The Darkest Minds: Red

Twenty-Three

It was quiet since Liam had spoken to Ruby. It's been even longer since I had spoken to her. She couldn't take that she thought that way. 

She ran into the forest, hoping to find a quiet place to calm down. She ducked under the rope tying off the path to the lake and made it all the way down the trail before she realized something was amiss.

"Oh no- no, no, no," Chubs said. The goofy grin dropped off his face and he stopped throwing bread crusts out to the ducks gathered in the water. "This is my secret hideout. No Rubys allowed."

"I found it first!" She huffed, plopping down next to him.

"You most certainly did not."

"Try a week ago, while you were unpacking."

He balked at that. "Well... fine. But I got here first today."

He then looked at her and noticed her grim expression. "Hey, are you alright? You look like you're going to be sick. Are you experiencing any migraines or dizziness?"

She croaked out a laugh.

"Oh." He pulled his hand away. "That kind of head trouble. You want to talk about it?"

Meanwhile, I was pacing around in the cabin. Liam watched as I walked back and forth in front of him.

"Darlin', do you need to cool down? We can take a walk if you like?"

"No, we both came back from a shift. I'm too tired to walk." I dismissed.

He sighed, before walking towards me and gently pulling me to the bed. Then, without a word, he wrapped his arms around me, allowing me to cry into his shoulder.

                 ********

The lunch bell sounded- two rings, for second meal. Liam sat up.

"Come on," he gently said. "You need some food. It'll make you feel better."

I sniffed and sat up from my position. We then got out of the cabin and walked outside, where the food was being served.

I was much calmer than I was. The firepit grew larger as people threw piles of sticks into it. It looks like they were handing out sandwiches and apples. 

"You still haven't had a chance to send them a message?" Ruby asked Chubs as they arrived.

"I've asked around, but there's only one computer in this entire godforsaken place, and only one person gets to use it. He said no. Apparently, it's a 'security risk' if someone other than him touches it."

Chubs waited until Ruby had taken her sandwich from the table before pulling her away. She thought he might want to eat back at the cabin or even the dock, but they wandered until they saw Liam and me.

We and a few other guys on the security team were on a break from our rounds and have found a nice clearing in the trees. It was wide enough to square off into two small trees for a quick game of hover ball, otherwise known as football with no hands. The girls sat on the side, cheering the teams on.

Chubs and Ruby had stood next to me. I briefly glanced at them before focusing my attention back on the game.

"Prepared to be entertained," I told the two.

"Of your boyfriend?" Chubs asked. "Oh, I'm prepared."

I playfully slapped his shoulders, my eyes never leaving the scene in front of me. Someone levitated the old football and started to play. He ran alongside it, trying to keep both it and himself out of reach of the others. Liam, at one point, had the football an inch in front of him, but his hands were too slow and his footwork too bad to catch it when it was tossed to him.

"Keep your eye on the ball, Lee!" I called, and he glanced at me. Just as his gaze locked on mine, Mike, who had the football at that point, mowed him over to get to the makeshift end zone.

Chubs, Ruby, and I cringed as Liam hit the ground and knocked his head against one of the old trees' roots. 

"Wow," Ruby said. "He wasn't kidding about sucking at sports."

"It'd be funny if it weren't so damn sad." Chubs told her.

I stood up and walked towards the group of boys. They were too busy laughing to keep the ball in the air. Liam stayed on the ground, his face flushed red, but his entire body shaking with laughter. 

I pulled him up, and he gave me a grateful smile. I then gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, both of us ignoring the knowing ooh's of the boys and the cooing awe's from the girls.

I blushed, turning away. Liam, however, had the biggest grin on his face, as if fondly saying, That's my girlfriend.