Silence // Danger Days (Book 1)

13.

It was morning in the Zones. As the sun rose, one could see the heat radiating from it, warming the landscape. Bands of orange and red mixed with the inky blackness which had become the sky, eventually forming a peaceful blue which was only interrupted by the fiery sun.

Storm, Sunset, Alien, and Vendetta were packing some things into their van, preparing for a journey. The Fab Four were outside as well, doing various things. The group were going on a two-hour journey, so they needed some supplies. This was the only information that Storm could catch, due to his half-asleep trancelike state.

"You haven't met Dr. Death yet, have you?"

Storm shook his head in an attempt to wake himself up, to respond to Alien's query. "No... don't think so." He yawned.

"Well, you're going to today!" she told him. She lifted a bag full of Power Pup cans into the back of the van. "My second-in-command is there too, well, maybe, he's at his own station every once in a while. He's called Cherri Cola. Oh, and the Girl!"

"The Girl?" he asked, wondering what the general meant.

"She's... it's kinda a long story," she admitted. "I'll tell you in the car." With that, she shut the back doors of the van and headed for the driver's seat.

Storm shrugged, an was about to turn and take his place in the vehicle, but he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned and found Poison's beautiful hazel eyes staring into his own.

"So," the redhead said casually, "I heard you guys are going to be staying at Al and Ven's base for a bit."

Storm's face contorted in confusion. "What do you mean? Why?"

His eyes widened. "Oh, you didn't hear that?" He ran a hand through his brightly colored hair. "Oh well. They've got a lot more room there than there is here, and you wouldn't want to stay with us any longer, right?" He gave a soft laugh.

"I would."

Poison looked back at Storm. "Wait, you would what?"

The younger man's face reddened. "I-I mean, I want to stay. With you, I mean."

"Really?" Poison was incredulous. He felt as though a dream was coming true, his One True Love or whatever was choosing him... NO! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! his mind scolded him. You can't do this, you know why! "Well, it's really cramped in here..." he struggled to get out, "you'd probably do better with these two anyway. And your sister seems to want to go..."

"Well, I—" Storm stuttered, weighing the statement on his tongue. "I really like you. I'd really like to stay with you..."

Poison, do it. Don't get attached to this boy. "I... I'm sorry. You can't stay. You should go." He looked into the other Killjoy's eyes, and saw the most concentrated amount of pain he had ever seen in them. He looked away, not wanting to face this.

Every word that fell out of Poison's mouth felt like a stab to Storm's heart. But, I thought he liked me too. I thought... He felt a drop fall from his eye, and sniffed. "O-okay," he choked out. "I'm just gonna g-go then."

Poison's heart died in his chest as he watched the blue-haired boy run to his sister, who was waiting for him by their van. He fell into her arms, and Sunset shot a death glare at Poison.

The redhead's shoulders sank, an he turned to sulk back to the diner.

That was the right thing to do, his rational mind tried to tell him. You can't get attached to anyone again.

He had almost reached the doors of the building, when his legs just stopped.

"No..."

He turned, and began running back to the other group's van...

...only to find it already speeding away from him.

"No, no! Wait!" He pushed himself to go even faster, chasing the mistake he made, and the love he left behind.

He slowly ran out of energy, and fell to his knees in the sand. He put his face in his hands, and tried to hold back the waterfall that was forming in his eyes.

"What have I done?" he whispered to himself, letting the tears fall at last.

He stared into the sky, and the picture of Storm's pained eyes returned behind his eyelids.

The wind picked up pieces of his hair and blew them away from his face.

"What have I done?"