Cataclysm

1.6

This time, Anna didn't check me, and she didn't wrap Braken up again, either. She said that she was letting his wounds air out, and then she put the white creamy stuff all across his back, gently rubbing it into his gashes. At this point, Braken passed out again, nearly falling off of his chair, and Leo carefully lifted him up and set him down on the floor. He stayed by his side, running his fingers through his friend's shoulder-length messy hair as he lay there, his breathing no longer steady. It was rough and pained, and that scared me.

I sat down on the couch, watching them sorrowfully. I had thought he was getting better, but when Anna had taken the bloody bandages off, I'd realized how bad it actually was. Braken was good at hiding his pain, and I felt horrible. I wished I could've seen it earlier, last night when he was stumbling around in the dark.

"What if he gets worse?" Leo asked softly. "What are we going to do?"

"We need money," I said, already regretting what I was going to say. "That's why we're here. I can make some money, then when we need to leave, or if we need to take him to the hospital, we can pay for it."

"You're going to fight," Varien said.

Leo snorted a laugh. "You won't win."

"I can try," I said defensively.

"You don't win, you don't get paid," Eoin said softly. Again, I'd forgotten that he and Gus were still here. They were good at melting into the shadows and avoiding being seen.

"I'll get better," I insisted.

"You don't understand," Gus said. "You don't win, you don't fight for at least two weeks. That means you've got to win first-try without getting hurt if you have any hope of getting away from us soon."

My heart sunk as my plan was crushed to pieces. Even so, I wasn't going to give up. I had to show them that I was doing everything I could. Maybe I'd find that little smidgen of luck again.

"I'm still going to try," I said, and all four of them sighed.

"They'll find you that way," Anna said. "They have their ways."

"I know, and that's where the next part comes in," I said, smiling a little. "We - me, Braken, Leo, and Varien - need a hair cut."

"No," Varien said instantly.

"What's that gonna -" Gus started.

"If you change your hair, people have a harder time recognizing you." I turned to Anna again. "I know you know someone who can get this done for us."

"Joel ..." she said regretfully.

"Please," I said, meeting her eyes, but she dropped her gaze.

"Joel, you know I can't. I can't get caught up in your mess. Not again."

"But I made it up to you, didn't I?"

She gave me a sly smile, sliding up to the couch as slippery as silk. "I guess you did." She snaked her arm around my shoulders, and I wrapped my hand around her waist, pulling her close.

"Come on, do it for me," I said, smiling.

"Alright," she murmured. "But only if you make it up to me."

"Forget making up, why don't you GET A ROOM AND MAKE OUT ALREADY?" Gus shrieked.

I started to laugh, and Anna tipped her head up, her lips brushing mine as she spoke. "Shall we?"

"Not right now," I whispered back, letting myself smile again. It had been a long time since Anna and I had had any real privacy, and although I missed her for countless other things besides her kiss, I had to admit, she was a good kisser.