Trained One ✓

Chapter 10

After showering, I took my time getting ready. I put the same clothes back on because I hadn't exactly left the room intending to shower. Not to mention, I doubted Josh would appreciate if I was offered another set of clothes while I'm pretty sure he was still in his old ones. While the clothes were technically mine, it didn't seem exactly fair considering his were still probably slightly damp from the rain. Or, at least his jeans.

There was still steam fogging the mirror and as I pulled my shirt over my head, finishing getting dressed I could make out writing scrawled over it in random spots. Some was illegible due to the temperature and probably old writing.

'HOT' was written high on the mirror in the top corner, higher than it seemed Annabeth could reach.

Random misshapen faces were drawn here and there.

'love you' was written in cursive near the middle of the mirror.

I smiled at the images and secret messages most likely between Annabeth and Finn. It was heartwarming to see things like this, considering Annabeth was almost always glaring at Finn and it was a wonder half the time why he stuck around her. I stared for a bit longer, the mirror started to clear up and had you not noticed it before, the message would've been entirely missed as the mirror returned to its normal state.

I brushed my hair slowly, enjoying the quietness of the bathroom and not having to listen to the neighbors in the hotel room come and go, their doors slamming shut or the people above me walking hard on their feet across the room.

As I did so, I used the quiet as a moment to gather my thoughts on everything I had to do.

I still needed sleep. I had gotten only a few hours and after running to Melkin and fighting with the Dacosta member (or whatever they were calling themselves), my body was protesting and still begging for sleep. The shower helped a little bit.

I needed to find out what happened to Cameron, and Sterling for that matter, so I could find out why the heck Sterling's gang members kept coming for my head.

It wasn't a necessity but a want: I wanted to find out who Martinez was. I needed to sit down for a second on my own and research the property again to find out her first name and look the woman up. Travis mentioned the gang having outside ties. Was she one of them? Were they involved in something more than--no, wait, I didn't even know what they did to make money still. I wanted to figure that out, too.

I needed to figure out why Travis and everyone just hadn't left town. Cameron never wanted to stay and if he was gone, why would Travis step up and take over something he even tried to leave once? They didn't even seem like they were doing anything if they knew where our teams cameras were and the fact that we were here trying to take the gangs out of the picture. It was awfully passive for the gang of people who had a Finn, someone who revelled in causing chaos and a Travis, someone who was a magnet for said chaos.

I needed to figure out what to do with Josh. Oh god. And work. And Dylan. And what if Josh blabbed to Dylan? And what I was out on house arrest again? Would I see the gang again? I just wanted to stay with them but then what would Dylan and Owen do? I doubt they'd just let me go like that.

I started to panic and for my hair's well being, I put the brush down and went to exit the bathroom. This was going to be Josh's ticket to getting a full-time position. He has the motherload of information right now. I clenched my jaw as my stomach twisted and opened the bathroom door, walking back into Annabeth's room.

However, all panic dissipated as I took in the scene before me. Ben was still laying on the floor with his legs extended and crossed at the ankles and his hands behind his head. Annabeth was at a vanity desk next to her bed, organizing some of the items on it. And there, sitting on the bed leaning half against the headboard and half against Finn, was Travis. The two were hunched over and looking at a phone Finn had.