At Ends

Chapter 9: They Say Word Travels Fast at a Small School

     We walked out of the trees, hygiene products in our free hands, our other hands being pre-occupied with each other. We smiled and joked the entire was out of the trees.
    She had the stupidest, corniest jokes I've ever heard.
     "Is there a hole in your shoe?"
     "No?"
      "Then... How do you get your foot into it, Chris?"
    I smiled, looking up away from her face, feeling stupid.
      "How does the moon cut its hair?"
       I smile. "I don't know Ade, how does the moon cut it's hair?"
       "Eclipse it."
    I laughed and looked down at her hand in mine. Her hands are so small compared to mine.
    We walked out to where the other two were, smirking at us.
    "Chris, it looks like my advice worked well, yes?"
     I immediately took of my shoe, and threw it at him, smiling.
     Adelynne and Marra laughed, Marra standing to start packing everything up.
     "Chris, put your shoe back on," Adelynne said, still laughing. "You might need it."
    Jeff threw it back at me, and I caught it, sticking my foot into it and setting it down on the ground. Ade, who was already down there, reorganizing a duffel, and pulling her sword out of it, looked at my shoe and shrugged a bit, reaching over to tie it.
    "Adelynne, really? You don't need to tie my shoe for me..." I trailed off, realizing she was too stubborn to tell otherwise.
   "Also, what do you plan on using your sword for?"
   "It looks cool!" Marra popped in, sneering slightly.
   "I honestly just got it cause it looked cool."
   "And you didn't think to hand it to me last night? I could've like. Made that bitch into a Kabob."
    Ade laughed and rolled her eyes, standing up, and strapping the sword to her body. "Hey, its not like I knew you planned on making mince meat, okay?"
  

    ---------Adelynne's POV--------

   I strapped my sword firmly in place. I could now use it on... Them, if I needed to. I looked at the duffel and picked it up, and was about to swing it over my shoulder before Chris grabbed it.
    "Nope. Your job, is to look bad ass and cute at the same time." He slung it over his shoulder as I rolled my eyes.
    "If you say so."
    Marra laughed. "Okay, let's go weirdos."
    I smiled. "I have a good feeling a bout today. " I nodded positively, and started walking, the other following suit and Chris grabbing my hand.
   I don't think we will be seeing them today.

----
 
   Marra and I walked side by side, a little ways behind the men, so they couldn't hear us talk.
   "Soooooo you and Chris, huh?" She giggled at the thought. "I bet you guys looked so good together."
    I laughed, blushing. "Yes, me and Chris. I totally wasn't expecting it happen. "
    Marra giggled. "Ade, those things aren't planned. Soooo, tell me everything, from start to finish, don't leave anything out."
    I groaned, knowing that she wouldn't accept any less.
   "Well, as you saw, I found the water, and he went to go bathe. I went to a separate section do bathe, to where we couldn't see each other. I'm halfway in the water, facing away from where he popped up. He stepped on a twig, " I continue looking down at my feet as I walk slowly. "And I turned around, and I guess I looked pissed cause he looked so frightened," I laughed, and so did Marra. The men looked back, causing us to quiet a little.
   I continued, all the from our little make out session in the water, to when he got on top and asked if it was okay and I asked him to be gentle, to the end.
   "So... He was good?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.
    I rolled my eyes, smiling. She was unbelievable. "Yes, very. I came like four times." She giggled.
    We sped up and caught up with Chris and Jeff, scaring them by poking their sides. Jeff screamed and Chris put his fists up, causing Marra and I to erupt into laughter.
   "Your faces!"
   "You looked so scared!"
   "You jumped so high!"
Just then I noticed something, way into the trees, just rising over the top. Smoke.

     I absentmindedly hit Marra's arm.
   "Marra. Marra. Look. GUYS LOOK!" My eyes widened and they all looked to see what I was talking about. Marra gasped.
    "Dude. No. Fucking. Way. Come on, let's go!"
    "Marra, wait. We have to be cautious about it, because we don't know if they know, we don't know if they're cannibals, we don't know if its even people." She rolled her eyes.
    "Fiiinnnnneeee," she said. "Let's all listen to Ade cause she's the smartest one of all."
   "Marra-" Jeff cut in.
   "No. she's right. What do you want to do, Marra? Get me almost fucking killed again? You know, like last time when you decided to follow her. Or the time before that when you decided it'd be a good idea to even let her out to begin with?" I stared her down, my breathing calm. "Tell me, Marra, what tickles your fancy this time? Barging into a group of something we don't even know if human?"
    She huffed. "I'm sorry. I just got excited.... Wait... Killed?!" She looked up at me and Chris in horror.
   He nodded. "Yes."
   "What happ-" she was cut short.
   "Guys. I don't think we have to go look for the fire. Its come to us." I looked at the trees, the people, covered in green, hair slicked back, spears and swords. One had a gun.  They looked terrified and territorial at the same time. I stepped forward, hoping they just wanted to talk, and that they could talk.
     Chris grabbed my arm. "No. I'll go." I nodded. He was probably better with words anyways.
    They all backed up a bit, and Chris stopped, halfway between them and us. God, I hoped they didn't decide he was a threat.  
   One of the men stepped out, and they talked for what seemed like forever.

-------

  Chris came walking back.
  "They've had someone following us for the past day and a half. They knew we were coming. And yes, they saw me mutilate the thing even more than she already was."
   I opened my mouth to speak. Chris hugged me and whispered, "and no they didn't see everything that happened last night. Once they realized what was about to happen they took off."
   He stepped back and I nodded an okay.
   "So what do they want?" I asked.
   "They want to meet us up close. They've invited us to their... Village." I made a face.
   "That means there's a good amount of people there, right?" He nodded.
   "Well. Let's go. Be on your guard."
   "Oh, and Ade?" I looked up at him.
   "Yeah?"
    "They think you're the leader." My eyes widened in horror.
   "Why?" I asked, almost accusingly.
   "I didn't tell them that. I tried to act as if it was me, but they wouldn't accept it. They saw your episode with her at the railroads when you chased her off. That's when they first saw us."
   I groaned. "Greeaatt."
   We all started walking, my hand ready to shoot back to the sword. "You all have your knives, yes?" They all nodded. "Good."
   I really hoped they weren't a part of the bad guys team.