I jump from my tree and race after him. My legs burn and my heart pumps with adrenaline. He sprints away but he is slower from Lola's bite wound. He normally is faster than me but not this time. I tackle him. He falls down and pulls out his own gun. "You know after me trying to kill you twice, you would think you wouldn't be stupid enough to come back," I say. He smirks at me. "You never liked me for my brain," he says. I shoot at him and he dodges the bullet. It pierces a tree behind him. I grunt. "If you know who I am, then you know I won't stop until you are dead," I throw the threat at him. "Shilo I don't want to hurt you, but I will if necessary," he says to me. I look into his eyes. Lies and fear dance across them. I lower my gun. "No you won't. You know I think you really do love me and you can't kill someone you love. Back in that clearing with your alien friend you could barely punch me. So how are you going to shoot me," I say with confidence. Indecision crosses over his gorgeous face. He lowers his gun and his eyes light up with blue fire. Bion takes a step closer. We are inches apart and he takes my hands in his. I look up into his fiery eyes and for a split second I forget about all that has happened and I return to the world where nothing exists but me and him. Then I snap out of my fantasy and hit him in the face with the butt of my gun. He cringes and takes a few steps back from the blow. "Oh I'm sorry did I hurt your little feelings?" I say sarcastically with my pouty face. "Well deal with it cause you killed my best friend!" I scream and lunge at him. He steps out of the way at the last second and I fall flat on my face. "Urggg," I growl at him. When I turn over on my back he jumps on top of me. He sits on me and holds my hands down. Bion throws the gun out of reach. I struggle against his strong hands but it is no use. He looks me dead in the eye. "If I didn't love you than do you think I would keep coming back to reason with you," Bion says to me. He could be our inside man, he easily fit in with us so who says he can't be the inside man at alien headquarters or whatever they are called. "Look Bion I will never forgive you, ever. But I suppose I could talk to the camp if you are willing to switch sides," I offer up the deal. He lets go of me and helps me up. "I have been trying to save my own skin by staying with them but I always lied about you. I am done being afraid." I pick up my gun and smile devilishly. "Well then welcome back to camp,"I say. He grins and try's to hug me. I push him off and give him a hard look. He backs away. We walk to camp together like old times. But this time we don't hold hands and this time Lola growls at him the whole way back. When we get back the guards hold up there guns and train them on Bion. I instructed them to shoot on sight but I jump in front of them so they don't shoot. They swing there guns away from me with confused looks. "Now I know you haven't forgiven him, I will never forgive him. But he is helpful, he changed sides and now he is our inside man." They look angrily at Bion but they let us pass. Now that the magic chip in his leg is gone he doesn't light up in the head sets. Many people give him death glares on the way to the mess hall. The guards inform everyone to head that way. Once everyone was in the tent. I cleared my throat to get there attention. "Now I know all of you want to kill this freak," I point towards Bion. He furrows his eyebrows at me. "I do too but he is in a very good spot. His alien freaks trust him and he has changed sides. He can be our inside man," I say. Some people consider it but others not so much. "What if he is lying to get back into camp?!," someone in the crowd yells. "Yea," the rest say. "Shilo he could kill you next," Amar says. "He won't kill me," I say firmly. "How can you be so sure?" Another says. I start to get really angry. "Look you chose me as your leader right? You trust me right?" Heads nod in the crowd. "Well then trust me I know what I am doing. And if he turns on us then I will kill him, every fiber of my being already wants to," I say and cross my arms over my chest. Murmurs spread through the group as they shuffle out. "Give me your earpiece," I say. He pulls it from his pocket and places it in my hand. "You can keep this but when the commander calls you get details on them and you tell him that I died and that you are sniping in the woods. Got it?" I snap at him. Why bother being nice to one of those things? He nods and takes it back. I lead him to a cabin that I had some of our people build. It can lock from the outside. I shove him in the cabin. He looks around the dark place, there is only the light of the door that seeps in. "Give me your weapons," I say. "What am I your prisoner now. That is low not even my people put us in prisons," he says. I give him an 'are you serious' look. "Yea you just kill them, now cough them up," I say. He pulls out the handgun from his pants and the knife strapped to his leg. Then he pulls another gun from his boot. "The knife," I insist. "You have my knife," he lies. "The one in your other boot." He narrows his eyes at me and pulls it out too. "Great now sit and think about what you have done," I say with a smile. He murmurs something as I put the latch on the door. I march back to my tent and plop down on my cot. Alison comes in. "Hey, Shilo how are you holding up?" I barely got any sleep. After the Bion fiasco I slept two hours and woke at the crack of dawn. "Well apart from feeling like a zombie who was betrayed by her love I am good." I get cranky when I'm tired. Alison chuckles. "I will give you some time but when you awake we need to discuss your seconds," she says. "Thanks Alison," I say and she leaves the tent. I used to love to sleep and get away from this mess. But now all I do is have nightmares or relive terrible memories. I grudgingly shut my eyes.
~~~
When I wake up I see it is about 1 or 2 in the afternoon. I rub my eyes and sit up. I dreamt of fire. It burned hot on my skin. I think it was my Hell. I walk out of my tent. Someone set up the homemade volleyball net. I see people gathering around Kate, she holds a volleyball in her hand. I walk up next to Alison. "Hey," she says and turns her attention back to Kate. "Ok teams of four, you all know how to play," she says. I immediately think oh me, Bion, Amar, and Alison but then I realize he is my hated prisoner. I get Alison and Amar. "Who else?" Amar asks. Bion is really athletic and strong. He would be perfect but no I refuse to choose him. Speak of the devil he walks up. "How did you get out?" He smirks at me. "Girl I am an alien with enhanced strength and intelligence it honestly wasn't hard," he says arrogantly. "So are we playing or what," he says. Amar and I glare at him. Alison is kind of new, she didn't know Mia. And she has fallen for Bion's good looks. She smiles and brings him onto the court. He turns around as she pulls him away and winks at me. I respond by putting a hand on my dagger and glaring at him. He smiles, sticks his tongue out, and mouths bite me. After everything he acts the same. The same old Bion, the one I fell in love with. Me and Amar exchange weary glances and head out onto the court as well. Kate comes over to Bion. "Try anything and I will kill you regardless of Shilo's orders," she says and sticks a finger in is chest. She stalks off. With my impeccable hearing I over hear even though she whisper growled it. Bion waves at her and says, "Love you too Kate." I can't help it I smile at his way of acting like the same fearless Bion. We play against Carmen, Liam, Joey, and Carmen's red headed friend Jennifer. I take my place at the middle hitting position. Alison is our setter, Bion plays a back/four position, and Amar starts with a serve and moves up to a back position. He can also move up to hit a nine but he usually just digs the ball up. Jennifer stands in my position with a determined face. She has always seemed competitive to me. I am just glad it isn't Kate, the other people say she is the best of the best. Amar smacks the ball, it rockets to the other side. I stand at the net ready to block. Liam sets up Jennifer and she goes in. She hits the ball left of my blocking hands. Amar digs it up and Alison sets me up. I fire it towards Carmen and it lands at her feet. We won the game 21-13. Bion was a great hitter and back row player. Is there anything he can't do? Be honest, I answer my own question. Alison and Bion chat through the rest of the games. Bion looks over at me every once in awhile and I occasionally look at him. One time our eyes met. He smiled that perfect grin that made you want to kiss him and I just turned away. I still feel things for him. It is hard to put out a spark that turned into a forest fire. I get lost in his flaming blue eyes. Watching Alison flirt with him made me uneasy. I shifted in the grass. I look at the evening sky and my stomach grumbles. I don't want to stop the fun of all the people. We already pre-made the sandwiches anyway I just have to pass them out. I walk to the mess hall and go to the sandwiches. I pile them on the scrap metal. I start to cough. My eyes start watering and I see I coughed up blood again and I wipe my mouth. What is going on with me? Maybe my back stabbing, alien, freak of a friend drugged me. I grab the sandwiches and walk outside. A game just ended and everyone comes rushing over to grab a delectable sandwich. Soon the plates are empty except for two sandwiches. Bion comes up with a shy look on his face. "Hey want to eat with me?" He asks and rubs the back of his neck. "Who said prisoners get food?" His cheeks redden and I laugh. He cocks his head to the side. I giggle and say, "I think Alison would be better company." He looks back at her and his confident face returns. Bion takes a sandwich. Then he comes close to me and I have no hands to push him away. He whispers in my ear. "Alison can't kiss like you can," he says and winks as he walks away. My cheeks burn and my heart skips a beat. A smile makes its way to my mouth. I frown, how the heck does he do that? I put the plates back and eat my sandwich with Amar. He is still quiet but he seems to be getting better. I watch the sun kiss the grass as it lays itself to rest. Everyone walks off to their own tents. Eventually Amar leaves too. After most everyone is gone Bion walks over to me. "Hey," he says as he sits down next to me. I scoot away a little bit. He seems very aware of the space. "I have had trouble sleeping without you," Bion says. "Well if that is your way of subtly asking if you can come back to my tent, it is a no," I say. He shrugs his shoulders and gets up. "I hear it will be cold tonight. Have fun sleeping without my warm arms of protection," he says. My cheeks burn. Did he look at my sketch pad. That is exactly what I wrote next to the picture. I walk him back to the prison to lock up, even if he can break it. He lays down on the floor and waits for me to shut the door. As I close it I say, "Oh by the way, when you are trying to win someone back looking in their private sketch book isn't a good tack tick," I say and laugh at his guilty face when I shut the door. Then I walk off to my own tent. Lola snores at the bottom of my cot. I lay down and shut my eyes. I toss and turn for hours. Stupid Bion, why is he always right?
