Survival of the Fittest: Friends Forever {Complete}

3

As the next day rolled around, two more entered the barn. A girl and a guy. I walked down the staircase I was currently on, from doing my laps up and around the area, and up to the two newbies. They looked familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I touched the girls shoulder, and she flipped out. She reached up to put me in a headlock. It almost worked, if I hadn't grabbed her arm around my neck and threw her over me, to in front of me. Sprawled out on the ground.

"Fuck me," I huffed, "King?" I asked as she got up, standing as if she were going to try and jump me. She froze, however, apon hearing her name.

"Jase?"

"Damn it!" I yelled, "yea. Who's that?" I pointed to the guy.

"Jordan?" She freaked, kneeling beside him.

"No, no, no, no, no." I said to myself, holding onto my short black dyed hair. "It can't get any worse, right?" My focus turned downward on hearing a groan from Jordan as he woke. "I'll let you be. I gotta go do something." I said and practically ran under the balcony and into a corner. I curled into a tiny ball, starting to slowly rock back and forth. "I can't do this. I can't do this. I can't do this," I mutter to myself, "I have to do this. But I can't. But I must." I debated aloud. "Knife," I whispered, and one appeared on the ground next to me.

I picked it up hesitantly. I haven't done this in years. I did it last when I was 18. I roll up the sleeves on my sweatshirt, held the knife with my right hand, resting the blade on my left arm. As I go to draw, it's ripped from my hand. I glare up at who snatched it, to see Justin. "Give. It. Back."

"No." He stated. I stood up and put my face in his. Well, best I could. He was 4 inches taller than I.

"Now."

"No." He growled, "I'm not letting you start that habit again." My lip twitched in anger. I growled and turned away, facing the corner. I glare at it, before punching it as hard as I could, leaving a small, yet deep, break in the wood. I could feel the skin on my knuckles break without having to look. "Jase," Justin said quietly. I turned around to face him.

"Please. Give it back," I asked, anger no longer laced into the words.

"Why?"

"Because. I don't know what else to do, and that there," I pointed to the knife in his hand, that then faded away, "was what would help me." He looked at his hand as he felt nothing in it, confused. "I can't control my anger any other way," I clench and unclench my fists, trying to breath.

"Is it anger? Or fear?" I tilt my head at his question. "I saw you freak out a bit, when you saw Chey and her boyfriend. And that was fear, not anger."

"I can't do this." I told him, shaking my head. "I can't do this. You're right, I'm scared and I haven't been for a long time. But, I'm beyond angry for reasons I can't tell you." I sat on the bail of hay next to us, setting my head in my hands. He sat next to me rubbing my back. "I'm so sorry Justin," I whispered.

"For what?"

"For what's to happen." I leaned against him, and he moved his hand from my back to wrap it around me. I frozen when he did this, but I remembered that he wouldn't hurt me, and I relaxed.

"Why can't you tell me?"

"Cause it's not time to. There's an order to this type of crap. I promise, I'll tell you when needed." He sighed, but nodded, no use in pushing the matter. I wouldn't talk if I didn't want to, and he knew it.

"Jase!" I heard King call. I patted Justin's arm, he let up, and I walked over to where my name had been called. She and Jordan were standing near the front still, but not as close.

"Hey," I said.

"What's going on?"

"We're here, stuff's going to happen, please don't worry right now about that. Six more people are going to show up, then I'll explain to everyone." I told them in a flat voice, both giving a slightly confused look. "I've been here once before."

"You okay dude?" Jordan asked. I shook my head, then walked off and up the stairs. I heard footsteps follow behind as I leaned against the wall. "You wanna talk?"

"Not really. Nothing you could do about it." I told him.

"Well I could help, no?" I frowned, shaking my head.

"This," I motioned to our surrounding area, "I know more than I can say. I can and can't help everybody. And it kills me more than anyone will ever know." I shook my head to clear the dark thoughts my mind was trying to make me tell, "you want to help yea? Go be with your girlfriend for the next few days." Jordan sighed and nodded his head, leaving me by my lonesome. "Knife," I whispered again, it appearing by my boot. I put my toes under he handle of it, and flicked it upwards, catching it. My sleeve was still rolled up and I looked around before I did anything. When I saw no one, I rested it on my arm once again, and cut across it. I groan a little and did it once more, below the first, then dropped the knife, it disappearing before it hit the ground.

I looked as the red liquid bubbling out of my skin, and felt a tear fall onto my arm. I pulled the black sleeve of my sweatshirt down, composed myself, then walked down the stairs to sit with everyone else. I smile as they looked at me and they smiled back. They parted so I could sit. I sat between King and Justin. Next to her was Jordan, then my brother, then Tyler.

"You wanna play?" Jordan asked.

"What are we playing?"

"Spin the shoe," my brother laughed. I chuckled yet gave a confused look. "It's like spin the bottle, without the bottle."

"Alright, did we just start or?"

"Yea. We were wondering what to do, and this is what we thought of just as you came down." Tyler answered. Chey was the one that used her shoe. The rest of us had boots on, while hers was a running shoe. She placed it in the middle of us and spun it the best she could on the dirt covered wood floor. It landed on Jordan to his, and her, relief. They kissed a few times, nothing too long. "No 'chickens' or wussing out?" Tyler asked, and we all nodded. "We'll got to the right, so Kendra. You're up."

I grabbed it and it landed on my brother, "re-spin!" I announced and everyone agreed, and I spun it again. It landed on, Justin. "Welp, sorry Justin. I know you don't like me but," I shrugged, "no chickens right?" Justin rolled his eyes with a smile. He pulled me forward into a kiss. I was shocked, to say the least. I didn't think he'd actually do it! But I kissed back, and he pulled away. I cleared my throat and pointed to Justin, "your go."

He grabbed the shoe and spun, landing on my brother. "Oh my god, no."

"No chickens!" King said.

"Come on Justin, just a bro-kiss. It'll be okay." I giggled. He gave me a quick playful glare before he leaned over and kissed him. "Ewww," I said along with the others, and screwed my eyes shut, cringing at the sight, "that's my brother man." He sat in his respected spot and we all laughed at the face the two made. Wiping at their lips.

"If I land on a guy, that'll be so gross." Tyler said as he grabbed the shoe.

"It'll be bad if you get a girl too. I got a boyfriend—"

"And Jase is my hoe," Justin reached around me, pulling me to him again. I jumped at the contact, but stopped myself from fighting back. Tyler rolled his eyes, and spun.

As we played, the only thing truly going through my mind was, how am I going to kill or watch these people be killed?