ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀᴏᴛᴇᴄᴛᴏʀ || Zig-Zag

Chapter 5| First Signs and A Letter From Home

Tara's P.O.V

"So Diem? Why is it that you're here anyways? I mean you're a girl, it's always been dudes here." Magnet asked me as we all hung out around the tent. I scoffed, a bitter laugh with it.

"They said if I wanted to fight like a boy then I'd be treated like one." I mocked recalling what the judge had said to me, just as Mr Sir had. I looked up at the others, some sulking around as some were taking naps and what not. My eye noticed the lack of shirts, most of them showing off their torsos. Meaning they had their jumpsuits pulled down to their stomachs.. no shirts underneath them. But, I mean, it wasn't just any of them I noticed that was shirtless, it was Zig-Zag. I blushed to myself while trying to focus on something else.
"Well in any case, we need a nickname for you." Armpit interjects. I looked at him strangely, raising a brow in curiosity.
"Like?" I question out of boredom, closing my eyes with my arms folded behind my head while laying on my bed.
"I don't know." He says, trailing off in thought. I chuckled to myself quietly and shook my head at his antics. I opened my eyes, going to make another comment to poke fun. My eyes landed on something near the open flap of a window of the tent that was beside my cot, causing me to jump out of bed only to crash into someone. I stared down at the creature that jumped down onto the cot and slowly started scurrying towards me on the bed. A scorpion. I grimaced as it scrawled almost tauntingly towards me, causing me to scurry around and use the person on a shield, peering around to see the menacing arachnid.
"Someone get rid of it.." I hummed anxiously, my eyes not leaving the creature that inhabited my bed. I looked at the group of boys who stared at me at first with confusion, that confusion turning into humor rather quickly as they laughed at my reaction, and that fact my bed had been overtaken. I huffed out as none of them made an attempt to help rid me, too busy laughing and joking, being mean. I looked back down at the scorpion, just as it advanced closer towards me. I yelped out and pushed myself further behind my human shield.
"Stop moving!" I yelled at it. The boys laughed harder, the laughing ceasing as someone came over and flung it off with the blanket, proceeding to stomp on it for me. It was Zero. The instant he killed the creature for me I didn't feel right, something internally as I didn't feel right knowing he was the one that protected me from the poisonous arachnid. I felt like he shouldn't have been the one to do that. Like.. if anything, it should have been the other way around. I glanced at him, shamefully.
"Thanks." I mumbled to him guiltily. It was then that I noticed that I was still pressed up against someone, my hands clasped around their muscular arm, parts of my arm feeling the exposed flesh of their torso. I slowly looked up at who it was, and of course to my luck it was Zig-Zag. He stared at me with a cocky cocked eyebrow, the corner of his lips tugged up. I cleared my throat, quickly backing away from him, averting my eyes elsewhere.
"Sorry." I mumbled again, only this time flustered. I heard some of the others mock.

"Ohh.." One taunted out.

"Someone's blushing! "I glared at them, ignoring the rest of their comments. I looked back at the dead scorpion before walking around it before jumping up onto my bed.
"Jumpy!" Armpit exclaims out. Everyone turned to him quizzically, their eyes slowly showing recognition, smiles slowly spreading across their faces as they turned back to me with wide grins. My scrunched up face in confusion only made their smiles increase.
"Looks like you Jumpy now." Squid smirks at me, the other's nodding with approval at the new name. I rolled my eyes while trying to hide the smile that pulled at the corner of my lips.
"Diem!" I heard Pendanski call out before walking into the cabin.
"Letter." He smiled, handing it to me. I nod, taking it from him before opening it. Not bothering to read the envelope, expecting it to be from my mom or maybe even my grandparents. Oh! Maybe grandpa!

'Looks like you've really gone and done it now, Krytara.
I swear you are such an idiot. Why can't you be like
the rest of us and just do as you're told? Because of the stunt
you've pulled mom's been crying non stop. You're stupid and reckless, did you even stop to think about how this would affect anybody? I had
to drop everything at work because of moms's distress, but I'm sure stuff like that doesn't matter to you does it?
Because you're a spoiled brat. Have to have things your way,
when you say, how you say it. And to get in a fight with
some guy on the streets?! Come on, Krystara! Have you really nothing better to do than pick fights with strangers? I don't get why they would send
you to a camp of all places for punishment! I, personally,
think you should have gone to jail and should stay there for the rest of your life. That's where
you're gonna go when you get out anyways, right? Cause
you're nothing but a damn trouble maker. But whatever it's
your life wasted not mine. If only mom and dad stopped at two..'

           I glared at the note seething out loudly as I shriveled the note in my hands heatedly, stomping over to the trash can by the door and stuffed it in. I felt the corner of my eyes prick from the anger, taking a deep breath as I made my way back to my cot. I ignored the stares and laid down, my arms crossed behind my head, glaring at the ceiling.

"Guess she didn't like what she read." X-Ray comments in an attempt to poke. I snapped my gaze at him.

"Wonder what gave that away." I joke back bitterly. Some chuckled and went back to what they were doing but a few gathered around me. Zig-Zag, Squid, X-Ray and Magnet.
"Just be glad you got a letter. I ain't got a letter once since bein' here. Not once." Armpit slightly insulted from his cot close by, but it was clear he was upset. I frowned at this, at both of our situations.
"You want letters, then take mine. Doubt it will bring you any comfort though, sure doesn't for me." I rub my face in exasperation.
"What was so bad about the letter anyways?" Zig-Zag asks, his Texan accent calming me even if just slightly. I side glance him, but avoided direct eye contact.
"Me and my brother don't get along. Not one bit.." I trail off as I think back to the treatment I've received. My brother can be cruel, my mom can be too when she's trying to maintain the household and, in I come in being brought home by the police for vandalism or.. other criminal mischief activities I was caught or told about doing.
"What'd he say?" He asks further. I shrugged, looking down in an attempt to avoid even the thought of my brother.
"Basically I'm an idiot, waste of space, an inconvenience.. I deserve to rot in prison aaaand things would be better for everyone if I wasn't born." I summarized carelessly.
"Nice dude." Squid comments sarcastically. I chuckled dryly.
"I'm used to it by now." I responded quietly. I looked at them and narrowed my eyes at them sadly.
"So.. you guys really don't get any letters?" I asked this time. They shook their heads.
"I'm sorry.." I sighed. Some nodded, but otherwise ignored the statement.