Olive Juice

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I stand there beside Landon, Landon beside Mia, all of us beside Outsiders. The two of them look to me. Landon does it with periodic glances away, as if he doesn't want to put pressure on me. Mia looks full on like she's able to see the fragments of plans in my head. Maybe she can put them together better than I can.

None of this was my intention. At the beginning, I didn't mean for all of this to happen. And when was the beginning, really?

It might have started with Landon. Our staring. His return. Our second meeting. All of that oath breaking. It did some damage.

But it could have started earlier, with Derrick. He left me. Walked away without a word. And he was already acting strange before that.

The problem, this whole sequence of unfortunate events is probably even older than that. When I was younger and still oblivious and Nevaeh was suffering, writing her feelings down on paper. Living after her Companions weren't anymore. Or Stefan and the twins he ran away for and abandoned his partner for.

It would be wrong for me to leave out the people during the Cleansing Crusades when the Companionship system wasn't around. I have to think about the ones that chose to fight and the ones that didn't know there was anything to fight for.

Mia nudges me with her elbow. "I see Nevaeh. And...Wyatt?"

I follow her line of sight and spot Nevaeh shuffling toward us, Wyatt dangling off her and attempting to be fully healthy. Every couple of steps, his head drops and jerks back up as if he's in the throes of a heavy doze. His feet skim the ground and his knees pantomime movement. They match in their red blazers and red slacks. I wonder how they found us in the crowd. Even in this group of confused, split Companionships, we stand out.

As they grow closer, Nevaeh starts to shake her head. "Olive, what the hell are you doing?" she asks as soon as she reaches us.

"I came to rescue them," I say, watching Wyatt the whole time. Partially to avoid looking the irritated Nevaeh in the eyes and partially to give him a once over. He smiles at me, a trembling lift of his lips. He stands straight while leaning against her.

"How are you?" I ask him.

"Fine. Just happy to see you're okay, too."

"I had it all under control," Nevaeh says. "You've really screwed things up."

"How was I supposed to know? No one tells me anything. Wyatt doesn't tell me he's a Service Member. You don't tell me you're going to work at the hospital where Landon and Mia are. Was I just supposed to sit down and wish everyone I've met wouldn't die?"

Landon grunts. "Could we talk somewhere else, maybe?" His gaze sweeps over the mass around us. Everyone still stares at the hospital, waiting to be reunited with their sick Companions, their sick patients. But they could be listening.