EXPLODE

twenty five

Foolish as it sounded, I was nervous to see Evan. I couldn't help but feel it was my fault he almost died, and that I wasn't there for him when he needed me most.

I knock on the door to his makeshift room, accommodated to his needs after the shooting. It used to be Melody's room, but she gave it up for him understanding the circumstances.

"Come in," Evan's hoarse voice commands. I step into the room and see Evan perk up, but quickly wince and grab at his side.

"You almost died, Evan, take it easy," I joke. He chuckles, motioning me forward.

"You've been gone." He states.

"I have."

"Why?" He asks. I sit on the edge of his bed, staring at the pattern on the quilt before answering, as if needing to contemplate my answer. I was trying to avoid the inevitable.

"After what happened to you, that was the final straw. I got Liam and we went to go find the site of the Rebellion together," I told him earnestly.

"And?" He asks, knowing I was gone for too long not to have succeeded with something.

"And we got there. It was horrible. There was no way of contacting the castle because they've got barriers going for fifty miles around the camp. We sat in the end of a bread truck until we got there, so we couldn't tell where we were. They're very cruel people. They killed three in cold blood in front of me," I told him.

"Civil blood makes civil hands unclean," Evan whispers. He sits back against the headboard in shock. "What else happened?"

"We were able to retrieve a guard, who I think has some information on them from the long time she was held captive on their ground. They're coming soon, to end this battle once and for all," I say.

"We need a plan. I was my father's adversary a long time and he helped me to plan things on a war ground. I can help." Evan replies.

"I'm sure you can, but you were on your death bed just yesterday. You need to rest and the second you can get up out of bed without crippling from pain, you can help," I respond. Evan frowns, but nods his head in agreement.

A knock on the door interrupts our conversation, and we both turn towards the intruder-- Bird.

"Bird? Holy...," Evan looks beyond shocked; his eyes were about ready to bulge out of his head, his hands began to shake on top of mine. "This is the guard you rescued?"

"You know Bird?" I glance at Bird, who looks shocked to see Evan as well, but covers it with a friendly smile.

"Of course. We used to go out before I was kidnapped. He was my best 'buddy' in training," she chuckles. She notices his hand on top of mine, which I hadn't noticed until seconds before either. "I see you two are close."

"Friends." I tell her, my mind wandering to Liam. He was the one I loved. She looked at our hands once more before laughing, and I notice Evan quickly pulls his hand away from mine, as if he was... embarrassed?

"Well, Dawn, we need you again. We're devising a plan, and need your help. You were the only one who was ever kind-of-friendly with the camp," she says. I stand up from the bed, glancing at Evan, who hasn't said a word since she entered the room.

"See ya later," I joke, roughing up his hair before leaving the room. He slumps against the headboard like a lost puppy.

As soon as we get out into the hallway, I get eager with questions to ask about their relationship.

"Okay, you've got to tell me what happened," I laugh. She shrugs, a hint of a smile playing at her large lips, but keeps walking.

"That's for me to know, and for you to hopefully not find out," she says. I shrug and brush it off, anxious to know what comes next with the Rebellion.