Project Jamboree

Chapter Three

-Natasha's PoV-

Ruby seemed like a nice enough person. At least from what I could tell. Truth be told, I'd never met her.

I'd only watched her from the hallway like a psychopath.

Jude, the little yellow in our team, gave her a huge hug the moment she arrived. I nearly laughed as she didn't know what to do.

"Jude," Vida warned, "Unclench."

He backed away as Vida nearly beat up Ruby for something, and Nico, our green, couldn't tear himself away from his computer.

"Now all we need's a red, and we're a rainbow," Ruby muttered under her breath.

Vida bristled as I walked into the room.

"You are...?" Ruby asked.

Vida answered for me, "A girl who doesn't talk."

"Color?" Ruby asked, "Or aren't you a Psi? You look young enough to-"

Again, Vida replied, "She's a red. And she's eighteen."

"You don't look eighteen," Ruby commented.

I raised an eyebrow. She could nearly see my ribs through my shirt. I was a runt because of malnutrition.

"Why don't you talk?" Ruby asked.

How do I answer that? I didn't know why I didn't talk. I just never really knew what to say.

"Leave her alone unless you want her to set the room on fire," Vida said as she turned around.

I rolled my eyes and punched her arm before sitting down on my bunk to sleep. Sleep was a long time coming.

Over the next few months, Ruby proved she was smart and strong. And she was an orange, so either way, she was kind of necessary.

While she kept herself distanced from the others, she wouldn't stop asking me questions. She was worse than Jude. At least Jude didn't sound arrogant when he asked.

"So what's your name?" Ruby asked.

Vida answered, "Natasha."

"Okay," Ruby turned back to me. After my eyes flickered around the room, I let them settle on her, "Which camp are you-"

I held up a hand and shook my head.

"But are you from Caledonia? Or Oasis? Thurmond?"

I scribbled down a name on a notepad, though the words made about as much sense as my words would have.

Still, Ruby understood, "Camp Thurmond. Then Project Jamboree."

I nodded.

"I'm so sorry," she reached out to give me a pat on the back. I swatted her hand away and glared at her.

"That means she doesn't want your pity," Vida commented from her bunk.

I walked over and punched her.

"And that means she wants to train. Not in the mood, train with someone else," Vida said.

I rolled my eyes and walked out the door to go down to the gym. I set the treadmill as fast as it would go and kept up quite well. My small size made me lighter.

Then, I put on some gloves and started training with the punching bag, although I figured if I hit it any harder, it would burst into flames.

I was scared about something. Or angry. That was the only time my flames got this uncontrollable.