The Darkest Minds: Red

Twenty

Apparently, we were all assigned work assignments in camp. Clancy has given us assignments for what we should do. While Zu was busy with school, Liam and I were running around the forest with a bunch of other kids on security detail. Chubs was helping in the camp's small garden.

Only Ruby wasn't assigned to a work assignment. However, that didn't stop her from helping whenever she can. She didn't mind helping out in the pantry, organizing or counting supplies, talking to the kids she worked with. While she was working, Mike walked up to her and whispered something.

Ruby knocked on the stained glass door of Clancy's office. "Clancy?" She called out to him.

"Come in!"

She walked in and slid the door behind her, then looked around. Clancy stood behind her, looking out the window. He then turned around, staring right into her eyes. He stood still for a few seconds before saying, "Hey," and setting his jacket on the chair.

"Hi. Mike told me to come see you. Apparently, I'm not working in the pantry, so..."

"You have a different assignment," Clancy told her.

"Well, what is it?"

"You're working with me," he said, motioning her to sit on the floor. "Please. There's something I need to show you."

Ruby sat in front of him, face-to-face. He looked into her eyes as she looked into his. Both of their eyes turned orange.

Suddenly, images flooded into Ruby's mind. Burning her from the inside out, blistering her lungs. Pockets of acrid smoke bubbled up under her skin. Her vision burned to black at the edges. Fire bloomed on her clothes.

Clancy must have let go. He opened his eyes wide.

He couldn't help but look at her. He spoke in a soft voice. "Look, I know how it is. You don't think I struggled with this, too? Ruby, everything I've learned I had to teach myself, and it was awful. I want to save you from that. I can teach you things, tricks- how to use your talents the way they're meant to be used."

Ruby hesitated for a few minutes. Them, with a voice barely audible, she spoke.

"Teach me."

              ********

We secured the premises around the camp. I had offered to take the first shift, staying near the camp, while Liam and the others scouted the forest. Honestly, it was nothing much. We haven't seen anything, and the group has finished the shifts. We then headed back to the site, Liam and I walking behind, holding hands.

             ********

Someone had gone to see Clancy and reported what we have found. However, we all stopped when we saw him with Ruby, walking out of his office. Liam and I looked at the others in confusion, and they shrugged their shoulders, never seeing this before.

We stood in silence as the two of them walked towards the direction of Chubs.

"Man, you don't pull the pepper right off the plant," Chubs told someone. "Which is why you have janky, ripped-up peppers. And wouldn't you rather have red peppers anyways? I mean, they're high on vitamin C."

"We don't have a choice, you idiot. These are green peppers."

"Really?" Chubs got fed up. "Red peppers and green peppers are the same thing, dipshit."

"Listen, I'm the garden guy. I know what vegetables grow in this garden. And if I woulda..."

He stopped talking and had a confused look on his face. Slowly, it disappeared as he started talking again, "You're right. We should really wait for these to mature into red peppers. We need all the vitamin C we can get."

Chubs had a weird look on his face as he turned to Liam and me. I gave him a confused look and shrugged my shoulder. Liam raised a brow. Chubs then turned to Ruby and Clancy.

Clancy smiled at her before walking past. "Well done."

Liam and I walked over to where Chubs was. He looked back at where the kid was, then turned back to us.

"What just happened?" Liam asked, processing the events.

"I was arguing with this guy about green and red peppers- no, don't give me that look. Anyway, he didn't agree with what I was saying, but then he suddenly stopped talking and then agreed with me. He sounded intellectual, not gonna lie. So I looked over and saw Ruby with Clancy. Pretty sure she made what's-his-face change his opinion."

"Well, I'm pretty sure Clancy is teaching her how to use her powers since they're both Oranges," I told him. "I think he wants to teach me how to be a Red as well."

That caught the boys' attention. I looked at the two. Chubs turned to me, surprised. Liam, however, had a bigger reaction. He widened his eyes and slowly turned his head.

"He wants to what?"