Zero to Infinity

On route to the next person, Zero and Jenny stopped off in a hotel to get some rest. They got two beds and took a quick powernap. When they woke, they grabbed lunch at a nearby restaurant. While at the restaurant, Jenny asked more about Mount Pioneer.

“So how is it at Mount pioneer is able to stay in the sky like that. I mean it’s pretty freaking cool.”

“Across the galaxies, our people stop off at different planets. We learn a lot through those different planets so we’re able to take what we know and apply it. And well this technology is coming from a planet. Maybe if you galaxies off. I believe it was Carzodian”.

She wanted to bust out with a laugh, Carzodian was finally a word that she could get down with. Definitely sounding alien. Definitely sounding exciting.

“And where are they now.”

“We leave the planets alone. We learn all there is to learn and then we leave. Not much to see or say after that. I mean cuz at this point now we’ve become as smart as they are.”

“So that’s it? You just leave?”

“Well yeah.”

“I don’t understand. You go from planet to planet, take all their knowledge and then just leave?”

“Yeah... What’s the problem?”

“Well, what’s the overall goal of all of this? Why do you guys need to have so much information?”

“I don’t know Jenny. You ask a lot of questions.”

“And you don’t?”

“Listen, this is my home. This is what we do. And we accept our roles.”

“Yeah like good little sheep boys.”

“Gosh Jenny, what’s your problem?”

“My problem is that you just left me hanging again. There has to be more to it than this. People don’t go from planets to planet just to get the information and leave. What do you plan on doing with them information. I mean the obvious answers that...”

“Every time I think that I’m getting through to you or that I actually think you’re a cool person, you open your mouth.”

“Well excuse me. I just thought that...”

“Sometimes I wish you wouldn’t think.!”

“I’m sorry that I’m not your little puppet. But I can’t go around and just do what people tell me to do just because.”

Jenny said at the table eating her food in silence. Her parents died long before she could remember. She stayed with her aunt until she passed away of cancer. This gave Jenny a sense of compassion for the elder. So she knew that it was important that they found The matriarch. Feeling a bit confused, Jenny realized that her understanding of the shifters in Mount pioneer was still limited. She didn’t have anyone to teach her and the person who was available didn’t seem to like talking to her. She was extremely jealous of Jacob. He was able to learn so much from his grandmother that he could make an honest decision knowing that there may be dangerous things ahead.

Jacob learning from his grandmother and being able to prepare for something like this made Jenny almost resent learning about Mount pioneer and Theorians. She was out of school and here was Jacob, a senior in school, prepare to go on to college and happy with his life. They were the total opposites.

Jenny started to recognize that this was a part of the reason why she was so immature to zero. She didn’t have anyone to teach her. She was learning everything at that moment. She sat in silence at the table while Zero attempted to make small conversation.

“So what was your favorite thing to do on Earth?”

“You really care”, Jenny said with a snarky tone.

“Well, I’ve been a bit harsh and I would like to get to know you.”

So kind, Jenny knew for sure he was getting ready to hit her with another degrading and rude statement about how immature she was.

Zero realize that he had been very rude to her. It was due to her lack of connection with her people. That Zero felt the need he needed to take her under his wings. They exchanged small conversations and glasses at each other, speaking only of the necessary.

“On Earth, I hear you guys have this awesome stuff called s’mores. Have you ever had any?”

“S’mores?” Jenny said as if she didn’t hear what he just said.

“Yeah and I hear they also have it in cereal form.”

Chuckling, Jenny smiled realizing that it was Zero’s attempt at not only apologizing but trying to make nice. So she obliged back. He was overall sweet and she know he didn’t mean what he said. Things were stressful. They needed to find the last two Theorians and rescue the matriarch. Tension was high so she didn’t hold it against him.

The two talked on for hours about her experiences in school and how she was teased. She didn’t have a lot of good stories to share. Just a couple here and there that were irrelevant to an actual connection with someone. Zero became very concerned. Passion and empathy filled him for her. She was the way she was because of her experience. And it was only then that he could recognize. She didn’t mean her behavior to get on his nerves. She didn’t want it at all. In fact, as he thought about it more, he realized that was her best way of communicating. This was the way she knew how to talk to people.

The night went on for hours and they continue to share smiles and small stories. He was a little bit older than her so his stories and experiences were advanced in telling. For example, he was writing his bike as early as 5 years old and shifting to birds as quickly as seven. He had learned to run in the forest as every four-legged animal that existed. He was fast and swift. His favorite was the deer. People liked deer. At times, they would come up to pet him or feed him. He could get very close to humans without being seen when on earth observing the other Earth children.

Jenny shared about learning all the secrets of her bullies. She told him how one of the guys that used to pick on her the most lived in a house for both parents were constant smokers. It was hard for him to breathe and so he would often sleep with his head out the window and his bed against it. Because of this, and the severity of his sleep, he would often pee himself. This made her feel really bad. So she allowed him to bully her everyday at school.

As each story went by, zero fell more in love with her. She truly was sweet. And he realized that all of the things that made her so immature was because she had no one. Truly had no one. The things she would allow her bullies to do to her only because she had known about their intimate life made her more mature than zero could ever imagine. To allow someone to physically assault and verbally, emotionally, and mentally scar them in order to relinquish their own frustrations made him see Jenny as a very wise and powerful woman. Woman. And it was in those last moments, that Zero realized she was just perfect. Mature and wonderfully made.