eyes wander to your peers to see them drawing butterflies, rocket ships and lightning bolts
  238. 238.
    >Peeking over at your partner, you spot her sticking her tongue out as she’s drawing apples
  239. 239.
    >Can’t really say that yer surprised considering her name is Applejack
  240. 240.
    >Immediately, your mind kicks into gear about what your dad and uncle tell you
  241. 241.
    >’Gee, Anon, ya sure ask a lotta questions’
  242. 242.
    ‘Sorry...’
  243. 243.
    >’That ain’t nothin’ to be sorry ‘bout. It’s a good thing’
  244. 244.
    >Biting the cap, you yank the highlighter away from you and push the felt tip to the card stock
  245. 245.
    >Losing yourself in a trance, your hand does it’s magic, swiftly making curves, straight lines and dots
  246. 246.
    >Finished, you return the gnawed cap back to your highlighter and hold out your card in front of you
  247. 247.
    >Surrounding your name on either end are three large question marks rotated at varying degrees
  248. 248.
    >Strangely enough, you feel something in your chest resonate with those green symbols
  249. 249.
    >”Okay class,” a voice shouts, piercing through your mental fog, “let’s move on to the next activity!”
  250. 250.
     
  251. 251.
    >Several hours pass by with Ms. Cheer playing games, singing and even dancing until she sends you all outside for recess
  252. 252.
    >Rocking yourself from heel-to-toe, you watch as the other kids rush to play tether ball, hopscotch, four square and on the playground
  253. 253.
    >Before you can bumble about trying to figure out what to do, you feel your arm nearly being yanked out of its socket
  254. 254.
    >”C’mon, lets go.”
  255. 255.
    >Ow, owie, ouch!
  256. 256.
    >Sucking in the pain like your good old dad, you focus instead on keeping pace with your energetic friend
  257. 257.
    >Dragged along by your arm in full view of everyone on the blacktop, you’re led to a group of trees a fair ways away from the swing set
  258. 258.
    >When Applejack leaves you to scramble up the tree, you grimace and rub your sore shoulder
  259. 259.
    >”Woohoo,” you hear her holler, hanging upside down from a branch above you
  260. 260.
    >Not one to be left out of having fun, you plant your feet on the tree’s roots and leap towards a nearby branch
  261. 261.
    >Catching your hands onto the limb’s rough bark, you hoist yourself up and flip upside down, hooking the nook of your bent legs securely on the branch
  262. 262.
    >Uncurling your fingertips, your palms slip off and drop alongside your torso
  263. 263.
    >While the world shifts and your vision corrects itself, you’re left staring at her as she stares back at you
  264. 264.
    >”Ain’t this fun?”
  265. 265.
    >Refusing to answer her, you instead cross your arms over your chest with your eyes closed
  266. 266.
    >Grinning at the sound of her giggling, you bare open your teeth as if you had fangs
  267. 267.
    “Blah, I’m a vampire, blah!”
  268. 268.
    >”I vant ta suck yer blood, blah!”
  269. 269.
    >Laughing like idiots, you just hang there and look at one another when the sound of leaves crunching rings out beneath you
  270. 270.
    >”Howdy Big Mac.”
  271. 271.
    >”Howdy.”
  272. 272.
     
  273. 273.
    >Following her eyesight, you spot an older boy who could only be in a higher grade level
  274. 274.
    >”That there’s my brother,” she points out, swinging a little on her branch and gesturing to him, “Big Mac, meet Anon. Anon, Big Mac.”
  275. 275.
    >Spitting in his palm, he reaches up for a slimy handshake
  276. 276.
    >Woah, that’s what you and Uncle Pseudo do!
  277. 277.
    >Reaching a hand to your mouth, you spit a healthy glob onto it to meet his shake in kind
  278. 278.
    >After the slippery introduction, the two of you instinctively wipe your soiled hands onto your jeans
  279. 279.
    >”E-he-hew, gross!”
  280. 280.
    “What?” you gawk at her confused, “we were jus’ shaking hands is all.”
  281. 281.
    >”Eeyup,” he agrees, sitting at the base of the trunk
  282. 282.
    >”But ya din’t have ta go an make a mess of it,” she whines, shivering in disgust
  283. 283.
    “It’s jus’ spit.”
  284. 284.
    >”Eeyup.”
  285. 285.
    >”But that’s the thing! It’s... ugh,” she groans, her arms dangling to the ground
  286. 286.
    >Ya know papa said girls could be fussy, but-
  287. 287.
    >As you finish your thought, you watch in horror as her brother latches his hands onto hers
  288. 288.
    >”Ew, ew, ew! Let go!”
  289. 289.
    >”Eenope.”
  290. 290.
    >Split between cackling and interfering, you hear both the angel and devil on your shoulder briefly arguing before settling on doing nothing
  291. 291.
    >Chalking it up to siblings being siblings, you merely observe the spectacle with your arms crossed in fascination
  292. 292.
    >For science, of course
  293. 293.
    >”Big Mac, would ya quit it?”
  294. 294.
    >”Alright, alright,” he relents, withdrawing his dry hands to himself
  295. 295.
    >Frantically wiping her hands on her skirt, her face flush red, she grumbles and grunts barely audible words that would get your heiney beat
  296. 296.
    >With one final huff, she pouts, her eyes glossing over the sky and drifting over to you
  297. 297.
    >When your eyes lock onto one another, she rolls them and smirks
  298. 298.
    >She’ll get used to it, it took you a while, too
  299. 299.
    >Curling up, you latch onto the branch, pull yourself up and shimmy your way to the tree and lean against the bark
  300. 300.
    >With a sigh, you sneak a glance and see her doing the same
  301. 301.
    >Closing your eyes, you enjoy a short nap when the bell rings
  302. 302.
     
  303. 303.
    >”Everyone inside for lunch!”
  304. 304.
    >Checking the ground to see if it’s clear, you roll off and land on your feet
  305. 305.
    >Hitting the dirt running, you hear her keeping pace with your hunger-induced sprint
  306. 306.
    >Getting in line, you and your peers march to your home room to grab any lunches before heading to the cafeteria
  307. 307.
    >Entering through the double doors, you make your way to the trays and fill it up high enough it could topple over
  308. 308.
    >Sliding to the cashier, you stare at them waiting
  309. 309.
    >”Do you have a student number?”
  310. 310.
    “No,” you answer, “should I?”
  311. 311.
    >”Okay, do you have any money with you?”
  312. 312.
    “N-No.”
  313. 313.
    >”Oh dear,” they murmur, covering their mouth with a hand as they search the cafeteria, “do you see that lady over there?”
  314. 314.
    >Following their pointing finger, your eyes rest upon a lady with a scowl, her frown dipping low enough to graze the tile floor
  315. 315.
    “Her?”
  316. 316.
    >”Yep, leave your tray here and talk to her and she’ll let you eat.”
  317. 317.
    >Nope, nuh-uh, ain’t happening
  318. 318.
    >Not in a million, kagillion years, no siree
  319. 319.
    >Leaving the tray, you meander your way over to Applejack and sit beside her
  320. 320.
    >”Guess what I got?” she says, running her fingers over her cherry red lunch box
  321. 321.
    “Apples?”
  322. 322.
    >”And?”
  323. 323.
    “More apples?”
  324. 324.
    >Groaning, she undoes the lock shaking her head
  325. 325.
    >”It ain’t just apples, take a peek,” she chides, lifting the lid to leave only a slit
  326. 326.
    >Peering inside, you can make out a sandwich, some sliced apples and celery with peanut butter slathered in its crevice
  327. 327.
    >Before you can answer, your stomach rumbles and growls, startling her as she flings the lunchbox open
  328. 328.
    >”Shoot, ya really are hungry, aren’t ya?”
  329. 329.
    >Pursing your lips, you gradually lower your head to the table in defeat
  330. 330.
    >Guess ya aren’t eating today, huh?
  331. 331.
     
  332. 332.
    >Accepting your current predicament, you notice an apple slice enter your view
  333. 333.
    >”We can share.”
  334. 334.
    “I-I can’t.”
  335. 335.
    >”Whatcha mean ya can’t?” she challenges
  336. 336.
    >’Cause we work for what we get’ you think, resigning yourself to your hungry fate
  337. 337.
    >”Oh Anon,” she teases, waving the slice trying to hypnotize you, “ya know ya want what I got.”
  338. 338.
    “Would ya quit i-mph!” you try to say as your cries are muffled by a slice of her apple
  339. 339.
    >”There’s more where that came from,” she giggles, having a bite herself
  340. 340.
    >Ah screw it
  341. 341.
    >Sitting up, you smile as she rubs her hands with glee
  342. 342.
    >”That’s the spirit.”
  343. 343.
    >Splitting her lunchbox evenly, the two of you indulge your appetites with a simple, yet satisfying meal
  344. 344.
    >When the bell rings, you all return to class and continue the day until it’s time to go
  345. 345.
    >Exiting the classroom hand-in-hand with Applejack, you head outside to wait for your parents

Earth Angel

by Pseudo