The Penny Worth Keeping (Not Continuing)

Chapter 12

Mya's P.O.V

...and my mother started singing," Under the tree...your cheeks so soft...they illuminate me." She held the last note, as I hung on to her singing. The last time she sung that was before...before the shooting. No, not only that, but it was before my Dad left. Left me in this danger filled town! I loved him! He just left me to be shot in the shooting! It was his fault! Ahhhhhhh...

"Ahhhhhhhh!" I shrieked and sat up, under the tree. After looking around, I was glad to find that Tatum had disappeared. He shouldn't see this...

"Mya!" A muffled voice called after walking through the doorway. "Uh, surprise?" He held is his hands about six hotdogs, ketchup, mustard, relish, and napkins. Oh, and I can't forget the hotdog stuffed in his mouth.

More importantly, he didn't see me scream.

"What's this?" I teased.

"Well, there was a hotdog cart in the cafeteria, so I thought that maybe we could have a..." He trailed off for some reason.

"Say it." I friendly command. "A picnic."

"Yeah, that."

"Don't be a scaredy cat, sit down already! I'm hungry!" I joke, and he laughs, taking away tension.

"Don't panic! I'm sitting!" He smiles. Tatum places down some napkins and sets down the rest of the hotdogs. He hands me one. "To freedom, because tomorrow we lose it to school..." He holds up his hotdog.

"To freedom." I say, hitting his hotdog with mine. "Yum."

We stay silent while eating for a bit, but Tatum interrupts the silence.

" What's been on your mind lately?" He asks.

"What else would it be besides...you know."

"Yeah, my foot still kinda hurts." Tatum moves his foot.

"Jerks." I REALLY do feel bad for his foot. He must not have been running very fast, and it probably hurt a lot.

"You don't know the half of it." A tear slipped down his face. I couldn't move, and I didn't know why. "After you left, I was dragged into the hallway, silently crying. I was as good as dead, like I was being dangled over a chasm, but I wouldn't fall. You know?"

I nodded.

"I saw so many limp bodies. I couldn't believe they were dead. My best friend was there." He swallowed hard. "The girl holding me asked another girl if they had found money. Apparently our principal was hoarding money, and quite a lot too."

"Mr. San?" Mr. San was slang for a last name that nobody could pronounce.

"Yep, he was the reason why those people came. Disgusting. After the other girl confirmed that they did indeed have the money, I was dragged outside. They had a collection of three kids, the new guy, Kaley, and I."

"Kaley?"

"Yes. Next they made the decision of who they would take, and who they wouldn't. The girl holding me threw me face first into the dirt, and I stayed there until the police found me. I was too afraid to move. The people with the guns ran away after, with Kaley.,

"Tatum, I'm sorry."

He continued. "She was found wandering around on the highway to the North." Tatum closed his eyes. "I'm scarred, Mya." He exclaimed.

"Me too Tatum, but money, guns, knifes, they only make up fractions of the world. Deep down, where it matters, I know that someday, these notorious fractions won't be so scary. They are only material items, and are sent up to be forgotten. Unlike feelings, and what lies inside each and every one of us. Those will live on."

Tatum moved his hand to cover mine. I froze. Ummm, did he like me?

"But we should go do something, to take our minds off things." I smiled.

"Like what? Rock, paper, scissors?" His hands didn't move.

"A game I call: what are we?" I ask. I shudder at the thought of an answer, but a small part of me needed this.

Tatum lifted his hand from mine, and graced my shoulder with a touch instead. I didn't pull away, I couldn't pull away. It was in the moment I declared my true feelings for Tatum to myself. I liked his touch, his marvelling eyes, and his personality.

He smoothed out my shirt covering my shoulder, and then went to kiss my hand. Warmth filled my heart. Tatum stood up and walked away with the supplies he brought, but left me the blanket.

That was all I needed for an answer. He liked be back.

Sooo...

Please don't hurt me!

I just needed to put this book on hold, that's all.

I know it was a long wait, but this is what it takes to make a good chapter. I mean a chapter I feel somewhat proud of.

Before you jump the gun, just know that updates will come faster from now on.

Next update: 22 votes in total for my book.

-Hubajuba