War of Peace

Chapter Twenty Three

Gianna

It feels like we've been in the car for hours, but it's probably only been about thirty minutes. No one is talking and we have an awkward silence. I turn to glare at the bald man who is sitting in one of the middle seats of the van. I really wish he wasn't here. He made everything more awkward, and I wish more than anything that Hayley and I had just stayed back at my house like she wanted to. What am I doing here in a government-owned vehicle with a bunch of teenage boys and a grown bald man?

Suddenly the van stops.

"Camden why are we stopped?" I ask.

"It's Ana," he replies.

"What where?" I look around and see her at the side of the road with Lola, her daughter.

Alex clicks the button to open the side door and it glides open. He hops out and crosses the street to greet Ana. He points over at the van and I see her nodding. I see Kyle and Silas unbuckling their seatbelts so I do the same.

"Gianna, where are you going?" My sister squeaks out as I start to get up.

"Don't worry Hayley. This is Ana, a friend of ours that we met on the way to get you. She helped give us directions to Shaewick," I reply quickly.

I continue to rise from my seat and I see the bald man look directly at me. His eyes are unusually large and I can see most of his sclera rather than his brown, muddy colored eyes. I quickly turn away and practically run out the side door which is still open. Much to my surprise, Ana is waving at me as I cross the road.

"Gianna! How is your head?" she asks, rather pleased at my presence.

Maybe she's just happy there's another woman around. I would like to have called the boys immature, but remembering all that they've done, that would be presumptuous. I went a little crazy having no other females around for so long. I'm glad to have my sister back for many reasons, but her femininity is one of them. I just can't emotionally relate to any of them the same way I can with most women. I think it's a stupid assumption that women are emotional and men are strong. Men have emotions, too. Most of them just don't express them openly. This is why I have trouble connecting to them emotionally. I can't see or feel how they're thinking as easily.

I get carried away in my thoughts as I cross the road. I narrow my mind back to the present with Ana and the boys. Camden yet again, wishes to remain in the car. He seems like a reserved person. Not usually talking unless referred to and stays clear from all of our conversational affairs.

I just remember what Ana asked me because I realize she, along with the four other boys are watching me, expecting a reply.

"It's fine, thank you," I reply as quickly as possible, trying to avoid any extra unnecessary attention.

I blush slightly, but no one notices as they turn their attention against me. Though I see Kyle across from me—in the sort of circle we organically formed upon arrival—beaming over at me. That makes me blush even more. He knows I don't like to be the center of attention. I see Simon look over at Kyle, then me, then at Kyle again with confusion, trying to figure out if we have a secret code. He never figures it out and gives up on trying to decipher what happened between the two of us when Ana begins speaking.

"I'm surprised to see you guys once again so soon. Did you ever fetch your little one?" She asks, turning towards me once again.

Great, I'm the center of attention, again. This woman really is quite bizarre. She's dressed in a leathery skin-tight suit and has a quiver holding arrows along with the bow and a leather satchel.

I retract my focus from her clothing and reply with, "My sister, yes we were able to find her."

I observe Simon looking at both Kyle and I again, looking for any possible clues, but this time Kyle avoids looking at me even in the slightest. Simon crosses his arms and exhales.