When we crept back into the bunks, it was an hour from dawn. My eyelids were drooping from exhaustion, and I collapsed onto my bed, rejoicing in the fact I would actually get some sleep. Almost as soon as my eyes closed, it seemed, people were up and about.
I drowsily rub at my eyes, yawning. Looking at the clock, I see that it is already seven. Ruby is still snoring under her blanket.
I shake my head, grab a towel and head to the bathrooms. A hot shower would be nice. But as soon as I step into a stall and turn the water on, goosebumps cover my body. Hot indeed--it is freezing cold without even a hint of warmth. I scrub at my body and rake my nails over my scalp quickly, rinse and hurry out, shuddering.
I dress quickly, in the same attire as yesterday, and zip a leather jacket up over my still-cold body. I hurry down to the mess hall, grab several muffins and hurry back up to the beds, where Ruby is still sleeping.
I rip her pillow out from under her head, because there seems to be no other way of waking her; poking, prodding and yelling in her ear don't seem to work, and neither does depriving her of her covers. She sits up, alert.
I laugh at her face, which has drool smeared all over it. Her hair is a frizzy mess.
"Come on, Sleeping Ugly," I say and offer her a few of my muffins. "Time to get up. Get a comb or something."
When we are finished with our food and Ruby's hair is once again in a semi-tame, spiky style, we jog to the training area, and arrive but a fraction of a second before Scarlett and a man I don't know enter.
We join Pest and Ty in the back, both of which are still yawning.
"How'd you sleep?" I ask sluggishly. My body feels heavy--like my clothes are soaked with water and it is weighing me down. I can't seem to move right; I am clumsy and bumbling.
Pest has dark circles under his eyes and Ty's eyelids are drooping. Neither answer, but neither have for me to know.
"Ellie," Ty says, surprising me that he even can speak. I can hardly get simple sentences out. "How's your tattoo feeling?" The faintest shadow of his cocky smirk plays on his lips.
I groan and roll my eyes, my fingers moving to my back. It's soar, but no longer red. My sleepy state makes it easier to focus on the slight throbbing on my shoulderblade. I am about to answer when Frank saunters up.
"Elysium," he says, and I bristle. "Your hair."
I shoot him a narrow-eyed glance. "Elysium was my Erudite name. I'm Ellie now, Frank," I correct him. "And since when do you care? You didn't even acknowledge my presence at the Choosing Ceremony."
Frank glares right back. "We're friends. Used to be, at least. Why so hostile?"
Pest looks back and forth between us. "Ellie? You know him?"
I ignore him. "Oh, I thought that was the norm between us," I say poisonously. "I mean, we're supposed to ignore each other, right?"
"I asked you a simple question and you somehow manage to turn this into an argument?" Frank hisses back, taking a few steps towards me. "You are so petty!"
"Back off!" I bark and shove him backwards. He stumbles, but comes back angry. He makes a move like he's about to punch me, but Pest steps between us, and Ty catches his hand. Ruby wraps a protective arm around me.
"Is there a problem here?" says the man who came in with Scarlett. He sounds concerned, but he does not look like it. His hair is cropped close to his skull, and tattoos climb up his neck.
