measured by nights » holes

3.

Stanley had taken to complaining loudly about his insomnia whenever the water truck came by, ignoring the warning glances X-Ray shot in his direction.

X-Ray waited until Zero had finished his hole and headed back to camp, then dropped down into Stanley's, pushing him hard against the dirt wall, a hand at his throat.

"You disturb the dust and we all pay, Caveman. Understand?"

Stanley said nothing, and X-Ray squeezed his throat gently.

"Drop it."

And for the first time, Stanley wasn't afraid. Because he didn't need X-Ray's approval anymore. It wasn't important.

X-Ray climbed back out of his hole, and Stanley watched his retreating back and vowed to help Zero.

The day after the fortieth night, Zero didn't go back to camp after he'd finished his hole.

He sat at the edge of Stanley's hole, in silence, and watched as Stanley dug. When the other boys had gone back to camp, he dropped down into the hole and helped Stanley dig the last bit.

He didn't get out though, when they'd finished.

Instead, he stuck his shovel upright in the dirt and slowly sank down against the hole wall to a sitting position.

Stanley sat beside him, and waited a long, long time for him to speak.

"Will you help me?"

Zero's voice cracked on the 'help'.

"You know I will."

Zero looked at him, and Stanley slipped a gentle arm around his shoulders, Zero's cheek pressed against his chest, his zip digging into Zero's delicate skin.

When they finally climbed of the hole it was getting dark, and Stanley knew they must have missed dinner.

It would soon be night.

The boys in D-Tent don't wake during the night, and Stanley was glad of this as he slipped into Zero's bed with him.

It was only here, so close, that he could feel Zero's shaking, and pressed a gentle hand against his cheek.

"It's okay," he breathed.

When the tent flap opened Stanley held Zero tightly, and Zero's breath trembled against his neck.

He felt eyes on them, and the seconds stretched into eternity, then the flap closed again and the silent footsteps retreated.

Zero pressed his lips against Stanley's throat, and Stanley didn't let go.

Stanley thought the other boys must have known what was going on, though none of them said anything.

He was sure, one night, he awoke to find Magnet's eyes on them, gleaming through the darkness, but Magnet never said anything the next morning, so Stanley kept quiet.

Zero was helping him dig his hole now, and said it was in exchange for his reading lessons, but Stanley knew it was for other reasons.

And he stupidly thought that everything would be okay.