The Number Of Six

Chapter 19

I woke up early the next morning, in a way too good mood because I was so distracted and ecstatic that I almost fell from the stairs, hadn't Seth been there to grab me and pull me back to my feet. I smiled him a 'thank you' and went down, a little more careful now but still hopping.
''Someone's in a good mood.'' Seth was still in his pyjamas, following my steps to the kitchen table. ''Good morning.'' His mother said.

''Apparently,'' Seth replied. I laughed and sat down, a pancake already on my plate.
''Can't a girl be happy around here?'' I asked him with my mouth full. He shook his head, wanted to say something but decided not to after looking at his mom. So he made a gesture.
''That's none of your business, god damn it.'' I replied and took my food outside. It was warm but not too warm and almost everyone was up, working or playing.

 I felt guilty not doing anything in return for everything they gave me like the room and the food. Keenai was working with Rob, building a new house. Seth was supposed to help one of the old wolves with a truck that didn't work anymore and I had nothing to do. I looked around, looking for that one person but didn't see him anywhere. Scanning the place again, my eyes met Rogan's. He waved his hand and I awkwardly smiled, while hoping he would just continue his work, which he did. When Dani walked past me, I called her but she didn't react so I figured she hadn't heard me. I called again and this time, she turned around.

''Hi. What do you want?'' Dani said.
''Nothing, I just wanted to know if there's anything I could do. Everybody seems to be working and I don't want to be just hanging around all day." She tapped her lip with her finger and a smile crept across her face.

''Yeah, there's something. Follow me.'' The girl walked in front and led the way to a place far away from the others. As we went further, I wondered what she had in mind until a dirty smell filled my nostrils.

''What's that?'' I asked her, while waving my hand to get the air cleaned.
''You wanted to do something, right?'' Dani pointed a finger at a huge pile of what looked like poo. ''This needs to be buried. We always dig a hole and throw it all in but now you came in and the guys didn't have the time to do it because you take so much attention.'' She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. Even though she was probably right about me taking much time of the boys, this was not what I thought something urgent. ''You got a shovel?''

Dani left soon after and I was left alone with a huge stinking pile and a shovel. When I started digging, I kind of missed music. It would make things a lot more fun, as fun as digging a hole could be. Sweat soon started forming on my forehead and I wished it would be a little colder with some wind or that I had a towel or something. 

My hands were black from the dirt, so were my nails. My hair was tied back in a ponytail but half of it was sticking out somewhere. To make the time pass faster, I sang some songs I knew out of my head but soon got bored. 

When the hole was as deep as my knees, Jake came by. I hadn't seen him since yesterday, when we had walked through the woods, talking about nothing and everything, kissing once in a while and holding hands. I smiled and wanted to give him a hug but realised I was covered in mud and sweat, not the most attracting things.

''What are you doing?'' Jake asked, looking from the pile of poo to me. I frowned.
''I'm digging. The boys didn't have time for it, so I'm doing it. Dani said-''
Jake interrupted me, ''Dani said what? 'Here's a shovel, dig a hole'? And you believed her?''
I crossed my arms. 

''Are you mocking me? I wanted to help! So I asked her, she said this needed to be done and that it was my fault it hadn't yet.''

Jake shook his head, laughing. ''We never come here, only to put away the poo of the animals. It smells really bad, that's why it's so far but why would we burry it?''
''She lied?'' I threw the shovel away and stepped out of the hole, the one I had been working on for nothing.