Dauntless

Chapter 14

I walked into the training room the next morning with the boys and Ella. After lunch yesterday, we had walked around and talked until dinner, then we went straight to bed.
After our early night I felt fresh and ready for a new day.
The targets were on the wall again, but instead of knives, this time there were guns and bullets. I swallowed hard.
Shooting.
"Ok everyone, today we will be learning how to shoot. You have to shoot the targets like last time, remember inhale aim exhale shoot. Take a gun and some bullets, start whenever your ready." Explained Rico.
Everybody filed forward to get their things, we stood in front of our targets, Ella on one side with Adrian next to her, and Zack on my other side.
I looked around next to him, and my heart faltered. Macho Mino was still here, right next to Zack. Why wasn't he chucked out?
He loaded his gun, smirked at me and then shot the target, getting it straight in Bulls eye. I gulped.
"You alright?" I heard behind me. Rico.
"Yeah, fine." I gave him a week smile.
I loaded my gun, and lifted it. My hand was shaking.
"Here, let me help you." His voice was caring, unlike usual, when its low and husky.
He stood behind me and put his hands over mine, on the gun. My body pressed tightly against his muscular one. My breathing quickened.
He whispered in my ear.
"Inhale." Both our bodies expanded with air.
"Aim." I shivered. But his hands steadied my shaking.
"Exhale." I breathed a shaky breath out.
"Shoot." I pressed the trigger, and loud noise like a bomb went off.
I looked up. Bulls eye. But I didn't smile, I could still feel him next to me, and I longed so much to melt into his arms. But I stayed rigid.
I turned to him, and I stared into his green eyes, willing my self to get lost in them.
Then I heard a shout. Both of our heads snapped towards it.
Macho had his gun raised pointing it at Zack.
I screamed and launched my self at him. He dropped his gun and pushed me off him.
He quickly grabbed his gun and brought the butt of it down on my wrist.
"Girlfriend is she?" He asked Zack. He picked me up by the throat and slammed me against the wall. My vision started getting blurry, and I could just hear muffled screams and shouts, as if they were covered by a blanket. I could just see the blurry shape of Rico pull Mino off me, and I fell to the ground. Everything went black.

+++

My head was bobbing up and down, and my feet weren't touching the ground. I looked up, someone was carrying me, bridal style. Rico.
I looked up at his face, all his muscles were tense and he held me tight to him. He was amazing, beautiful, so handsome. I gazed up at him, I lifted my hand, and caressed his cheek.
"Zoe." He said my name and I liked it.
I lifted my head up, close to his. I licked my lips, I looked down at his soft ones. I closed my eyes and leaned forwards, expecting to feel his lips on mine. But I didn't.
We carried on walking, and I felt his jaw tense. I opened my eyes. He didn't look at me, and we carried on as fast as ever. I dropped my hand and my head.
I closed my eyes, wishing I was still passed out, that it wasn't real, that I had just dreamt that all up.

+++

I woke up again in the infirmary, I was in a white bed, I wanted to fall asleep again, but my throat hurt so much that I couldn't.
I sat up and looked around, Rico was standing next to my bed. He looked stern.
"Are you ok?" He asked, his voice husky again. Then suddenly I remembered everything. And I mentally groaned.
I nodded to his question.
He stared at me and I stared back. He leant over me, and my heart beat quickened. He was so close our noses almost touched.
I cleared my throat and looked away,
"So-" I began, but Rico put his finger to my lips.
"Shhh..." He said. I stared at him. He lowered his head, and our lips touched.
It was gentle, and sweet. Then he pulled away. He stood up and said, "Your ranking is on the board in your dormitory. You are allowed to leave now. You are fit to go." The trainer was back, my Rico gone.
He left, and I collapsed in my bed. Tears welling up in my eyes.

+++

I walked back to the dormitory, where everyone was looking at a black board. I could see that five bunks were abandoned. One was Mino's.
When I entered the room, everybody turned and stared at me.
"Zoe!" I heard Ella shout as she rushed through the crowd towards me. She ran at me and hugged me so tight I could hardly breath. I hugged her back and tears filled my eyes again. Why couldn't everything go back to normal? Why does it have to be so complicated?
Ella pulled back and saw me.
"Are you ok?" She asked. "Hey don't worry, it's fine." She said giving me another hug. I wiped my eyes as Zack and Adrian came up and hugged me.
"Mino's gone." Adrian said. "No ones leaving this month." I nodded.
"I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry!" Apologized Zack. His tone laced with worry.
"It's fine!" I said.
"I was so worried, we were so worried. But I thought it was my fault and-"
"How could it be your fault?" I laughed,
"You didn't tell Mino to attack me, did you?" He shook his head, "or did you?"
He laughed and said,
"No!"
"Good. Now let my see that board." I said.
I squeezed through the crowd to look at the rankings.

1. Zack
2. Ella
3. Zoe
4. Adrian
5. Nat
6. Kalifa
7. Lance
8. Aron
9. Kezyia
10. Hannah
11. Reece
12. Lucy

3rd place, not too bad! I thought.
"Ok, come on guys. Let's go get some tattoos!!!" Shouted Adrian.