The Plague

Chapter 5

"Maybe you should take a drive..."

"I planned on it tonight."

"Good.. That will be good for you."

I'm back in the gym wailing away at the bag, punching and jabbing and kicking out the frustration I've been feeling since I woke up. I finished breakfast before anyone else was even awake, and headed straight for the gym, not really feeling like conversing this morning.

"Take a break before you hurt yourself, you're no good exhausted, and you know we're pretty much always on call." Adam says, handing me a bottled water.

I rest myself against the bags, leaning my forehead on my sore arms. I look down at my rib cage and stare proudly at my first tattoo. In all black ink it says:

1 John 3:18 Let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.

And underneath that is Keaton's name.

For me it represents a mothers love for their child, and I think it fits our situation perfectly. I am fighting for his life, and eternal salvation, literally. That is how I show my love, in truth and action.

I always hoped my first tat would be something meaningful, and badass. Yea, it's definitely badass, I thought. How many moms are fighting evil right now. Other than Seeker moms of corse.

Pushing myself off of the bag I go to walk out and make it halfway there when the door opens and in walks Vance, Corey, and Trey.

Oh shit. This is kind of the reason I had been avoiding everyone today. "Morning lil sis," Corey greets me. "Done already? I want to have a go with some shields and I need someone to hold them." he smirks. He's obviously joking.

'Yea right!' I think. Corey would knock me into the next century. I laugh and tell him sarcastically, "Ok I'll be back in a second to help you with that."

"I got it, man." Vance jumps in, playfully pushing me out of the way.

"Turns?" Corey suggests, and Vance agrees.

As they pull out the boxing equipment, I turn my head and catch Trey's dark blue eyes looking right at me. Even my skin is reacting to that look. But I couldn't tell if it were anxiety or excitement. Maybe both? Trey gives me a nod and starts attacking the punching bag.

Would it kill him to put a shirt on? Blushing, and hoping no one caught me looking, I walk outside, followed by Adam. When we get about half way back to the house I notice he is clearing his throat, coughing, and sighing unusually too much, so I turn to look at him with an expectant expression. He obviously wanted to talk about something and he was waiting on me to initiate it.

"What are you thinking about old man?" I ask with a small smile, using my nickname for him.

"Actually I should be asking you that, Rosie."

Rosie? What?

"As in, Rosie cheeks..." he says with a sneaky grin.

And then it hit me. He had been watching! Oh. My. God. This is so freaking awkward.

Trying to throw him off, I raise my eyebrows and ask him,"What in the world are you taking about?"

"Oh come on!" he said laughing. " I've been around long enough to know the deal, and you can cut the, uh, 'romantical' tension with a butter knife between you two. Plus I saw y'all, leaning into each other at the bar." He gave me a fake dreamy eyed look, and I was fighting to hide the smile that would surely give me away.

"Romantical isn't even a word Adam, and no there is nothing between us, quit imagining things."

He gives me his own very mischievous smile that tells me I'm not going to want to hear what is about to come out of his mouth.