Delirious || Bozari

Chapter Fourteen: Boze

"So, how was training?" Boze asked her, sitting down next to Atomic in the cafeteria.

"Good," was all the purple-haired woman said in reply, stabbing her salad with her fork. Boze waited for a longer answer, but none came.

It was dinner. Boze had been hoping that training would open up a wild side to Atomic, bring a bit of Mari back, but it seemed that she had no such luck.

"She's doing well," Wrath stated. All of the brawlers were sitting at the table. "Bit of a natural, I'd say."

Boze smiled. "That's good. You'll be a fighter in no time, Atomic."

"I know," Atomic said with a smile. Psycho and Rage scoffed almost in synch.

Boze didn't blame them for disliking the new recruit; she disliked her as well, no matter how much she hated to admit it. If it had been anyone else, she would have chastised them. But she didn't say a word here.

"Have we got any more missions planned, boss?" Jab asked. Most of her girls didn't call her boss, either calling her Vixen or Vix. But Jab was an ex-member of the military; it seemed that old habits stuck.

"Not at the moment, no," Boze replied, taking a bite of her salad. "But I have a meeting with Poison and Antidote in a few days, and they'll probably want me to do something for them."

"You don't have to do it," Wrath remarked. "Meet with those two, I mean."

"Well, rumour has it that those two have started to gather a following of their own," Boze explained. "Having them on our side might help us out later on. Besides, I never take a job that won't benefit me as well."

The seven of them talked for the rest of dinner. Atomic barely contributed anything to the conversation; she probably didn't know how to. In a way, Boze preferred her like that; silent.

Then it was break time, and most of the girls headed to the bar, Boze included. She noticed Atomic heading up to bed, but didn't care. She needed a few drinks; and maybe a bit more, if anyone was willing. If there was one thing she wanted right now, it was a distraction.

• • •

Boze raked her fingers through Mayhem's black hair.

The taller woman had her head resting between Boze's breasts, her eyes closed. Her hand was resting on Boze's stomach.

As they lay there, Boze looked up at the ceiling, thinking. She'd been hoping that this would distract her, but it hadn't. Despite having one of the most beautiful women in the Compound in her arms, all she could think about was Atomic; or, more accurately, Mari.

"What'cha thinking about?" Mayhem asked, looking up at her with shining black eyes that looked so similar to Mari's. Her tan skin was covered with a thin layer of sweat, so she shone in the light emitting from the ceiling lamp in Boze's room.

"Nothing," Boze replied almost immediately.

Mayhem gave her an accusing look. Normally, she would've accepted her answer without question. But in Boze's bed, the rules were different. For a brief time, the two of you were equals, both in the eyes of each other and the hierarchy of the Compound, until you walked out the door. "Don't give me that. I see that vacant look in your eyes. You're not entirely here."

Boze sighed. "No, I'm not."

"Then tell me, Vix," Mayhem asked. "What's on your mind?"

She could lie, she supposed. It would've been easy. But the psychologist part of her was telling her to talk about it, to stop bottling up her feelings, and she listened to it, like an idiot. "Atomic."