Chaos Creator

Chapter 7: Love You Too Gumdrop

When we finish dinner, we pull out pillows and bed pallets and I start to pull Daisy away from the corner Four and Tris decide to sleep in. Just as I take a step, Daisy grabs my arm to stop me. 

"Why can't we sleep next to Tris and Four?" She asks, pouting. 

"Because I don't like them and they don't like me." I state, tugging her away again. 

"Well I like them, and they like me." She plants her feet on the ground and turns to the duo. "Tris! Four! Can we sleep beside you all?" 

The two break away from the hug they were recently sharing and jump at Daisy's voice. The blonde turns to us in shock and confusion whilst Four simply glares at me suspiciously. He probably suspects ulterior motives in the question.

"Um," Tris forces a smile. "Sure." 

Daisy gives her a genuine smile back drags me toward the pair. I glare back at Four as Daisy sets up our beds. She gives us enough distance away from them that makes me feel comfortable, but I still would've preferred being across the way. 

"I don't know why you wanna sit so close the stiffs, Daisy," I say, keeping my eye contact with Four. He flinches at the word 'Stiff' even though he's heard me use it a thousand times. I smile devilishly at his reaction. 

"Hey," Daisy reaches up to lightly hit me on the back of my head. "Don't use that word."

"I'm a grown man, I can use whatever word I please."

"Don't make me tell mom!" She exclaims back in a teasing manner.

The words escape her mouth so fast and she is unable to grasp them before they fall out. Her face falls at the same time mine does. Her eyebrows knit together as her eyes well up with tears. She roughly blinks them away and drops her gaze to the floor. 

"I-I meant," She stutters.

"I know what you meant to say," I say. "C'mon, it's late, you need to sleep." 

She nods and lays down on her pallet, her eyebrows still scrunched. I sit on my pallet facing her, and run my hand through her hair. Her eyes catch mine and even though she doesn't speak I know what she's thinking. 

'When will I see mom again?'

'When can I go home?'

"Soon," I answer quietly. "This whole thing will blow over soon."

I lie to her smooth enough and I think she believes. But in all honesty, a war does not end 'soon'. I think she knows this but choose to believe the lie I tell her. She nods and shifts on the bed. I unbutton the polo style shirt. 

"Go to sleep," I instruct. 

"You need to go to sleep too," She says. 

" I'll fall asleep after you," I lie again. 

She squints her eyes again but leaves it alone. After shooting me a look of concern, she grasps my hand tightly and closes her eyes. Daisy is exhausted, so she falls asleep after about 3 minutes. Her grip on my hand loosens and her breathes even out. By this time, a lot of the people around me have fallen asleep and only noises are murmurs and the dying fire crackling in the distance. My eyes grow heavy but I will myself to stay awake and keep away from the nightmares. I glance up at the stars. 

I wonder what Vana is doing. 

If she's even alive.

I shudder at the thought and shake my drowsiness away. As my eyes start to feel heavy again a hand clamps on the shoulder. I instantly tense and snap my head towards the person to find Evelyn.