Gold Digging?

Day Four- Part One

Bethwoke up early in the morning, the sun only just up. She had thoughtfor sure that she would be the first up, but she was wrong. Imogenand Yanesca were already sitting down next to the giant gum tree,talking, and Chris was attempting to wake Levi up. He was also up,slowly rocking in his chair, muttering under his breath. His eyeswere bloodshot, and he had giant, black bags under his eyes.Something was seriously wrong. She went over to see if he was okay.He looked up at her, his grey eyes lifeless and cold, much unlike theusual sparkle and cheer found in them.

"Oh.Hello." He said, in a monotone, dead voice. Just yesterday, thatvoice had been cracking jokes, laughing. She had been laughing withit. She had-

"Thisjoke is dead. Why is this even still being used? It's me, ZachariahSpringer. It's obvious. Stop trying to make out that I'm, that I'm...that guy..." Zac muttered to himself more than anything, his eyesdarting from Beth to the floor then to his tent, then back to theground again. Over and over this happened, accompanied only by hisrandom mutterings, so fast that Beth could not understand a word. Shewas sure she heard a name, but she couldn't quite pick it out.

Itwasn't Terry though. I can tell you that much.

Bethshook his shoulder. "Hey! Are you in there?" Zac jumped out ofhis skin, jerking his head to her in fright, as if he had only justrealised she was there. Maybe he only just did. "B-B-B-B-Beth! Hi!How are you? Great I'm sure you're just fine in fact, unless yournot, so in that case maybe not do it again? Yes? What a great idea.Especially not when I have to know about it. Deal? Deal. Mhm..."What was he talking about? Beth was so confused. Last time she hadseen him, less than twelve hours ago, he had been fine. But now...this.

"Zac!What the hell is wrong with you? Why are you like this all of asudden?" She asked, shaking his shoulder. He looked up at her, hissteely grey eyes piecing into hers. "Oh, you want to know what waswrong? How about underage, unprotected sex 100 metres away from camp,on the same fucking day you realised you liked him. Not just the sameday, but the same fukin chapter, for christ's sake! It's obvious ithappened!" he blurted out, still rocking. "I couldn't sleep allnight..."

Beth'swhole body locked up. Zachariah knew. She didn't know how he knew,but if he said it was obvious, then who else has figured it out? Theteachers? She could not afford for that to happen. Zac seemed to readher mind.

"Don'tworry, no-one else knows except me. Luckily. Did you know, I got nosleep last night, at all? Did you know Dalziel came into the tent,grinning like the idiot he is, then fell asleep before even Joe? Didyou know when you came back from your 'walk', your hair was allruffled, and you are still walking a little weird even now? Did youknow, right now you have the same face as my friend Brian had when heannounced to me that he was the first of the Fucktard Four to losetheir virginity, then bragged about how he got laid the night before?I bet he still remembers that, DON'T YOU BRIAN? Yeah! Anyway, thisfucked up shit has got me rattled. So please, just... leave me alonefor a while, okay? I kept my half of the deal. I've done my job. Nowhopefully, he will pay me for my work."

Bethfrowned, subconsciously fixing her hair. "Who's 'he'?"

"Youwon't understand. It's got to do with complicated, fourth-wallbreaking shit."
"Have you gone insane?"

"I'vebeen insane since my mother forced me to eat only pears and coldporridge for two years straight. But that's not the point. The pointis, you won't understand. All you need to know is, I'm no longer partof this story." He stood up, and slowly hobbled away.

Andwith that, he was gone.

------

Itwas the last day of camp according to Paul, and the students werealready packing up the tents. Beth hadn't talked to Zac since theirtalk at the crack of dawn, and he had even gone out of his way toavoid her. So she decided to stick with Dalziel instead.

Orrather, she sucked at putting away the tent she was meant to bedoing, so he came over to help.

"My,my, you really are useless at camping, aren't you?" he remarked,picking up half of the collapsed tent with one hand. "Pull thatpole out now, okay?" All Beth could think about was what hadhappened the day before. And by the look on Dalziel's face, so washe. She didn't regret it, oh no, quite the opposite in fact, but shedid feel a bit... strange. Something was off, perhaps from what Zachad said earlier.

"...I'vedone my job. Now hopefully, he will pay me for my work."

Bethfrowned, subconsciously fixing her hair. "Who's 'he'?"

"Youwon't understand."

Didhe mean Dalziel? Beth was confused. She knew Zac would do almostanything, for a price. He had almost destroyed the Girlsquad justbecause of a dare he got from his other friends, without even battingan eye. If Dalziel had gone to Zac about it-

No.She couldn't think like that. She shouldn't. Putting the canvas inthe bag, she shakes those thoughts out of her head. That was the oldher. The pre-awakening,pre-Zac-stirring-the-pot-and-changing-literally-everything-about-everythingher. Dalziel wouldn't do that. Which means Zac had some exteriormotive. But why?

"Whatchuthinking about?" Dalziel asked, moving over to her. She sighed.

"Whydo you think Zac helped us?" she asked leaning on him. He obviouslyuncomfortable, but she didn't give a fuck. He took a second to think.

"Youknow, I asked the same thing when he offered to help yesterday. Theonly thing he said was that he was going to finally be the maincharacter. I have no idea what that means though." They finishedpacking up, and dumped the bag in the back of one of the vans.Eventually, all the bags were put away, and they made one last tripbefore heading back to Perth.

Tothe beach.