X-Ray's POV
I felt someone punch my back, kicking them I heard Squid's moan. "What is it Squid?" "It's morning. You guys were knocked the fuck out." Damn, we were asleep that long? I shook Pup, "Whaaattt?" "Time to wake up." Her eyes flew open, "You're kidding me." "No baby." She yawned pulling away from me, I turned to look at the guys. "We got you bro, don't worry." I nodded toward Magnet, that was the closest thing to a 'thank you' he was going to get.
The stares at Pup had diminished, she just became like everyone else now, no bodies with no life and no future. She wasn't a nobody to me, as we walked to get breakfast I kept my voice down talking to her. "I'm surprised you're not asking me the 'What are we question?'" She smiled and yawned again, "Even if we become something how do we know one of us won't die or leave early? I'm just taking each day by day."
I slipped my arm around her waist, "We're getting out of this together Aurora." She smiled up at me.
After breakfast we went through the normal routine of getting our shovels, going out to the new sport, then begin digging, but this time me and Pup dug next to each other. Once the sun was fully up I saw some red blotches on her face. "Pup, what's up with your face girl?" Armpit asked as we got out for water, she put her hand to her face touching it then winced. "Just sun posioning forming. Happens to me a lot."
She poured some of her remaining water on the ground and mixed it up making something like a mud. She put it on her face sighing, "What in God's name are you doing Aurora?" Mom stood over her, "Sun poisoning sir, just putting home remedy on it." "Well if you have sun poisoning I'll give-" "No thank you, I don't need anything from you." She stood and got her water with Mr.Sir smirking and the D-tent boys laughing.
"You will not disrespect me like that." Her eyes snapped back to him, "And what will you do? Shoot me? Make me dig another hole? Not feed me?" Mom's face reddened more than usual and walked away.
"Damn baby is the sun getting to you?" "No I'm okay, just snappy." Squid snorted, "Snappy is a light way putting it." I sent Squid a glare and he went back to digging his hole. Pup was mostly done so she sat in my hole and drank water till I was done. I sat down next to her, the mud on her face had already dried.
"How do you know to do that?" "My dad told me to learn to live in the worst conditions, mud helps with a lot of things." "You have a family back home?" "What's left of it, I live with my sister. My parents are dead, I planned on graduating this year and going to college. Guess that isn't happening." Her eyes filled with tears, "What about you X?" I sighed, "Both parents, not a big fan of them, fighting all the time."
"I'm sorry." "Not your fault, let's go back to camp it's hot." "Well no kidding." I chcukled and climbed out then pulled Pup out.
Pup's POV
"How come they don't bother you?" I asked looking up at X-Ray, I was talking about the D-tent boys, "I'm the makeshift leader, I've been here longer than any of them. " He took the top part of his jumpsuit off tying the arms around his waist, I had to force myself to look away from his biceps. He laughed, "Liking what you see?" "I'd like it even more if the background was a tropical beach in Argentina."
"Argentina? Psh I want to go to Johnny Rockets and get a root beer and fries. That'd be a vacation for me." "Fine Johnny Rockets then Argentina once we are out of this hell." "Deal." "What's your real name?" X-Ray looked down at me and looked back toward the camp. "Rex."
I nodded, we stayed silent the rest of the walk back to our tent. Our pinky fingers held each other and our feet stayed on the same beat. Walking into the tent I took my jumpsuit off and put my clean one on, "I'm not sure what's hotter you or the sun." He laid on me, he wasn't too heavy.
After some time of silence he broke it, "What were you going to get your degree in?" "Major in marine biology, minor in Spanish. I wanted to study tropical penguins in Argentina." "There are penguins in Argentina?" "Yeah! There so cute too." Another strange look came across X-Ray's face, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Huh? I'm just looking at you," "No you have a weird look on your face." His face was only millimeter away now, "Is it bothering you?" He looked at my lips and bit his own, he stood and went to his bed. Before I could say anything Dr.Pandenski walked into the tent with the rest of the boys. "We are having a talk everyone!"
Once we had chairs in a circle Dr.Pandenski started talking, "We are having a talk about respect." Most of the boys rolled their eyes, "Mom we had this talk already." "Not with Aurora." I sat back in my chair and crossed my legs. I was between X-Ray and Armpit, X-Ray and I were the only ones who hadn't showered.
As Dr.Pandenski talked about how 'lucky' we were to have a second chance at life I shook the sand out my hair. "What do you think respect is Aurora?" "When someone treats you well so you give it back to them." "Does that seem hard to you?" "Yes when adults think they immediately deserve it just for being older than someone."
I kept shaking the sand out my hair, "Damn, you can knit something with all that hair." I laughed at Magnet's comment and put my hair back into its usual pony tail. "If it's getting too much to handle Aurora Mr.Sir has some clippers." "You touch my hair you'll have a lizard in your bed that night." "Hopefully that wasn't a threat or I'd have to call the judge to send you to a real detention center."
I kept my mouth shut along with the rest of the D group. X gave me a sympathetic look, the 'talk' ended quickly and the boys stood to head for dinner.
At dinner there was a fight between E group but I paid no mind since I didn't know the two boys. After dinner I couldn't wait to get out my jumpsuit. The other guys undressed around me, I guess they had become comfortable around me. I got out of my own and changed into a tank and hot shorts. No boy dared make a sound, probably since X was pretty much my boyfriend.
"You have a tattoo?" I didn't realize it showed, I had a sea serpent tattoo wrapped around my thigh. "Yea, I have these too." I pulled the tank off, now just in my shorts and sports bra. I had a shark on my side and 4 TMNT tattoos of the turtle's mask and weapons on my back. "What does the hummingbird mean?" Squid pointed to the watercolor tattoo that barely peaked out my sports bra on my left side under my armpit.
"It's for my mom. She's gone." X-Ray walked over and stood in front of me, I took that as a cue to cover up. I pulled on my tank and got in my bed, "How old are you Pup?" Armpit asked laying on his bed. "16." X-Ray squeezed into my bed with me pulling me close to him.
X-Ray's POV
Once Pup was asleep I listened to the rest of the guys talk about Caveman. "They're both dead. This heat ain't no joke." "Buzzard food for sure. Or lizard food." After they had their laughs they turned to me, "What are you gonna do if Warden finds out?" "She probably already knows, I don't care this is the closest to happiness I'll get in this waste land."
"Damn X you're whipped." I sent Squid another glare, "I'm not whipped if she's not doing the whipping." Pup stirred and turned so her face was now in my chest. She mumbled something, "What?" "I don't care key." She must've been talking in her sleep.
"Go back to sleep Pup." "Hush it and grab my butt." The boys tried to keep their laughs in as I was confused on what to do. "Shut up boys turn that light out."
Once the light was out I cuddled Pup in my arms tighter, her body was nice and cold compared to mine. I kissed her forehead and drifted off to sleep.
