Escape

Chapter Four

When I wake up, it's late afternoon. Brian and Alex are out, probably doing a P.C.

"You're up," Lea says, smiling.

I smile back, grabbing my canteen and drinking some water before trusting myself to speak. "Finally, right?"

She laughs. "You've been out for awhile. We were getting worried."

"By 'we', I'm assuming you, Brian, and Alex? Because it seems Mr. Arrogant over here couldn't care less." I nod my head to Aaron, sitting with his back against the far wall, staring into space.

"He cares in his own way."

"Which is to say, not at all," Aaron and I say at the same time. I blink, and he does likewise.

"Well, that's not creepy at all," I mutter with an amused smile.

"Don't do that ever again," he warns me.

"What? Pass out and leave you in the company of my lovely friends? 'Cause that's not something I can promise."

"No. Say something at the same time as me. It's damn creepy. But that last one, too. Your friends stare at me like I'm some oddity."

"I have to agree on that first one," I say. "But great minds think alike."

"Yeah... No."

I laugh. "And the second one... Well, you'll have to get used to it. They stare a lot at stuff they're still holding on trial." I shrug. "Did it to me, too. Didn't take long to warm up to me, but..." I flash him a smile, before standing.

"Then it shouldn't take half as long for me. I'm a very likable person."

I look at him. "Really? Never noticed. And, you know, they don't really like new guys. Lea should be fine. But guys tend to betray us." I shrug casually.

"Favoritism," Aaron grumbles.

"Eh, I think it's a mix of bias and sexism, but your's works too." I walk over to Lea. We're in a classroom without windows. Lea's sitting on two desks put together, probably to act as a bed or something. "How're you doing?" I ask, sitting next to her.

"Meh. My injuries are healing, thanks to you, and I'm alive. Can't really ask for much further at the moment."

"The guys have been treating you right since I've been out?"

"Brian didn't really say anything, but he helped. Alex was kinda busy making sure you didn't pass out."

I raise an eyebrow. "You sure you had them correct? Those descriptions are the complete opposite of the twins' personalities."

Lea shrugs. "I may have them mixed up. Who's the one with the scar?"

"That's Alex," I say with a small nod.

"Oh! I thought he was Brian." She blushes slightly.

I laugh. "No worries. Every gets them confused now and then. I used to, all the time. Until Alex got the scar saving us all. Never forgot after that." I shrug.

"What happened?"

I hesitate, wondering if Alex'd be alright with me telling his story. Then I decide that if she's going to be one of us, she might as well know. "We were in California, about a year after they picked me up. We were holed up in a sewer system, trying to wait out a storm that was passing through..." I flash back to the night as I speak.

Alex had offered to keep watch first. Strange, because he's usually the first one out. I think everyone was baffled by his sudden decision, but as we were all exhausted, we let him.