No Service

Chapter 6

Meg decided that she didn't want to be alone today. She sat on one of the logs around the campfire and kicked the dirt with her shoes as Nea was reciting another one of her crazy stories from when she was in the real world. She had a pretty thick accent so it was a little hard to understand her sometimes, but was she a damn good storyteller. Meg even found herself chuckling when she heard that Nea had sprayed her spray paint in the cops eyes and booked it down an alley when he caught her tagging the side of a building at night.

Meg felt eyes burning into the top of her head, but she didn't look up. She knew Claudette had to be staring at her. She knew deep down that Claudette was desperate to talk about what had happened, but Meg, stubborn and irresponsible as she is, was putting it off as long as possible. She had no interest at all in tackling those feelings right now. The kiss had happened three days ago and it had stewed in Meg's head the entire time. She hadn't even checked her phone the entire time. It was on silent in her pocket where it always was. She sometimes felt it vibrate and knew that NightDream and CrystalFeather had been messaging her. She just didn't feel like talking to anyone. Which was weird, because she was surrounding herself with the other survivors to keep from talking. It might not make sense, and it might not be fair, but she just really didn't want to deal with all of that right now. Besides, the trials would be starting any second now. There was no time anyway.

"You did not!"

"I did! It was nuts! He didn't even see it coming!"

The howling of laughter mad Meg jump a little. She looked up to see Nea, Feng, David, Dwight, Jake, and Ace all laughing hysterically to whatever joke Nea had just made that Meg didn't hear. She made the mistake of glancing at Claudette who was sitting there across from Meg, hugging herself with her knees to her chest. Her eyes were glazed over almost but they were definitely on Meg. They made brief eye contact. Meg turned away quickly, feeling her heart skip a beat in guilt.

Claudette didn't deserve the silent treatment. Before Meg ever found that stupid phone, she had always had a huge crush on Claudette. She would often catch Claudette giving her flirty looks in trials and she would always sit next to her at the campfire. Meg would be lying if she said that she didn't flirt with her back. She had laid by herself at night and imagined kissing the dark haired girl for what seemed like years now. Imagined what it would be like to be in her arms. Claudette as it turned out, had been doing the very same. Yet... neither had made a move. It had become some kind of game between them.

Then Meg took a walk in the woods and found a stupid phone and developed stupid feelings for someone who wouldn't even tell her their stupid name. Claudette deserved her attention more than NightDream. Meg should get up right now and sweep the smaller girl into her arms and kiss her hard in front of everyone. She should look into her eyes and tell Claudette that she loved her, and they could start a relationship. They'd hold hands at the campfire and sneak off into the woods when nobody was looking. That is what Meg should do right now.

But there she sat.

With Claudette in her head, and NightDream in her heart.

Meg clenched her teeth together and closed her eyes. Everything was so complicated now. Meg felt so strongly for NightDream and she'd never have him. He was unreachable. She'd never know what it was like to kiss him. She'd never know what it was like to be in his arms. She'd never even meet him. But god... did she love him.

Wait... Love?

...Yes.

Meg was in love with NightDream. This was nothing like any of the crushes that Meg had had before. Her past girlfriends and boyfriends who she'd at one point said she loved all felt meaningless. They were child's play. In comparison, Meg might as well have been dating strangers.