Awake

FORTY FIVE

I clattered down the stairs, ready to confront Zoe in a calm and appropriate manner, but was brought up short by Jake – who was climbing up them.

"Ah!" I said involuntarily, and almost ran back up the library. Thankfully, however, I managed to get myself under control. I gripped the rail. "Uh. Um. Is Team Asshole here?

"Is Paige here?" Jake asked at the same time.

We both looked at each other in awkward silence for a few moments. I realised that this was the first time we'd been alone since The Incident.

I bit the inside of my cheek. "Uh, yes. Library. I'm going to yell at Zoe about teaching her how to shoot."

Jake smiled slightly. "You don't yell."

I was shocked into silence by his expression. There was another pause. I realised that even though I was two steps above him, we were only just eye-to-eye. Jake looked away from me. "You might want to wait till the others have gone," he said. "And don't say Team Asshole in front of any of them if you want to live. Except Derek. He'd probably love it."

"Ok," I said awkwardly. "I'm – I'm going, now." I squeezed past him, taking care not to touch any part of his body. I started to walk down the stairs, expecting to hear his footsteps start up again, but there was only silence, as though he was still watching me.

I walked along the long metal corridors, following the sound of voices. They were in the cavernous area we used as the meeting room.

I was paused outside, gathering my courage, when I heard Zoe say my name.

" ... called Anna –"

An unfamiliar voice with a pronounced Irish accent interrupted her. "Ooh, is she pretty?"

"Shut the fuck up, Burns – you sexist fucking leprechaun –"

Derek Burns didn't sound offended by her use of national stereotypes. "Us leprechauns always find the gold under the rainbow." I made a horrified face, flattening myself against the wall and out of sight. Somehow, his emphasis made that sound like a dirty joke, even though I didn't understand what he could possibly be implying. Zoe made a sputtering noise, but Burns continued blithely on. "I was just wondering why El Capitan got such a funny look when you started telling us about her. Isn't that right, Jake?"

There was a silence.

"Jake?" he repeated. "Where are you? Jake? ... Jesus, for a large person, he's very quiet."

"This is why you're never on watch," said an unfamiliar female voice. "He left five minutes ago, you idiot."

"I'm observant when it counts. I observe what counts, I mean. Particularly when a lady is –"

"Pathetic attempt," that was Mila's voice, sounding warmer than I'd ever heard it before.

"Jake left me!" said Burns plaintively. "Rao's gone too! Christ help us, Hikaru, we're outnumbered. We're the only men here!"

"I wouldn't call you a man," was Zoe's quick response.

"That's not what you told me when I –"

He was cut off by a loud clatter – which sounded suspiciously as though Zoe had thrown a chair at him.

"Enough!" ordered the unfamiliar female voice.

"So this new Waker," persisted Burns, after a brief pause. "Is she any good?"

"She's alive, isn't she?" replied Mila shortly.

There was a silence. Burns tried again. "Where's she from? Has she been hiding with some rebels we don't know about? Why haven't the 'Rarchs found her before now?"