Katie Gardner and Travis Stoll (Fanfiction)

Chapter 14

TRAVIS'S POV

I watched my brother on the screen, trying not to chuckle at his antics. I have to admit my brother is never this committed, not even for a prank. He must really care.

I barely noticed Katie there until she spoke up, removing her hand. Her soft, warm hand just became a constant that I grew used to having.

"Please excuse me for a moment." Katie's hand slipped out of mine, making me immediately cold without her warm embrace. I only caught her expression for a split second, but that's all I needed.

I followed her into the same hallway she disappeared to with Miranda not even an hour ago. She silently opened the door at the end of the hall, closing it behind her.

She didn't hear me come in over her muffled sobs.

Katie huddled in the corner surrounded by a fortress of chairs blocking out the world outside of these four walls. Tears streamed from her beautiful green eyes. I slowly walked over, hoping not to startle her more than her already shaking body. I finally reached her dark corner.

"Katie, what's wrong?" I gradually sat down placing a comforting hand on her bare shoulder. Sparks of electricity alerted me of our proximity. My only answer was her muffled whimpers.

"Katie please tell me. I hate seeing you like this and I can't do anything about it!" I hung my head in shame, not wanted Katie to see that I couldn't help her. All I wanted to do was help her. Why couldn't I help her?

"Travis." I felt soft hands grab my chin and bring my head out of its state of shame. I looked into her steely determined eyes, lingering on how breathtaking they were. That should be my look. I should be the one committed to helping Katie.

"Travis? You can help me, just by being near me right now my head feels less jumbled. You do Travis, more than you know." She turned her head lost in thought, the only signs of her tears were the streaks of mascara running down her lightly flushed cheeks.

"I want to do more. Please tell me what happened. I want to help." Katie studied my expression before she realized I was dead serious. I would do anything to make her feel better.

"Travis..."

"No Katie, whatever you need! Please let me help you. At least tell me what's wrong." She started to shake her head but sighed giving up. She grabbed my arm, pulling me closer while her head began to rest on my broad shoulder.

"I thought you had figured it. but just didn't care." I cocked my eyebrow confused about what I should have noticed.

"Travis they had cameras watching us throughout the entire day. All they things we did, the things we said." She closed her eyes taking in deep breaths before burrowing back into my shirt. "They had microphones also. The entire camp heard everything we told each other. In the fields, with the dare."

My mind went blank. How could I have not noticed the second Miranda and Conner told us. The entire camp heard about Katie's past. How could my own brother do this? I don't even care about them hearing my fear, all I care about is Katie.

My beautiful Katie...

The blood pulsed through my veins, spreading adrenaline until red hot emotions consumed my mind. I reached my brother from across the expansive room. How could he be laughing with Miranda? Did he not realize what he did? What he did to Katie?

I gently tapped his shoulder. He turned around, his face morphing into fear as he took in my enraged expression.

I spoke in a calm and collected voice that opposed my swarming emotions. "Conner could you please follow me into a more private corner." He gingerly nodded his head not completely grasping what he had just agreed to do but followed me anyway.

"Whatever you think I did, I can promise I didn't do it." He tried to vie for my forgiveness.

"You did prove it, though. When you showed how you used all those cameras." Conner's face scrunched up in confusion.

"But, what would...?" He stopped questioning my reasons after taking in the rage radiating off my slightly shaking body.

"You set up this whole scheme right," I didn't wait for a reply to continue, "I mean you are a Stoll brother. You made us do the third, whatever you can even call them!" He had a deadpan look on his face.

"In the fields, you made Katie and me tell each other some... things. Things that I never even told you, but you go and broadcast it to the entire camp. EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THIS STUPID CAMP!"

"Travis, I..I..." He tried to find the words to explain himself, but I didn't give him the time. He didn't deserve the time. Before he could utter another word, I shoved him into the wall, not failing to knock out any breath in his frail body.

"Please, just hear me out." He pleaded as a small group of campers started to surround the little show. The sane part of my head begged me to hear him out before the destructive part took over completely. I calmed down enough the listen to what my little brother had to say, but he still dangled in the air from my fist clutching his shirt.

"No one saw that scene, I knew what might be said was personal, so I took some... precautions. I asked Miranda to turn on the loudest song she could find and I silenced the video. Most of your friends who were watching left to go dance. No one saw it, Travis. You know I would never do something like that to you. You know that don't you?" He asked the question timidly as the new thoughts jumbled together in my already pounding brain.

I could hear the blood pumping past my ears as I decided how to handle what happens next. My mind slowly cleared as I lowered Conner back to the floor.

"Yes." I fled the corner trying to find the hallway that Katie ran to earlier.

The door was locked, stopping me in my escapade to tell Katie what really happened. I gently knocked on the door, interrupting the silent sobs that filled that room.

"Please find somewhere else to makeout." I gently chuckled at how polite she can be even when crying.

"I don't think I hear to makeout with anyone, but if you want me to come back later that's good too." There was a pregnant pause before the door swung open pulling me inside and into the arms of whimpering Katie.

I pulled her closer latching my arms around her waist, letting her dry her tears on my broad shoulder. She calmed down after several minutes, allowing me to start the explanation.

She gently nodded her head through my speech, intertwining our fingers over and over again. By the end that light had reignited in her deep brown eyes. I pulled her back into a tight hug, never wanting to let go.

"Can we go back to the beach? It too loud here, and I like it better when it's just the two of us." I nodded my head helping Katie stand up. We left the small, dusty room heading for the only exit out of Bunker 9. Though not before destroying the camera system that watched us all throughout the day.

The End