Desperado: A Holes Fanfiction

Stanley

"Basically, Zero almost killed Ricky!" Pendanski cried to the Warden, an over exaggeration; Hector would never – I don't think.

"How long was I out for?" I asked a disturbed Tyler in a low voice. I certainly didn't remember Zero jumping into the fight. Armpit had taken the liberty of describing the fight to the Warden while X-Ray jumped in to blame their behavior on the hot sun.

She glared at me in response, "How long has my brother been digging holes for you?"

I started to protest when The Warden addressed Zig Zag for confirmation, "Yeah, just like X said, working out in the sun all day while Caveman does nothin'."

"You're not diggin' holes no more?" Mr. Sir sized me up.

"Ma'am, Zero has been digging a part of Caveman's hole everyday," Squid added.

"Excuse me? Caveman digs his hole just like everyone else," she assured.

"And him and Tyler have been spending nights in the laundry room. Together," he added.

"Excuse me!" she raised her voice as her eyes darted to myself and Tyler for an explanation, obviously appalled by the rumor of inappropriate behavior.

"That's not true," Tyler lied, "Caveman sleeps in the D-Tent with everyone else. Squid's just –" Tyler balked when The Warden held up a manicured hand, signaling for her to stop.

"Not all the time," Zig Zag said under his breath.

"Excuse me!"

"I'm teaching him how to read," I jumped in, desperate to change the subject. The Warden shook her head in disbelief while Pendanski rolled his eyes. "He's a smart kid," I added.

"Smart?" Pendanski crouched down to Hector's eye level, patronizing him, "Why don't you tell me, what does C-A-T spell?" Hector looked down at his shoes in shame, nervously sounding out the letters under his breath. "Yeah, he's a real genius. He's so stupid, he doesn't even know he's stupid!"

"Okay for now on, I don't want anyone digging anybody else's hole. And everyone should be sleeping in their respective quarters. Is that clear?" The boys confirmed in unison. Tyler nodded. The Warden took off her sunglasses and scowled at me, "And no more reading lessons."

"Why? If the hole gets dug who cares who's digging it?" I asked. Tyler let out an exhausted sigh.

"You know what you're digging holes for?" Mr. Sir yelled, "Cause it's good for ya. Teaches you a lesson."

"If Zero digs your hole for you, you're not learning you lesson, are ya?" The Warden added calmly.

"Why can't I just dig my hole and still teach him how to read?" I asked. Tyler nudged me in the ribs.

"Because I said so," The Warden hissed.

"We know you mean well, Stanley," Pendanski chimed in, "But the mental stress just causes his brain too much of challenge. That's what made his blood boil, not the hot sun." Tyler's face twisted with annoyance. She still hasn't said anything.

"Alright, that's enough," The Warden regulated. She didn't need to raise her voice to assert order. "Tyler, get in the car. We need to talk."

"Yes, ma'am," Ty let go of her brother's hand and started to walk, shamefully, towards the parked convertible when Zero did the unexpected.

"I'm not diggin' anymore holes," Hector said with his chest, loud enough to stop Tyler in her tracks.

"Good," the Warden responded with relief.

"I mean, you might has well teach this shovel how to read," Pendanski continued. He snatched a shovel from Zig Zag's hands and placed it in Hector's. "Here ya go, Zero, take it. It's all you'll ever be good for. D-I-G. What does that spell?" Pendanski's words were patronizing and it was clear that Hector had had enough.

It all happened so fast. Hector grabbed hold of the shovel's handle and swung it with vigor, slapping Pendanski unconscious into the sand. Tyler gasped and placed her hands over her mouth. Hector crouched over the limp body and said, "Dig," before taking off into the desert.

Tyler took off after him and Mr. Sir after her, pistol drawn.

"Don't shoot!" The Warden called out to Mr. Sir. Tyler stopped in her tracks once more and held her hands up in surrender, falling to her knees as her twin brother hauled tail towards freedom. He looked behind as he ran to assure she was still there. "The last thing we need around here is an investigation."

"Go Zero!" I encouraged him as he hesitated.

"Go," Tyler's voice cracked as she nodded at him.

"I want around the clock guards on all water sources," The Warden called out for reinforcements as she yanked Tyler's elbow, shoving her towards her car. She took a hard look at me and growled, "I still expect seven holes."

The next few days were hard. The other boys couldn't help but talk about how they thought Hector would perish.

"Zero's buzzard food," X-Ray said one night.

"They pick out the eyeballs first," Squid joked and the others laughed.

Luckily the D-Tent got a new camper before I dropped dead from digging two holes for the last two days. There was no time for me to visit Tyler at night anymore, not that it would be a good idea. The entire incident put us under a microscope with the guards; She was hardly ever alone anymore. She wouldn't even look at me at meal times, often excusing herself to fulfill a different duty when it was my turn for serving. I could tell she was scared, more than I was. Hector was her other half.

I missed him terribly. Sometimes, I'd stay behind after I finished my holes and call out his name into the void desert, wishing he'd follow my voice. If Hector came back, maybe Tyler would look at me again. Maybe everything would go back to normal.

The new kid was skittish, like an anxious rabbit. Him and Hector were around the same age and size, but this kid couldn't stop talking. He made me nervous just by looking at him. He told us at dinner he got busted for joy-riding; A Mustang convertible, to be specific.

"Anytime I see a nice car, I just start twitchin'," he recalled.

Tuned out, I watched Tyler as she bussed the empty tables, collected the trash, and bravely ignored the catcalls from F-Tent. She looked just as tired and lonely as I was. Twitch went on about his knowledge of cars while I watched her; How to he learned to hotwire a car, the easiest way to jimmy the locks open, which parts were interchangeable across models, and then I had an idea.