The Apprentice

By: ChocolateEclar

Chapter 4: Shannon, the Weird and Kim's Love Life

Boy, did I loathe Shannon.

Adam's annoying, harassing, pain-in-the-butt sister was a real problem. She wouldn't leave Adam alone. Even I wasn't safe from that horrid beast woman. I took my annual visit to Jeraci two years later and there she was. She claimed she'd seen Adam with me and demanded I 'return' him. 'Return him? Jeez, who did she think she was, ordering me around like that!' I thought.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" I lied.

"But I saw him with you! I know I did!" she squeaked with that annoying voice of hers.

I winced at the high pitch of her voice and replied sharply, "I lied, fine you're right I know him, but he doesn't want to live with you anymore! Now leave me alone!"

She whimpered like a child being scolded. I glared at her. I knew she thought what she did to Adam was all right, but he was eighteen and besides she was abusing him. "Go away!" I added when I noticed she hadn't moved at all.

She looked at me with shining innocent eyes and exclaimed, "You're so mean! Why do you want to keep my 'Pokey' from me?"

Her voice was so childish and it was bothering me more and more. "Adam doesn't want to live with you anymore cause you're hitting him and that's not nice," I said trying to talk as plainly as possible so this simpleton could understand me.

Apparently it wasn't easy enough for this obnoxious twenty-two year old. She screeched, "I WANT MY POKEY!"

My eardrums were ringing. Boy, was she loud. 'Adam, you owe me for this' I thought to myself. "Hhheee ddooesnn'tt wwantt ttoo bbee wwithh youuuu!!!!!" I hollered to the dim woman.

She retaliated to my screaming by slapping my right cheek with a plump hand. My cheek stun, she may have been weak, but man did that fat make up for strength. Her curly brown hair bobbed up and down as she jumped in delight at my pain.

My temper was flaring now. I stood up straight again and said low and dangerously, "You'd better hope you're faster than you look or you'll be finding yourself fifty miles away in a field."

I stepped towards her and she backed away frightenedly. I wouldn't have done this if she were mentally unstable. Adam had told me she once had been intelligent, (could have fooled me) but that she had become careless after their parents died and that she had taken her power over him and their property to her head. She whimpered again and I remembered for some reason that Adam had said his mom had called him 'her pokey' and I realized Shannon must have felt like a mother to Adam after she died. But I knew it didn't give her the right to beat Adam too, so I stepped forward again.

She glared at me and said more intelligently than before, "I need to take care of Adam, YOU don't understand. Our mother said I had to take care of him just before she died."

I was taken aback at that, but I soon regained my compositor and replied firmly, "Adam is old enough to make his own decisions now."

"What are you, his girlfriend?" sneered Shannon.

I turned bright crimson and said angrily, "I'm definitely no such thing!"

"Oh, really."

"Yes, really."

"I see," she exclaimed blandly.

I was confused. She had gone from idiot to smart aleck in only a few sentences. What was up with that?

She smirked at me and I glowered back at her. She was becoming a considerable nuisance. I said quite simply, "Good-bye then."

I turned to go but she still retorted to my retreating back," You DO like him. I'm telling." It wasn't quite as dumb sounding, as it seems. It sounded more like she was mocking me. I didn't look back at her, I just transported out of there and back to the castle.

At the castle Adam, Orko, and Tit were sitting in a circle in the top room playing 'Truth or Dare.' I caught the end of Orko's Truth question to Adam, "…. We all know the truth, but why don't you tell us honestly whether you have a crush on our little 'Morning Dove?' "

I felt my face heat up for the second time that day, as I ducked behind one of the pillars helping to hold up the windowless room. I had a feeling Orko knew I was there and that he had asked that question on purpose.

Adam gulped and replied nervously, "She's a little too hot-headed for me actually." Orko and Tit gasped and gaped in shock at Adam.

I just ran out behind the pillar and roared, "So I'm too hot-tempered, am I?" I didn't know why I wanted his good opinion she much, but I ignored that.

Adam looked embarrassed and in total shock at the same time. Tit hopped over to me and cuddled close to my leg, trying to sooth me. I grabbed Tit in my arms and stormed down the stairs and down a hallway to my room.

Adam could hear the hard slam of my door from back upstairs and he winced. Orko heard it too and thought sadly 'Poor dear, Kimmy. You may not realize it, but your 'love' does adore you, but he hasn't comprehended it himself yet. Don't worry I predict something is coming.'

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Hot tears coursed down my face as I lay on my bed, my face pressed into my pillows. Tit was sitting next to me, watching me greatly puzzled herself. 'Why had her 'love', as Orko told me, lied to her?' her young now six-year-old mind questioned.

I didn't know what to do anymore. I was really bewildered now and I hated being behind. I fell asleep crying, so Tit hugged me and crept out of my room and to Orko's.

"I'm confused," she explained honestly to Orko, who sat among some magic books at his dresser.

He turned around to look at Tit and smiled at her. "Of course you are. Love can be confusing," he let Tit take this in and added, "Take it from me its WAY more complicated than magic."

Tit looked at Orko, her head cutely cocked to the side, and asked, "Did you have someone you loved more'n anyone?"

Orko laughed at her innocent question, but then a closed pained look came onto his face. "I did," he said simply with a finality to it that said 'No more questions on that subject!'

Tit complied and getting back to the first subject asked, "Why did Adam lie?"

"Adam lied because he doesn't realize his true feelings himself yet."

"Why was Kimmy sad?"

"Because her heart already knew she was in love but her mind didn't. So basically she felt half hurt," Orko explained.

"Half hurt?"

"Yes."

"I think I get it now," Tit said.

"You don't really, but it's alright. I didn't understand such things when I was your age either," he replied smiling.

Tit crinkled her nose; she didn't like it when people said she was to young to understand anything. "Alright, but are we gonna help them?"

"Maybe, but I think they'll be fine mostly by their selves," said Orko. With that said they both said goodnight to each other and Tit went to her room.

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Adam leaned against the railing in the top room, looking out at the stars but not really seeing them. His thoughts were a jumble of things, so there's no reason to write them all in my log, basically he was extremely puzzled.

He sighed and decided to go to bed. As he went past my room he stopped uneasily listening. Eventually, he heard nothing but my heavy breathing as I slept and went to his room.

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In the morning I tried my best to act like nothing had happened. I dragged my body to the stairs and then found myself too lazing to climb, so I floated up with magic instead.

In the top room everyone was quietly eating their food, but I could tell they were all sneaking cautious glances at me. I looked daggers at them and sat next to Tit on one side of the table, as usual. I made my customary bowl of cereal and quickly gobbled it up. I was feeling edgy and I wanted to get out of there as quick as possible.

When I was done, I jumped up hurriedly and attempted to make my escape. Sadly Orko wouldn't let me go quietly, "You can't escape the obvious, Kim," he said.

I was tempted to ignore him, but I didn't and replied without turning around, "I wouldn't talk if I were you, Orko. You're the king of love life secrets."

Orko huffed at that and tainted angrily, "Ouch that hurt, Kimberly."

I knew I had hit a nerve; he almost never called me by my full name. I simply said before retreating, "I wonder what Lori would say if I told her you were entering someone else's love life again."

I knew I would really pay for that retort, but I supposed it was worth it if he stopped nagging me.

Orko would make sure of that, in his fatherly way of dealing with me of course. Oh boy, I'd be in trouble, and not just with Orko.

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A/N: REVIEW!!!!!!!