ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀᴏᴛᴇᴄᴛᴏʀ || Zig-Zag

Chapter 8| D Tent Stick Together

Tara's P.O.V

           I squint through the sun as I look back out at the open area as I slowly trail to my hole not that far from his. The once giant, prosperous lake. A small but bustling town that once thrived here. I feel a sense of sadness as I look around, sad that all that was left was a great big giant dirt wasteland. I sigh, jumping back down to resume my shoveling.

               It was silent for a few minutes, the sound of everyone going back to digging slowly filled the air.

"That was some lame crap you pulled." I stopped my digging, peeking up over the edge of the hole to see X-Ray towering over Stanley intimidatingly. Stanley turns back slowly, not even sure if it was him who was being spoken to at first.

"What?" He questions dumbly, obviously confused for he was literally just shoveling moments ago. X kneels down closer, the others eavesdropping but still continue to shovel.

"Look, man, you ever find anything, give it to me, you understand? I've been here for over six months and never found anything. No one has. Why should you get a day off when you just got here? You know what I'm saying. It's only fair. Right? ..Right?" X pushes and manipulates Stanley, forcing him to give in. Which he does reluctantly.

"Right." He agrees timidly.

"That's what I call an informed decision, dawg." X-Ray pats Stanley on the cheek, rubbing salt in the wound before standing up. He goes to return to his hole, his eyes then shifting to me as he takes notice of my voyeuring. He stops.

"Same goes for you. You find anything, you best be lettin' me know." I narrowed my eyes as he resumes walking. I sucked my teeth at this, not liking authority figures as it is, let alone from another kid my own age. I huffed out, continuing with my work. Boy's trippin'.

             The others and I had made our way to the rec room. The room was full packed as it was almost every other time we came here. Some boys wrestled or fought, others played at the foosball table, some played at a makeshift bowling ball lane, a few played pool or cards or even crowded around the tv. I looked around, noticing this is the fullest I've ever seen the room be since I've been here. The room was definitely alive and buzzing.

            The guys made their way to a spot quickly. Zig-Zag took over the tv, Armpit trying to mess with it, which got Zig-Zag going until they both started arguing and messing up the tv. Magnet laid out on the couch with his legs kicked up, enjoying the drama between the two. Some other guys sat in chairs by the tv, also amused at the two bickering and trying to fight to get the tv to work as I plopped down in the middle of the floor. I leaned back on my hands and watched the room more than I did the pointless tv they had finally managed to get working. The two boys shoved each other away so they wouldn't mess it up more.

           I see Zero off on the other side of the room, his eyes looking up instantly from the pool table and landing on Stanley as he enters the rec room too now. Must be done with his shower now. I watch expectantly as Stanley was shoved back by accident by some of the other guys that were messing around and fighting, which then causes him to land back onto someone else. It was clearly a mistake, but this kid was having none of that. Quick to yell out and shove Stanley off him and to the ground roughly. 

            I slowly inch up from my spot on the ground, ready to move as I see Zero make his way around the table quickly, looking as though he'd pounce on the guy at any second. My eyes not missing the pool ball he had snuck off the table before advancing forward. Stanley slowly gets up, mumbling something back. I spring up sharply, officially knowing which course this altercation was officially going to be going in. I weave around the crowding boys swiftly, eyes narrowing as the kid kicks Stanley to the ground.