I laid on my cot for a few hours thinking about almost nothing that whole time. Just mindlessly staring at the top of the tent like Zero had been doing when I walked in. I sighed to myself and closed my eyes with my arms behind my head. I heard some laughing and soon heard the others make their way into the tent.
"Man, Armpit. You're ruthless on him." Squid laughed out. "He's gotta learn somehow. I'm just trying to be a good mentor." Armpit joked back. I felt eyes on me but left my eyes closed. "Yo, what about your other student?" Magnet asked. "Man, I don't know. Hey, yo! No sleeping, dinner time soon!" He yelled. I left my eyes closed, hearing some of the others start to snicker at him. "Hey, great mentoring there 'pit." I think Zigzag said this time. I heard one of them walk closer to me and loom over. "Yo!" I tried not grinning to myself, hearing him loose patience. "Sad, I think Pendanski would have made a better mentor." I mumbled. "Man, that fool can't even teach himself." He retorted. I grinned at this, knowing he had a point. Suddenly there was a drill and the others started to get ready for something. I opened my eyes looking at the others. "Hey chicka, it's dinner time." I looked at Magnet before getting up from my cot and followed silently behind them. We made it to the mess hall, which was overly crowded with boys. I hummed awkwardly to myself and followed the others in line. I grabbed a tray, looking at the questionable food that the guy had plopped onto my tray. I finished my way through the line and stood in the middle of the room trying to find an open seat. Oh geez, this is why I never went to lunch at school, of course never going also got me in trouble but that's besides the point. I was just about to take a step to head outside, regardless if I was allowed too or not, before someone called out to me.
"Hey Lillian, over here!" I looked over seeing Zigzag standing up, waving me over. I stood there for a moment, debating before huffing to myself and walked over. "Here you can sit there." He added as I got closer, moving over so I could sit between him and Magnet. I looked at them awkwardly seeing everyone from the tent sitting at the table. Most of the others stared between Stanley and I silently. "So, hey. Stanley since you didn't dig today, you wouldn't mind giving up your bread to somebody who did now would you?" X-Ray asked reaching over and grabbed his bread, not bothering to wait for an answer. I looked around as everyone stared at Stanley who sat there, too intimidated to do anything. "No, you can have it." He smiled as Squid turned to me and went to do the same thing. I quickly grabbed the bread, but pushed the rest of the food out to him. He looked shocked for a second before turning to the others. "Might work on him, but not me." I said as I started to eat the bread. "I still got the rest of your food, didn't I?" He said smugly. I smirked. "That's 'cause I'm letting you." I say pointedly before taking a sip of the water. Some of the others laughed quietly. "So what'd they get you for?" X inquires looking between Stanley and I. I sat quietly eating the bread. "Stealing a pair of shoes?" Stanley mumbled. More of a question than an answer if you ask me.. The others howled in laughter at this. Obviously finding it funny regardless. "From the store, or were they still on someone's feet?" Squid asked. "No, no, he just killed the dude first. You just left out that little detail right?" Zigzag asked beside me leaning in towards Stanley. I, who was sipping water, coughed into the cup trying to cover the sudden laugh that bubbled up. I felt him turn beside me, to look at me but ignored his action. I pulled the cup away, smiling softly at the fake question. "They were Clyde Livingston's shoes." Stanley explained. That being more than enough of an explanation. "Sweetfeet? What? Man, you did not steal no Clyde Livinston's Sweetfeet shoes." X-Ray exclaimed. You see, Sweetfeet? Huge athlete back home. He's not only a champ at ball but he's really charitable too. Always helping at the homeless and kids shelter. Always visiting fans, all that jazz. He was everything back home.
I noticed Zero giving Stanley a weird look before turning back to Stanley as he continued. "His world series cleats." Stanley explained more. "Hold on, hold on. How did you get 'em? He's like the fastest guy in the majors, right?" Magnet asked beside me. "The guy hit four triples in one game." The others started laughing up some more as I finished off the last bite of my bread, now just sipping on my water. "Clyde Livingston donated his shoes to this, uh, this.. this homeless shelter." He explained more. "Did they have red X's on 'em?" Zero suddenly asked. I felt the two beside me tense and everyone stared at him in shock. "You got Zero to talk." Squid announced flabbergasted. I raised a brow at this, but otherwise didn't react. "Hey, yo, what else can you do, Zero?" Armpit was ignored as Stanley nodded his head. It was silent for a minute before everyone's head suddenly turned to me. I stopped midsip and slowly pulled the cup away, putting it down on the table. "What?" I asked confused. "So why are you in here?" "Yeah, what did you do? Why were you cuffed?" "Must have been bad if you were cuffed coming into camp like that, man." I tilted my head to the side trying to think of an answer. "Do you mean everything I was originally charged with or the ones I was sentenced for?" I asked, the others looked at each other, some shocked for a minute. "Everything." "What you do steal some nail polish and a skirt?" The others laughed at this as I squinted my eyes at X-Ray for this. "Breaking and entering, disorderly conduct, arson, theft, and assault." I listed. The others stopped laughing for a minute and stared at me stunned. "Man, what did you do..?" Armpit asked in wonder. I grinned looking over at him. "In short, one of my sister's friends pushed me to far. Likes to mess with me so I messed back. I broke into her place, stole a bunch of her stupid designer purses and used them to start a nice bonfire in her backyard. It turned into a fight when she tried stopping me. Guess I got carried away." I explained casually, looking at my slightly scabbed over knuckles. "You what?!" "The hell she do to piss you off so much!?" "Man, you lying!" I looked at X-Ray. "My sister and her friends constantly beat and bully me. Usually I could handle it but this time her and a bunch of her friends jumped me. I was hoping to get all of them back but like I said... I got carried away in the fight, was caught before I could return the favor to the others." "Man, you chicks are crazy." Armpit mumbled, some of the others laughed as I glanced at him flatly. "Your sister sounds awesome." Squid said sarcastically. "What did your parents do when they jumped you?" I turned to Zigzag beside me at his question. "Nothing, they couldn't care less. They just figured this was me causing more trouble for everyone." I replied with a shrug. "Why are all of you guys in here?" I asked in return. "I beat up a cop for trying to take my beer from me." Squid grins bashfully but in all honesty. "I sold herbs trying to pass them off as drugs." I smiled at X-Rays. "Your customers must have been pissed at you." They laughed at my reply and continued. "I stole a puppy." Magnet admits sadly. I frowned at this. "I set off fire crackers in school, setting off the fire alarms." Zigzag said beside me. I looked at him quickly not being able to hide my smile. "You guys act like what I did was so surprising." I exclaim, looking at them all. I looked at Zero, him looking back briefly before looking back down at his food. "Good luck finding out what he did, he won't tell nobody." Armpit said. I sighed before standing up. "Ay, where you think you're going?" Magnet asked curiously. "I don't know." I replied casually shoving my hands in my pocket. I started walking out of the mess hall and outside. I walked around a bit before finally making my way up the stairs of the rec room. I walked in seeing some of the guys lounged around by the t.v, some playing foosball and some playing pool. I looked around trying to find something to do before noticing a bookshelf in the corner. The thing was coated in dust, like it hadn't been touched since being placed here. I scanned the books, ignoring the stares burning the back of my head before pulling some random book. I barely got a page into it before groaning at the nonsense written on the page. I grabbed another throwing the other book back in it's spot. This time I started in the middle of the book, but still wasn't able to get into it. I heard some more people enter the cabin but ignored it, mad at the junk I was reading.
"No wonder these books look like no ones ever touched them!" I yelled at the books throwing the book I had back into it's spot. I heard some laughs behind me as some others stopped what they were doing, probably to look at the new girl yell at the books like a weirdo. I huffed, looking back in defeat and looked around. I noticed my tent mates standing there, along with most others looking at me amusingly. "What, I doubt half of you would be reading even if they did have good books." I retorted slightly embarrassed. Some then glared, and some laughed again. Everyone went back to what they were doing, as my tent mates made their way to an empty pool table. I raised a brow watching from across the room as X-Ray and Squid started playing against each other. My eyes trailed to Zigzag, as I noticed him looking at me from across the room. I felt myself stiffen at this and averted my eyes back to the match. His look is always so intense, why do I always feel awkward around him? Or under his gaze? I heard someone walking up beside me and turned my head to the side as I noticed a kid maybe a year or so older than me stop beside me. "So what you doing over here all by yourself?" He asked coyly. "My guess would to be by myself." I answer sardonically. He chuckled to himself, taking a step closer. "Oh, come on. Come sit over here with me and some others. Relax, watch some t.v with us." I narrowed my eyes at him. "No, thank you." I respond simply. He leaned closer. "Oh, we don't bite, I promise. Maybe you'll make a friend." He pushes, raising a brow at me. I scoffed at him quietly and started to walk away. "Not interested." "Oh, but you will be!" He called out. I rolled my eyes. "Oh, but I won't. I promise you that." I walked out of the cabin and made my way back to my tent. I took off my boots, tossing them beside my bed. I took off my jumper, leaving me in a white tee and some boxer briefs, not caring that Stanley and Zero were freaking out now sitting on their cots. "Oh, get over it! I still have clothes on." I grumbled with a hot face as I heard Stanley awkwardly cough and went back to sitting on his cot. I looked at Zero, seeing he was laying down but with his back now turned to us. I laid down on my cot as well, throwing the thin blanket over me. I rested my arms behind my head as I did earlier and stared into nothingness. It was silent for a while before the laughter of the others could be heard. They entered the tent joking and talking. Some started getting undressed for bed but ignored them otherwise. "Man! I thought he was gonna freak!" "Ha, took one look at Zigzag and suddenly he wasn't so interested no more." "Talk about loosing interest real quick!" I raised a brow at the boys and looked over seeing them turn to me. Zigzag and Squid shirtless as the rest were already undressed and in bed. My eyes trailed to Zigzag for a fraction of a second, before I rushed my head forward trying to hide my forming blush. The others laughed, clearly noticing my reaction. "Ay! Look at that!" "Man, I never actually seen a girl blush like that before." I felt my eyebrow twitch and turned my back to them, just causing them to laugh more. "I'd react that way too, if I saw my body." Squid joked cockily. I growled and pulled the blanket over my head. "Screw you all." I grumbled as the rest of them started to set up for bed.
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