Brookdell Boot Camp
About 100 years ago in a small town in Nevada, a man named James Brookdell bought a huge piece of land. The land stretched 200 miles in length and almost never ending in width. James had a beautiful wife named Marissa Brookdell. Marissa was already a month pregnant. During her 9th month, Marissa gave birth to a baby boy, which they named Tyrone. Tyrone inherrited the land when his parents died. Tyrone saw that the children of the town were always getting into trouble and causing fires and hurting the people. Tyrone decided to open a camp for the children to go to, to stay and learn right from wrong. Tyrone had also inherrited a large amount of money from his parents. He put a fence around the entire land. He grew grass on half of the land and built little cabins,which he called bunkers, for the children to sleep in. He built a hospital station, a food hall and obstical courses for the children to run. On the other half of the land he kept it dry and did not build anything on it. When his camp finally opened, he had already gotten a few town residents asking if they could either work or send their children there to learn self-dicipline. During the first week of the camps opening, there were about 100 children at the camp. A townswoman had made suits for the boys to wear while they were working. They were bright orange. Tyrone asked why she chose the color. The townswoman responded " It is to see them from all over. Orange sticks out from natures colors."
After the first meeting of the townswoman, Maria Janes, and Tyrone Brookdell, the two fell in love. Soon Maria and Tyrone gave the town the wonderful news that they would be married. If you haven't figured it out by now, Maria soon became pregnant. She gave birth to a baby boy, just like Tyrone's mother, Marissa. They named their son Bobby. Bobby grew up on the camp. Because Bobby was working on the camp like a juvenial deliquiant, he had to learn the ways of the camper boys. They gave eachother nicknames. Bobby soon became "Lil' Warden". Only because his father was the Warden and he look so much like him that the townspeople would get them mixed up. The tradition of the inherritance of the camp was passed down to each Brookdell boy. As weird as it may sound, each wife of a Brookdell gave birth to only 1 child who was always a boy.
A few centurarys passed and the camp was still going in the year 2003. This is were our story begins.
Chapter 1: Tonya Caldwell
"Hey! Hey you! Somebody stop that girl!!" yelled the store manager I ran out of the store with a pair of the newest, top-of-the-line basketball shoes on.( Which cost $500.00) I managed to out run the store manager. I saw the mall doors, I was almost home-free when...... I ran into the security guard. " Where do you think you're going Miss.Shop lifter?"
I just stood there. The guard hand-cuffed me and brought me down to the police station. When I got down to the station, the Chief was furious. " Miss.Caldwell! You have shop-lifted from almost every store in this town! I can't controll you anymore! You are going to Brookdell Boot Camp." yelled the chief so loud that I thought the whole neighborhood heard
" But Chief, isn't that a boys boot camp?" I asked
" No. Its just that no girl has ever crossed the line so much that they had to go there."
" Oh yay. I get to be the first."
" That isn't something you should be proud of Tonya. You are leaving tomorrow."
" Great...Can I leave now?"
" Go... Get out of here... Go and brag to your lil' friends."
"Hmph." I walked out of the police station and down a few blocks to my section of town. I saw my friend Suda walking tawords me. " Hey Caldwell! What's up??" he yelled down the ally way
" Brookdell Boot Camp."
" That boys boot camp?" he asked
" Its not just for boys.....I'm gonna be the first girl."
" Aw! Tulex! Come 'ere!" he yelled
A short, black kid with glasses and spiked hair came out from behind a garbage can. " Yo Tulex!" I said to him
" Sup Tonya?"
" Brookdell."
"They cought you again???? Damn girl! What'd you take?"
" The first pair of Kobe Bryant air sneaks." I said showing off the shoes I had on.
" When are you leaving?" asked Suda
" Tomorrow. Chief is taking me."
" Have fun girl. Good luck.. You'll need it." said Tulex
" How bad can it be?"
" Bad." If you haven't figured out yet, I am Tonya Caldwell and I live in ally-ways with my best buds Tulex and Suda. That isn't their real names.Those are their last names. Their first names are Felix Suda III, ( Really funny ha?) and Gregory Tulex. They thought that their last names are more "street". Tulex is like the boss of our town. He may be small, but he has been stealing since he's learned his way around town ( Which is a really young age!) and he doesn't even have a record.The police have heard about the things he has stolen from rumors and gossip going around town, but they never caught him once. Suda is my best friend. He's more like a brother then a friend. We watch out for eachother. Now, one of us is leaving. I'm going from a ghetto town to the middle of no-where, literaly. How nice! I went back to my appartment, well its not really my appartment. The land- lord saw me wandering around town and offered me a place to sleep if I would help around the place. Tulex says that he would have kicked me off the "street team" if I wasn't such good friends with him because sleeping in a room that has a roof that doesn't leak is being a trador. The land- lord says that he knew my mom. I don't really remember her that much. I was about 3 or 4 when she went to jail in another state and never came back. I've been living with Tulex and Suda ever since. Anyway...... I packed the little that I have into a bag and I went to sleep. I heard someone knocking on my door early in the morning. " Tonya!! Tonya wake up!"
It was the Chief. " I'm commin' Chief!" I yelled I grabbed my bag and unlocked the door and left with him. He brought me onto a bus. " Am I the only one going to the camp today?" I asked
" No we are making a few stops along the way." he said.
I sat down in the middle of the bus. It was so early in the morning that it was still dark outside. I fell asleep, I guess,becasue the next thing I knew was that we were stopping to pick up this kid. A black kid with spiked hair who resembled Suda a little bit, walked on and sat down next to me on the seat across from me. It must have still been early because he didn't realize I was there untill he looked straight at me. " What!?!?! You have to be on the wrong bus!!" he said
" Nope... I'm supposed to go to Brookdell Boot Camp."
" Are you serious?!?!? A girl at Brookdell??"
" Gotta problem?"
" What'd ya do?"
" Stole these." I showed him the shoes. " So you're the girl who stole the first pair of Kobe sneaks!" he said surprised.
"Yeah..What did you do?"
"I was cought trying to steal a radio. Hey!! All I wanted for my birthday was a lowsy radio.. Did i get it???No!!"
" Okay kid, Calm down."
" Easy for you to say. You've never been there before. I have."
" What's your name?" I asked
" I'm Khleo Jones, but at the camp I'm called Stone."
" Okay...."
" Who are you?"
" I'm Tonya Caldwell."
" Are your folks mad at you for stealing the shoes?"
" Um.... I don't have a family."
" Oh.. Sorry."
" Thats okay. I live on the streets with my friends Tulex and Suda. We have to take everything we need. Tulex is the best! He's been taking stuff since he was born, and he still doesn't have a record."
" Wow. Impressive."
" I know. The cops know that he steals things but they can't put him on trial becasue they never caught him. Not even on camrea. Once store managers realize something is missing, they know who took it."
" That's cool. I've always wondered how street kids lived. Oh.. Do you mind if I call you Street?"
" If you want to.. Go ahead." We heard a rattling noise comming from an intercom, " Now arriving in Upper Texas." said the Chief The bus started to slow down, and finally came to a complete stop. This (white) kid walked on the bus. " Hey! Stone! I told ya you'd be back! Holy carp!!!! A girl!?!?" he said in amazement
" You gotta problem with her?" he asked
" Its just.... A girl!! A girl at Camp Brookdell. The Warden isn't going to like this."
" Well he better get used to me."
" Where are you from, girl?" asked the kid
" Jersey." I replied, still half asleep.
" Jersey?!?! I would have thought you were from New York or something."
" Not all street kids are from N.Y."
" By the way, I'm Zach. At camp I'm known as Zar."
" I wont ask." Zach, or Zar, or whoever he is, stared at me. " Are you okay dude?" I asked
" You! You're Kobe Girl!!"
" You just realized that now?"
" I've never met someone who stole something that expensive." We heard the crackling of the intercom again, " Next stop, Camp Brookdell." The three of us sat and talked the rest of the way there. " So.. Suda and Tulex are black?" asked Stone
" Yeah. Tulex is sending a message cross country about me to...Where ever we're going."
" Nevada." said Zar
" Great.."
" Have you ever read the book 'Holes'?"asked Zar
" No... I can't read."
" Oh..Sorry about that."
" Thats okay. I always knew that if I never went to school I wouldn't have half the knowledge a regular person has. Even though I can't read or write, I can dodge security gurads and do stuff a regular person wouldn't be able to do if they tried thier whole life. And what's with the book 'Holes'?"
" It's the only book in the library. The Warden keeps threating us that he'll turn his camp into the one like in the book. That's why he has all of the campers read the book."said Stone
" Oh..."
" It's about a boy who gets framed and has to go to a camp to dig holes all day." said Zar
" I Hope you know how to run obstical courses for hours all day in the hot sun." said Stone
" Yeah. At the Camp you have to get up at 3:00 in the morning and run obstical courses almost all the day. If you go to slow on the course, or talk during your run, you have to walk the deadly walk from the desert area all the way to the fence." added Zar
" Thats 100 miles!!!!" said Stone
" This sounds like a little ray of sunshine."
" Oh yeah. Not one person who had to do the walk came back concious. They either black out or just passout from dehidration."
" Yippie!" I said sarcastically. We heard the rattling of the lovely intercom again, " Welcome to Camp Brookdell." said the Chief The bus drove passed a fence and started down a dirt path that had signs all around the 'road'. You couldn't really call it a road because all the road was, was a path way made out of darker dirt. Stone told me that the signs said that it was the road and not to go on it if you don't want to get hit by a car. When the bus made it through the gate, it closed so no one could escape. While we were looking out the window of the bus, I saw people passed out on the ground, and people walking to and from the fence. There was a man in a cart that went around to pick up the passed out people. I had a feeling that this camp wasn't going to be my favorite place to stay, but I had to make the best of it. After all, I was going to stay here for the next year to learn not to steal. The police don't understand that I don't have a home or any money to buy the things I need. If they stick me back in one of those shelters, I'll never survive. Kids need to be on their own sometimes and in that place you don't have any privacy. The kids are way too nice and would give up their lives if you said you could get them a bed that doesn't squeak.It looked like it would take at least another hour to get to the grass land. " Stone......' I almost choked on my next words because I don't know if he understood me." Pearto."
" What??" asked Zar
" Pearto.It's N.J street language for something."I said
" I think I know what that means." said Stone
" Oops."
" Don't be ashamed. You're pearto too." I think I actually blushed. " Okay! If you two are going to keep that language a secret fine!" said Zar annoyed
We just laughed.
Chapter2: Camp Brookdell
"Welcome to Camp Brookdell." said the Chief.
" Oh yippie.." The bus stopped and we all got out. A tall, skinny man with brown hair and sunglasses came over to us. " Girl and Stone, follow me. Zar go sign in and go to Bunker H."
" Yes!" he said and ran off. The man turned to us, " Follow me." We followed the man to an office. Inside it was air-conditioned and on the desk was a sign that had something on it. " It's the Warden's office." wispered Stone.
The man gave Stone a clip-board. " Sign in. Write your full name, parents' name and phone number." I paused. " Excuse me, I don't have parents or a phone number." I said
" Then put the local police station." he said The man must have trusted us to sign in by ourselves because he left the office. Stone took the clip-board and signed in.
Name: Khleo Jones
Parents: Eliya Jones
Phone#: (296)-555-6359
Then I wrote down my information.
Name: Tonya Caldwell
Parents: Jersey Police
Phone#: (255)-555-3290
"You're lucky." said Stone. " If they call the police they're not going to care."
" Maybe, pearto."
" Stop calling me that. I Know you don't mean it. I'm not that stupid."
" I'm seriouse. I do mean it."
" Right...."
" No, really. I think you are pearto."
" Whatever."
The guy came back in." These are your clothes. Wash day is every three day. In that case is in 2 days for you."he said " Follow me. You guys will be in Bunker L."
We followed the guy to a Bunker close to the Food hall. (That's what Stone said. It could be something else.) There were kids outside playing football. One of them saw us and yelled, " Look guys! Stone's back!" Five boys ran over to us. They made a pathway and this one kid to come down. " A girl!?! No way am I letting a girl stay in my bunker." said the white kid
"Judvo." I said. The kid (who is black) who came down the middle spoke, " Did you say 'judvo'?"
" Yeah. Judvo." I said " You know Tulex?"
" You're Tulex's judvo?"
" Yeah."
" She's okay guys." said the kid " She's Kobe Girl."
" Cool! We got Kobe Girl!" said the white kid.
" Tonya, before I can accept you, you must tell me a secret."
" Tell me your name and then I'll tell you the secret."
" My name is Demish." I walked out of the area where the other kids were standing. Demish followed. " My secret is that I think Stone is pearto... But he wont believe me."
" You!?!? You seeta Stone?"
" Yeah... He wont believe me." Demish started laughing. " Shut up!!!!" I said
" What'd you say, girl?"
" Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I'm a whimp."
" It's just so funny! You seeta Stone!" Demish said that a little louder then usual. I think Stone understood him, becuase he pulled me away from everyone else and into the bunker. " Is what you told Demish for real? Or are you just saying that to get out of telling him a secret?"
" What I told Demish is real."
"God...This can't be happening."
" It is..Get used to it." I walked out of the bunker/cabbin.Stone just stood there. Outside Demish started to talk to me."Do you think you're tough Tonya?" he asked
" No. I don't think I'm tough...I'm just street."
" Really? How is that?" he asked in dibelief
" I live on the streets off the stuff I have to steal."
" Oh." A bell rang which indicated time to eat. As you can see I'm not making many friends. Actually, I have no friends. You can't really call Demish or Stone friends. And no! I'm not telling you what seeta and pearto mean!! You have to figure it out for yourself. I got on line in the food hall thing to eat dinner... If you can call it that.I picked up my tray of mush. Then I realized I had no place to sit. This white kid came over to me, " Stone wants you to sit with us. Follow me." I followed him to the table where Stone was siting. " Hey Street." he said
" Okay........... Why are you so nice all of sudden?"
" I thought about what you said before in the bunker."
" Oh okay."
Chapter 3: Bunker L
" Yo Stone! Aren't you gonna tell us who Kobe Girl is?" asked the white kid
" I'm Tonya. Who are you?" I said There were four people at the table. Two are black, one is hispanic and the other is white. The kid who spoke first looked very anti-social. He is small, skinny and one of the two black kids at the table. " I'm Ryan, but everyone knows me as Zero.My friends back home say I remind them of the character Zero in the book holes... So does everyone here." He began to eat again. The boy next to Zero introduced himself next. " I'm Josh, But at lovely Camp Brookdell I'm known as Bones. I don't remeber why though...."
" You're always saying that you would find bones on the grounds of old campers." said Stone. Bones is an average weight/height kinda guy. Also the other black member of the table besides Stone. "I'm Chris." said the white kid " Around here, I'm Ziggy."
"Why?" Ziggy stood up. He looked about 14 and was almost seven feet tall. " I'm a Zigwell." " Okay..." All that was left was the hispanic person. " I'm José. People call me Lightning.. Or Light for short."
"I'm gonna ask why."
" He has the fastest reflexes on campus!" said Bones
" Sure...." I said in disbelief
" Fine. I'll show you."
" Take the spoon from Tonya's tray." said Ziggy Lightning studied my tray and the spoon very carefully.Then.. 'Wham!' He took the spoon from my tray. If you blinked.....I think you would have missed him take the spoon. " I thought you were going to react.. Like try and stop me."
" Give me the spoon and do it again." I said Lightning gave me the spoon, then he studied my tray and the spoon carefully again. He snapped his arm out to grab the spoon but..... Everyone stared at me. " No way!!!! This is not possible!" said Stone I saw Zero quietly mutter a word like " Woah" or something. Everyone at our table was astonished. " You did it! You're the first person to ever stop Lightning!!" said Ziggy I had grabbed Lightning's arm. He looked a littel upset. " She's not exactly the first person. All street kids have faster reflexes then me. Demish does.. but Demish the great wont do anything to out of line or he'll explode! When was the last time you saw him do the walk after taking 2 hours longer then everyone else?!?!?!?!?!?" Lightning was obviously getting hot headed. " Calm down Light. You'll start another riot." said Stone Okay!! Freeze frame! One minute I have no friends, the next minute I do. There's this kid Zero named after a character in a book, Bones for what he bragged about, Ziggy because he's tall? And Lightning or Light because he has fast reflexes.
I felt pretty bad for Light. He has the record for having the fastest reflexes on campus..Then I come along and break his record. Damn... I should have gone slower..I would have looked like a fool, just like everyone else who tried to stop him.. but it wouldn't make me feel as bad. Oh sure..I would get laughed at.. but it's worth it. After dinner Bunker L walked back to the tent/bunker/cabbin, (Whatever!) Ziggy talked with Light. " She made you look like a total idiot!"
" Yeah..Well..."
" Well what?"
" I know she didn't mean to make me look like an idiot. I just know it. Street kids have respect for their friends and wouldn't do something like that on purpose." Lightning walked ahead of Ziggy and up to me. " Hey Lightning..Look, I'm really sorry about what happened before in the Food hall. I Never should have done it." I said
" It's okay. I know you didn't mean to make me look like a total jerk infront of our bunker."
" Really?"
" Yeah. I used to be part of a street crew. I went my seperate ways when the gang I was in started to do drastic things like setting buildings on fire..."
" So you understood judvo before?"
" Yeah. You're from Tulex's clan."
" Yuppz. You're a great judvo."
" Thanks chica."
" Is that kid Zero always so quiet?"
" Yeah. He does his laps and then comes back and just sits in the corner of the bunker. We don't bother him because we're scared that he's plotting revenge. He's suicidal and paraniod."
" I went through that stage. I was about to jump of a building when Suda said he'd take my most prized posession and burn it if I didn't come down."
" Maybe you could help Zero. Poor kid, he's been here the longest out of all of us. Two long years."
" That long!?!?!"
" Yup." By then we reached Bunker L. Light and I walked inside. The boys stayed outside for a football game. " Hey Street!" I heard someone yell.
It was Stone. " You can sleep over here." He pointed to a bed next to his. It was inbetween his and Zero's. Let me tell you something. Bunker L isn't the biggest place in the world. If you had to compare it to something.... I think air would be bigger. It is just big enough to fit all of the eight beds and a broken T.V set in it. There are two doors at the end of the bunker. They are the bathroom doors. One for girls and one for boys. Camp Brookdell is green, unlike Camp Green Lake in the book Holes.. As so I've been told. Half the land is green however. The other half is desert for the walk of death. It is 100 miles long! You have to walk to the fence and back. Not one camper has been able to do that yet.
Anyway..I sat on my bed ( cot ) and sat down facing Zero. " Hey Zero." I said He didn't answer me, he just turned away. " Okay.. I thought I could just get to know you better..."
He wispered something.
" What?"
Chapter 4: Zero
He turned around, " Why?"
" Because we're in the same bunker....."
" That's not it. I know it. Lightning told you why I'm here and you just want to 'help' me."
" No. I don't even know why you're here. He just told me that you've been here for two years."
" So Light didn't tell you why I'm here?"
" No."
" Oh... Well, I'm paranoid and suicidal.."
" Let me ask one question."
" Okay."
" Do you have any parents?"
" No..I did though.. They're the whole reason why I'm here. See, my father was part of a gang. He betrayed them......"
" Not good."
" Yeah.. We were at the park.. I went to get ice cream and I heard a gun shot. I ran back to my parents and the gang had shot both of my parents. I hid behind a tree and heard the leader say ' Your little kid is next.'."
" That's really sad." He began to whimper. I sat on his bed and put my arm around him to confort him. He leaned over on me. Good thing no one else was in the room.. I would have been laughed at so much. Everyone was outside playing football. " You're the only one I've ever told."
" I can see why you're paranoid." He hugged me.
" You understand me?" he asked
" Yeah. My mom was sent to jail in another state.. I haven't seen her since that day."
" Oh.. How old were you when your mom left?"
" I was 3 or 4. Yeah, four because Suda is 14 and he's a year older then me and he was five."
" You're my best friend." He stopped crying. " Why are you suicidal?" I asked
" Before it was because no one would talk to me. I had no friends.Now I have you. As soon as my paranoia stops I can finally get out of here."
" Where did you live?" I asked
" New Jersey."
" No way! I lived in New Jersey!"
" Really?!? I lived in Paterson."
" Oh my God!! We lived in the same town."
" How cool!"
" So you know ma man Tulex?" I asked
" Yeah."
" Between you and me.. Can you keep a secret?"
" Sure.. Who else am I gonna tell?"
" I seeta Stone."
" Holy!!...." He bit his fist. " You!!! A white girl!?!?!"
" I know! But he's a pearto!" He started to laugh. " Shut up!" I said He just kept laughing. We heard the door to the bunker squeak and then close verry quietly. Zero stopped almost automatically. No one came in the bunker. " They were listening in on us." he said
" Why?"
" I don't know. I don't talk to them. They always make fun of me. I bet they think I like you and stuff like that."
" You're just a friend." I said
" I know that, and you know that. But they don't know that."
" Can you read?" I asked out of the blue.
" Yeah. I did go to school."
" Oh.. I didn't. I can't read to much. I know how to read stop signs and stuff like that."
" I have an idea. Maybe I can teach you."
" But how? Everyone teases you. And plus. When do we have time?"
" Still, I can fit that in my schedual.I'll help you with your reading and you can help me with my paranoia. Deal?"
" Deal." We shook on it. All the guys started to pour into the bunker. One by one the y took their clean clothes and lined up infront of the bathroom to take a shower. After Stone took his shower he came over to me. " Hey Street, Ziggy told me that you and Zero are close."
" We're friends..yeah."
" He said he saw you guys hug."
" Maybe I did hug him. He had the guts to tell me something he never told anyone else."
" So...."
" It's kind of disturbing , Stone."
" What can be so disturbing that would make him cry?" Zero must have heard what Stone had said because he turned away. " You wouldn't know Stone. You don't care about anyone." I turned around and sat on my bed, with my back facing Stone, talking to Zero who turned around. " Is Stone always like that?"
" Mean? Sometimes."
" Why don't people like you?"
" I don't talk to them...I'm not as tall as them.. I didn't do anything as dangerous as they did.And they think I'm younger then them, I'm 14, I'm older then Ziggy."
" I get that all the time. I'm the same size as you."
" Really? My first impression of you was that you were like 16 or something."
" Really? That's a first." I could feel someone behind me, watching me. " Ze, is someone watching me?"
" Yeah. Stone."
" He's not going to get me to talk to him by looking at me." Stone aparently heard me. " You've caused enough trouble here, Caldwell. Go back to Jersey and stay there." Stone called me Caldwell. That's a first. " Okay.. Why don't you learn how to take people's feelings in to consideration?"
" What?"
" Get a life, Khleo. Get a life, one that cares for people besides themself." I went to go take a shower. All of the members of Bunker L went to sleep at 8:00. Everyone but me. I rolled over in my cot and saw that Stone was still up. " What's your problem?" he asked
" My problem? You're the one who gave me an attitude when I told you what happened between me and Zero."
" If you tell me what he told you....."
" He told me about his parents. And how he watched his parents die. Okay!!"
" Oh.. He's never told anyone about that before."
" Exactly Stone. He felt like he could trust me."
" I never knew you liked little kids."
" He's not little. Maybe in size... We're the same age as him!"
" Sure.. What ever."
" Stone, I'm serious. Have I ever lied to you before?" He didn't answer me. " No."
" He's our age, just my height. If you haven't noticed we are exactly the same height."
" He's your height?"
" Yeah.. He's like the brother I never had." I paused. " And you're the pearto I always wanted." I turned away and went to sleep.
Chapter 5: Boot Camp day 1
Zero woke me up the next morning a little bit before 3:00. " Tonya.. Get up." he whispered.
" What?" I said sleepily " Ahhh!" I fell out of the bed. " That hurt!" I whispered. We laughed silently. I got up and went ot the bathroom and changed to my work clothes, came out and made my bed. " Can you tell me why you woke me up earlier then everyone else?" " I heard you last night. You stuck up for me."
" Yeah......"
" No one ever did that before."
" I don't let my friends get made fun of if I can stop it."
" Better get this over with quick." he mumbled He walked over to me and hugged me. An extremely loud buzzer type bell rang. Everyone from Bunker L got up. I followed Zero to breakfast. I sat with Zero at the table I sat at during dinner the night before. Stone came over to us. " Umm...Can I sit here?" asked Stone I looked at him, then at Zero. I leaned over so only he would be able to hear me. " Can he sit here?"
" I guess so..." I turned around to Stone. " Okay.. You can sit here." He sat down next to Zero. " Zero....."
"Yeah?" he asked softly almost in a whisper.
" I'm really sorry for what me and the guys say about you."
" Really?"
" Yeah... I take back everything I've ever said about you." We finished eating. A really loud bell rang. " Yippie, my first day out on the courses." I said. I followed Zero and Stone out of the Food hall to where the obstical courses were. The Warden was waiting. " Welcome boys....." said The Warden He looked at me, " And girl... Today's training is to do each of the five courses five times. That is twenty laps. There will be counselors watching your every move. One word out of any of you without permission and it's the Death Walk." He started to pace back and forth infront of the, about 200 people standing. " Bunkers A and B will start on the first course...." He started to tell everyone what course to start at. when we got to our obstical course, I stuck with Zero and Stone. They knew what to do. On our 15th lap, Zero died down a little. By the look of the sun, it was about 11:30. The obstical courses are huge and it takes about an hour to do 2 laps. We were almost finished with our 17th lap when, I thought Zero was goin to pass out. His face told me that he was really dehidrated. Hey! He's been here for 2 years! He's been through enough. " Ze..." I whispered " Pretend you're running away from the gang." Zero caught his breath and kept going. " Miss.Caldwell! If I catch you talking one more time you are doing the walk!" yelled some counselor I just kept moving. I was almost finished with my last lap when I collapsed. " Help.." I said faintly to Zero and Stone. This counselor walked over to me, " Miss.Caldwell! That is it! Follow me to the walk!" I got up and followed the guy. I looked at Zero and Stone. They lowered their heads and kept going. I followed the really annoying counselor to the half way mark. " Walk to the fence and back." he said
" What if I don't make it?"
" Someone will come and get you." I started walking. The first mile is extremely hard. After that.. you have this feeling that you're going to make it. The blazing sun beat down on me, burning on my fair skin, dehidrating my already dehidrated body. I thought I was seeing things..but when I reached the fence there was a container of water. I took a sip and headed back. As I started walking back, I felt dizzy and woozy. I saw the guy in the cart pick up someone's passed out body about a mile or two away. The heat had gotten to me. I passed out.
" Street?" I heard someone say.
" Tonya??" said another voice. I opened my eyes. " What happened?" I asked Everything was blurry." You passed out during the walk." said Ziggy. I sat up, and everything came into focus. I was back in Bunker L. " Who brought me back?"
" The little dude who rides in the stupid cart all day."
" You were really dehidrated." said Stone
" Yeah! You were hooked up to a couple of I.V's in the Hospital. The nurse was furious."
" Dinner is in a half hour guys!" yelled some counselor walking by the bunker who popped his head in.
" I feel like such an idiot." I said
" You shouldn't. You lasted pretty long out there for your first time."
" So..How did you guys do on your laps?"
" Ze almost fainted." said Stone.
" Aww.." said Ziggy in a baby voice " Poor little Zero. Couldn't take the heat you baby?"
Chapter 6: Little Baby Zero
"That's it!!!!" yelled Zero Everyone looked at him like he was a real baby who just spoke his firat word. " I'm not younger then you!!!! I am not a baby and I'm not little!!!!"
" Sure...We all know you're little." said Lightning
" That's it!! I'm sick of you guys teasing me!! I'm not a baby! If you don't believe me GO ASK THE WARDEN!!!!!" Zero ran out of the front door of the bunker. I went to get up. " And where do you think you're going??" asked Bones
" I'm going to find my friend if you don't mind." I got out of the bed and walked out of the bunker. No one seemed to follow me. Outside, I could hear Zero crying.. but I couldn't see him. I looked all over the campus for him. I finally found him behind the Food Hall, on the ground, sitting with his head in his knees. " Zero??"
" Leave me ALONE!!"
" Ze.. It's me."
" Oh...Sorry about that." I sat next to him. "Please don't do anything to hurt yourself."
" I just want to leave this place!"
" Don't."
" Why?"
" I don't want you to leave.You're my only friend I have here.
" Really?"
"Really, Zero. I can trust you a lot more then Stone." It atarted to rain. " Let's go back."
" Okay." I helped him up and we walked back to the bunker. The boys in our bunker were talking. We stopped to listen. I know it was wrong.... but, what if they are talking about me? " Who does she think she is?!?!?!?!?"
" I know!!! I think she might actually like Zero."
" But he's so little. He can't be 14.. He has to be younger, 11 or something." Outside, I looked at Zero. " How can they say that about me??"
"They're mean, Tonya. Don't listen to what they say."
" You don't want to know what's going to happen to them if they keep this up."
" If you get into the fight... I don't know what'll happen."
" Right now.. I don't care." We kept listening. " I can't believe that this girl likes me!!"
" She likes you!?!?!?!" I could tell that Stone and everyone else would make fun of me if i decided to walk into the bunker right now. I came to the conclusion that I can't trust any of them and I'm going to ignor every single one of them. " My opinion is that Tonya should be able to act the way she likes and like the people she choses." I didn't recognize the person who spoke.
" But Demish......"
" Who cares who she likes? She should be accepted on who she is, not who she likes." he said " Remeber when you first came here, Stone....." his voice trailed off.
" Okay.. But who is she really?"
" Yeah! All we know is that she stole some pair of shoes."
" She isn't just some regular person. Remeber in 1999 when some 10 year old girl was thrown in jail for being high and steeling?"
" Yeah.. So... It was some girl from New York."
" No it wasn't. It was her. Tulex told me. She was going throught Death Depression and got high.."
" Damn... Alright.. Who wants to give this girl another chance?" Zero and I waited for the responce. " Okay we'll give her another chance."
" But what about Zero?"
" We'll just have to interrigate him." I looked at Zero, " Now I want to go home."
" Tonya.. You don't lok so good."
" I don't feel good. I think it's the food here." Then I threw up. " Uhg! That's gross!"
" It don't taste like candy either!" Stone came out of the bunker. " Uge! That's nasty!"
" She's sick. Help me get her to the hospital." I puked agian. Zero took one of my arms and put it around his shoulder. Stone did the same. They brought me to the hospital. I only puked once on my way there. At the Hospital Hall I was treated really quick. " The nurse said that I have the Stomach flu." I told Stone and Zero.
" Hope you feel better." said Stone before he left. " Yeah.. We gotta get going. We still have to do our laps tomorrow." said Zero
" Good night Ze." I said He gave me a hug. " G'Night Stone." He came over and gave me a hug too. I fell asleep right after they left. I woke up the next day at around 5:00, feeling a lot better. I waited for Stone and Zero to come and visit me. Zero came after dinner. " Hey Ze." I said
" How are ya feeling?"
" Better. What did Stone say to you?"
" He appologized, again. And......"
" And what?"
" I can't tell. I promised not to tell."
" Please.... "
" I can't, Tonya."
" Is it about me then?"
" Yeah."
" Is it a good thing?"
" Dependes.. I guess so.. Yeah."
" Um... I have a huge problem."
" Okay.. What is it?"
" I can't talk to you about it."
" Why?"
" It would spoil the whole thing!"
" Tell me!"
" Okay.. I like someone besides Stone.."
" Ooo!"
" Oh please!"
" Who is it?"
" Well, he's cool, always knows the right thing to say.. I think I could stay with him forever."
" Who are you talking about??" I crossed my arms.
" Who??"
" Oh my God you're so stupid."
" I'm not stupid. I just can't figure out who you like."
" Actually you are if you can't figure it out."
" Just tell me who it is before Sotne decides to drop in."
" You." I swear, he looked like he was going to pass out right then and there. After all, it would be the best place to pass out in!) " Are you serious?"
" Yeah. Last night... when you hugged me.. I felt something. Like a connection."
" Me too." Zero sat down on my bed. " That kinda screwed up what Stone told me."
" What did he say?"
" He said that he thinks he likes you but I'm getting in the way."
" And how is that possibly good?"
" I don't know. I thought you would chose him over me."
" Dude, friends always come first."
" Well, I'll probably be back in our bunker soon.." I said
" See ya later." He gave me a hug and left. Stone never came to visit. My little idea is that he was outside listening in on my conversation with Zero. It would be the "Stone" thing to do. At around 6:30 I was let out. I got out of the bed and walked to Bunker L. The 6:00 football game was still going. I went inside to talk to Zero. When I walked inside I saw Zero on his bed, crying " Ze!"
Chapter 7: Stone vs. Zero
I ran over to him. He loke up at me. He had a black eye. " What happened?!?!"
" Stone.. He-he-he" He wimpered
" Where is that little.." I swore, cursed, whatever you want to call it. It was the first time Zero heard me. " When i get really annoyed at someone I tend to swear."
" Oh."
" Where is he???"
" Outside."
" I'll be right back." I went outside. " Stone!! Get ova here now!"
" What??" he asked annoyed
" Get over here, now!" He didn't do anything. Bunker L stopped playing football. So.. I walked over to him and pushed him. " What the hell was that for??"
" What the hell did you do to Zero???"
" He deserved what he got." he said in a snotty voice.
" Why? Is it because you're jealous. I know you were listen in on our conversation." I said " Go ahead.. Tell me." Stone just gave me a dirty look. " Fine.. If you don't want to answer me I'm gonna leave." I turned around and began to walk to the bunker. Stone picked up the football and threw it at me. I turned around and caught it. " You can't sneak up on a street kid." said Lightning. I threw the ball down. " You wanna fight? C'mon.. I dare ya. Hit me." He didn't move. " C'mon Stone. You know you want to hit me. You want to give me a black eye like you gave Zero." Everyone stared at him. " You gave Zero a black eye?!?!?" said Ziggy
" Stone wouldn't do that." said Bones.
" I'll go get Zero then." I walked away and into the bunker. " Zero.. You gotta come outside." I said Zero followed me outside. Allaround Zero's eye was a purple/black color. " What's that about Stone?" asked Lightning
" He's jealous. He listened in on the conversation I had with Zero in the hospital."
" What's your proof!?"yelled Stone
" Zero's the proof. Unless you just decided to give him a black eye for no reason."
" How is Zero proof of anything?" Stone asked
" I told Zero a secret in the hospital, you don't come to visit when you said you would and i come back and Zero has a black eye? That's all the prrof I need."
" Okay.. Maybe I did listen in on your little conversation."
" You found out the secret I told Zero. You got jealous and took your anger out on him."
" Wait! What are you talking about?" asked Bones Both of us, ( Stone and me) looked at him. " Keep out of this!" I said
" So what you're saying , Street, is that you put 2 and 2 together and Zero is your answer."
" Yeah."
" What is the secret?" asked Demish
" I'm not telling you. If this kid decides to tell you...." I walked back into the bunker. Zero followed. Inside, Zero and me started a beautiful conversation. " He's gonna tell."
" If he knows what's good for him he wont tell." I sat down on my bed. I felt like crying.i have no reason to cry.. I guess I'm worried about what Stone's going to do with my secret. About a minute or two later, Lightning came running in. " Haha! Stone just spilled it on you, chica!" he said
" What?!?!"
" He told all of us about Zero."
" Really??" I said in a really depressed voice.
" Are you okay, chica?" he asked
" Do I look okay??" I began to cry. " Do I look okay to you Lightning?"
" No..No you don't."
" I should have never said anything. I should have waited untill everyone was sleeping and then told Zero." I put my head in my hands " I should have never stolen the shoes." I got up and walked over to my bag. I took out a gun. " How did you get that in?!?!?" asked Lightning
" I can sneak anything in anyewhere."
"What are you doing?? Streeet! Everyone from our bunker is watching."
" Good." Zero finally caught on to what I was doing. " Tonya! Don't do it!
" Sorry. Bye."I said I pulled the trigger.
Now, you probably think I'm dead right now. But if I'm dead, how can I be telling you what is happening? Maybe my ghost is telling the wrest of the story. Or maybe I survived the bullet and it's lodged in my brain and I only have one week to live.
Nope. None of those things happened. Lightning moved my arm out of the way just in time, and I only made a hole in the ceiling. Everyone rushed in from outside. " Don't tempt her. She's got a gun." said Lightning
" Dude, don't do that." said Stone
" Why? You're just lucky that was my last bullet."
" That's why you get along so well with Zero. The both of you attempted suicide."
" Correction. I've attempted sucicide. He hasn't."
" From now on I'm not going to upset this girl."
" Good. I can turn a harmless stick into a weapon of death. Don't tempt me."
" Alright...I wont tell another secret of yours."
" Good. I don't think you want to witness the death of a bunker member."
" So you really did give Zero the black eye?" asked Bones
" Yeah. I was jealous....I guess."
"Jealous?? Of me?? Little baby Zero?? No one should like me right? I'm too little for someone to like!!"
" I do.. And nothing can change that."
" But what about Stone?" asked Lightning
" I liked him alright.. Then I got to know the real Stone. I thought ' Why should I have him as a boyfriend when I can have him as a friend?'"
" Really?"
" Yeah." I walked over to Zero and put my arm around his shoulder. He put his hand around my waist.
Freeze Frame! Oh my God! How cool is this? I have feelings ( not hatered) for someone who doesn't want to die! You could say we are " going out" but we have no place to " go out" to.. Until.......
Chapter 8: Brookdell Dance
" Hey guys, isn't that Brookdell dance thing comming up?" asked Bones
" What?" I asked
" There is an all girls boot camp in another town in Nevada. Every year for a week they come here and we have this dance thing."
"You two make a really cute couple." said Lightning
" Well.... We just found out that we came from the same town." I said
' So, you guys probably knew eachother."
" Most likely." We all went to sleep at 8:00 as usual... Or so I thought. I rolled over in my cot and saw that Zero was still awake. " Ze, are you sleping?"
" No."
" Okay.. Anyway.. I've been wanting to give you something all day, but I was embarrased to give it to you infront of everyone else." We both sat up. I got out of bed and moved over onto Zero's. He sat up. I leaned over and kissed him on the lips. I went ot get up and go back to bed when Zero grabbed my arm. "Wait." He pulled me back on to the bed. " Look at the stars."
"Huh?"
" Look at the stars. They're beautiful."
" Yeah... I was always interested in the stars."
" Me too." Well.... I guess that we were a little more tired then we thought because we had fallen asleep together in Zero's bed. ( You do not want to be me right now.) I woke up the next morning to someone going " Ooooooo!" I opene my eyes and realized what was going on. " God.." I said
" What did you two do last night?" asked Stone
" I know exactly what you guys think. No."
" Are you sure?"
" C'mon guys!" Zero woke up. ( Well we weren't being too quiet were we?) " What's going on?" he asked
" Go back to sleep. It's torture." The bell rang for breakfast.I went to the bathroom and changed. Zero and I went to eat breakfast. " Do you know what everyone thinks?"
" That we slept together, right?"
" Yeah."
" Figures....." We ate breakfast and went out to go and see what we had to do. The Warden was out pacing again. " As you all should know, the anual Brookdell Dance is approaching. This year a new rule is to bet applied. You all need partners to go with." The whole camp was shocked. " Well, at least I know who I'll be going with." I whispered Zero smiled. " You will have to write down on the sign -up sheet infront of my office who you will be going with. The girls' camp will be here soon." The Warden stopped pacing. " You have the next week, untill the dance to get to know the girls at the camp and find a partner." Zero and I went to go sign in. When we signed in, a bus pulled up. " What does the writing say?" I asked Zero
" Campshire Boot Camp." he replied When the bus stopped, all the girls poured out of the bus. " All girls boot camp..." The last person out of the bus was this older lady. I guess she is the Warden of the other camp.She took this girl into the Warden's office. I guess The Warden didn't like what the other warden wanted." NO! Absolutely not! I already have one girl here!" yelled our warden There was a silence. " The other girl was an exception! Alright! Here are your clothes. Go to Bunker L." The girl and the lady walked out of The Warden's office. The girl turned to us. " Do you know where Bunker L is?" she asked
" Yeah. Follow us." We brought her to Bunker L. " What's you're name?" I asked
" Maria." she said in the worst spanish accent I've ever heard.
" Okay then...." We had reached Bunker L. " This is Bunker L."
" Okay." Stone came out of the bunker. " Hey Tonya."
" Hey Stone." I said We walked Maria up into the bunker. Stone followed. " Guys! New recruit!" yelled Stone All the boys came over to us. Maria was looking at everyone else.. She focused on one person, Lightning. " Hi José!" she said
" Hey, Maria." He was the only person not crouding around her. I walked over to him. " You know her?" I asked " Old neighbor. She's the reason why I'm here."
" Why and how?"
" She planned the whole thing. She was cutting herself for weeks. She told the cops that I was abusing her. One day the cops got a call from her. She stole my pocket knife and planted it so it looked like I did it."
" Oh.."
" The cops never found out that my brother, twin brother, was really abusing her"
" What happened to him?"
" He got high on marajuana and drove off a bridge and died."
" That's a really weird way to die..."
" I know... I've been here since I was 16."
" How old are you now?"
" Eighteen."
" You're an adult. Why don't you leave."
" Technically I am. If I leave here I have to go to jail."
" You don't want to go there. Believe me."
" I will.. I was there once."
" Okay....back to the Maria story."
" Don't trust her with anything."
" I wont. I don't like her."
" Hey, Tonya!" she called over I walked over to her. " What?" I asked in a gloomy voice
" You come from Paterson, right?"
" Yeah, why?"
" Just wondering." she said in a preppy voice. I was about to go and finish my conversation with Lightning when Stone pulled me over to a corner. " Do you like her?" he asked
" No."
" Good. I just found out why she was tranfored."
" Why?"
" In the first camp she went to, she tried to kill a camper. In the second one, she did."
" Are you serious??"
" Positive."
" Did you tell anyone else?"
" Yeah. Bones and Ziggy are drooling over her."
" What's the big deal about her anyway? She's got a nose ring... Big deal!"
" You're jealous."
" No. I just hate people who act all preppy and try to talk with a spanish accent."
" Did you get any type of pierceing done?" asked Stone changing the subject.
" Yeah. I pierced my tongue. I still have the hole. Wanna see my ring?"
" Umm... Okay."
Chapter 9: Tongue Rings
I went over to my bag and took out a small black bow. I took ou the ring in it and put it in my tongue. " That's gross... But somehow cool."
" Thanks."
" Does Zero know about that?"
" Not yet."
" He will now." He ran over to Zero and brought him back over to me. " Open your mouth, Tonya. " said Stone I shook my head 'no'. " C'mon. He has to find out sooner or later." he said
" What am I gona find out?" asked Zero
" Tonya! Show him!!" I opened my mouth and stuck out my tongue. " A tongue ring!?!?! How come you never told me you had one before?"
" I thought you wouldn't like me anymore."
" I always wanted a tongue ring."
" Really?"
" Yeah. I tried to pierce my tongue myself."
" Couldn't take the pain, could you?"
" That hurts!"
" Did you knumb your tongue?"
" I tried to."
" How can you try to? You take the stupid needle and knumb your tongue. How hard is that?"
" Hard."
" I should know. I pierced my tongue."
"Cool."
" I'd pierce it for you.. but I don't have any of my needles with me. I had to leave them behind."
" To bad. Maybe I can get it done professionally when I get out of here."
" Yeah, if we get out of here." said Stone
" They can't keep us here forever." I said
" Yes they can. If you have no parents, you're government property. The camp can do what ever they want with you."
" Uh-oh." I said
" You have no parents, right?"
" Well, I do have a mother out in this world somewhere. If I could only find her... I can get out of this place." I said " If I find out I'm staying here forever, I'm definatly running away."
" You'll die out there." said Zero
" Then I'll die. I rather die then stay here the wrest of my life."
" You're not thinking of leaving before the dance, are you?"
" Nah." Ziggy came over." What's this little circle thing for?" he asked
" Me." I said
" Why?" I stuck out my tongue. " Cool!" he said He went over to where everyone else was crouded around Maria and, I'm guessing, told them about me.
" Street! Show them!" said Ziggy I stuck my tongue out one more time for everyone to see. " I've got a never- before-used tongue ring if someone wants me to pierce them. If you can take the pain, 'cause I don't have any of my gear with me."
" Okay.. I'll do it."
" Fine. Just don't yell when the ring goes in."
" Alright." I went over to my bag and I took out o box. Inside the bok was a tongue ring. I brought Lightining over to my bed. He stuck out his tongue. I looked for the right spot and..... I put in the tongue ring. He only flinched a little bit. ( Damn can this kid take pain!) " You can only eat liqiudly foods for the first 2 weeks. If you don't want it.. just take it out."
" Cool. Ow...."
" It's gonna hurt."
" You should do that as a profession. It didn't hurt as much as I thought it would."
" Really?"
" Yeah. I thought it would hurt like hell."
" It didn't? Cool!"
" Well, I suppose you guys want to finish your conversation with Maria.. I need to clear my head. Zero, wanna go for a walk?"
" I guess." he replied. We walked out of the bumnker with Zero. " Do you really like me?"I asked
" Yeah. Why?"
" Just asking."
" You do like me, right?"
" Of course! Why else would I have kissed you last night?"
" I don't know. Mabe you're a player or something."
" Nope." I took his hand. I could have sworn I just felt his heart skip a beat of paused or something. So.. Now we're walking ( Holding hands) I don't know where we're going... But we're walking somewhere. Wpassed Bunker M. There was this log close to the fence. ( On the grass side) We sat down on it. " When I first came here, I used to come here every night and look at the stars."
" It had to be beautiful."
" It was. I would come and think 'Someone in this world cares about me. Even if they don't know it yet'."
" Well, it was true wasn't it. I care about you."
" I know. And it's been the first time in about a year I think, I've been happy.
" If I were to escape, would you come and live with me back with Tulex and Suda?"
" I guess. If you would have to stay here forever."
" I wanted to give you this last night, but we fell asleep." I put my hand in my pocket and pulled out a rock. I t was more like a shiney rock... The rock split in two. " Damn."
" That's okay. Now we can each keep a half. Before my mom died, she would tell me that is you found something special to you and it split in two, give it to someone you love."
" Cool."
" Where did you find this anyway?"
" During the Death Walk.. Before I passed out."
" I've never seen any rock like this out there."
" Oh well..." There was the sound of a bell ringing, which meant dinner. " Looks like it's dinner." he said We got up and walked together ( Holding hands, with our fingers locked to be exact!) to the Food Hall. When we passed our ' Bunker-mates' ( As The Warden would say.) they all went " Ooooo." or just laughed at us. For the first time in my whole life, I didn't care wheither or not someone made fun of me.
Chapter 10: Zero + Tonya = 4Eva
That night, after dinner at around 9:00, when all of the campers in Bunker L fell asleep, (Besides Zero and me!) Zero got out of his bed and sat down on mine. " I can't sleep." he said
" Why?"
" I don't know. I was thinking about the dance."
" And....?"
" If The Warden finds out we like eachother, he might put one of us in a different Bunker."
" Sometimes when you like someone you have to make sacrafices." Zero looked out the window. " Look, a shooting star!" he sid
" Make a wish." I said
We held hands, closed our eyes, and made a wish. Right before I opened my eyes, Zero kissed me on the cheek. I opened my eyes. " What was that for?"
" That was what you wished for, right?"
" Yeah.. But how did you know?"
" I don't know. Something told me to do it."
" Okay.." I said " Somethings telling me to do this." I leaned backwards. He put his arms around me.
" I can't wait for the dance." I said
" Me either."
" Do you want your tongue pierced?"
" Yeah. I told you before I always wanted my tongue pierced."
" I'll keep that in mind."
" Please don't pierce my tongue in the middle of the night."
" There goes plan one." He gave me this look like ' What!?!?!?!'
" I'm only joking."
" You better be."
" Do you know how dangerous that is?"
" Don't flip out at me!!" he said " Have you ever done anything dangerous before?"
' I don't think so... But thre was this one time I made a wrong turn and ended up in the middle of a gang fight."
" Tell me."
" Well, I made a wrong turn and got caught in the middle of a fight. One of the kids hit me and I got a black eye. Both of the kids stopped and started chaseing me."
" What did you do?"
" I jumped onto some garbage cans and grabbed the fire escape to this apartment building. I ran fire escapes untill I got back to my territory."
" That's pretty cool."
" We should go to bed now. It's pretty late and we don't know if we still have to do our laps tomorrow."
" Alright.. Goodnight." We hugged 'goodnight' and went to sleep in our seperate beds. The next morning, Zero woke me up at 2:30.
Chapter 11: Maria's Revenge
" Tonya! Get up! There's a riot! Stone and Maria are fighting!"
" That idiot! He's gotta learn to keep his big mouth shut." I said putting on my shoes. I followed Zero outside to where Maria and Stone were fighting. When I got there, they already started the physical fighting. It looked like Stone was winning, untill I saw Maria put her hand into her pocket. " Stone! She's got a gun!" I yelled He didn't hear me. Zero ran over to him and pushed him out of the way in time. Like I said he got Stone out of the way in time. He was in the path of the bullet and got hit. Zero got hit by the bullet. The sound of the gun shot stopped every single counselor from what they were doing and in about a few minutes all of the counselors were crouded around Stone and Maria. " Zero!" I ran over to him He was on the ground in pain. He got hit n the shoulder. " I'll take you to the hospital." I said
" Thanks."
" Wait for me, you two. I have to get cleaned up. I have a bad cut." The three of us left. All of the counselors turned to Maria. We could hear the counselors screaming at Maria all the way bu the Hospital. ( Which is like a mile away from where Maria is.) Inside the Hospital, the nurse was very nice. " Let me look at the hole, Ryan." said the nurse Zero tried to move his arm from the position it was in. " I can't. It hurst to much."
" Then we'll have to operate with your arm like that."
" Operate!?!?!?!"
" How else do you expect to get the bullet out?"
" I don't know." I had this strange feeling that Zero never had an operation before. " Ze, did you ever have an operation before?" I asked
" No. I'm a little scared."
" Don't be."
" Yeah. Zero. I had to go for an operatiopn once. You get put to sleep before the operation. And when you wake up.. Everyting's finished." said Stone
" Tonya, would you like to stay with ryan while I do the operation?" aske the nurse
" Do you want me to Ze?"
" Yeah."
" Alright then. The operation will be in a little while." said the nurse
Zero just layed there, motionless for the 5 minutes before the operaton.Zero grabbed my hand for support. The nurse gave him a shot. In 30 seconds he was asleep. I felt Zero's grip loosen. The nurse took off his shirt and took a pair of large tweezer-looking tool and puled out the bullet. The nurse had to soe up the wound. Zero woke up a half hour later. I heard him moan. " Ze?"
" Huh? How did the operation go?"
" It was over in like 10 minutes"
" I'm gonna have a scar, right?"
" It's alright. No biggie. Just get better in time for the dance."
" I'll try."
" You will."
" What happened to Maria?"
" She's not allowed to do anything. She's locked in a room."
" Oh.."
" The guys came by earlier, but you were sleeping."
" Oh well."
" They gave this to me and told me not to look at it.. Just to give it to you." It was a card. I gave it ot him. He opened it and started laughing. " What's so funny?" I asked
" What they wrote. Sorry.. You can't see it."
" Oh yay.." I said sarcastically The nurse came back, " Ryan, you can go back to your bunker. Just don't hurt your arm."
" Okay." I helped Zero out of bed. We walked back to our bunker. Inside I noticed that Demish's bed was neat, not like usual. " Oh.. Guys, Demish was transferred." said Stone
" Great!" said Zero
" Tonya, I got some bad news." said Lightning
" Let me guess. I'm staying here for the wrest of my life, aren't I?"
" Yup. So is everyone else."
" But don't half of you guys have parents?" I asked
"Yeah. I guess they don't want a troubled kid." said Bones
" I'm leaving the day after the dance. I'm sorry. When I think of my future, this place isn't in it. I see myself back home running from The Chief again."
" Hey, don't leave us here. We'll come with you." said Lightning.
" Okay. Guys, we gotta start cutting down on the food and water we have. The less we have now, the less we'll need out on the walk."
" You're going threw with this?" asked Bones
" I keep my word."
" How about we start saving water. Every little container we can find, fill it with water. And if you can.. Sneak back a juice, or even a piece of bread to bring." said Lightning
" I can't believe we're going to do this." said Ziggy
" Save all the energy you can." said Zero
" Can you promise us one thing?" asked Bones
" And that is....?" I asked
" Don't go makin' out in the middle of the desert."
" Shut up!" For the next 4 days, Bunker L cut down on food and water. I don't think anyone noticed thhough. If they did...... we're in big trouble. On Staturday ( Dance day!) we all went to the dance at 6:00 at night. I couldn't believe that it was possible, but there was an actual D.J. I then found out that Zero can't dance to a fast-tempo song. ( And that's fine by me!) We saw our Warden and the girls' camp's Warden walk up on stage. " Hi and welcome to the dance of the year." said our Warden
" We are going to start the dance with a slow song. So everyone find their partners and start dancing!" said the girls camp's counselor
The girls' Warden sounded a little more preppy. They played a slow song I never heard before. I danced with Zero. Stone thought it was ammusing to torture me while I was dancing.
" You two look so cute!" he kept teasing. Light came over. " You know Stone, you're right. They do make a cute couple."
" Really?" said Bones who overheard. " Or did Street and Stone look better?"
" Street and Stone look weird because of the color differences." said Light
' But Zero isn't much different then Stone." said Bones
" They just look better." said Light The slow song ended. Ze and I stopped dancing, and sat down on some chairs far away from Bunker L. " If you could have one wish out of anything in the world, what would it be?" asked Zero
" Um.. I don't knnow... Maybe to learn to read."
" Do you want me to teach you?" he asked
" Are you sure?"
" Positive."
" What would your wish be?"
" To be with you forever."
" Really?"
" yeah." I blushed. He started laughing. " What?" I asked
" I never saw you blush before."
" So what are you saying?"
" I'm saying that you having a crush shows your inner girl."
" What?"
" Before when we were just friends, you would always stick up for me and you acted like when you first got off the bus. To me, it looks like you're loosing your 'street' side."
" That's not possible."
" It's just the way it seems."
" what do you want me to do? Start a riot?"
" Nope. Just be the Tonya I know... Your soft side is taking over!"
" Ahh!!" Ziggy ran over to us. " Hey you two."
" Did you come here to torture us?" I asked
" No... I came here ot tell you information the Light found."
" What?"
" You know Maria?"
" The girl who shot me?" asked Zero
" Yeah.. They've got her locked up in a prison cell underneath the electrical house. She's been down there for almost a week with verry little water and no food at all."
" That's cruel." I said
" But after killin someone and wounding two others, she deserves it." said Zero
" Starving someone to death? That's not right."said Ziggy
" What do you want us to do?" asked Zero
" Street, do you think you could help her escape?"
" I don't know.She can still be a threat to us."
" Yeah. She may take that gun of hers and kill us all one by one." said Zero
" Oh shut up Zero." said Ziggy
" If I get caught...." I said
" I guess we're not escaping then." said Ziggy
" My options are escape with my friends or try to help some killer escape."
" Street, how would you feel if that was you down there?"
" I would have escaped by now."
" Fine. Don't help her. If she dies, it's all your fault."
" Why is it my fault? Even if I do help her escape, how are we going to keep her alive? They'll probably lock her up again if The Warden finds out she escaped."
" You're right. No matter what, she'll probably die. It's sad though." Okay, it is sad to know that someone is being tortured to death.. Don't look at me! I can't help her!!
All during the dance, I kept thinking about Maria. I know that girl has to have some type of problem to want to kill people. Zero even gave up trying to get me to dance. I have to enjoy myself. Tomorrow we're going to leave. I gave up on thinking on how I would be able to help Maria escape.I felt bad.. I let down everyone who wanted me to help Maria escape. Then, things made a turn fo rthe worse. Maria ( all alone in some locked room.) found some matches on the ground in the room. She lit the room on fire.I a couple of minutes the building was bursting in flames. Everone ran out of the Food Hall (where the dance is being held.) and over to see what happened. Not one of the wardens of either camp expected this. By the time the fire team came, Maria was most likely dead, unless she has amazing powers to stay alive forever. When all of the smoke cleared, everyone got a clear view of the cement cell Maria was in. Onyl Bunker L knew the truth about what they did to Maria. I was about to leave when i noticed something on the wall. " Ze, what does that say?" He leaned in closer to read what was on the wall of the cell. " It says 'sorry.'"
" How long did it take for you to learn how ot read?"
" I don't remeber. I don't think it was very long."
" Great. I reall want to learn how."
" Once we get home. Not Bunker L. Paterson."
" Okay." The Warden (ours) spoke up, " The fire team has just informed me that Maria Perez, for some unnown reason, was in the building when the building went up and died of smoke inhalation.
" Sorry Maria.. I should have helped you." I said
" It's not your fault, Tonya"
" Yes...."
" Don't you dare go insane on me!"
" Okay..."
" Tonya!"
" Alright. It's not my fault."
" Good." The girls' warden spoke, " The dance is officially over. You can all return to your bunkers."
Chapter 12: The Escape
Everyone went to their bunkers. In Bunker L we discussed when we sould leave. " How about at 1:00. It's two hours beforeanyone should get up." suggested Bones
" That's good. What are we going to bring?" asked Ziggy
" Well, we'll bring the food and water.. Each person can bring one posession. Make sure it means the most to you." I said We all searched our stuff for our posessions. Zero is gonna bring our rock. Ziggy is gonna bring a picture of his family. Bones is bringing this thing that looks like a pole. Lightning searched his stuff and found this pocket knife. Stone found this letter. I brought the lockey my mom gave to me when i was little. She saved up all of her money to be able to put a picture of her in it. She told me that was what was in it.. We've never been able to open it. " Bones, what is that?" asked Ziggy
" A shovel. You never know when you'll need one."
" Right..... You guys can go to sleep. I'll wake you up at one." I said I went to sleep along with everyone else. I only got an hour of sleep. I had to wake everyone up. We all got ready, with our food, water, posessions and ourselves.We made it out of Bunker L just fine. " Look! The Warden!" whisper shouted Ziggy. The Warden was out.... watching...waiting for something. " Do you think he knows we're escaping?" asked Stone
" He couldn't have. Unless he's got this placed wired with mics." I said
" Dude! Don't go paranoid on me."
" Who cares about The Warden. We can get passed him." said Light.
" Okay, but what happens if we get caught?" asked Ziggy
" The Death Walk." said Zero
" Great." We waited for The Warden to go to the other side of the half way mark. He moved out of our sight and we took off. Now, do you think we made it passed The Warden?
Nope. He caught us. " How interesting." he said " A whole bunker trying to get passed me.It's the walk for you 6."
" Yay." I mumbled with a fake smile
" Did you say something?"
" No, Sir."
" Follow me." We followed him back to his office. " I knew you were going to leave. 'How?' you may ask." He turned on the T.V. It was monitoring things. " I told you he had this place bugged!" I said he put a tape in the V.C.R. He rewound it to the beginning. It was us plotting when to leave. " Nothing gets passed me." he said
" Mr. Warden, when are we going to do our punishment?" asked Bones
" After the horn blows for breakfast. And don't even think about escaping. I have the whole fence being watched." We waited 2 hours in The Warden's office for the breakfast horn to blow. The nurse was called in to bring all of our stuff back to our bunker. At 3:00 we made our way to the walk 'enterance'. I saw Zar heading to the Food Hall from Bunker H. " Yo! Stone!" he yelled
" Gotta walk." is all Stone said. All 6 of us started walking. " I have the best time for us to leave." said Light
" When?" asked Zero
" On the aniversary of the camp! The Warden will be to caught up into celebrating when his great-great grandfather inherrited this land and turned it into the camp."
" Yeah! He wont suspect a thing!" said Bones
" And they'll have to close down the camp once word gets out that we escaped." We were almost halfway to the fence. I had to admit it was pretty hot even though you couldn't even see the sun to well. When we got to the fence, Bones colapsed. The rest of us turned around and started walking back. About every 15 miles or so, we became weaker. Ziggy was the next person to pass out. Bow, it felt like the sun was frying us, and it was only abut a few hours after we started. I felt all woozy ad dizzy again.I kept going. We made it close to....About halfway when Lightning passed out. " Great. Now it's only the 3 of us." I said
" Look how far we made it." said Zero
" So. I almost made it this far by myself."
" The key word in that sentence is 'almost.'" said Stone
" Well look on the bright side Ze. You could teach me to read and write during the few weeks were gonna be here before we head out again."
" You mean you can't read!?!?!?!" said Stone " I thought because you know how to do all those other things, like knowing the simplest things can help."
" Don't judge me on other things." We made it another few miles.. Then Zero collapsed. " Zero!"
" Leave him."
" You know? I was right."
" What?"
" you don't take people's feelings into consideration."
" All you could care about is Zero."
" At least I care about someone besides myself."
" At least I now how to read."
" At least I know when to keep my mouth shut and when to stick up for people."
" I care for myself!"
" Oh.. Real good. Tell me your selfish. You may have a brain in that black head of yours but you sure as hell don't use it!"
" Oooo. What's a white girl like you gonna do to me?"
" Don't tempt me Stone."
" Oh, I'm scared"
" I don't need your help. I'll see you back at camp."
" think you're gonna get bak to camp concious?"
" Yeah. With or without you." I turned around and faced Stone, " D-D-D-Don't move." I said petrified
Why?" he asked
" R-R-R-Rattle snake."
" Sure.. I'm not falling for that."
" No. I'm serious. There's a rattle snake behind you." The snake slowly slithered up to his foot, then stayed by his ankle. " Street, it's gonna bite me."
" Don't move or the venom will go through your blood stream faster." I could see the sweat drip down his sunburnt farhead. It happened so fast. The snake bit him and slithered off. " Stone, are you okay?" He collapsed. " No. The venom is going through my blood stream faster then normal because I'm weak."
" Get on my back. I'll carry you back."
" Are you going nuts?!? I weigh a lot more then you can carry."
" I don't care. I'm getting you back."
" But a few minutes ago we were insulting eachother."
" Enemy or friend, I can't leave you out here to die."
" How do you know so much about snakes if you can't read." Stone got up and got on my back. I started walking back. " When I was little I would go to the library and have people read me books about snakes. I love them. They're so interesting."
" Street, hurry."
" I'm going as fast as i can. I'm really dehidrated."
" I'd walk but I don't want to spread the venom."
" Look! Grass!" Stone didn't answer. " Ah great! He's passed out." I said to myself I started running tawords the green. I felt like I was runing for hours, but not getting anywhere. I was about to stop, and let both of us fry out here when this voice in my head told me I would make it back and to keep going. I am so dehidrated that I started to gag and my body was trying to throw up, but there was nothing to come up. I thought I was seeing things.....But I found myself face-to-face with the beginning of hte walk. The Warden was passing by when I fell face first into the ground. " What the?" he said He ran into the Hospital. " Virginia! Two campers just made it back from the walk! "He yelled
" I'll be right out!" Both of them ran out of the Hospital. " Oh my! Khleo was bitten by a rattle snake!" said the nurse
" Who?"
" Stone. Honestly... the more you call these boys by their nick names the more they're going to forget their real names."
" Just help them!" barked The Warden I don't know what happened next. See, when you're unconciuos, the last thing that you loose is your hearing. My hearing went. I woke up in the Hospital a few days later. " where am I?" I asked I heard the nurse come running over. " Oh good! You're awake!" she said
" What day is it?"
" It's been three days since you completed the walk."
" How is Stone?" The nurse didn't answer.
" Is he alive?" I asked
" Yes. You're lucky you brought him back then. Any later and he would have died." There was a knock on the Hospital door.The nurse ( Virginia) opened the door.Bunker L came to visit me. " Street!" said Lightning
" Light!" All of them came over to my bed. " You made it!" said Ziggy
" I barely did. I passed out when I made it back here."
" Did you really carry Stone all the way back?!" asked Zero
" Yeah. I had to. He was bitten by a rattle snake."
" What?!?!" They all went
" I calculated the time from where I was to the camp and figured it would take about 5 hours to get back and 4 and a half hours for the venom to kill him." All of them staired at me. " Just because I can't read doesn't mean I'm completely stupid."
" How did you know a rattle snake's venom kills after a certain amount of time in the body?" asked Ziggy
" When I was younger I would go to the library and find books on snakes and have people read them to me. After I met Tulex and Suda, I never went back. To many people knew who I really was."
" How's Stone doing?" asked Zero
" I don't know. All I know is he isn't dead.
" Well that's good." said Light
" We heard a little rumor that while you were out on the walk with Stone, that you guys kissed." said Bones
" What?!?! The only thing we did was argue! We were just about to curse eachother off when he got bitten!"
" What did you guys argue about?" asked Zero
" Well, it was right after you pased out, Zero." I said " He told me to leave you and then he said all I cared about was you .....And we argued from there on."
" How can he? Stone doesn't know much about you." said Light
"He insulted me on the stuff we talked about."
" Oh... That you can't read, right?" asked Bones
" Yup. He had the worst come-backs."
" I know. i got into a verbal fight with him once. Zero has better come-baks then he does." said Ziggy
" Hey!" said Zero
" Sorry Ze."
" Okay.. Get this. The kid called himself selfish." I said
" Are you serious??" asked Bones
" Yeah. It was easy for us to insult eachother because of skin color..." Nurse Virginia came over, " Stone's awake." The boys helped me out of my bed. Zero helped me walk over to Stone's bed, because my legs are still really weak. Stone moaned. " Stone?" I asked
" Huh?"
" Are you okay, man?" asked Ziggy
" Yeah. I don't know how I survived the bite. I blacked out a few mintues after I was bitten."
" That was me Stone." I said
" How?" he paused " Did you finish the walk!?!?!?!?"
" Yeah she did. And she carried you all the way back." said LIght
" Are you serious!?! She carried me back here and made a full recovery in 3 days!?"
" I'm stronger then you think."
" A lot stronger." said Stone
" You weren't that heavy." I said
"You're one strong chica." said Light
" Thanks. If Stone wasn't bitten, I would have passed out."
" I get what you did. You used your mental strength to keep you going." said Ziggy
" If I stopped, Stone would have died."
" It's good that you didn't." said Bones
" Nurse, how much longer am I going to be here?" asked Stone
" A few more days." replied Virginia
" It's all my fault." I said
" What?"
" If we weren't arguing you would have seen the snake and it would have never bitten you."
" I was so hot headed, I wouldn't believe you."
" Fine. It's both of our faults."
" All of you back to your bunker. Khleo needs his rest! Miss.Caldwell you can leave. Get your stuff and I don't want to see you back here for a while." said Virginia All of us (including me!!) left. I walked out of the hospital. When we got to the bunker, I wasn't allowed in. " what's going on?" I asked
" Close your eyes." said Zero ( He is the only one outside with me. Everyone else ran in the bunker.) " Why?"
" Just do it!" I closed my eyes. He walked me up the steps to the bunker and inside. ( I heard the lovely squeak of the doors.)
" Okay Street, open your eyes." I opened my eyes. " Happy Birthday!!" They all said
" Oh my God! How did you know?" I asked
" We asked The Warden. Duh!" said Bones
" This is the best day ever!" I gave each of them a hug. " Lightning and Zero made something for you." Zero gave me a bandanna. " Oh God! Light ! Ze! You remembered!"
" It's also from Tulex and Suda. 'Cross country." said Light I took the bandanna and rolled it up and put it around my head. " Why red? And what's with the little design?" asked Ziggy
" My street gang. Our color is red and that's my symbol." I said The symbol looks like this: I know its a little plain. " Thanks you guys!"
" Hey..... You're our friend." said Zero
" I can't believe I'm 14."
" Believe it." said Bones
" I just feel bad for Stone. It really sucks being n he hospital."
" I don't get it. I really don't get it." said Ziggy
" What dont' you get?" I asked
" You and Stone hate eachother. And now you feel bad for him because he's in the hopsital?" asked Ziggy
" Are you sure this isn't one of those relationships where the people hate eachother?" asked Light
" I'm positive. We can't stand eachother." I said
" That's what they all say."
" I swear! I don't like Stone!"
" Are you postitve?"
" I know you're just playing with me." I said
" Then do you really like Zero? Or are you just playing?" asked Bones
" Oh my God! You people are so annoying I rather be in jail."
" Fine. Then you really don't like Zero." said Ziggy
" Why? Because you're all driving me nuts that I rather be in jail then commit suicide?"
" Oh." They died down on the teasing. Zero pulled me away from everyone. " Do you really like me?" he asked
" Yeah. I really do."
" But what Light said sounds a lot like you and Stone."
" How can I prove that I don't like Stone?" He whispered in my ear.
" What?!?" I said
" If you really like me you will." Okay..Kiss him on the cheek, fine. On the lips, okay.. But make-out with him?!?! That's asking a lot!
" Fine. If it gets the idea that I like Stone out of your head. So, I had to. Believe me, havig your entire bunker watch.. Isn't a pretty sight. " Zero! Dawg!" said Bonges He just smiled Everyone clapped. How exciting. ( Um.. NO!)
" Okay you two, don't go making out while we're around." said Ziggy
" Can I talk to you Tonya?" asked Light Light pulled me over from eveyone else, " What?" I asked
" Do you think that you and Zero are a little to into it?"
" Why?"
" I don't know......You just seem that way."
' We do?"
" Well, your age....."
" Thanks for being the older, overprotective brother, but I can handle this myself."
" Your welcome." I went back over to Zero. " Ze told us all about 'the kiss'." said Ziggy
" Oh yay." I could tell something wasn't right. Like they were up to something. Ziggy can't keep a streight face, and Bones keeps looking around the bunker. " Okay, what's your deal?"
" Nothing." said Ziggy You could tell that Ziggy was lieing becuase he started to look around the room. " Tell me before I have to get one of you to tell me." I said
" We're not soying anything." said Bones
" Then I'll have to get it out of Lightning." I said
" I'll fight 'till I die. But I aint telling nothin'." said Light The two of us started walking to the doors, Light turned around, " You beter stay here. It could get ugly." he said
Chapter 13: The Bet We walked outside to behind the bunker. There aren't any windows in the back of the bunker. There are some in the bathrooms but no one would be able to see us 'fight'. Light and I pretended to fight. Light told me everything that's going on. " Bones and Ziggy made a bet that you would make-out with Zero only if you were asked." he whispered I raised my voice to pretend that Light was hurting me " Ow!" I lowered my voice, " What about you and Zero?"
" We bet the opposite. That you would kiss him by your free will."
" When is the bet over?"
" Tonight, when the dinner bell rings."
" Oh..."
" Let me win the fight." I raised my voice again, " Alright. Don't kill me Light!"
" You can't get information out of me." Light helped me look like I was just in a fight, my sleve ripped a little, and look a mess. We walked back into the bunker. ( Me limping of course.) " I'm guessing you lost." said Bones
" No. I just like dirt." I said sarcastically I walked over to Zero. I don't know if her knew what was comming or not, but... we started making-out in the middle of Bunker L. That shocked a lot of people. Including me. After the kiss Zero was completely paralized in shock. " Did anyone make you do that?" asked Bones
" Nope." He mumbled something. " What? What did you say?" I asked
" Looks like Zero and Light win the bet." said Ziggy.
" Nope. No one wins the bet. I was asked to once and kissed him on my own free will once." I said
" How do you know about the bet?" asked Bones I didn't say anything. Evreryone looked at Lightning. " What?"
" You didn't really fight, right?"asked Zero
" Yeah. It was all sound effects." said Light
" You told her about the bet!?!?!?!" said Ziggy
" Yeah. But she did the kissing on her own." said Light
" I figured I'd have to doo it sooner or later." I said
" So....You really wanted to kiss Zero?"
" Hell yeah!"
" I have a theory." said Ziggy
" Great. Wanna cookie?" I asked
" Yeah." said Ziggy " Guys group meeting!"
" Um... Light, you're not allowed for this one."
" Oh... Okay." he said I sat on my cot and Light came over and sat next to me. " Light, I can't trust anyone."
" Why?"
" If I tell anyone anything they just make a group huddle thing and talk about which one of them I'm gonna like next."
" You like Zero, right?"
" Yes. I like Zero and only Zero."
" I bet they think I like you or something." said Light
" Do you?"
" No. You're like my little sister."
" Yeah. Your like my older brother that I can talk to about anything."
" See! You get it. I know they definatly don't."
" I know." The group huddle ended. " What's your theory?" I asked Ziggy
" Our theory is that Lighting likes you."
" Sure... We just talked about that." I said
" I don't like Tonya." said Lighting
" Don't even think of getting me to do anything nasty." I said
" That ruined plan A." said Bones
" You know what Light? Just kiss her and get it over with." said Zero I never thought I'd see the day when my boyfriend would actually want someone else besides him to kiss me. So... Lightning and I kissed. It wasn't really quick, so everyone made it a big deal. " Hey Zero!" said Bones " I think she liked that."
"Oh Shut up!"
" Now.... Can we get our lives back to normal? asked Zero
" I guess. If you guys don't want to have me kiss anyone else."
" Nah.I think we've made you kiss enough people." said Ziggy
" You think?" I asked
" Yeah, I think."
" Really? I never knew that." Everyone started laughing. " Is this your first birthday party?" asked Bones
" With people besides Tulex and Suda, yeah. Last year Tulex got me this ring. He said he found it. I still think he shop-lifted it."
" Really?" asked Ziggy
" Oh Shut up." I said
" Can we go to bed? It's pretty late." said Light It was about 9:00 PM. We all went to bed. The next day, we had our usual wake up horn. I'm guessing that the girls' camp left becuase they weren't there any more. I changed into my work clothes and went for breakfast. Everything seemed so normal, like I've been doing this for years. I walked outside with everyone else after breakfast to go find out what course we have to do. " Listen up you little magets. The camp anniversary is comming up in a few weeks. I want all of you on your best behavior. No more escapes." All of Bunker L looked at eachother. The Warden gave us course B to start with. We had to do our 20 laps. I almost passed our but Zero and Lihtning pushed me to keep going. After a beautiful day of running laps around obstical courses, we got to take a break in our lovely food Hall and eat our dinner. After a long days work, eating mush is the higlight of your day. " Ze, you up for seeing Stone?" I asked
" I guess..."
" You guess?"
" yeah... You seem to be hanging around him a lot."
" Didn't we just go through this?"
" I still think it's akward."
" Whatever....." I finished my mush and went back to the bunker. Stone wasn't there. The bite must have been worse then I thougt. I took a shower and went to visit Stone. I went to the Hospital. " Is Stone here?"
" Yes. But you're not allowed to see him."
" Why?"
" You're not allowed." I left for the bunker. I met Zero on the way to Bunker L. " Why did you tell the nurse I wasn't allowed to see Stone?" I asked
" What? Why?"
" She wouldn't let me see him."
" Oh.. I guess something happened."
" Or you just told the nurse not to let me see him."
" How could I? I was with you the whole day."
" But Bones wasn't."
" How did you find out?"
" I have eyes. I saw you guys talking. I knew I couldn't trust you." I ran to the bunker. No one was there. The next thing I knew, I was climbing the side on the bunker, up to the roof. Some kids from other bunkers saw me. By the time I was at the top, sitting on the side of the roof that faced the front of the bunker, the whole camp was crouded around Bunker L. " what in tarnation?" yelled The Warden
" Street climbed up to the roof and wont come down." said Zero
" Does anyone know why?"
" I think I know." said someone It was Stone. He came out from the Hospital on crutches. Stone and Zero explained everything to The Warden. " Street! Come down!" yelled Bones
" If you want to...." I got up, The Warden gasped. " You want me to come down. I'll come down." I jumped off the roof. " I don't follow the rules. And I don't use ladders."
I walked off. I started running. I heard people chasing me. I ran into the bunker and locked the back door then ran and locked the front door. " I order you to unlock these doors right now!" yelled The Warden
" NO!" I ran in to the bathroom. Zero ran to the back and looked in the window. He saw me sitting on the floor. everything was familiar to him. The way I sat, the way I looked, even the way I breathed. I saw Zero by the window. He pounded on it. " Go away! I'm not talking to you Ze!" He pounded on the window harder. He accidentally made a crack in it. " I told you to go away!" I yelled He punded on the crack in the window and broke it. He unlocked the window and climbed in the bathroom. " Get away from me!" I backed up. " Tonya, what are youi doing?" he asked
" You wont believe me! Go away! I hate you!"
" Is this some sort of phase?"
" No! I've always been like this!"
" You're going to back up into the bathtub." I took a step back, into the bath tub.I backed up ino the corner of the bath tub. " Why do you hate me?"
" Because I've told you I don't like Stone. When the person you trust the most doesn't even believe you.....It doesn't make sence."
" I was joking."
" Well, it didn't seem that way."
" Oh.. You take things way to personally."
" When you've been that way your whole life... Everything someone's said to me I've had to take personally or else it would mean someone would die or something."
" Oh..."
" So I guess you don't care."
" I care."
" Sure.....Right." I walked out of the bathroom. I unlocked all of the doors and let The Warden in. " Do whatever you want to me." I said The Warden took me out of the bunker. I followed The Warden to his office. Back at the bunker... " She's nuts!!" said Lightning softly.
" How?" asked Bones
" She's given up. She's letting them take control of her."
" And what does that mean?"
" When street kids give up, its all over. She's lost self confidence. She'll be like a walking zombie for the next few days." The counselor from Bunker H took over. " Everyone back to your bunkers, Now!" Bunker L poured into the bunker. " Ze? Zero! Where are ya?" yelled Ziggy Zero emerged fro the bathroom, " She hates me." he said
" What?" went Light
" She hates me. It's all my fault."
" How is it all your fault?" asked Bones
" He got jealous of her always wanting to visit Stone." said Light
" Ze told me to tell Nurse Virginia not to let her see him." said Bones
" Now because of you she's gone into the worst type of depression possible for street kids. All of the street kids call it Death Depression." said Light
" What does it do? Like what does she go through?" asked Ziggy
" You don't eat, you can't sleep, your energy level drops because of not eating or sleeping, adn then finally you turn a pale white color." said Zero Everyone looked at him " How do you know?"
" I've been through it. Knowing Tonya, she might be suicidal." I came back into the bunker. " What happened Street?" asked Bones " I'm not allowed to do the laps. I have to watched all day."
" Are you mad at Zreo?" asked Lightning
" No. Not anymore. Oh! Stone told me that he can come back to the bunker tomorrow." I said in a gloomy voice. I walked over and sat down on my bed. No one talked to me all night. At 8:00 everyone went to bed. I didn't.I got out of bed and walked out of the backdoor, and climbed onto the roof. The roof slants going down the middle horzontal. I sat on the half facing the woods area. I looked at the stars. It reminds me so much of the first time Zero and I looked at the stars together. Everything was paecful, until..... I heard the creek of the backdoor. I didn't move. I saw someone climb up the side of the bunker. " Tonya?" I heard him say I turned away. It was Zero. " Tonya?" I didn't answer again. " fine. You don't have to look at me. I'm sorry. I know what I did was stupid and I really don't want you to hate me. You mean to much to me." I still didn't answer. " Fine. I'll leave." Zero went to climb down the bunker, " Wait!" I said " Come here and sit down." Zero sat down next to me. " Why did you tell Bones to tell the nurse not to let me see Stone?"
" I was jealous. You always visit him and talk about him. I haven't talked to you in days."
" Stone...." I paused " Even though we're not actually friends.. It's still half my fault that he's there in the first place."
' I get it. Street stuff."
" Yeah. I haven't forgotten about you. I would pray that you'd wake up so we can talk."
"Oh...."
" NOw I'm in a state of depression."
" I've been through it before."
" You have?"
" I came out of it right before you came to the camp. I had it for a long time. Almost a month."
" Oh."
" Lightning was force feeding me to stay alive. I almost died of starvation and dehidration."
" I had this depression before. Thats when I was sent to jail for 2 weeks."
" You went to jail?!?"
" I think I was drunk of high for the first time. I tried to steel a diamond or something. I would have been let off with a warning if the cop didn't find me high."
" That's not good."
: It was one of the best days ever. I showed Tulex and Suda that I was brave enough to get high on-on- heroine and get thrown in jail."
" And that's a big acomplishment?"
" Yeah! The first ten year old to get sent to jail for drugs."
" You don't do drugs now, do you?"
" Nope." I said " Now that you know what a jerkI've been, do you hate me?"
" No. Why would I?
" I've been acting like a total jerk. Hello! I was on this roof ready to jump off!"
" I know. It doesn't bother me. I had a friend who commited suicide."
" Weren't you upset?"
" A little. The next day I was brought here. So it didn't matter."
" Oh....."
" So I'm used to it."
" Lets go to sleep. It's almost 10:00."
" How do you know?"
" The darkness. It's pitch black when it's midnight."
" You have a lot of street smart."
" Really? I always knew that. It's common sence." We got up and jumped off the roof. We went in the bunker and went to sleep.
Chapter14: Ms.Clarkdale
The next day I was woken up by some lady. " Hello Tonya." she said in a soft voice.
" What time is it?"
" It's 10:00 dear."
" What happened?!?! Why didn't anyone wake me up!?!" I said as I got out of bed.
" You're in phsycological training."
" Oh yeah......"
" How do you feel?"
" I feel normal.I had a long talk with Zero."
" When?"
" Last night. On the roof."
" The roof!?!?!?!"
" Yeah I went out on the roof last night."
" Right... Come with me. You need more then I thought." I followed the lady to the Hospital. " Wait here." she said once we got inside. She went to talk with Nurse Virginia. " Oh! Over in the medicine chest above the sink." The lady ( who I still haven't found out her name.) brought me a pill. " Take this everyday after breakfast."
" Who are you and what is this?"
" I am Ms.Clarkdale. And this pill will make you feel better inside." Alright!!!! This lady thinks I'm some kind of little baby! She thinks I'm mentally sick! Great. Something elses I don't need. I took the pill with out questioning. I figured if I act normal she'll leav me alone. " So.. Tonya, do you like books?" she asked
" Um... I can't read."
" You can't?!? I'll teach you then."
" Are yo sure? I'm supposed to be here to learn not to steal."
" Oh.. So you're one of those street kids?
' Yeah."
" You do know how to read some things, right?"
" Yeah. Like 'Stop' signs, and the names of restuarants. Things like that."
" C'mon. I'll teach you."
" That's okay. I want to learn on my own. I've learned everything else I know how to do by my own experiences."
" No. It is part of your training."
" Fine. Just to tell you, I've never been taught anything before."
" Oh.. Well, we'll start today. But we better start soon. The pill's side effects will probably start."
" What are the side effects?"
" Light headed, dizzyness, temporary insanity."
" Oh..' I said " Can we go back to Bunker L now?"
" Sure. We'll start your reading lessons."
' Fine. But as the street kid I am, it's not my thing." I followed Ms.Clarkdale back to Bunker L. We sat down in the middle of the bunker floor. She took a piece of paper out of her purse. " We'll start with the alphabet." she said She wrote down on the piece of paper a figure that I recognized. It's on the McDonald's sign. " This is a capitoal A." she said " It makes the ah sound."
" Okay."
" This is a lower case A." She drew another figure next to the capitol A. " Does the lower case A make the same sound?"
" Yes. But in some cases, A is long and it makes a different sound."
" Like in cape?"
" Yes! Very good!"
" Okay. Can we keep going?"
' Sure. Now try to write the letters like I did." She handed me the pencil. My letters didn't come out to well. They were sloppy and not to ledgibal. Mine looked like some baby picked up a pencil and tried to mrite something. " You need more practice. Keep trying until it looks like mine." I wrote both A's for almost a half hour until she could actually read it. " Good. lets recap what we've covered so far." she siad " What sound does the letter A make?"
" Ah. But sometimes it's long and sound like a."
" Good. You're a quick learner. Now we'll try the letter B..." We stayed in the bunker and went through half of the alphabet. " Tomorrow we'll do the other half."
" Alright. I thought you said that the side effects would kick in?" I asked
" We excersized you brain. When you aren't challenged, the side effects kick in."
" Oh. Well... See you tomorrow Ms.Clardale." Ms.Clarkdale left. BUnker L started to fill up. " How was your day of nothing?" aksed Bones sarcastucally
" Fine."
" What? Did you just wake up or something?"
" No. I only got up a few minutes after you."
" So what did you do?" asked Ziggy
" I'm learning to read and write."
" Really?"
" Yeah, really. I can't do the laps. She gave me some type of pill that makes me go insane."
" Sure. You're just acting so you don't have to do the laps." said Bones
" Really?! Then why don't you plead insanity? You'll be able to see what I do. And how well my acting is." Lightning came over. " you're not faking this, are you?"
" No. I'm going throught Death Depression. Watch me for the next few days. You got any ciggs?"
" Cigarettes? You smoke?!?!"
" Sometimes. When I can get hold of them."
" You're weird."
" How?" I looked out the back door. " Oooh! are thoses weeds??"
" Are you okay?"
" Sure.. I'm fine."
Chapter 15: Tonya's High Past
I went outside and picked some weeds. Before I knew it, I was smoking a grass cigarette. Lightning saw me. " What are you doing?"
" What does it look like?"
" Why are you smoking?"
" It's addictive."
" When did you start?"
" When I was ten. But this is only the 4th one I've ever had."
" You are one weird chica."
" You know? I really should quite."
" You should before someone finds out."
" Finds out what?" asked a voice. It was Zero. " Oh! what the..?!?!?"
" It's the pills Zero. Don't worry." I said
" You aren't acting like Ziggy thinks then?"
" Nope."
" So you don't normally smoke?"
" Nope." I took thr 'cigarette' out of my mouth and threw the little bit that was left onto the ground. I swear I got high on that piece of grass trash. I couldn't walk straight, I can't think straight or even see for that matter. I walked right into the back door. My eye sight came into focus and I realized ' Well gee stupid! Look at that! There's a door infront of you!' I opened the door, took three steps and passed out on the bunker floor. I woke up in the Hospital. When I opened my eyes, everything was so blurry, everythng looked like blurs." What happened?" I asked
" You got high on that grass cigarette." said someone My vision would go into focus. One of the taller blurs walked over to me. " Tonya are you okay?" they asked
" My vision is really blurry. I can't see."
" It's Light."
" Oh. You look like Ziggy."
" I guess all blurs look the same."
" My viosion will come back soon."
" Do you get high often?" asked another blur.
" No. Is that Ziggy?"
" Yeah."
" That was only the 4th time I got high."
" Seriously?"
" Yeah." My eye sight came back. "Oh look! I can see again!"
" Were you acting before?" asked Bones
" No. I had to take pills and the side effects included insanity."
" Oh.. There was a rumor that you were faking it."
" Who said that?"
" I don't know. But it was just a rumor."
' Oh." I looked around the rom. " Guys, we need to talk." I sid
" Okay." replied Bones
" Not here. Later." They caught on to what I was talking about. I really want to leave this place. If I have to spen the wrest of my life taking pills that make me end up smoking.... Nures Virginia came over, " Okay you guys, Tonya needs her rest. She'll be back in her bunker tomorrow." Bunker L left, and I fell asleep.
Chapter 16: Clarkdale- Day 2
I woke up the next day at 7:00. " Good morning!" It was Ms.Clarkdale. " Oh. Hi."
" Time to take your pill."
" Thats quite alright. The pill is the whole reason why I'm here."
" Why? What happened?"
" The side effects kicked in."
" Temporary insanity?"
" You got it. I started smoking and I passed out on the bunker floor."
" Okay. Only take half of the pill today."
" Can you teach me the wrest of the alphabet today?"
" Sure. I'll go get some paper." Ms.Clarkdale left and came back with my half of pill and a noteboook. " We can write down your work in here now. So you don't loose all of your papaers."
" Okay." Weworked on the alphabet. By 12:00 we finished the alphabet. " Now lets try words."
"Alright." Ms.Clarkdale wrot the letters C-A-T on the first page of the notbook. " What does that spell?"
" C-c-c-ca..t Cat."
" God. Now write it." I wrote cat. My handwriting inproved since yesterday. " Great!" We worked on 3 and 4 letter words. " You're a fast learner." she said
" I've ben told that all my life. When I used to go to the library and have the librarians read to me, I would remember everything they taught me."
" Do you like science?"
" I like the stars."
" You would be a good astronomer."
" What's that?"
" A person who studies the stars."
" Oh."
" Spell star."
" S...tuh tuh, T-... star...A.. R?"
" Very good. Write it down in your notebook." I wrote the word 'star' in my notebook. " Try and make a sentence." I spoke while I wrote down the sentence, " The boys in my...." I stopped " How do you spell bunker?"
" B-U-N-K-E-R." she said
" The boys in my bunker can be mean." " Good. Do you want to start on 5 letter words?"
" Sure. We have a few minutes until dinner." I said We were only half way finished with the words when Nurse virginia came over to my bed. " tonya, you can go back to your bunker now." I took my notebook and pen and Ms.Clarkdale helped me walk back to Bunker L. We sat on the floor againand started where we laft off in the 5 letter words.The boys from Bunker L slowly came in one-by-one. " Going to go insane on us today?" asked Bones after Ms.Clarkdale left.
" Nope. I have some words to practice." I said I sat on my bed, took out my notebook and started creatingin sentences. I started to create a diary. A journal on how every day went.
Today I learned how to write. My writing is getting better.
Tonya "Street" Caldwell
I closed the book and looked around the room. It was all calm. No one was talking. I ripped out a piece of papaer and wrote:
Guys, I wanna know if you wanna escape earlier then the aniversarry. Like tomorrow or tonight
I gave the bote to Light, and told him to pass it on. After it was passed around, we all sat in the middle of the room. " Give me a pen." said Light I gave him my pencil. He wrote
Okay. Tonight at midnight. I'll wake you guys up. So go to sleep early.
We all " Okayed" the plan. There was no way The Warden could catch us now. " Guys, lets go to bed at 8." I said
" Why?" asked Ziggy I whispered, " The Warden might suspect something."
" Oh yeah!" " Tell the others."
" K." I walked over to Lightning, " Hob I." I said
" What?"
" Hob-I."
" Oh... Hob-I."
" Yob-o-u sob-pob-e-a-kob o-bob-lob-i-sob-hob?" I asked
" Yob-u-pob."
" What are you two speaking?" asked Ziggy
" Oblish." said Light
" Who?"
" Oblish."
" I've heard it a few times. I don't really understand it." said Bones
" It's weird." said Zero
" I can curse you guys off in oblish and you wont have a clue of what I'm saying."
" Nob-o-tob rob-e-a-lob-lob-yob.' said Zero
" Damn." Isaid " You speak it?"
" Uh-huh." The bell rang for dinner. We all went to the Food Hall. Instead of mush tonight, we had macaroni and cheese. It stuck to the spoon. " What did you guys do today?" I asked when we sat down at our table
" What do you think? The same thing we've been doing for months. Running courses." said Bones We all ate our sticky mac and cheese.After dinner we went to a spot where the camreas and microphones were out of range. " Okay guys, we'll leave at midnight. The Warden doesn't wake up until 1:30. " said LIght.
" So we'll gone before he gets up." said Stone.
" Good. Lets just be able to wake up." said Bones We all walked back to Bunker L.We got our stuff together for tomorrows trip. " I'm going to go to bed early. I'm really tired." I said I went to sleep at 6:00. Shortly after everyone else did. Lightning woke us up at midnight. " C'mon guys! Get up!" he almost yelled. No one got up. " Five more minutes, Light." Stone said as he rolled over.
" Guys! Get up!!!." I slowly got out of bed. " Guys get up before I have to flip you off your matress." I said No one moved. I was still half sleeping, but I walked over to Stone's bed and took his matress and flipped Stone off. He fell on the floor with a loud 'thump.'
" Hey!"
" Get up before I have to do that to all of you!" I said Everyone slowly emerged from their beds. " Guys! We've already waisted about an hour!!" yelled Light
" Really?" asked Ziggy By the time we were ready, withoutarguing it was 2 O'clock. " Great. Now The Warden's up!" said Light
" Oh well."
Chapter 17: Escape Number 2
We left the bunker through the back door instead of the front door this time. We made a dash to the fence. Once we were out of sight from the camp, we slowed down to a walk. " Do you guys see anything?" asked Bones squinting ahead
" Nope." I said We kept going. We made it to the fence. " Okay.. Now do you see something?" asked Bones again Bones was right. Somethng was comming our way. It was a big yellow blob. That only ment one thing: New campers.
" It's a bus!" said Ziggy
" Really genius? I thought it was a great big yellow space bananna comming to destroy earth." I said We started to climb the fence. Once we were over, we never looked back. " The bus! It's comming right tawords us!" said Ziggy He was right. The bus was comming right tawords us. The buss pulled over to us and the driver opened the door. " Where are you kids going?" he asked
" Home." said Light The driver studied us. We forgot to change into our clothes that we came in. We were still wearing Brookdell uniforms. ' Hey! You're kids from Brookdell! Get on the bus!" We had no choice. If we didn't and just took off, the bus driver would hunt us down. We all got on the bus. I was first. When I looked at who was on the bus, I stopped and I smiled. Ziggy walked into me. " What's that for?" he asked
" I can't believe what I'm seeing." I giggled a little. " Tulex the great finally caught and brought to Brookdell." I walked down to where he sat. Suda sat across from him. " Hey guys." I said None of them answered. " What's wrong you guys?" Bunker L sat around us. " Suda got both of us arrested. The judge wasn't going to let me come here. I was going to get 5 years in jail. I guess he had a soft side and let me here for the wrest of my life. I would have chosen prison then this place with him." He looked at Suda. " It's not my fault! You were the one who told me to walk around the store!! I never even wanted to come with you!!" Suda shot back
" I'm guessing you're not talking." I said
" Yup. Suda was spotted by The Chief and got both of us caught."
" Well make the best of it. You might be in the same bunker." said Lightning
" This you bunker?" he asked looking at everyone around us.
" Yup. That's Zero,"
he said "Hi."
"Lightning,"
" Hey."
" Bones,"
" What up?"
" Ziggy," He just raised his hand.
" And Stone."
" Peace."
" I'm Tulex. he said
" That's Suda. They're not talking."
" Just forget the whole thing." said Light. " Big deal.You get caught once. You have your whole life to change."
" You don't get it. No one in my family has been arrested in 30 years." said Tulex
" Oh..." Light's voice trailed
" Oh My God! If you two don't be friends I'm not gonna talk to either of you!" I said I got up and moved next to Zero. " Have they ever done this before?" asked Zero
" Yeah. Plenty. I'm just sick of it. I have a feeling this one isn't going to blow over." I sat in silence the wrest of the way there. When the bus stopped, we all got out. The Warden came over, " I see Bunker L has tried to escape once again. I guess that The Walk wasn't tough enough on you. Go put your stuff back in your bunker then come to the course field." We all went to our bunker and put our stuff away. " What do you think The Warden is going to do to us?" I asked
" I don't know, but it's probably not good." said Lightning We walked out of the bunkerto the course field. The Warden had a mega- phone, " Will all of the campers please report to the part of the field where I tell you what course to do." Soon, everyone was crouded around us. " Each of you will do 100 push ups." he turned to the campers, " This is what happens when you try to escape." By the time we finished our push ups, we missed dinner by 2 hours. " I'm starving." said Bones
" We all are. None of us ate all day." said Light We got back to Bunker L to find our two vacancies gone. " So... The Warden put you guys here."
" Yeah." said Tulex Tulex saw me take out my notebook. " Learned how to read, have you?" he asked
" And to write too. I'm my own person here."
" I wouldn't let you back in my gang for anything if you weren't you."
" I don't want to."
" What did you say you little traitor?"
" I don't want to be part of your gang anymore. You can't keep friends."
" Say that to my face." We stood up and walked to the middle of the room. " I'm not living with you when we get out. I need to go my own way. I wouldn't live with you if someone gave me my mom back." He pushed me. I pushed him back. we started fighting. We fought for at least 15 minutes before I came loose from his grip and I ran outside the back door. I climbed up the bunker wall. He followed. We're on the roof, ( how nice?) " Scared Tonya?" he asked
" Not even."
" Gonna try and kill yourself again and jump off the roof?"
" Why don't you? All you do is walk around town being a big shot and bossing people around."
" Really? Who taught you the town? Who taught you how to get what you want?"
" You did.... But you don't get it.. My entire family has done this."
" What?"
" We don't stay with one gang. We go to different ones."
" You can change. I did. I'm here. I got caught." I put my hand in my pocket, I pulled out the bandanna. " Take it.I can't... I have to...."
" You can."
" I want to find my mom." I threw the bandanna at him and jumped off the roof. Tulex stood there alone. I went inside. " You guys fought on the roof?!?!" asked Bones
" Yeah."
" Are you still friends?" aske Suda
" I don't know. He wants me to stay with his gang.. I want to find my mom.... I can't stay with him."
" Why?" asked Stone
" Every person in my family travels when they reach the age of 14. Every person."
" So be the first not to.. Then the 3 of you can look for your mom."
" I thought of that........ But these two can never stay friends." I looked at Suda. " It's not my fault. Tulex made me come with him to hold up the corner store. The cops saw me and figured what I was doing and got both of us arrested. " he said
" So, you idiot, you run! That's what I would have done."
" I couldn't. The cops blocked the ways out."
" Then break the window next to the side door. He's got the cheapest stuff in that window, if a fly landed on it, it would break."
" I never thought of that."
" Oh well."
" Are you and Tulex fighting?" he asked changing the subject.
" I don't know. It depends on him. Whatever he wants...." Tulex walked in the back door. " It's your decision, Tonya. i'll accept you back, just don't leave.I don't care if you bring everyone from this bunker. Just stay with us." Everyone looked at me. " If you and Suda agree never to fight again. Big deal. Suda messed up again. Now, because of him you're here with your friends."
" Fine. Suda, I'm sorry man."
" Right....."
" Guys, it's 9:00 and The Warden wouldn't be happy if we're late for our laps tomorrow." said Light No one spoke after that, we just went to sleep.
Chapter 18: The Warden's Mood
The horn blew the next day. It wasn't 3:00. It was earlier. " Why do we have to get up so early?" asked Bones, still half asleep walking to the bathroom
" I don't know." I said
" It's 2:00. I thought you said we have to get up at 3." said Tulex
" We usually do. Soemthings not right." said Light We changed into our work clothes and walked to the Food Hall. The Food Hall gave us so little to eat. " Okay. Something's definatly up. The Warden's never doen this before." said Zero After our 'breakfast', we walked our to the Course Field. The Warden was pacing again. All of the campers lined up. " I bet you all want to know why I have you up this early. That's because I decided to change your wake-up time. You will wake up at 2:00 every day from now on, and do 6 laps around each of the 5 courses, and your dinner time will be pushed back." He slowed down. " Why? Well, the more time you are supposed to be sleeping, the more time you have to plot and escape." That was it. Bunker L was the last straw for The Warden. " This Friday is the Annual Camp anniversary." said The Warden " A certain bunker may be banned from this lovely event." He gave a rather discusted look at Bunker L. The Warden gave us the courses we were to start with. Each member of Bunker L is very determind to get through the day without messing up. That didn't go to well. Tulex and Suda got into a fight and had to do the walk. Dinner seemed like days away becuase all we had for breakfast was a piece of toast and a carton of orange juice. I felt like I was starving by my 15th lap. After my last lap, The Warden announced that dinner waan't until another 2 hours. "I think he's trying to starve us." said Bones
" It's our fault. We're the one who tried to escape." said Light
" Meeting." I said
" Where?" asked Ziggy
" The roof."
" Don't you think the cameras will reach there?" asked Zero
" I don't know. we'll......" We became in range of a microphone. We walked inside Bunker L. I got out my notebook and wrote:
Are we still on for the anniversary?
I gave the paper to Light first. " I don't know." he said "If we get caught, he may not let us sleep."
" The Warden's getting really harsh. Like a girl PMSing." said Bones I gave him a dirty look. " Sorry."
" We should make The Warden something. To show him that we wont escape again." I said Ziggy gave me this weird look like, 'What the hell are you talking about? We're escaping on Friday!'
" Oh yeah! I'm alright!" he said once he caught on.
" Had to use your brain a little there, didn't you?" asked Stone
" I'll make something. I'm good at graffiti art." I said Then Tulex and Suda walked in the buker. " And you two can help me."
" With what?" asked Tulex
" You guys are helping me make a graffiti for The Warden." I said
" Oh... Are you going to stay with the gang?" asked Suda
" Alright.... I will."
" I think you might want this then." siad Tulex He threw me my bandanna. " Thanks."
" You guys make the art and we'll go to sleep." said Stone
" Oh.. Thanks."
" Your welcome." Tulex, Suda and I made this really cool graffiti art. It was the word 'Warden' and it was just cool. I wish I could keep it for myself. Tulex did all of the words. We finished the drawing at 10:00, when we went to sleep. Stone woke me up the next morning. " Huh?"
" Get up."
" Why? The bell hasn't rung yet."
" The Warden turned off the bells." I got out of bed and changed into my orange jump suit and went to breakfast. Stone slipped away from breakfast to put the drawing in The Warden's mailbox. The Warden walked into the Food Hall. " Good morning. campers." he said He sounded happy. " As you can tell, I have shut the bells off. The reason is, I am giving some of you a chance to sleep in a half hour if you like, but you will miss breakfast." Bunker L looked at eachother. " What's this about? Just yesterday he was trying to starve us to death!" whispered Ziggy
" I don't know. He's all happy now." said Light The Warden left. we met up with Stoen in line-up for our courses. " You wont believe what I found out!!" he whispered
Chapter 19: The Final Escape
" What!?!" I whispered
" The Warden has a daughter in a hospital in California. She's got amnesia. Just this morning he got word that she's her memory is comming back." said Stone
" Oh......" said Bones The Warden came over to us, " Do you have something to tell the camp, Mr.Jones?" asked The Warden
" No. Mr.Warden, sir."
" Good." The Warden told everyone where to go for the laps. The next few days got better in time. By Thursday The Warden we humming around campus. On Friday, The anniversary for the camp, escape day for Bunker L, The Warden let all of us sleep in untill a normal hour, around 6:30. I woke up to find that everyon from the bunker was gone. Every single person. There was a note on the floor left by them.
Dear Street,
We left for breakfast. The Warden gave us the day off. Meet us by the Bunker A log that Zero brought you to at 6:45.
José 'Lightning' Castro
I looked outside. There was a huge clock hanging from the Hospital. ( Which isn't far away.) It was almost 6:45. I changed and ran to the Bunker A log. " Sorry I'm a little late. I just woke up." I said
" Good, you're here. We can discuss the you know what." said Light
" At midnight. Tonight is the only night that The Warden allows himself to get drunk." said Bones
" That's a big help." I said
" Yeah." The Warden came by. " Why id Bunker L all the way by Bunnker A?" he asked
" We like this log." said Ziggy The Warden looked at him, " Right......" He walked away. " That was way creepy." said Suda
" Why don't we go and enjoy ourselves? We only have today, right?" said Tulex
"Your right Tulex. Lets go guys." said Zero The 8 of us walked to the Food Hall. They were giving out food. Ziggy took as much as he could carry. I don't know about them, but I'm going to save my food for the escape. At 8:00 tht night, the camp had a bon-fire. It was pretty cool. Suda was amazed. He looked hipnotized. The fire burned for 2 hours before everyone got bored of it. Campers started returning to their bunkers at around 10:30. Which was the time The Warden started getting drunk. Inside our bunker, we talked about the escape. No one was in The warden's office to watch the monitors. I took out my bag. Its more like a back pack. I emptied out my bandanna. I had made it so it could hold all of the food I took. " Woah! You took all of that food and no oe noticed!?!?!" said Bones.
" I was in the Food Hall about every 20 minutes. i would take like a few pieces of bread and stuff.. No one realized what I was up to. They just thought I was really hungry." I said All of the food took up the big space of my back pack. I had a smaller compartment which we put the 20 bottles of water we saved." I think we're all packed." I said
Now we just have to wait an hour and a half." said Tulex Stone and Zero fell asleep for the hour. I slept for about a half hour. Tulex and Lightning woke us up. " Get up guys." This time we actually got up. We walked through the death walk at night. It's pretty cold. We hopped the fence and celebrated. " We made it this time! No bus! No Warden!" said Ziggy We walked for miles and miles. When the sun came up, I could have sworn I heard The Warden scream. We reached a sign at around 8:00 the next day. " Look! We're in Utah!" We stopped in a general store. The manager saw us and thought that we were kids that ran away from abusive families because we looked so dirty. He gave us clean clothes and some food and water. It took us about 2 or three months, but we finally made it back to Paterson New Jersey. Only Tulex, Suda, Zero, Lightning and I were left. Stone, Ziggy, and Bones went back to their homes. When we got to Bones house, his parents let us stay the night. We all took a shower and got to sleep in a normal house. For Tulex, Suda and me, the only house we've ever slept in. At Stone's house, we each got a room to sleep in. Stone's family is like rich! I don't know how Stone can like to live like a poor kid. I'd switch places with him any day.. But I don't wanna! Ziggy was the last one to drop off. We had to pass Paterson to get o Ziggy's house. He lives in Bronx, NY. He lives in the kind of apartment that I lived in. With furniture of course. " Any time you guys wanna come and visit, just drop in.You know where to find me." said Ziggy
" Yeah. Back at Brookdell." I said jokingly.
" Don't even joke about that. I hate it there. I hope they get a better Warden. That guy is nuts!" he said
" Well Ziggy, thanks for the great times.. See ya later." I said
" Yeah. We gotta get back to Paterson before our territory gets taken." said Tulex
" Peace you guys!" We left for Paterson. When we finally made it back, I showed Zero and Light around. " This is my apartment." The building was in the worst condition ever. It looked like it would fall down any second. We walked around town. We saw The Chief. " Hey Chief!' I yelled
" Back so soon Tonya?"
" Yup. Missed you to much." I showed them 'our' territory. " This is my domain." said Tulex
" Hey! The 5 of us share this 'domain' now!" said Suda
" Where do you sleep, Tulex?" asked Zero
" Follow me." he said I haven't even seen where Tulex slept at night. He brought us down an ally- way, and in back of this bulding. " Here." It was a really old car. " The radio still works and I have $5.00 saved up that I found in the seats."
" And you never told us about this?!?! I'm sleeping in the car now." I said
" You got your little apartment." said Suda
" Not any more."
" Great. Now 5 people have to sleep in here." said Tulex
" It's alright. Light, Ze and I will go look for another sleeping domain." I said Light, Zero and I walked around town again, this time looking down ally- ways. We found another abandoned car. Finding abandoned cars in Paterson is something normal. The car wasn't far from where we live. " Look! I found $10.00 in the car!" said Zero.
" I know just what we can do with that. C'mon!" I said I ran to find Tulex and Suda. I brought everyone to a store that one of those photo machines. The pictures came out in color. I was luck I took the pictures then.... The worst thing happened that afternoon.. Lightnin met up with some rivals of his. Turns out that they were looking for him for the 2 years he was in Brookdell. They found him alright.. And killed him. One of them took a gun and just shot him, dead.
" Lightning!" I screamed I ran over to his body. The guys left, and it began to rain. Lightning wasn't completely dead. He was just barely alive. " Light, don't die on me." I said Everyone came over. " Tell my parents I'm sorry. That I was innocent." He stopped breathing. I took the pictures that Light had, out of his pocket. I cried all the way to Tulex's car. All of us slept there that night. The next day, Lightning's body was investigated. The boys were never caught. Tulex, Suda and I made Zero his own sign. Then we broke the news to them that we like eachother.
As you can see, My life wasn't very good to start with. I went to Brookdell Boot Camp, met a few new friends, became re-united with my old friends, and witnessed the death of one of my best friends. Just a little secret between you and me..... I kinda had a crush on him. He was more then a friend to me. We became attatched in a way. We were like brother and sister..
R.I.P José 'Lightning' Castro
About 100 years ago in a small town in Nevada, a man named James Brookdell bought a huge piece of land. The land stretched 200 miles in length and almost never ending in width. James had a beautiful wife named Marissa Brookdell. Marissa was already a month pregnant. During her 9th month, Marissa gave birth to a baby boy, which they named Tyrone. Tyrone inherrited the land when his parents died. Tyrone saw that the children of the town were always getting into trouble and causing fires and hurting the people. Tyrone decided to open a camp for the children to go to, to stay and learn right from wrong. Tyrone had also inherrited a large amount of money from his parents. He put a fence around the entire land. He grew grass on half of the land and built little cabins,which he called bunkers, for the children to sleep in. He built a hospital station, a food hall and obstical courses for the children to run. On the other half of the land he kept it dry and did not build anything on it. When his camp finally opened, he had already gotten a few town residents asking if they could either work or send their children there to learn self-dicipline. During the first week of the camps opening, there were about 100 children at the camp. A townswoman had made suits for the boys to wear while they were working. They were bright orange. Tyrone asked why she chose the color. The townswoman responded " It is to see them from all over. Orange sticks out from natures colors."
After the first meeting of the townswoman, Maria Janes, and Tyrone Brookdell, the two fell in love. Soon Maria and Tyrone gave the town the wonderful news that they would be married. If you haven't figured it out by now, Maria soon became pregnant. She gave birth to a baby boy, just like Tyrone's mother, Marissa. They named their son Bobby. Bobby grew up on the camp. Because Bobby was working on the camp like a juvenial deliquiant, he had to learn the ways of the camper boys. They gave eachother nicknames. Bobby soon became "Lil' Warden". Only because his father was the Warden and he look so much like him that the townspeople would get them mixed up. The tradition of the inherritance of the camp was passed down to each Brookdell boy. As weird as it may sound, each wife of a Brookdell gave birth to only 1 child who was always a boy.
A few centurarys passed and the camp was still going in the year 2003. This is were our story begins.
Chapter 1: Tonya Caldwell
"Hey! Hey you! Somebody stop that girl!!" yelled the store manager I ran out of the store with a pair of the newest, top-of-the-line basketball shoes on.( Which cost $500.00) I managed to out run the store manager. I saw the mall doors, I was almost home-free when...... I ran into the security guard. " Where do you think you're going Miss.Shop lifter?"
I just stood there. The guard hand-cuffed me and brought me down to the police station. When I got down to the station, the Chief was furious. " Miss.Caldwell! You have shop-lifted from almost every store in this town! I can't controll you anymore! You are going to Brookdell Boot Camp." yelled the chief so loud that I thought the whole neighborhood heard
" But Chief, isn't that a boys boot camp?" I asked
" No. Its just that no girl has ever crossed the line so much that they had to go there."
" Oh yay. I get to be the first."
" That isn't something you should be proud of Tonya. You are leaving tomorrow."
" Great...Can I leave now?"
" Go... Get out of here... Go and brag to your lil' friends."
"Hmph." I walked out of the police station and down a few blocks to my section of town. I saw my friend Suda walking tawords me. " Hey Caldwell! What's up??" he yelled down the ally way
" Brookdell Boot Camp."
" That boys boot camp?" he asked
" Its not just for boys.....I'm gonna be the first girl."
" Aw! Tulex! Come 'ere!" he yelled
A short, black kid with glasses and spiked hair came out from behind a garbage can. " Yo Tulex!" I said to him
" Sup Tonya?"
" Brookdell."
"They cought you again???? Damn girl! What'd you take?"
" The first pair of Kobe Bryant air sneaks." I said showing off the shoes I had on.
" When are you leaving?" asked Suda
" Tomorrow. Chief is taking me."
" Have fun girl. Good luck.. You'll need it." said Tulex
" How bad can it be?"
" Bad." If you haven't figured out yet, I am Tonya Caldwell and I live in ally-ways with my best buds Tulex and Suda. That isn't their real names.Those are their last names. Their first names are Felix Suda III, ( Really funny ha?) and Gregory Tulex. They thought that their last names are more "street". Tulex is like the boss of our town. He may be small, but he has been stealing since he's learned his way around town ( Which is a really young age!) and he doesn't even have a record.The police have heard about the things he has stolen from rumors and gossip going around town, but they never caught him once. Suda is my best friend. He's more like a brother then a friend. We watch out for eachother. Now, one of us is leaving. I'm going from a ghetto town to the middle of no-where, literaly. How nice! I went back to my appartment, well its not really my appartment. The land- lord saw me wandering around town and offered me a place to sleep if I would help around the place. Tulex says that he would have kicked me off the "street team" if I wasn't such good friends with him because sleeping in a room that has a roof that doesn't leak is being a trador. The land- lord says that he knew my mom. I don't really remember her that much. I was about 3 or 4 when she went to jail in another state and never came back. I've been living with Tulex and Suda ever since. Anyway...... I packed the little that I have into a bag and I went to sleep. I heard someone knocking on my door early in the morning. " Tonya!! Tonya wake up!"
It was the Chief. " I'm commin' Chief!" I yelled I grabbed my bag and unlocked the door and left with him. He brought me onto a bus. " Am I the only one going to the camp today?" I asked
" No we are making a few stops along the way." he said.
I sat down in the middle of the bus. It was so early in the morning that it was still dark outside. I fell asleep, I guess,becasue the next thing I knew was that we were stopping to pick up this kid. A black kid with spiked hair who resembled Suda a little bit, walked on and sat down next to me on the seat across from me. It must have still been early because he didn't realize I was there untill he looked straight at me. " What!?!?! You have to be on the wrong bus!!" he said
" Nope... I'm supposed to go to Brookdell Boot Camp."
" Are you serious?!?!? A girl at Brookdell??"
" Gotta problem?"
" What'd ya do?"
" Stole these." I showed him the shoes. " So you're the girl who stole the first pair of Kobe sneaks!" he said surprised.
"Yeah..What did you do?"
"I was cought trying to steal a radio. Hey!! All I wanted for my birthday was a lowsy radio.. Did i get it???No!!"
" Okay kid, Calm down."
" Easy for you to say. You've never been there before. I have."
" What's your name?" I asked
" I'm Khleo Jones, but at the camp I'm called Stone."
" Okay...."
" Who are you?"
" I'm Tonya Caldwell."
" Are your folks mad at you for stealing the shoes?"
" Um.... I don't have a family."
" Oh.. Sorry."
" Thats okay. I live on the streets with my friends Tulex and Suda. We have to take everything we need. Tulex is the best! He's been taking stuff since he was born, and he still doesn't have a record."
" Wow. Impressive."
" I know. The cops know that he steals things but they can't put him on trial becasue they never caught him. Not even on camrea. Once store managers realize something is missing, they know who took it."
" That's cool. I've always wondered how street kids lived. Oh.. Do you mind if I call you Street?"
" If you want to.. Go ahead." We heard a rattling noise comming from an intercom, " Now arriving in Upper Texas." said the Chief The bus started to slow down, and finally came to a complete stop. This (white) kid walked on the bus. " Hey! Stone! I told ya you'd be back! Holy carp!!!! A girl!?!?" he said in amazement
" You gotta problem with her?" he asked
" Its just.... A girl!! A girl at Camp Brookdell. The Warden isn't going to like this."
" Well he better get used to me."
" Where are you from, girl?" asked the kid
" Jersey." I replied, still half asleep.
" Jersey?!?! I would have thought you were from New York or something."
" Not all street kids are from N.Y."
" By the way, I'm Zach. At camp I'm known as Zar."
" I wont ask." Zach, or Zar, or whoever he is, stared at me. " Are you okay dude?" I asked
" You! You're Kobe Girl!!"
" You just realized that now?"
" I've never met someone who stole something that expensive." We heard the crackling of the intercom again, " Next stop, Camp Brookdell." The three of us sat and talked the rest of the way there. " So.. Suda and Tulex are black?" asked Stone
" Yeah. Tulex is sending a message cross country about me to...Where ever we're going."
" Nevada." said Zar
" Great.."
" Have you ever read the book 'Holes'?"asked Zar
" No... I can't read."
" Oh..Sorry about that."
" Thats okay. I always knew that if I never went to school I wouldn't have half the knowledge a regular person has. Even though I can't read or write, I can dodge security gurads and do stuff a regular person wouldn't be able to do if they tried thier whole life. And what's with the book 'Holes'?"
" It's the only book in the library. The Warden keeps threating us that he'll turn his camp into the one like in the book. That's why he has all of the campers read the book."said Stone
" Oh..."
" It's about a boy who gets framed and has to go to a camp to dig holes all day." said Zar
" I Hope you know how to run obstical courses for hours all day in the hot sun." said Stone
" Yeah. At the Camp you have to get up at 3:00 in the morning and run obstical courses almost all the day. If you go to slow on the course, or talk during your run, you have to walk the deadly walk from the desert area all the way to the fence." added Zar
" Thats 100 miles!!!!" said Stone
" This sounds like a little ray of sunshine."
" Oh yeah. Not one person who had to do the walk came back concious. They either black out or just passout from dehidration."
" Yippie!" I said sarcastically. We heard the rattling of the lovely intercom again, " Welcome to Camp Brookdell." said the Chief The bus drove passed a fence and started down a dirt path that had signs all around the 'road'. You couldn't really call it a road because all the road was, was a path way made out of darker dirt. Stone told me that the signs said that it was the road and not to go on it if you don't want to get hit by a car. When the bus made it through the gate, it closed so no one could escape. While we were looking out the window of the bus, I saw people passed out on the ground, and people walking to and from the fence. There was a man in a cart that went around to pick up the passed out people. I had a feeling that this camp wasn't going to be my favorite place to stay, but I had to make the best of it. After all, I was going to stay here for the next year to learn not to steal. The police don't understand that I don't have a home or any money to buy the things I need. If they stick me back in one of those shelters, I'll never survive. Kids need to be on their own sometimes and in that place you don't have any privacy. The kids are way too nice and would give up their lives if you said you could get them a bed that doesn't squeak.It looked like it would take at least another hour to get to the grass land. " Stone......' I almost choked on my next words because I don't know if he understood me." Pearto."
" What??" asked Zar
" Pearto.It's N.J street language for something."I said
" I think I know what that means." said Stone
" Oops."
" Don't be ashamed. You're pearto too." I think I actually blushed. " Okay! If you two are going to keep that language a secret fine!" said Zar annoyed
We just laughed.
Chapter2: Camp Brookdell
"Welcome to Camp Brookdell." said the Chief.
" Oh yippie.." The bus stopped and we all got out. A tall, skinny man with brown hair and sunglasses came over to us. " Girl and Stone, follow me. Zar go sign in and go to Bunker H."
" Yes!" he said and ran off. The man turned to us, " Follow me." We followed the man to an office. Inside it was air-conditioned and on the desk was a sign that had something on it. " It's the Warden's office." wispered Stone.
The man gave Stone a clip-board. " Sign in. Write your full name, parents' name and phone number." I paused. " Excuse me, I don't have parents or a phone number." I said
" Then put the local police station." he said The man must have trusted us to sign in by ourselves because he left the office. Stone took the clip-board and signed in.
Name: Khleo Jones
Parents: Eliya Jones
Phone#: (296)-555-6359
Then I wrote down my information.
Name: Tonya Caldwell
Parents: Jersey Police
Phone#: (255)-555-3290
"You're lucky." said Stone. " If they call the police they're not going to care."
" Maybe, pearto."
" Stop calling me that. I Know you don't mean it. I'm not that stupid."
" I'm seriouse. I do mean it."
" Right...."
" No, really. I think you are pearto."
" Whatever."
The guy came back in." These are your clothes. Wash day is every three day. In that case is in 2 days for you."he said " Follow me. You guys will be in Bunker L."
We followed the guy to a Bunker close to the Food hall. (That's what Stone said. It could be something else.) There were kids outside playing football. One of them saw us and yelled, " Look guys! Stone's back!" Five boys ran over to us. They made a pathway and this one kid to come down. " A girl!?! No way am I letting a girl stay in my bunker." said the white kid
"Judvo." I said. The kid (who is black) who came down the middle spoke, " Did you say 'judvo'?"
" Yeah. Judvo." I said " You know Tulex?"
" You're Tulex's judvo?"
" Yeah."
" She's okay guys." said the kid " She's Kobe Girl."
" Cool! We got Kobe Girl!" said the white kid.
" Tonya, before I can accept you, you must tell me a secret."
" Tell me your name and then I'll tell you the secret."
" My name is Demish." I walked out of the area where the other kids were standing. Demish followed. " My secret is that I think Stone is pearto... But he wont believe me."
" You!?!? You seeta Stone?"
" Yeah... He wont believe me." Demish started laughing. " Shut up!!!!" I said
" What'd you say, girl?"
" Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I'm a whimp."
" It's just so funny! You seeta Stone!" Demish said that a little louder then usual. I think Stone understood him, becuase he pulled me away from everyone else and into the bunker. " Is what you told Demish for real? Or are you just saying that to get out of telling him a secret?"
" What I told Demish is real."
"God...This can't be happening."
" It is..Get used to it." I walked out of the bunker/cabbin.Stone just stood there. Outside Demish started to talk to me."Do you think you're tough Tonya?" he asked
" No. I don't think I'm tough...I'm just street."
" Really? How is that?" he asked in dibelief
" I live on the streets off the stuff I have to steal."
" Oh." A bell rang which indicated time to eat. As you can see I'm not making many friends. Actually, I have no friends. You can't really call Demish or Stone friends. And no! I'm not telling you what seeta and pearto mean!! You have to figure it out for yourself. I got on line in the food hall thing to eat dinner... If you can call it that.I picked up my tray of mush. Then I realized I had no place to sit. This white kid came over to me, " Stone wants you to sit with us. Follow me." I followed him to the table where Stone was siting. " Hey Street." he said
" Okay........... Why are you so nice all of sudden?"
" I thought about what you said before in the bunker."
" Oh okay."
Chapter 3: Bunker L
" Yo Stone! Aren't you gonna tell us who Kobe Girl is?" asked the white kid
" I'm Tonya. Who are you?" I said There were four people at the table. Two are black, one is hispanic and the other is white. The kid who spoke first looked very anti-social. He is small, skinny and one of the two black kids at the table. " I'm Ryan, but everyone knows me as Zero.My friends back home say I remind them of the character Zero in the book holes... So does everyone here." He began to eat again. The boy next to Zero introduced himself next. " I'm Josh, But at lovely Camp Brookdell I'm known as Bones. I don't remeber why though...."
" You're always saying that you would find bones on the grounds of old campers." said Stone. Bones is an average weight/height kinda guy. Also the other black member of the table besides Stone. "I'm Chris." said the white kid " Around here, I'm Ziggy."
"Why?" Ziggy stood up. He looked about 14 and was almost seven feet tall. " I'm a Zigwell." " Okay..." All that was left was the hispanic person. " I'm José. People call me Lightning.. Or Light for short."
"I'm gonna ask why."
" He has the fastest reflexes on campus!" said Bones
" Sure...." I said in disbelief
" Fine. I'll show you."
" Take the spoon from Tonya's tray." said Ziggy Lightning studied my tray and the spoon very carefully.Then.. 'Wham!' He took the spoon from my tray. If you blinked.....I think you would have missed him take the spoon. " I thought you were going to react.. Like try and stop me."
" Give me the spoon and do it again." I said Lightning gave me the spoon, then he studied my tray and the spoon carefully again. He snapped his arm out to grab the spoon but..... Everyone stared at me. " No way!!!! This is not possible!" said Stone I saw Zero quietly mutter a word like " Woah" or something. Everyone at our table was astonished. " You did it! You're the first person to ever stop Lightning!!" said Ziggy I had grabbed Lightning's arm. He looked a littel upset. " She's not exactly the first person. All street kids have faster reflexes then me. Demish does.. but Demish the great wont do anything to out of line or he'll explode! When was the last time you saw him do the walk after taking 2 hours longer then everyone else?!?!?!?!?!?" Lightning was obviously getting hot headed. " Calm down Light. You'll start another riot." said Stone Okay!! Freeze frame! One minute I have no friends, the next minute I do. There's this kid Zero named after a character in a book, Bones for what he bragged about, Ziggy because he's tall? And Lightning or Light because he has fast reflexes.
I felt pretty bad for Light. He has the record for having the fastest reflexes on campus..Then I come along and break his record. Damn... I should have gone slower..I would have looked like a fool, just like everyone else who tried to stop him.. but it wouldn't make me feel as bad. Oh sure..I would get laughed at.. but it's worth it. After dinner Bunker L walked back to the tent/bunker/cabbin, (Whatever!) Ziggy talked with Light. " She made you look like a total idiot!"
" Yeah..Well..."
" Well what?"
" I know she didn't mean to make me look like an idiot. I just know it. Street kids have respect for their friends and wouldn't do something like that on purpose." Lightning walked ahead of Ziggy and up to me. " Hey Lightning..Look, I'm really sorry about what happened before in the Food hall. I Never should have done it." I said
" It's okay. I know you didn't mean to make me look like a total jerk infront of our bunker."
" Really?"
" Yeah. I used to be part of a street crew. I went my seperate ways when the gang I was in started to do drastic things like setting buildings on fire..."
" So you understood judvo before?"
" Yeah. You're from Tulex's clan."
" Yuppz. You're a great judvo."
" Thanks chica."
" Is that kid Zero always so quiet?"
" Yeah. He does his laps and then comes back and just sits in the corner of the bunker. We don't bother him because we're scared that he's plotting revenge. He's suicidal and paraniod."
" I went through that stage. I was about to jump of a building when Suda said he'd take my most prized posession and burn it if I didn't come down."
" Maybe you could help Zero. Poor kid, he's been here the longest out of all of us. Two long years."
" That long!?!?!"
" Yup." By then we reached Bunker L. Light and I walked inside. The boys stayed outside for a football game. " Hey Street!" I heard someone yell.
It was Stone. " You can sleep over here." He pointed to a bed next to his. It was inbetween his and Zero's. Let me tell you something. Bunker L isn't the biggest place in the world. If you had to compare it to something.... I think air would be bigger. It is just big enough to fit all of the eight beds and a broken T.V set in it. There are two doors at the end of the bunker. They are the bathroom doors. One for girls and one for boys. Camp Brookdell is green, unlike Camp Green Lake in the book Holes.. As so I've been told. Half the land is green however. The other half is desert for the walk of death. It is 100 miles long! You have to walk to the fence and back. Not one camper has been able to do that yet.
Anyway..I sat on my bed ( cot ) and sat down facing Zero. " Hey Zero." I said He didn't answer me, he just turned away. " Okay.. I thought I could just get to know you better..."
He wispered something.
" What?"
Chapter 4: Zero
He turned around, " Why?"
" Because we're in the same bunker....."
" That's not it. I know it. Lightning told you why I'm here and you just want to 'help' me."
" No. I don't even know why you're here. He just told me that you've been here for two years."
" So Light didn't tell you why I'm here?"
" No."
" Oh... Well, I'm paranoid and suicidal.."
" Let me ask one question."
" Okay."
" Do you have any parents?"
" No..I did though.. They're the whole reason why I'm here. See, my father was part of a gang. He betrayed them......"
" Not good."
" Yeah.. We were at the park.. I went to get ice cream and I heard a gun shot. I ran back to my parents and the gang had shot both of my parents. I hid behind a tree and heard the leader say ' Your little kid is next.'."
" That's really sad." He began to whimper. I sat on his bed and put my arm around him to confort him. He leaned over on me. Good thing no one else was in the room.. I would have been laughed at so much. Everyone was outside playing football. " You're the only one I've ever told."
" I can see why you're paranoid." He hugged me.
" You understand me?" he asked
" Yeah. My mom was sent to jail in another state.. I haven't seen her since that day."
" Oh.. How old were you when your mom left?"
" I was 3 or 4. Yeah, four because Suda is 14 and he's a year older then me and he was five."
" You're my best friend." He stopped crying. " Why are you suicidal?" I asked
" Before it was because no one would talk to me. I had no friends.Now I have you. As soon as my paranoia stops I can finally get out of here."
" Where did you live?" I asked
" New Jersey."
" No way! I lived in New Jersey!"
" Really?!? I lived in Paterson."
" Oh my God!! We lived in the same town."
" How cool!"
" So you know ma man Tulex?" I asked
" Yeah."
" Between you and me.. Can you keep a secret?"
" Sure.. Who else am I gonna tell?"
" I seeta Stone."
" Holy!!...." He bit his fist. " You!!! A white girl!?!?!"
" I know! But he's a pearto!" He started to laugh. " Shut up!" I said He just kept laughing. We heard the door to the bunker squeak and then close verry quietly. Zero stopped almost automatically. No one came in the bunker. " They were listening in on us." he said
" Why?"
" I don't know. I don't talk to them. They always make fun of me. I bet they think I like you and stuff like that."
" You're just a friend." I said
" I know that, and you know that. But they don't know that."
" Can you read?" I asked out of the blue.
" Yeah. I did go to school."
" Oh.. I didn't. I can't read to much. I know how to read stop signs and stuff like that."
" I have an idea. Maybe I can teach you."
" But how? Everyone teases you. And plus. When do we have time?"
" Still, I can fit that in my schedual.I'll help you with your reading and you can help me with my paranoia. Deal?"
" Deal." We shook on it. All the guys started to pour into the bunker. One by one the y took their clean clothes and lined up infront of the bathroom to take a shower. After Stone took his shower he came over to me. " Hey Street, Ziggy told me that you and Zero are close."
" We're friends..yeah."
" He said he saw you guys hug."
" Maybe I did hug him. He had the guts to tell me something he never told anyone else."
" So...."
" It's kind of disturbing , Stone."
" What can be so disturbing that would make him cry?" Zero must have heard what Stone had said because he turned away. " You wouldn't know Stone. You don't care about anyone." I turned around and sat on my bed, with my back facing Stone, talking to Zero who turned around. " Is Stone always like that?"
" Mean? Sometimes."
" Why don't people like you?"
" I don't talk to them...I'm not as tall as them.. I didn't do anything as dangerous as they did.And they think I'm younger then them, I'm 14, I'm older then Ziggy."
" I get that all the time. I'm the same size as you."
" Really? My first impression of you was that you were like 16 or something."
" Really? That's a first." I could feel someone behind me, watching me. " Ze, is someone watching me?"
" Yeah. Stone."
" He's not going to get me to talk to him by looking at me." Stone aparently heard me. " You've caused enough trouble here, Caldwell. Go back to Jersey and stay there." Stone called me Caldwell. That's a first. " Okay.. Why don't you learn how to take people's feelings in to consideration?"
" What?"
" Get a life, Khleo. Get a life, one that cares for people besides themself." I went to go take a shower. All of the members of Bunker L went to sleep at 8:00. Everyone but me. I rolled over in my cot and saw that Stone was still up. " What's your problem?" he asked
" My problem? You're the one who gave me an attitude when I told you what happened between me and Zero."
" If you tell me what he told you....."
" He told me about his parents. And how he watched his parents die. Okay!!"
" Oh.. He's never told anyone about that before."
" Exactly Stone. He felt like he could trust me."
" I never knew you liked little kids."
" He's not little. Maybe in size... We're the same age as him!"
" Sure.. What ever."
" Stone, I'm serious. Have I ever lied to you before?" He didn't answer me. " No."
" He's our age, just my height. If you haven't noticed we are exactly the same height."
" He's your height?"
" Yeah.. He's like the brother I never had." I paused. " And you're the pearto I always wanted." I turned away and went to sleep.
Chapter 5: Boot Camp day 1
Zero woke me up the next morning a little bit before 3:00. " Tonya.. Get up." he whispered.
" What?" I said sleepily " Ahhh!" I fell out of the bed. " That hurt!" I whispered. We laughed silently. I got up and went ot the bathroom and changed to my work clothes, came out and made my bed. " Can you tell me why you woke me up earlier then everyone else?" " I heard you last night. You stuck up for me."
" Yeah......"
" No one ever did that before."
" I don't let my friends get made fun of if I can stop it."
" Better get this over with quick." he mumbled He walked over to me and hugged me. An extremely loud buzzer type bell rang. Everyone from Bunker L got up. I followed Zero to breakfast. I sat with Zero at the table I sat at during dinner the night before. Stone came over to us. " Umm...Can I sit here?" asked Stone I looked at him, then at Zero. I leaned over so only he would be able to hear me. " Can he sit here?"
" I guess so..." I turned around to Stone. " Okay.. You can sit here." He sat down next to Zero. " Zero....."
"Yeah?" he asked softly almost in a whisper.
" I'm really sorry for what me and the guys say about you."
" Really?"
" Yeah... I take back everything I've ever said about you." We finished eating. A really loud bell rang. " Yippie, my first day out on the courses." I said. I followed Zero and Stone out of the Food hall to where the obstical courses were. The Warden was waiting. " Welcome boys....." said The Warden He looked at me, " And girl... Today's training is to do each of the five courses five times. That is twenty laps. There will be counselors watching your every move. One word out of any of you without permission and it's the Death Walk." He started to pace back and forth infront of the, about 200 people standing. " Bunkers A and B will start on the first course...." He started to tell everyone what course to start at. when we got to our obstical course, I stuck with Zero and Stone. They knew what to do. On our 15th lap, Zero died down a little. By the look of the sun, it was about 11:30. The obstical courses are huge and it takes about an hour to do 2 laps. We were almost finished with our 17th lap when, I thought Zero was goin to pass out. His face told me that he was really dehidrated. Hey! He's been here for 2 years! He's been through enough. " Ze..." I whispered " Pretend you're running away from the gang." Zero caught his breath and kept going. " Miss.Caldwell! If I catch you talking one more time you are doing the walk!" yelled some counselor I just kept moving. I was almost finished with my last lap when I collapsed. " Help.." I said faintly to Zero and Stone. This counselor walked over to me, " Miss.Caldwell! That is it! Follow me to the walk!" I got up and followed the guy. I looked at Zero and Stone. They lowered their heads and kept going. I followed the really annoying counselor to the half way mark. " Walk to the fence and back." he said
" What if I don't make it?"
" Someone will come and get you." I started walking. The first mile is extremely hard. After that.. you have this feeling that you're going to make it. The blazing sun beat down on me, burning on my fair skin, dehidrating my already dehidrated body. I thought I was seeing things..but when I reached the fence there was a container of water. I took a sip and headed back. As I started walking back, I felt dizzy and woozy. I saw the guy in the cart pick up someone's passed out body about a mile or two away. The heat had gotten to me. I passed out.
" Street?" I heard someone say.
" Tonya??" said another voice. I opened my eyes. " What happened?" I asked Everything was blurry." You passed out during the walk." said Ziggy. I sat up, and everything came into focus. I was back in Bunker L. " Who brought me back?"
" The little dude who rides in the stupid cart all day."
" You were really dehidrated." said Stone
" Yeah! You were hooked up to a couple of I.V's in the Hospital. The nurse was furious."
" Dinner is in a half hour guys!" yelled some counselor walking by the bunker who popped his head in.
" I feel like such an idiot." I said
" You shouldn't. You lasted pretty long out there for your first time."
" So..How did you guys do on your laps?"
" Ze almost fainted." said Stone.
" Aww.." said Ziggy in a baby voice " Poor little Zero. Couldn't take the heat you baby?"
Chapter 6: Little Baby Zero
"That's it!!!!" yelled Zero Everyone looked at him like he was a real baby who just spoke his firat word. " I'm not younger then you!!!! I am not a baby and I'm not little!!!!"
" Sure...We all know you're little." said Lightning
" That's it!! I'm sick of you guys teasing me!! I'm not a baby! If you don't believe me GO ASK THE WARDEN!!!!!" Zero ran out of the front door of the bunker. I went to get up. " And where do you think you're going??" asked Bones
" I'm going to find my friend if you don't mind." I got out of the bed and walked out of the bunker. No one seemed to follow me. Outside, I could hear Zero crying.. but I couldn't see him. I looked all over the campus for him. I finally found him behind the Food Hall, on the ground, sitting with his head in his knees. " Zero??"
" Leave me ALONE!!"
" Ze.. It's me."
" Oh...Sorry about that." I sat next to him. "Please don't do anything to hurt yourself."
" I just want to leave this place!"
" Don't."
" Why?"
" I don't want you to leave.You're my only friend I have here.
" Really?"
"Really, Zero. I can trust you a lot more then Stone." It atarted to rain. " Let's go back."
" Okay." I helped him up and we walked back to the bunker. The boys in our bunker were talking. We stopped to listen. I know it was wrong.... but, what if they are talking about me? " Who does she think she is?!?!?!?!?"
" I know!!! I think she might actually like Zero."
" But he's so little. He can't be 14.. He has to be younger, 11 or something." Outside, I looked at Zero. " How can they say that about me??"
"They're mean, Tonya. Don't listen to what they say."
" You don't want to know what's going to happen to them if they keep this up."
" If you get into the fight... I don't know what'll happen."
" Right now.. I don't care." We kept listening. " I can't believe that this girl likes me!!"
" She likes you!?!?!?!" I could tell that Stone and everyone else would make fun of me if i decided to walk into the bunker right now. I came to the conclusion that I can't trust any of them and I'm going to ignor every single one of them. " My opinion is that Tonya should be able to act the way she likes and like the people she choses." I didn't recognize the person who spoke.
" But Demish......"
" Who cares who she likes? She should be accepted on who she is, not who she likes." he said " Remeber when you first came here, Stone....." his voice trailed off.
" Okay.. But who is she really?"
" Yeah! All we know is that she stole some pair of shoes."
" She isn't just some regular person. Remeber in 1999 when some 10 year old girl was thrown in jail for being high and steeling?"
" Yeah.. So... It was some girl from New York."
" No it wasn't. It was her. Tulex told me. She was going throught Death Depression and got high.."
" Damn... Alright.. Who wants to give this girl another chance?" Zero and I waited for the responce. " Okay we'll give her another chance."
" But what about Zero?"
" We'll just have to interrigate him." I looked at Zero, " Now I want to go home."
" Tonya.. You don't lok so good."
" I don't feel good. I think it's the food here." Then I threw up. " Uhg! That's gross!"
" It don't taste like candy either!" Stone came out of the bunker. " Uge! That's nasty!"
" She's sick. Help me get her to the hospital." I puked agian. Zero took one of my arms and put it around his shoulder. Stone did the same. They brought me to the hospital. I only puked once on my way there. At the Hospital Hall I was treated really quick. " The nurse said that I have the Stomach flu." I told Stone and Zero.
" Hope you feel better." said Stone before he left. " Yeah.. We gotta get going. We still have to do our laps tomorrow." said Zero
" Good night Ze." I said He gave me a hug. " G'Night Stone." He came over and gave me a hug too. I fell asleep right after they left. I woke up the next day at around 5:00, feeling a lot better. I waited for Stone and Zero to come and visit me. Zero came after dinner. " Hey Ze." I said
" How are ya feeling?"
" Better. What did Stone say to you?"
" He appologized, again. And......"
" And what?"
" I can't tell. I promised not to tell."
" Please.... "
" I can't, Tonya."
" Is it about me then?"
" Yeah."
" Is it a good thing?"
" Dependes.. I guess so.. Yeah."
" Um... I have a huge problem."
" Okay.. What is it?"
" I can't talk to you about it."
" Why?"
" It would spoil the whole thing!"
" Tell me!"
" Okay.. I like someone besides Stone.."
" Ooo!"
" Oh please!"
" Who is it?"
" Well, he's cool, always knows the right thing to say.. I think I could stay with him forever."
" Who are you talking about??" I crossed my arms.
" Who??"
" Oh my God you're so stupid."
" I'm not stupid. I just can't figure out who you like."
" Actually you are if you can't figure it out."
" Just tell me who it is before Sotne decides to drop in."
" You." I swear, he looked like he was going to pass out right then and there. After all, it would be the best place to pass out in!) " Are you serious?"
" Yeah. Last night... when you hugged me.. I felt something. Like a connection."
" Me too." Zero sat down on my bed. " That kinda screwed up what Stone told me."
" What did he say?"
" He said that he thinks he likes you but I'm getting in the way."
" And how is that possibly good?"
" I don't know. I thought you would chose him over me."
" Dude, friends always come first."
" Well, I'll probably be back in our bunker soon.." I said
" See ya later." He gave me a hug and left. Stone never came to visit. My little idea is that he was outside listening in on my conversation with Zero. It would be the "Stone" thing to do. At around 6:30 I was let out. I got out of the bed and walked to Bunker L. The 6:00 football game was still going. I went inside to talk to Zero. When I walked inside I saw Zero on his bed, crying " Ze!"
Chapter 7: Stone vs. Zero
I ran over to him. He loke up at me. He had a black eye. " What happened?!?!"
" Stone.. He-he-he" He wimpered
" Where is that little.." I swore, cursed, whatever you want to call it. It was the first time Zero heard me. " When i get really annoyed at someone I tend to swear."
" Oh."
" Where is he???"
" Outside."
" I'll be right back." I went outside. " Stone!! Get ova here now!"
" What??" he asked annoyed
" Get over here, now!" He didn't do anything. Bunker L stopped playing football. So.. I walked over to him and pushed him. " What the hell was that for??"
" What the hell did you do to Zero???"
" He deserved what he got." he said in a snotty voice.
" Why? Is it because you're jealous. I know you were listen in on our conversation." I said " Go ahead.. Tell me." Stone just gave me a dirty look. " Fine.. If you don't want to answer me I'm gonna leave." I turned around and began to walk to the bunker. Stone picked up the football and threw it at me. I turned around and caught it. " You can't sneak up on a street kid." said Lightning. I threw the ball down. " You wanna fight? C'mon.. I dare ya. Hit me." He didn't move. " C'mon Stone. You know you want to hit me. You want to give me a black eye like you gave Zero." Everyone stared at him. " You gave Zero a black eye?!?!?" said Ziggy
" Stone wouldn't do that." said Bones.
" I'll go get Zero then." I walked away and into the bunker. " Zero.. You gotta come outside." I said Zero followed me outside. Allaround Zero's eye was a purple/black color. " What's that about Stone?" asked Lightning
" He's jealous. He listened in on the conversation I had with Zero in the hospital."
" What's your proof!?"yelled Stone
" Zero's the proof. Unless you just decided to give him a black eye for no reason."
" How is Zero proof of anything?" Stone asked
" I told Zero a secret in the hospital, you don't come to visit when you said you would and i come back and Zero has a black eye? That's all the prrof I need."
" Okay.. Maybe I did listen in on your little conversation."
" You found out the secret I told Zero. You got jealous and took your anger out on him."
" Wait! What are you talking about?" asked Bones Both of us, ( Stone and me) looked at him. " Keep out of this!" I said
" So what you're saying , Street, is that you put 2 and 2 together and Zero is your answer."
" Yeah."
" What is the secret?" asked Demish
" I'm not telling you. If this kid decides to tell you...." I walked back into the bunker. Zero followed. Inside, Zero and me started a beautiful conversation. " He's gonna tell."
" If he knows what's good for him he wont tell." I sat down on my bed. I felt like crying.i have no reason to cry.. I guess I'm worried about what Stone's going to do with my secret. About a minute or two later, Lightning came running in. " Haha! Stone just spilled it on you, chica!" he said
" What?!?!"
" He told all of us about Zero."
" Really??" I said in a really depressed voice.
" Are you okay, chica?" he asked
" Do I look okay??" I began to cry. " Do I look okay to you Lightning?"
" No..No you don't."
" I should have never said anything. I should have waited untill everyone was sleeping and then told Zero." I put my head in my hands " I should have never stolen the shoes." I got up and walked over to my bag. I took out a gun. " How did you get that in?!?!?" asked Lightning
" I can sneak anything in anyewhere."
"What are you doing?? Streeet! Everyone from our bunker is watching."
" Good." Zero finally caught on to what I was doing. " Tonya! Don't do it!
" Sorry. Bye."I said I pulled the trigger.
Now, you probably think I'm dead right now. But if I'm dead, how can I be telling you what is happening? Maybe my ghost is telling the wrest of the story. Or maybe I survived the bullet and it's lodged in my brain and I only have one week to live.
Nope. None of those things happened. Lightning moved my arm out of the way just in time, and I only made a hole in the ceiling. Everyone rushed in from outside. " Don't tempt her. She's got a gun." said Lightning
" Dude, don't do that." said Stone
" Why? You're just lucky that was my last bullet."
" That's why you get along so well with Zero. The both of you attempted suicide."
" Correction. I've attempted sucicide. He hasn't."
" From now on I'm not going to upset this girl."
" Good. I can turn a harmless stick into a weapon of death. Don't tempt me."
" Alright...I wont tell another secret of yours."
" Good. I don't think you want to witness the death of a bunker member."
" So you really did give Zero the black eye?" asked Bones
" Yeah. I was jealous....I guess."
"Jealous?? Of me?? Little baby Zero?? No one should like me right? I'm too little for someone to like!!"
" I do.. And nothing can change that."
" But what about Stone?" asked Lightning
" I liked him alright.. Then I got to know the real Stone. I thought ' Why should I have him as a boyfriend when I can have him as a friend?'"
" Really?"
" Yeah." I walked over to Zero and put my arm around his shoulder. He put his hand around my waist.
Freeze Frame! Oh my God! How cool is this? I have feelings ( not hatered) for someone who doesn't want to die! You could say we are " going out" but we have no place to " go out" to.. Until.......
Chapter 8: Brookdell Dance
" Hey guys, isn't that Brookdell dance thing comming up?" asked Bones
" What?" I asked
" There is an all girls boot camp in another town in Nevada. Every year for a week they come here and we have this dance thing."
"You two make a really cute couple." said Lightning
" Well.... We just found out that we came from the same town." I said
' So, you guys probably knew eachother."
" Most likely." We all went to sleep at 8:00 as usual... Or so I thought. I rolled over in my cot and saw that Zero was still awake. " Ze, are you sleping?"
" No."
" Okay.. Anyway.. I've been wanting to give you something all day, but I was embarrased to give it to you infront of everyone else." We both sat up. I got out of bed and moved over onto Zero's. He sat up. I leaned over and kissed him on the lips. I went ot get up and go back to bed when Zero grabbed my arm. "Wait." He pulled me back on to the bed. " Look at the stars."
"Huh?"
" Look at the stars. They're beautiful."
" Yeah... I was always interested in the stars."
" Me too." Well.... I guess that we were a little more tired then we thought because we had fallen asleep together in Zero's bed. ( You do not want to be me right now.) I woke up the next morning to someone going " Ooooooo!" I opene my eyes and realized what was going on. " God.." I said
" What did you two do last night?" asked Stone
" I know exactly what you guys think. No."
" Are you sure?"
" C'mon guys!" Zero woke up. ( Well we weren't being too quiet were we?) " What's going on?" he asked
" Go back to sleep. It's torture." The bell rang for breakfast.I went to the bathroom and changed. Zero and I went to eat breakfast. " Do you know what everyone thinks?"
" That we slept together, right?"
" Yeah."
" Figures....." We ate breakfast and went out to go and see what we had to do. The Warden was out pacing again. " As you all should know, the anual Brookdell Dance is approaching. This year a new rule is to bet applied. You all need partners to go with." The whole camp was shocked. " Well, at least I know who I'll be going with." I whispered Zero smiled. " You will have to write down on the sign -up sheet infront of my office who you will be going with. The girls' camp will be here soon." The Warden stopped pacing. " You have the next week, untill the dance to get to know the girls at the camp and find a partner." Zero and I went to go sign in. When we signed in, a bus pulled up. " What does the writing say?" I asked Zero
" Campshire Boot Camp." he replied When the bus stopped, all the girls poured out of the bus. " All girls boot camp..." The last person out of the bus was this older lady. I guess she is the Warden of the other camp.She took this girl into the Warden's office. I guess The Warden didn't like what the other warden wanted." NO! Absolutely not! I already have one girl here!" yelled our warden There was a silence. " The other girl was an exception! Alright! Here are your clothes. Go to Bunker L." The girl and the lady walked out of The Warden's office. The girl turned to us. " Do you know where Bunker L is?" she asked
" Yeah. Follow us." We brought her to Bunker L. " What's you're name?" I asked
" Maria." she said in the worst spanish accent I've ever heard.
" Okay then...." We had reached Bunker L. " This is Bunker L."
" Okay." Stone came out of the bunker. " Hey Tonya."
" Hey Stone." I said We walked Maria up into the bunker. Stone followed. " Guys! New recruit!" yelled Stone All the boys came over to us. Maria was looking at everyone else.. She focused on one person, Lightning. " Hi José!" she said
" Hey, Maria." He was the only person not crouding around her. I walked over to him. " You know her?" I asked " Old neighbor. She's the reason why I'm here."
" Why and how?"
" She planned the whole thing. She was cutting herself for weeks. She told the cops that I was abusing her. One day the cops got a call from her. She stole my pocket knife and planted it so it looked like I did it."
" Oh.."
" The cops never found out that my brother, twin brother, was really abusing her"
" What happened to him?"
" He got high on marajuana and drove off a bridge and died."
" That's a really weird way to die..."
" I know... I've been here since I was 16."
" How old are you now?"
" Eighteen."
" You're an adult. Why don't you leave."
" Technically I am. If I leave here I have to go to jail."
" You don't want to go there. Believe me."
" I will.. I was there once."
" Okay....back to the Maria story."
" Don't trust her with anything."
" I wont. I don't like her."
" Hey, Tonya!" she called over I walked over to her. " What?" I asked in a gloomy voice
" You come from Paterson, right?"
" Yeah, why?"
" Just wondering." she said in a preppy voice. I was about to go and finish my conversation with Lightning when Stone pulled me over to a corner. " Do you like her?" he asked
" No."
" Good. I just found out why she was tranfored."
" Why?"
" In the first camp she went to, she tried to kill a camper. In the second one, she did."
" Are you serious??"
" Positive."
" Did you tell anyone else?"
" Yeah. Bones and Ziggy are drooling over her."
" What's the big deal about her anyway? She's got a nose ring... Big deal!"
" You're jealous."
" No. I just hate people who act all preppy and try to talk with a spanish accent."
" Did you get any type of pierceing done?" asked Stone changing the subject.
" Yeah. I pierced my tongue. I still have the hole. Wanna see my ring?"
" Umm... Okay."
Chapter 9: Tongue Rings
I went over to my bag and took out a small black bow. I took ou the ring in it and put it in my tongue. " That's gross... But somehow cool."
" Thanks."
" Does Zero know about that?"
" Not yet."
" He will now." He ran over to Zero and brought him back over to me. " Open your mouth, Tonya. " said Stone I shook my head 'no'. " C'mon. He has to find out sooner or later." he said
" What am I gona find out?" asked Zero
" Tonya! Show him!!" I opened my mouth and stuck out my tongue. " A tongue ring!?!?! How come you never told me you had one before?"
" I thought you wouldn't like me anymore."
" I always wanted a tongue ring."
" Really?"
" Yeah. I tried to pierce my tongue myself."
" Couldn't take the pain, could you?"
" That hurts!"
" Did you knumb your tongue?"
" I tried to."
" How can you try to? You take the stupid needle and knumb your tongue. How hard is that?"
" Hard."
" I should know. I pierced my tongue."
"Cool."
" I'd pierce it for you.. but I don't have any of my needles with me. I had to leave them behind."
" To bad. Maybe I can get it done professionally when I get out of here."
" Yeah, if we get out of here." said Stone
" They can't keep us here forever." I said
" Yes they can. If you have no parents, you're government property. The camp can do what ever they want with you."
" Uh-oh." I said
" You have no parents, right?"
" Well, I do have a mother out in this world somewhere. If I could only find her... I can get out of this place." I said " If I find out I'm staying here forever, I'm definatly running away."
" You'll die out there." said Zero
" Then I'll die. I rather die then stay here the wrest of my life."
" You're not thinking of leaving before the dance, are you?"
" Nah." Ziggy came over." What's this little circle thing for?" he asked
" Me." I said
" Why?" I stuck out my tongue. " Cool!" he said He went over to where everyone else was crouded around Maria and, I'm guessing, told them about me.
" Street! Show them!" said Ziggy I stuck my tongue out one more time for everyone to see. " I've got a never- before-used tongue ring if someone wants me to pierce them. If you can take the pain, 'cause I don't have any of my gear with me."
" Okay.. I'll do it."
" Fine. Just don't yell when the ring goes in."
" Alright." I went over to my bag and I took out o box. Inside the bok was a tongue ring. I brought Lightining over to my bed. He stuck out his tongue. I looked for the right spot and..... I put in the tongue ring. He only flinched a little bit. ( Damn can this kid take pain!) " You can only eat liqiudly foods for the first 2 weeks. If you don't want it.. just take it out."
" Cool. Ow...."
" It's gonna hurt."
" You should do that as a profession. It didn't hurt as much as I thought it would."
" Really?"
" Yeah. I thought it would hurt like hell."
" It didn't? Cool!"
" Well, I suppose you guys want to finish your conversation with Maria.. I need to clear my head. Zero, wanna go for a walk?"
" I guess." he replied. We walked out of the bumnker with Zero. " Do you really like me?"I asked
" Yeah. Why?"
" Just asking."
" You do like me, right?"
" Of course! Why else would I have kissed you last night?"
" I don't know. Mabe you're a player or something."
" Nope." I took his hand. I could have sworn I just felt his heart skip a beat of paused or something. So.. Now we're walking ( Holding hands) I don't know where we're going... But we're walking somewhere. Wpassed Bunker M. There was this log close to the fence. ( On the grass side) We sat down on it. " When I first came here, I used to come here every night and look at the stars."
" It had to be beautiful."
" It was. I would come and think 'Someone in this world cares about me. Even if they don't know it yet'."
" Well, it was true wasn't it. I care about you."
" I know. And it's been the first time in about a year I think, I've been happy.
" If I were to escape, would you come and live with me back with Tulex and Suda?"
" I guess. If you would have to stay here forever."
" I wanted to give you this last night, but we fell asleep." I put my hand in my pocket and pulled out a rock. I t was more like a shiney rock... The rock split in two. " Damn."
" That's okay. Now we can each keep a half. Before my mom died, she would tell me that is you found something special to you and it split in two, give it to someone you love."
" Cool."
" Where did you find this anyway?"
" During the Death Walk.. Before I passed out."
" I've never seen any rock like this out there."
" Oh well..." There was the sound of a bell ringing, which meant dinner. " Looks like it's dinner." he said We got up and walked together ( Holding hands, with our fingers locked to be exact!) to the Food Hall. When we passed our ' Bunker-mates' ( As The Warden would say.) they all went " Ooooo." or just laughed at us. For the first time in my whole life, I didn't care wheither or not someone made fun of me.
Chapter 10: Zero + Tonya = 4Eva
That night, after dinner at around 9:00, when all of the campers in Bunker L fell asleep, (Besides Zero and me!) Zero got out of his bed and sat down on mine. " I can't sleep." he said
" Why?"
" I don't know. I was thinking about the dance."
" And....?"
" If The Warden finds out we like eachother, he might put one of us in a different Bunker."
" Sometimes when you like someone you have to make sacrafices." Zero looked out the window. " Look, a shooting star!" he sid
" Make a wish." I said
We held hands, closed our eyes, and made a wish. Right before I opened my eyes, Zero kissed me on the cheek. I opened my eyes. " What was that for?"
" That was what you wished for, right?"
" Yeah.. But how did you know?"
" I don't know. Something told me to do it."
" Okay.." I said " Somethings telling me to do this." I leaned backwards. He put his arms around me.
" I can't wait for the dance." I said
" Me either."
" Do you want your tongue pierced?"
" Yeah. I told you before I always wanted my tongue pierced."
" I'll keep that in mind."
" Please don't pierce my tongue in the middle of the night."
" There goes plan one." He gave me this look like ' What!?!?!?!'
" I'm only joking."
" You better be."
" Do you know how dangerous that is?"
" Don't flip out at me!!" he said " Have you ever done anything dangerous before?"
' I don't think so... But thre was this one time I made a wrong turn and ended up in the middle of a gang fight."
" Tell me."
" Well, I made a wrong turn and got caught in the middle of a fight. One of the kids hit me and I got a black eye. Both of the kids stopped and started chaseing me."
" What did you do?"
" I jumped onto some garbage cans and grabbed the fire escape to this apartment building. I ran fire escapes untill I got back to my territory."
" That's pretty cool."
" We should go to bed now. It's pretty late and we don't know if we still have to do our laps tomorrow."
" Alright.. Goodnight." We hugged 'goodnight' and went to sleep in our seperate beds. The next morning, Zero woke me up at 2:30.
Chapter 11: Maria's Revenge
" Tonya! Get up! There's a riot! Stone and Maria are fighting!"
" That idiot! He's gotta learn to keep his big mouth shut." I said putting on my shoes. I followed Zero outside to where Maria and Stone were fighting. When I got there, they already started the physical fighting. It looked like Stone was winning, untill I saw Maria put her hand into her pocket. " Stone! She's got a gun!" I yelled He didn't hear me. Zero ran over to him and pushed him out of the way in time. Like I said he got Stone out of the way in time. He was in the path of the bullet and got hit. Zero got hit by the bullet. The sound of the gun shot stopped every single counselor from what they were doing and in about a few minutes all of the counselors were crouded around Stone and Maria. " Zero!" I ran over to him He was on the ground in pain. He got hit n the shoulder. " I'll take you to the hospital." I said
" Thanks."
" Wait for me, you two. I have to get cleaned up. I have a bad cut." The three of us left. All of the counselors turned to Maria. We could hear the counselors screaming at Maria all the way bu the Hospital. ( Which is like a mile away from where Maria is.) Inside the Hospital, the nurse was very nice. " Let me look at the hole, Ryan." said the nurse Zero tried to move his arm from the position it was in. " I can't. It hurst to much."
" Then we'll have to operate with your arm like that."
" Operate!?!?!?!"
" How else do you expect to get the bullet out?"
" I don't know." I had this strange feeling that Zero never had an operation before. " Ze, did you ever have an operation before?" I asked
" No. I'm a little scared."
" Don't be."
" Yeah. Zero. I had to go for an operatiopn once. You get put to sleep before the operation. And when you wake up.. Everyting's finished." said Stone
" Tonya, would you like to stay with ryan while I do the operation?" aske the nurse
" Do you want me to Ze?"
" Yeah."
" Alright then. The operation will be in a little while." said the nurse
Zero just layed there, motionless for the 5 minutes before the operaton.Zero grabbed my hand for support. The nurse gave him a shot. In 30 seconds he was asleep. I felt Zero's grip loosen. The nurse took off his shirt and took a pair of large tweezer-looking tool and puled out the bullet. The nurse had to soe up the wound. Zero woke up a half hour later. I heard him moan. " Ze?"
" Huh? How did the operation go?"
" It was over in like 10 minutes"
" I'm gonna have a scar, right?"
" It's alright. No biggie. Just get better in time for the dance."
" I'll try."
" You will."
" What happened to Maria?"
" She's not allowed to do anything. She's locked in a room."
" Oh.."
" The guys came by earlier, but you were sleeping."
" Oh well."
" They gave this to me and told me not to look at it.. Just to give it to you." It was a card. I gave it ot him. He opened it and started laughing. " What's so funny?" I asked
" What they wrote. Sorry.. You can't see it."
" Oh yay.." I said sarcastically The nurse came back, " Ryan, you can go back to your bunker. Just don't hurt your arm."
" Okay." I helped Zero out of bed. We walked back to our bunker. Inside I noticed that Demish's bed was neat, not like usual. " Oh.. Guys, Demish was transferred." said Stone
" Great!" said Zero
" Tonya, I got some bad news." said Lightning
" Let me guess. I'm staying here for the wrest of my life, aren't I?"
" Yup. So is everyone else."
" But don't half of you guys have parents?" I asked
"Yeah. I guess they don't want a troubled kid." said Bones
" I'm leaving the day after the dance. I'm sorry. When I think of my future, this place isn't in it. I see myself back home running from The Chief again."
" Hey, don't leave us here. We'll come with you." said Lightning.
" Okay. Guys, we gotta start cutting down on the food and water we have. The less we have now, the less we'll need out on the walk."
" You're going threw with this?" asked Bones
" I keep my word."
" How about we start saving water. Every little container we can find, fill it with water. And if you can.. Sneak back a juice, or even a piece of bread to bring." said Lightning
" I can't believe we're going to do this." said Ziggy
" Save all the energy you can." said Zero
" Can you promise us one thing?" asked Bones
" And that is....?" I asked
" Don't go makin' out in the middle of the desert."
" Shut up!" For the next 4 days, Bunker L cut down on food and water. I don't think anyone noticed thhough. If they did...... we're in big trouble. On Staturday ( Dance day!) we all went to the dance at 6:00 at night. I couldn't believe that it was possible, but there was an actual D.J. I then found out that Zero can't dance to a fast-tempo song. ( And that's fine by me!) We saw our Warden and the girls' camp's Warden walk up on stage. " Hi and welcome to the dance of the year." said our Warden
" We are going to start the dance with a slow song. So everyone find their partners and start dancing!" said the girls camp's counselor
The girls' Warden sounded a little more preppy. They played a slow song I never heard before. I danced with Zero. Stone thought it was ammusing to torture me while I was dancing.
" You two look so cute!" he kept teasing. Light came over. " You know Stone, you're right. They do make a cute couple."
" Really?" said Bones who overheard. " Or did Street and Stone look better?"
" Street and Stone look weird because of the color differences." said Light
' But Zero isn't much different then Stone." said Bones
" They just look better." said Light The slow song ended. Ze and I stopped dancing, and sat down on some chairs far away from Bunker L. " If you could have one wish out of anything in the world, what would it be?" asked Zero
" Um.. I don't knnow... Maybe to learn to read."
" Do you want me to teach you?" he asked
" Are you sure?"
" Positive."
" What would your wish be?"
" To be with you forever."
" Really?"
" yeah." I blushed. He started laughing. " What?" I asked
" I never saw you blush before."
" So what are you saying?"
" I'm saying that you having a crush shows your inner girl."
" What?"
" Before when we were just friends, you would always stick up for me and you acted like when you first got off the bus. To me, it looks like you're loosing your 'street' side."
" That's not possible."
" It's just the way it seems."
" what do you want me to do? Start a riot?"
" Nope. Just be the Tonya I know... Your soft side is taking over!"
" Ahh!!" Ziggy ran over to us. " Hey you two."
" Did you come here to torture us?" I asked
" No... I came here ot tell you information the Light found."
" What?"
" You know Maria?"
" The girl who shot me?" asked Zero
" Yeah.. They've got her locked up in a prison cell underneath the electrical house. She's been down there for almost a week with verry little water and no food at all."
" That's cruel." I said
" But after killin someone and wounding two others, she deserves it." said Zero
" Starving someone to death? That's not right."said Ziggy
" What do you want us to do?" asked Zero
" Street, do you think you could help her escape?"
" I don't know.She can still be a threat to us."
" Yeah. She may take that gun of hers and kill us all one by one." said Zero
" Oh shut up Zero." said Ziggy
" If I get caught...." I said
" I guess we're not escaping then." said Ziggy
" My options are escape with my friends or try to help some killer escape."
" Street, how would you feel if that was you down there?"
" I would have escaped by now."
" Fine. Don't help her. If she dies, it's all your fault."
" Why is it my fault? Even if I do help her escape, how are we going to keep her alive? They'll probably lock her up again if The Warden finds out she escaped."
" You're right. No matter what, she'll probably die. It's sad though." Okay, it is sad to know that someone is being tortured to death.. Don't look at me! I can't help her!!
All during the dance, I kept thinking about Maria. I know that girl has to have some type of problem to want to kill people. Zero even gave up trying to get me to dance. I have to enjoy myself. Tomorrow we're going to leave. I gave up on thinking on how I would be able to help Maria escape.I felt bad.. I let down everyone who wanted me to help Maria escape. Then, things made a turn fo rthe worse. Maria ( all alone in some locked room.) found some matches on the ground in the room. She lit the room on fire.I a couple of minutes the building was bursting in flames. Everone ran out of the Food Hall (where the dance is being held.) and over to see what happened. Not one of the wardens of either camp expected this. By the time the fire team came, Maria was most likely dead, unless she has amazing powers to stay alive forever. When all of the smoke cleared, everyone got a clear view of the cement cell Maria was in. Onyl Bunker L knew the truth about what they did to Maria. I was about to leave when i noticed something on the wall. " Ze, what does that say?" He leaned in closer to read what was on the wall of the cell. " It says 'sorry.'"
" How long did it take for you to learn how ot read?"
" I don't remeber. I don't think it was very long."
" Great. I reall want to learn how."
" Once we get home. Not Bunker L. Paterson."
" Okay." The Warden (ours) spoke up, " The fire team has just informed me that Maria Perez, for some unnown reason, was in the building when the building went up and died of smoke inhalation.
" Sorry Maria.. I should have helped you." I said
" It's not your fault, Tonya"
" Yes...."
" Don't you dare go insane on me!"
" Okay..."
" Tonya!"
" Alright. It's not my fault."
" Good." The girls' warden spoke, " The dance is officially over. You can all return to your bunkers."
Chapter 12: The Escape
Everyone went to their bunkers. In Bunker L we discussed when we sould leave. " How about at 1:00. It's two hours beforeanyone should get up." suggested Bones
" That's good. What are we going to bring?" asked Ziggy
" Well, we'll bring the food and water.. Each person can bring one posession. Make sure it means the most to you." I said We all searched our stuff for our posessions. Zero is gonna bring our rock. Ziggy is gonna bring a picture of his family. Bones is bringing this thing that looks like a pole. Lightning searched his stuff and found this pocket knife. Stone found this letter. I brought the lockey my mom gave to me when i was little. She saved up all of her money to be able to put a picture of her in it. She told me that was what was in it.. We've never been able to open it. " Bones, what is that?" asked Ziggy
" A shovel. You never know when you'll need one."
" Right..... You guys can go to sleep. I'll wake you up at one." I said I went to sleep along with everyone else. I only got an hour of sleep. I had to wake everyone up. We all got ready, with our food, water, posessions and ourselves.We made it out of Bunker L just fine. " Look! The Warden!" whisper shouted Ziggy. The Warden was out.... watching...waiting for something. " Do you think he knows we're escaping?" asked Stone
" He couldn't have. Unless he's got this placed wired with mics." I said
" Dude! Don't go paranoid on me."
" Who cares about The Warden. We can get passed him." said Light.
" Okay, but what happens if we get caught?" asked Ziggy
" The Death Walk." said Zero
" Great." We waited for The Warden to go to the other side of the half way mark. He moved out of our sight and we took off. Now, do you think we made it passed The Warden?
Nope. He caught us. " How interesting." he said " A whole bunker trying to get passed me.It's the walk for you 6."
" Yay." I mumbled with a fake smile
" Did you say something?"
" No, Sir."
" Follow me." We followed him back to his office. " I knew you were going to leave. 'How?' you may ask." He turned on the T.V. It was monitoring things. " I told you he had this place bugged!" I said he put a tape in the V.C.R. He rewound it to the beginning. It was us plotting when to leave. " Nothing gets passed me." he said
" Mr. Warden, when are we going to do our punishment?" asked Bones
" After the horn blows for breakfast. And don't even think about escaping. I have the whole fence being watched." We waited 2 hours in The Warden's office for the breakfast horn to blow. The nurse was called in to bring all of our stuff back to our bunker. At 3:00 we made our way to the walk 'enterance'. I saw Zar heading to the Food Hall from Bunker H. " Yo! Stone!" he yelled
" Gotta walk." is all Stone said. All 6 of us started walking. " I have the best time for us to leave." said Light
" When?" asked Zero
" On the aniversary of the camp! The Warden will be to caught up into celebrating when his great-great grandfather inherrited this land and turned it into the camp."
" Yeah! He wont suspect a thing!" said Bones
" And they'll have to close down the camp once word gets out that we escaped." We were almost halfway to the fence. I had to admit it was pretty hot even though you couldn't even see the sun to well. When we got to the fence, Bones colapsed. The rest of us turned around and started walking back. About every 15 miles or so, we became weaker. Ziggy was the next person to pass out. Bow, it felt like the sun was frying us, and it was only abut a few hours after we started. I felt all woozy ad dizzy again.I kept going. We made it close to....About halfway when Lightning passed out. " Great. Now it's only the 3 of us." I said
" Look how far we made it." said Zero
" So. I almost made it this far by myself."
" The key word in that sentence is 'almost.'" said Stone
" Well look on the bright side Ze. You could teach me to read and write during the few weeks were gonna be here before we head out again."
" You mean you can't read!?!?!?!" said Stone " I thought because you know how to do all those other things, like knowing the simplest things can help."
" Don't judge me on other things." We made it another few miles.. Then Zero collapsed. " Zero!"
" Leave him."
" You know? I was right."
" What?"
" you don't take people's feelings into consideration."
" All you could care about is Zero."
" At least I care about someone besides myself."
" At least I now how to read."
" At least I know when to keep my mouth shut and when to stick up for people."
" I care for myself!"
" Oh.. Real good. Tell me your selfish. You may have a brain in that black head of yours but you sure as hell don't use it!"
" Oooo. What's a white girl like you gonna do to me?"
" Don't tempt me Stone."
" Oh, I'm scared"
" I don't need your help. I'll see you back at camp."
" think you're gonna get bak to camp concious?"
" Yeah. With or without you." I turned around and faced Stone, " D-D-D-Don't move." I said petrified
Why?" he asked
" R-R-R-Rattle snake."
" Sure.. I'm not falling for that."
" No. I'm serious. There's a rattle snake behind you." The snake slowly slithered up to his foot, then stayed by his ankle. " Street, it's gonna bite me."
" Don't move or the venom will go through your blood stream faster." I could see the sweat drip down his sunburnt farhead. It happened so fast. The snake bit him and slithered off. " Stone, are you okay?" He collapsed. " No. The venom is going through my blood stream faster then normal because I'm weak."
" Get on my back. I'll carry you back."
" Are you going nuts?!? I weigh a lot more then you can carry."
" I don't care. I'm getting you back."
" But a few minutes ago we were insulting eachother."
" Enemy or friend, I can't leave you out here to die."
" How do you know so much about snakes if you can't read." Stone got up and got on my back. I started walking back. " When I was little I would go to the library and have people read me books about snakes. I love them. They're so interesting."
" Street, hurry."
" I'm going as fast as i can. I'm really dehidrated."
" I'd walk but I don't want to spread the venom."
" Look! Grass!" Stone didn't answer. " Ah great! He's passed out." I said to myself I started running tawords the green. I felt like I was runing for hours, but not getting anywhere. I was about to stop, and let both of us fry out here when this voice in my head told me I would make it back and to keep going. I am so dehidrated that I started to gag and my body was trying to throw up, but there was nothing to come up. I thought I was seeing things.....But I found myself face-to-face with the beginning of hte walk. The Warden was passing by when I fell face first into the ground. " What the?" he said He ran into the Hospital. " Virginia! Two campers just made it back from the walk! "He yelled
" I'll be right out!" Both of them ran out of the Hospital. " Oh my! Khleo was bitten by a rattle snake!" said the nurse
" Who?"
" Stone. Honestly... the more you call these boys by their nick names the more they're going to forget their real names."
" Just help them!" barked The Warden I don't know what happened next. See, when you're unconciuos, the last thing that you loose is your hearing. My hearing went. I woke up in the Hospital a few days later. " where am I?" I asked I heard the nurse come running over. " Oh good! You're awake!" she said
" What day is it?"
" It's been three days since you completed the walk."
" How is Stone?" The nurse didn't answer.
" Is he alive?" I asked
" Yes. You're lucky you brought him back then. Any later and he would have died." There was a knock on the Hospital door.The nurse ( Virginia) opened the door.Bunker L came to visit me. " Street!" said Lightning
" Light!" All of them came over to my bed. " You made it!" said Ziggy
" I barely did. I passed out when I made it back here."
" Did you really carry Stone all the way back?!" asked Zero
" Yeah. I had to. He was bitten by a rattle snake."
" What?!?!" They all went
" I calculated the time from where I was to the camp and figured it would take about 5 hours to get back and 4 and a half hours for the venom to kill him." All of them staired at me. " Just because I can't read doesn't mean I'm completely stupid."
" How did you know a rattle snake's venom kills after a certain amount of time in the body?" asked Ziggy
" When I was younger I would go to the library and find books on snakes and have people read them to me. After I met Tulex and Suda, I never went back. To many people knew who I really was."
" How's Stone doing?" asked Zero
" I don't know. All I know is he isn't dead.
" Well that's good." said Light
" We heard a little rumor that while you were out on the walk with Stone, that you guys kissed." said Bones
" What?!?! The only thing we did was argue! We were just about to curse eachother off when he got bitten!"
" What did you guys argue about?" asked Zero
" Well, it was right after you pased out, Zero." I said " He told me to leave you and then he said all I cared about was you .....And we argued from there on."
" How can he? Stone doesn't know much about you." said Light
"He insulted me on the stuff we talked about."
" Oh... That you can't read, right?" asked Bones
" Yup. He had the worst come-backs."
" I know. i got into a verbal fight with him once. Zero has better come-baks then he does." said Ziggy
" Hey!" said Zero
" Sorry Ze."
" Okay.. Get this. The kid called himself selfish." I said
" Are you serious??" asked Bones
" Yeah. It was easy for us to insult eachother because of skin color..." Nurse Virginia came over, " Stone's awake." The boys helped me out of my bed. Zero helped me walk over to Stone's bed, because my legs are still really weak. Stone moaned. " Stone?" I asked
" Huh?"
" Are you okay, man?" asked Ziggy
" Yeah. I don't know how I survived the bite. I blacked out a few mintues after I was bitten."
" That was me Stone." I said
" How?" he paused " Did you finish the walk!?!?!?!?"
" Yeah she did. And she carried you all the way back." said LIght
" Are you serious!?! She carried me back here and made a full recovery in 3 days!?"
" I'm stronger then you think."
" A lot stronger." said Stone
" You weren't that heavy." I said
"You're one strong chica." said Light
" Thanks. If Stone wasn't bitten, I would have passed out."
" I get what you did. You used your mental strength to keep you going." said Ziggy
" If I stopped, Stone would have died."
" It's good that you didn't." said Bones
" Nurse, how much longer am I going to be here?" asked Stone
" A few more days." replied Virginia
" It's all my fault." I said
" What?"
" If we weren't arguing you would have seen the snake and it would have never bitten you."
" I was so hot headed, I wouldn't believe you."
" Fine. It's both of our faults."
" All of you back to your bunker. Khleo needs his rest! Miss.Caldwell you can leave. Get your stuff and I don't want to see you back here for a while." said Virginia All of us (including me!!) left. I walked out of the hospital. When we got to the bunker, I wasn't allowed in. " what's going on?" I asked
" Close your eyes." said Zero ( He is the only one outside with me. Everyone else ran in the bunker.) " Why?"
" Just do it!" I closed my eyes. He walked me up the steps to the bunker and inside. ( I heard the lovely squeak of the doors.)
" Okay Street, open your eyes." I opened my eyes. " Happy Birthday!!" They all said
" Oh my God! How did you know?" I asked
" We asked The Warden. Duh!" said Bones
" This is the best day ever!" I gave each of them a hug. " Lightning and Zero made something for you." Zero gave me a bandanna. " Oh God! Light ! Ze! You remembered!"
" It's also from Tulex and Suda. 'Cross country." said Light I took the bandanna and rolled it up and put it around my head. " Why red? And what's with the little design?" asked Ziggy
" My street gang. Our color is red and that's my symbol." I said The symbol looks like this: I know its a little plain. " Thanks you guys!"
" Hey..... You're our friend." said Zero
" I can't believe I'm 14."
" Believe it." said Bones
" I just feel bad for Stone. It really sucks being n he hospital."
" I don't get it. I really don't get it." said Ziggy
" What dont' you get?" I asked
" You and Stone hate eachother. And now you feel bad for him because he's in the hopsital?" asked Ziggy
" Are you sure this isn't one of those relationships where the people hate eachother?" asked Light
" I'm positive. We can't stand eachother." I said
" That's what they all say."
" I swear! I don't like Stone!"
" Are you postitve?"
" I know you're just playing with me." I said
" Then do you really like Zero? Or are you just playing?" asked Bones
" Oh my God! You people are so annoying I rather be in jail."
" Fine. Then you really don't like Zero." said Ziggy
" Why? Because you're all driving me nuts that I rather be in jail then commit suicide?"
" Oh." They died down on the teasing. Zero pulled me away from everyone. " Do you really like me?" he asked
" Yeah. I really do."
" But what Light said sounds a lot like you and Stone."
" How can I prove that I don't like Stone?" He whispered in my ear.
" What?!?" I said
" If you really like me you will." Okay..Kiss him on the cheek, fine. On the lips, okay.. But make-out with him?!?! That's asking a lot!
" Fine. If it gets the idea that I like Stone out of your head. So, I had to. Believe me, havig your entire bunker watch.. Isn't a pretty sight. " Zero! Dawg!" said Bonges He just smiled Everyone clapped. How exciting. ( Um.. NO!)
" Okay you two, don't go making out while we're around." said Ziggy
" Can I talk to you Tonya?" asked Light Light pulled me over from eveyone else, " What?" I asked
" Do you think that you and Zero are a little to into it?"
" Why?"
" I don't know......You just seem that way."
' We do?"
" Well, your age....."
" Thanks for being the older, overprotective brother, but I can handle this myself."
" Your welcome." I went back over to Zero. " Ze told us all about 'the kiss'." said Ziggy
" Oh yay." I could tell something wasn't right. Like they were up to something. Ziggy can't keep a streight face, and Bones keeps looking around the bunker. " Okay, what's your deal?"
" Nothing." said Ziggy You could tell that Ziggy was lieing becuase he started to look around the room. " Tell me before I have to get one of you to tell me." I said
" We're not soying anything." said Bones
" Then I'll have to get it out of Lightning." I said
" I'll fight 'till I die. But I aint telling nothin'." said Light The two of us started walking to the doors, Light turned around, " You beter stay here. It could get ugly." he said
Chapter 13: The Bet We walked outside to behind the bunker. There aren't any windows in the back of the bunker. There are some in the bathrooms but no one would be able to see us 'fight'. Light and I pretended to fight. Light told me everything that's going on. " Bones and Ziggy made a bet that you would make-out with Zero only if you were asked." he whispered I raised my voice to pretend that Light was hurting me " Ow!" I lowered my voice, " What about you and Zero?"
" We bet the opposite. That you would kiss him by your free will."
" When is the bet over?"
" Tonight, when the dinner bell rings."
" Oh..."
" Let me win the fight." I raised my voice again, " Alright. Don't kill me Light!"
" You can't get information out of me." Light helped me look like I was just in a fight, my sleve ripped a little, and look a mess. We walked back into the bunker. ( Me limping of course.) " I'm guessing you lost." said Bones
" No. I just like dirt." I said sarcastically I walked over to Zero. I don't know if her knew what was comming or not, but... we started making-out in the middle of Bunker L. That shocked a lot of people. Including me. After the kiss Zero was completely paralized in shock. " Did anyone make you do that?" asked Bones
" Nope." He mumbled something. " What? What did you say?" I asked
" Looks like Zero and Light win the bet." said Ziggy.
" Nope. No one wins the bet. I was asked to once and kissed him on my own free will once." I said
" How do you know about the bet?" asked Bones I didn't say anything. Evreryone looked at Lightning. " What?"
" You didn't really fight, right?"asked Zero
" Yeah. It was all sound effects." said Light
" You told her about the bet!?!?!?!" said Ziggy
" Yeah. But she did the kissing on her own." said Light
" I figured I'd have to doo it sooner or later." I said
" So....You really wanted to kiss Zero?"
" Hell yeah!"
" I have a theory." said Ziggy
" Great. Wanna cookie?" I asked
" Yeah." said Ziggy " Guys group meeting!"
" Um... Light, you're not allowed for this one."
" Oh... Okay." he said I sat on my cot and Light came over and sat next to me. " Light, I can't trust anyone."
" Why?"
" If I tell anyone anything they just make a group huddle thing and talk about which one of them I'm gonna like next."
" You like Zero, right?"
" Yes. I like Zero and only Zero."
" I bet they think I like you or something." said Light
" Do you?"
" No. You're like my little sister."
" Yeah. Your like my older brother that I can talk to about anything."
" See! You get it. I know they definatly don't."
" I know." The group huddle ended. " What's your theory?" I asked Ziggy
" Our theory is that Lighting likes you."
" Sure... We just talked about that." I said
" I don't like Tonya." said Lighting
" Don't even think of getting me to do anything nasty." I said
" That ruined plan A." said Bones
" You know what Light? Just kiss her and get it over with." said Zero I never thought I'd see the day when my boyfriend would actually want someone else besides him to kiss me. So... Lightning and I kissed. It wasn't really quick, so everyone made it a big deal. " Hey Zero!" said Bones " I think she liked that."
"Oh Shut up!"
" Now.... Can we get our lives back to normal? asked Zero
" I guess. If you guys don't want to have me kiss anyone else."
" Nah.I think we've made you kiss enough people." said Ziggy
" You think?" I asked
" Yeah, I think."
" Really? I never knew that." Everyone started laughing. " Is this your first birthday party?" asked Bones
" With people besides Tulex and Suda, yeah. Last year Tulex got me this ring. He said he found it. I still think he shop-lifted it."
" Really?" asked Ziggy
" Oh Shut up." I said
" Can we go to bed? It's pretty late." said Light It was about 9:00 PM. We all went to bed. The next day, we had our usual wake up horn. I'm guessing that the girls' camp left becuase they weren't there any more. I changed into my work clothes and went for breakfast. Everything seemed so normal, like I've been doing this for years. I walked outside with everyone else after breakfast to go find out what course we have to do. " Listen up you little magets. The camp anniversary is comming up in a few weeks. I want all of you on your best behavior. No more escapes." All of Bunker L looked at eachother. The Warden gave us course B to start with. We had to do our 20 laps. I almost passed our but Zero and Lihtning pushed me to keep going. After a beautiful day of running laps around obstical courses, we got to take a break in our lovely food Hall and eat our dinner. After a long days work, eating mush is the higlight of your day. " Ze, you up for seeing Stone?" I asked
" I guess..."
" You guess?"
" yeah... You seem to be hanging around him a lot."
" Didn't we just go through this?"
" I still think it's akward."
" Whatever....." I finished my mush and went back to the bunker. Stone wasn't there. The bite must have been worse then I thougt. I took a shower and went to visit Stone. I went to the Hospital. " Is Stone here?"
" Yes. But you're not allowed to see him."
" Why?"
" You're not allowed." I left for the bunker. I met Zero on the way to Bunker L. " Why did you tell the nurse I wasn't allowed to see Stone?" I asked
" What? Why?"
" She wouldn't let me see him."
" Oh.. I guess something happened."
" Or you just told the nurse not to let me see him."
" How could I? I was with you the whole day."
" But Bones wasn't."
" How did you find out?"
" I have eyes. I saw you guys talking. I knew I couldn't trust you." I ran to the bunker. No one was there. The next thing I knew, I was climbing the side on the bunker, up to the roof. Some kids from other bunkers saw me. By the time I was at the top, sitting on the side of the roof that faced the front of the bunker, the whole camp was crouded around Bunker L. " what in tarnation?" yelled The Warden
" Street climbed up to the roof and wont come down." said Zero
" Does anyone know why?"
" I think I know." said someone It was Stone. He came out from the Hospital on crutches. Stone and Zero explained everything to The Warden. " Street! Come down!" yelled Bones
" If you want to...." I got up, The Warden gasped. " You want me to come down. I'll come down." I jumped off the roof. " I don't follow the rules. And I don't use ladders."
I walked off. I started running. I heard people chasing me. I ran into the bunker and locked the back door then ran and locked the front door. " I order you to unlock these doors right now!" yelled The Warden
" NO!" I ran in to the bathroom. Zero ran to the back and looked in the window. He saw me sitting on the floor. everything was familiar to him. The way I sat, the way I looked, even the way I breathed. I saw Zero by the window. He pounded on it. " Go away! I'm not talking to you Ze!" He pounded on the window harder. He accidentally made a crack in it. " I told you to go away!" I yelled He punded on the crack in the window and broke it. He unlocked the window and climbed in the bathroom. " Get away from me!" I backed up. " Tonya, what are youi doing?" he asked
" You wont believe me! Go away! I hate you!"
" Is this some sort of phase?"
" No! I've always been like this!"
" You're going to back up into the bathtub." I took a step back, into the bath tub.I backed up ino the corner of the bath tub. " Why do you hate me?"
" Because I've told you I don't like Stone. When the person you trust the most doesn't even believe you.....It doesn't make sence."
" I was joking."
" Well, it didn't seem that way."
" Oh.. You take things way to personally."
" When you've been that way your whole life... Everything someone's said to me I've had to take personally or else it would mean someone would die or something."
" Oh..."
" So I guess you don't care."
" I care."
" Sure.....Right." I walked out of the bathroom. I unlocked all of the doors and let The Warden in. " Do whatever you want to me." I said The Warden took me out of the bunker. I followed The Warden to his office. Back at the bunker... " She's nuts!!" said Lightning softly.
" How?" asked Bones
" She's given up. She's letting them take control of her."
" And what does that mean?"
" When street kids give up, its all over. She's lost self confidence. She'll be like a walking zombie for the next few days." The counselor from Bunker H took over. " Everyone back to your bunkers, Now!" Bunker L poured into the bunker. " Ze? Zero! Where are ya?" yelled Ziggy Zero emerged fro the bathroom, " She hates me." he said
" What?" went Light
" She hates me. It's all my fault."
" How is it all your fault?" asked Bones
" He got jealous of her always wanting to visit Stone." said Light
" Ze told me to tell Nurse Virginia not to let her see him." said Bones
" Now because of you she's gone into the worst type of depression possible for street kids. All of the street kids call it Death Depression." said Light
" What does it do? Like what does she go through?" asked Ziggy
" You don't eat, you can't sleep, your energy level drops because of not eating or sleeping, adn then finally you turn a pale white color." said Zero Everyone looked at him " How do you know?"
" I've been through it. Knowing Tonya, she might be suicidal." I came back into the bunker. " What happened Street?" asked Bones " I'm not allowed to do the laps. I have to watched all day."
" Are you mad at Zreo?" asked Lightning
" No. Not anymore. Oh! Stone told me that he can come back to the bunker tomorrow." I said in a gloomy voice. I walked over and sat down on my bed. No one talked to me all night. At 8:00 everyone went to bed. I didn't.I got out of bed and walked out of the backdoor, and climbed onto the roof. The roof slants going down the middle horzontal. I sat on the half facing the woods area. I looked at the stars. It reminds me so much of the first time Zero and I looked at the stars together. Everything was paecful, until..... I heard the creek of the backdoor. I didn't move. I saw someone climb up the side of the bunker. " Tonya?" I heard him say I turned away. It was Zero. " Tonya?" I didn't answer again. " fine. You don't have to look at me. I'm sorry. I know what I did was stupid and I really don't want you to hate me. You mean to much to me." I still didn't answer. " Fine. I'll leave." Zero went to climb down the bunker, " Wait!" I said " Come here and sit down." Zero sat down next to me. " Why did you tell Bones to tell the nurse not to let me see Stone?"
" I was jealous. You always visit him and talk about him. I haven't talked to you in days."
" Stone...." I paused " Even though we're not actually friends.. It's still half my fault that he's there in the first place."
' I get it. Street stuff."
" Yeah. I haven't forgotten about you. I would pray that you'd wake up so we can talk."
"Oh...."
" NOw I'm in a state of depression."
" I've been through it before."
" You have?"
" I came out of it right before you came to the camp. I had it for a long time. Almost a month."
" Oh."
" Lightning was force feeding me to stay alive. I almost died of starvation and dehidration."
" I had this depression before. Thats when I was sent to jail for 2 weeks."
" You went to jail?!?"
" I think I was drunk of high for the first time. I tried to steel a diamond or something. I would have been let off with a warning if the cop didn't find me high."
" That's not good."
: It was one of the best days ever. I showed Tulex and Suda that I was brave enough to get high on-on- heroine and get thrown in jail."
" And that's a big acomplishment?"
" Yeah! The first ten year old to get sent to jail for drugs."
" You don't do drugs now, do you?"
" Nope." I said " Now that you know what a jerkI've been, do you hate me?"
" No. Why would I?
" I've been acting like a total jerk. Hello! I was on this roof ready to jump off!"
" I know. It doesn't bother me. I had a friend who commited suicide."
" Weren't you upset?"
" A little. The next day I was brought here. So it didn't matter."
" Oh....."
" So I'm used to it."
" Lets go to sleep. It's almost 10:00."
" How do you know?"
" The darkness. It's pitch black when it's midnight."
" You have a lot of street smart."
" Really? I always knew that. It's common sence." We got up and jumped off the roof. We went in the bunker and went to sleep.
Chapter14: Ms.Clarkdale
The next day I was woken up by some lady. " Hello Tonya." she said in a soft voice.
" What time is it?"
" It's 10:00 dear."
" What happened?!?! Why didn't anyone wake me up!?!" I said as I got out of bed.
" You're in phsycological training."
" Oh yeah......"
" How do you feel?"
" I feel normal.I had a long talk with Zero."
" When?"
" Last night. On the roof."
" The roof!?!?!?!"
" Yeah I went out on the roof last night."
" Right... Come with me. You need more then I thought." I followed the lady to the Hospital. " Wait here." she said once we got inside. She went to talk with Nurse Virginia. " Oh! Over in the medicine chest above the sink." The lady ( who I still haven't found out her name.) brought me a pill. " Take this everyday after breakfast."
" Who are you and what is this?"
" I am Ms.Clarkdale. And this pill will make you feel better inside." Alright!!!! This lady thinks I'm some kind of little baby! She thinks I'm mentally sick! Great. Something elses I don't need. I took the pill with out questioning. I figured if I act normal she'll leav me alone. " So.. Tonya, do you like books?" she asked
" Um... I can't read."
" You can't?!? I'll teach you then."
" Are yo sure? I'm supposed to be here to learn not to steal."
" Oh.. So you're one of those street kids?
' Yeah."
" You do know how to read some things, right?"
" Yeah. Like 'Stop' signs, and the names of restuarants. Things like that."
" C'mon. I'll teach you."
" That's okay. I want to learn on my own. I've learned everything else I know how to do by my own experiences."
" No. It is part of your training."
" Fine. Just to tell you, I've never been taught anything before."
" Oh.. Well, we'll start today. But we better start soon. The pill's side effects will probably start."
" What are the side effects?"
" Light headed, dizzyness, temporary insanity."
" Oh..' I said " Can we go back to Bunker L now?"
" Sure. We'll start your reading lessons."
' Fine. But as the street kid I am, it's not my thing." I followed Ms.Clarkdale back to Bunker L. We sat down in the middle of the bunker floor. She took a piece of paper out of her purse. " We'll start with the alphabet." she said She wrote down on the piece of paper a figure that I recognized. It's on the McDonald's sign. " This is a capitoal A." she said " It makes the ah sound."
" Okay."
" This is a lower case A." She drew another figure next to the capitol A. " Does the lower case A make the same sound?"
" Yes. But in some cases, A is long and it makes a different sound."
" Like in cape?"
" Yes! Very good!"
" Okay. Can we keep going?"
' Sure. Now try to write the letters like I did." She handed me the pencil. My letters didn't come out to well. They were sloppy and not to ledgibal. Mine looked like some baby picked up a pencil and tried to mrite something. " You need more practice. Keep trying until it looks like mine." I wrote both A's for almost a half hour until she could actually read it. " Good. lets recap what we've covered so far." she siad " What sound does the letter A make?"
" Ah. But sometimes it's long and sound like a."
" Good. You're a quick learner. Now we'll try the letter B..." We stayed in the bunker and went through half of the alphabet. " Tomorrow we'll do the other half."
" Alright. I thought you said that the side effects would kick in?" I asked
" We excersized you brain. When you aren't challenged, the side effects kick in."
" Oh. Well... See you tomorrow Ms.Clardale." Ms.Clarkdale left. BUnker L started to fill up. " How was your day of nothing?" aksed Bones sarcastucally
" Fine."
" What? Did you just wake up or something?"
" No. I only got up a few minutes after you."
" So what did you do?" asked Ziggy
" I'm learning to read and write."
" Really?"
" Yeah, really. I can't do the laps. She gave me some type of pill that makes me go insane."
" Sure. You're just acting so you don't have to do the laps." said Bones
" Really?! Then why don't you plead insanity? You'll be able to see what I do. And how well my acting is." Lightning came over. " you're not faking this, are you?"
" No. I'm going throught Death Depression. Watch me for the next few days. You got any ciggs?"
" Cigarettes? You smoke?!?!"
" Sometimes. When I can get hold of them."
" You're weird."
" How?" I looked out the back door. " Oooh! are thoses weeds??"
" Are you okay?"
" Sure.. I'm fine."
Chapter 15: Tonya's High Past
I went outside and picked some weeds. Before I knew it, I was smoking a grass cigarette. Lightning saw me. " What are you doing?"
" What does it look like?"
" Why are you smoking?"
" It's addictive."
" When did you start?"
" When I was ten. But this is only the 4th one I've ever had."
" You are one weird chica."
" You know? I really should quite."
" You should before someone finds out."
" Finds out what?" asked a voice. It was Zero. " Oh! what the..?!?!?"
" It's the pills Zero. Don't worry." I said
" You aren't acting like Ziggy thinks then?"
" Nope."
" So you don't normally smoke?"
" Nope." I took thr 'cigarette' out of my mouth and threw the little bit that was left onto the ground. I swear I got high on that piece of grass trash. I couldn't walk straight, I can't think straight or even see for that matter. I walked right into the back door. My eye sight came into focus and I realized ' Well gee stupid! Look at that! There's a door infront of you!' I opened the door, took three steps and passed out on the bunker floor. I woke up in the Hospital. When I opened my eyes, everything was so blurry, everythng looked like blurs." What happened?" I asked
" You got high on that grass cigarette." said someone My vision would go into focus. One of the taller blurs walked over to me. " Tonya are you okay?" they asked
" My vision is really blurry. I can't see."
" It's Light."
" Oh. You look like Ziggy."
" I guess all blurs look the same."
" My viosion will come back soon."
" Do you get high often?" asked another blur.
" No. Is that Ziggy?"
" Yeah."
" That was only the 4th time I got high."
" Seriously?"
" Yeah." My eye sight came back. "Oh look! I can see again!"
" Were you acting before?" asked Bones
" No. I had to take pills and the side effects included insanity."
" Oh.. There was a rumor that you were faking it."
" Who said that?"
" I don't know. But it was just a rumor."
' Oh." I looked around the rom. " Guys, we need to talk." I sid
" Okay." replied Bones
" Not here. Later." They caught on to what I was talking about. I really want to leave this place. If I have to spen the wrest of my life taking pills that make me end up smoking.... Nures Virginia came over, " Okay you guys, Tonya needs her rest. She'll be back in her bunker tomorrow." Bunker L left, and I fell asleep.
Chapter 16: Clarkdale- Day 2
I woke up the next day at 7:00. " Good morning!" It was Ms.Clarkdale. " Oh. Hi."
" Time to take your pill."
" Thats quite alright. The pill is the whole reason why I'm here."
" Why? What happened?"
" The side effects kicked in."
" Temporary insanity?"
" You got it. I started smoking and I passed out on the bunker floor."
" Okay. Only take half of the pill today."
" Can you teach me the wrest of the alphabet today?"
" Sure. I'll go get some paper." Ms.Clarkdale left and came back with my half of pill and a noteboook. " We can write down your work in here now. So you don't loose all of your papaers."
" Okay." Weworked on the alphabet. By 12:00 we finished the alphabet. " Now lets try words."
"Alright." Ms.Clarkdale wrot the letters C-A-T on the first page of the notbook. " What does that spell?"
" C-c-c-ca..t Cat."
" God. Now write it." I wrote cat. My handwriting inproved since yesterday. " Great!" We worked on 3 and 4 letter words. " You're a fast learner." she said
" I've ben told that all my life. When I used to go to the library and have the librarians read to me, I would remember everything they taught me."
" Do you like science?"
" I like the stars."
" You would be a good astronomer."
" What's that?"
" A person who studies the stars."
" Oh."
" Spell star."
" S...tuh tuh, T-... star...A.. R?"
" Very good. Write it down in your notebook." I wrote the word 'star' in my notebook. " Try and make a sentence." I spoke while I wrote down the sentence, " The boys in my...." I stopped " How do you spell bunker?"
" B-U-N-K-E-R." she said
" The boys in my bunker can be mean." " Good. Do you want to start on 5 letter words?"
" Sure. We have a few minutes until dinner." I said We were only half way finished with the words when Nurse virginia came over to my bed. " tonya, you can go back to your bunker now." I took my notebook and pen and Ms.Clarkdale helped me walk back to Bunker L. We sat on the floor againand started where we laft off in the 5 letter words.The boys from Bunker L slowly came in one-by-one. " Going to go insane on us today?" asked Bones after Ms.Clarkdale left.
" Nope. I have some words to practice." I said I sat on my bed, took out my notebook and started creatingin sentences. I started to create a diary. A journal on how every day went.
Today I learned how to write. My writing is getting better.
Tonya "Street" Caldwell
I closed the book and looked around the room. It was all calm. No one was talking. I ripped out a piece of papaer and wrote:
Guys, I wanna know if you wanna escape earlier then the aniversarry. Like tomorrow or tonight
I gave the bote to Light, and told him to pass it on. After it was passed around, we all sat in the middle of the room. " Give me a pen." said Light I gave him my pencil. He wrote
Okay. Tonight at midnight. I'll wake you guys up. So go to sleep early.
We all " Okayed" the plan. There was no way The Warden could catch us now. " Guys, lets go to bed at 8." I said
" Why?" asked Ziggy I whispered, " The Warden might suspect something."
" Oh yeah!" " Tell the others."
" K." I walked over to Lightning, " Hob I." I said
" What?"
" Hob-I."
" Oh... Hob-I."
" Yob-o-u sob-pob-e-a-kob o-bob-lob-i-sob-hob?" I asked
" Yob-u-pob."
" What are you two speaking?" asked Ziggy
" Oblish." said Light
" Who?"
" Oblish."
" I've heard it a few times. I don't really understand it." said Bones
" It's weird." said Zero
" I can curse you guys off in oblish and you wont have a clue of what I'm saying."
" Nob-o-tob rob-e-a-lob-lob-yob.' said Zero
" Damn." Isaid " You speak it?"
" Uh-huh." The bell rang for dinner. We all went to the Food Hall. Instead of mush tonight, we had macaroni and cheese. It stuck to the spoon. " What did you guys do today?" I asked when we sat down at our table
" What do you think? The same thing we've been doing for months. Running courses." said Bones We all ate our sticky mac and cheese.After dinner we went to a spot where the camreas and microphones were out of range. " Okay guys, we'll leave at midnight. The Warden doesn't wake up until 1:30. " said LIght.
" So we'll gone before he gets up." said Stone.
" Good. Lets just be able to wake up." said Bones We all walked back to Bunker L.We got our stuff together for tomorrows trip. " I'm going to go to bed early. I'm really tired." I said I went to sleep at 6:00. Shortly after everyone else did. Lightning woke us up at midnight. " C'mon guys! Get up!" he almost yelled. No one got up. " Five more minutes, Light." Stone said as he rolled over.
" Guys! Get up!!!." I slowly got out of bed. " Guys get up before I have to flip you off your matress." I said No one moved. I was still half sleeping, but I walked over to Stone's bed and took his matress and flipped Stone off. He fell on the floor with a loud 'thump.'
" Hey!"
" Get up before I have to do that to all of you!" I said Everyone slowly emerged from their beds. " Guys! We've already waisted about an hour!!" yelled Light
" Really?" asked Ziggy By the time we were ready, withoutarguing it was 2 O'clock. " Great. Now The Warden's up!" said Light
" Oh well."
Chapter 17: Escape Number 2
We left the bunker through the back door instead of the front door this time. We made a dash to the fence. Once we were out of sight from the camp, we slowed down to a walk. " Do you guys see anything?" asked Bones squinting ahead
" Nope." I said We kept going. We made it to the fence. " Okay.. Now do you see something?" asked Bones again Bones was right. Somethng was comming our way. It was a big yellow blob. That only ment one thing: New campers.
" It's a bus!" said Ziggy
" Really genius? I thought it was a great big yellow space bananna comming to destroy earth." I said We started to climb the fence. Once we were over, we never looked back. " The bus! It's comming right tawords us!" said Ziggy He was right. The bus was comming right tawords us. The buss pulled over to us and the driver opened the door. " Where are you kids going?" he asked
" Home." said Light The driver studied us. We forgot to change into our clothes that we came in. We were still wearing Brookdell uniforms. ' Hey! You're kids from Brookdell! Get on the bus!" We had no choice. If we didn't and just took off, the bus driver would hunt us down. We all got on the bus. I was first. When I looked at who was on the bus, I stopped and I smiled. Ziggy walked into me. " What's that for?" he asked
" I can't believe what I'm seeing." I giggled a little. " Tulex the great finally caught and brought to Brookdell." I walked down to where he sat. Suda sat across from him. " Hey guys." I said None of them answered. " What's wrong you guys?" Bunker L sat around us. " Suda got both of us arrested. The judge wasn't going to let me come here. I was going to get 5 years in jail. I guess he had a soft side and let me here for the wrest of my life. I would have chosen prison then this place with him." He looked at Suda. " It's not my fault! You were the one who told me to walk around the store!! I never even wanted to come with you!!" Suda shot back
" I'm guessing you're not talking." I said
" Yup. Suda was spotted by The Chief and got both of us caught."
" Well make the best of it. You might be in the same bunker." said Lightning
" This you bunker?" he asked looking at everyone around us.
" Yup. That's Zero,"
he said "Hi."
"Lightning,"
" Hey."
" Bones,"
" What up?"
" Ziggy," He just raised his hand.
" And Stone."
" Peace."
" I'm Tulex. he said
" That's Suda. They're not talking."
" Just forget the whole thing." said Light. " Big deal.You get caught once. You have your whole life to change."
" You don't get it. No one in my family has been arrested in 30 years." said Tulex
" Oh..." Light's voice trailed
" Oh My God! If you two don't be friends I'm not gonna talk to either of you!" I said I got up and moved next to Zero. " Have they ever done this before?" asked Zero
" Yeah. Plenty. I'm just sick of it. I have a feeling this one isn't going to blow over." I sat in silence the wrest of the way there. When the bus stopped, we all got out. The Warden came over, " I see Bunker L has tried to escape once again. I guess that The Walk wasn't tough enough on you. Go put your stuff back in your bunker then come to the course field." We all went to our bunker and put our stuff away. " What do you think The Warden is going to do to us?" I asked
" I don't know, but it's probably not good." said Lightning We walked out of the bunkerto the course field. The Warden had a mega- phone, " Will all of the campers please report to the part of the field where I tell you what course to do." Soon, everyone was crouded around us. " Each of you will do 100 push ups." he turned to the campers, " This is what happens when you try to escape." By the time we finished our push ups, we missed dinner by 2 hours. " I'm starving." said Bones
" We all are. None of us ate all day." said Light We got back to Bunker L to find our two vacancies gone. " So... The Warden put you guys here."
" Yeah." said Tulex Tulex saw me take out my notebook. " Learned how to read, have you?" he asked
" And to write too. I'm my own person here."
" I wouldn't let you back in my gang for anything if you weren't you."
" I don't want to."
" What did you say you little traitor?"
" I don't want to be part of your gang anymore. You can't keep friends."
" Say that to my face." We stood up and walked to the middle of the room. " I'm not living with you when we get out. I need to go my own way. I wouldn't live with you if someone gave me my mom back." He pushed me. I pushed him back. we started fighting. We fought for at least 15 minutes before I came loose from his grip and I ran outside the back door. I climbed up the bunker wall. He followed. We're on the roof, ( how nice?) " Scared Tonya?" he asked
" Not even."
" Gonna try and kill yourself again and jump off the roof?"
" Why don't you? All you do is walk around town being a big shot and bossing people around."
" Really? Who taught you the town? Who taught you how to get what you want?"
" You did.... But you don't get it.. My entire family has done this."
" What?"
" We don't stay with one gang. We go to different ones."
" You can change. I did. I'm here. I got caught." I put my hand in my pocket, I pulled out the bandanna. " Take it.I can't... I have to...."
" You can."
" I want to find my mom." I threw the bandanna at him and jumped off the roof. Tulex stood there alone. I went inside. " You guys fought on the roof?!?!" asked Bones
" Yeah."
" Are you still friends?" aske Suda
" I don't know. He wants me to stay with his gang.. I want to find my mom.... I can't stay with him."
" Why?" asked Stone
" Every person in my family travels when they reach the age of 14. Every person."
" So be the first not to.. Then the 3 of you can look for your mom."
" I thought of that........ But these two can never stay friends." I looked at Suda. " It's not my fault. Tulex made me come with him to hold up the corner store. The cops saw me and figured what I was doing and got both of us arrested. " he said
" So, you idiot, you run! That's what I would have done."
" I couldn't. The cops blocked the ways out."
" Then break the window next to the side door. He's got the cheapest stuff in that window, if a fly landed on it, it would break."
" I never thought of that."
" Oh well."
" Are you and Tulex fighting?" he asked changing the subject.
" I don't know. It depends on him. Whatever he wants...." Tulex walked in the back door. " It's your decision, Tonya. i'll accept you back, just don't leave.I don't care if you bring everyone from this bunker. Just stay with us." Everyone looked at me. " If you and Suda agree never to fight again. Big deal. Suda messed up again. Now, because of him you're here with your friends."
" Fine. Suda, I'm sorry man."
" Right....."
" Guys, it's 9:00 and The Warden wouldn't be happy if we're late for our laps tomorrow." said Light No one spoke after that, we just went to sleep.
Chapter 18: The Warden's Mood
The horn blew the next day. It wasn't 3:00. It was earlier. " Why do we have to get up so early?" asked Bones, still half asleep walking to the bathroom
" I don't know." I said
" It's 2:00. I thought you said we have to get up at 3." said Tulex
" We usually do. Soemthings not right." said Light We changed into our work clothes and walked to the Food Hall. The Food Hall gave us so little to eat. " Okay. Something's definatly up. The Warden's never doen this before." said Zero After our 'breakfast', we walked our to the Course Field. The Warden was pacing again. All of the campers lined up. " I bet you all want to know why I have you up this early. That's because I decided to change your wake-up time. You will wake up at 2:00 every day from now on, and do 6 laps around each of the 5 courses, and your dinner time will be pushed back." He slowed down. " Why? Well, the more time you are supposed to be sleeping, the more time you have to plot and escape." That was it. Bunker L was the last straw for The Warden. " This Friday is the Annual Camp anniversary." said The Warden " A certain bunker may be banned from this lovely event." He gave a rather discusted look at Bunker L. The Warden gave us the courses we were to start with. Each member of Bunker L is very determind to get through the day without messing up. That didn't go to well. Tulex and Suda got into a fight and had to do the walk. Dinner seemed like days away becuase all we had for breakfast was a piece of toast and a carton of orange juice. I felt like I was starving by my 15th lap. After my last lap, The Warden announced that dinner waan't until another 2 hours. "I think he's trying to starve us." said Bones
" It's our fault. We're the one who tried to escape." said Light
" Meeting." I said
" Where?" asked Ziggy
" The roof."
" Don't you think the cameras will reach there?" asked Zero
" I don't know. we'll......" We became in range of a microphone. We walked inside Bunker L. I got out my notebook and wrote:
Are we still on for the anniversary?
I gave the paper to Light first. " I don't know." he said "If we get caught, he may not let us sleep."
" The Warden's getting really harsh. Like a girl PMSing." said Bones I gave him a dirty look. " Sorry."
" We should make The Warden something. To show him that we wont escape again." I said Ziggy gave me this weird look like, 'What the hell are you talking about? We're escaping on Friday!'
" Oh yeah! I'm alright!" he said once he caught on.
" Had to use your brain a little there, didn't you?" asked Stone
" I'll make something. I'm good at graffiti art." I said Then Tulex and Suda walked in the buker. " And you two can help me."
" With what?" asked Tulex
" You guys are helping me make a graffiti for The Warden." I said
" Oh... Are you going to stay with the gang?" asked Suda
" Alright.... I will."
" I think you might want this then." siad Tulex He threw me my bandanna. " Thanks."
" You guys make the art and we'll go to sleep." said Stone
" Oh.. Thanks."
" Your welcome." Tulex, Suda and I made this really cool graffiti art. It was the word 'Warden' and it was just cool. I wish I could keep it for myself. Tulex did all of the words. We finished the drawing at 10:00, when we went to sleep. Stone woke me up the next morning. " Huh?"
" Get up."
" Why? The bell hasn't rung yet."
" The Warden turned off the bells." I got out of bed and changed into my orange jump suit and went to breakfast. Stone slipped away from breakfast to put the drawing in The Warden's mailbox. The Warden walked into the Food Hall. " Good morning. campers." he said He sounded happy. " As you can tell, I have shut the bells off. The reason is, I am giving some of you a chance to sleep in a half hour if you like, but you will miss breakfast." Bunker L looked at eachother. " What's this about? Just yesterday he was trying to starve us to death!" whispered Ziggy
" I don't know. He's all happy now." said Light The Warden left. we met up with Stoen in line-up for our courses. " You wont believe what I found out!!" he whispered
Chapter 19: The Final Escape
" What!?!" I whispered
" The Warden has a daughter in a hospital in California. She's got amnesia. Just this morning he got word that she's her memory is comming back." said Stone
" Oh......" said Bones The Warden came over to us, " Do you have something to tell the camp, Mr.Jones?" asked The Warden
" No. Mr.Warden, sir."
" Good." The Warden told everyone where to go for the laps. The next few days got better in time. By Thursday The Warden we humming around campus. On Friday, The anniversary for the camp, escape day for Bunker L, The Warden let all of us sleep in untill a normal hour, around 6:30. I woke up to find that everyon from the bunker was gone. Every single person. There was a note on the floor left by them.
Dear Street,
We left for breakfast. The Warden gave us the day off. Meet us by the Bunker A log that Zero brought you to at 6:45.
José 'Lightning' Castro
I looked outside. There was a huge clock hanging from the Hospital. ( Which isn't far away.) It was almost 6:45. I changed and ran to the Bunker A log. " Sorry I'm a little late. I just woke up." I said
" Good, you're here. We can discuss the you know what." said Light
" At midnight. Tonight is the only night that The Warden allows himself to get drunk." said Bones
" That's a big help." I said
" Yeah." The Warden came by. " Why id Bunker L all the way by Bunnker A?" he asked
" We like this log." said Ziggy The Warden looked at him, " Right......" He walked away. " That was way creepy." said Suda
" Why don't we go and enjoy ourselves? We only have today, right?" said Tulex
"Your right Tulex. Lets go guys." said Zero The 8 of us walked to the Food Hall. They were giving out food. Ziggy took as much as he could carry. I don't know about them, but I'm going to save my food for the escape. At 8:00 tht night, the camp had a bon-fire. It was pretty cool. Suda was amazed. He looked hipnotized. The fire burned for 2 hours before everyone got bored of it. Campers started returning to their bunkers at around 10:30. Which was the time The Warden started getting drunk. Inside our bunker, we talked about the escape. No one was in The warden's office to watch the monitors. I took out my bag. Its more like a back pack. I emptied out my bandanna. I had made it so it could hold all of the food I took. " Woah! You took all of that food and no oe noticed!?!?!" said Bones.
" I was in the Food Hall about every 20 minutes. i would take like a few pieces of bread and stuff.. No one realized what I was up to. They just thought I was really hungry." I said All of the food took up the big space of my back pack. I had a smaller compartment which we put the 20 bottles of water we saved." I think we're all packed." I said
Now we just have to wait an hour and a half." said Tulex Stone and Zero fell asleep for the hour. I slept for about a half hour. Tulex and Lightning woke us up. " Get up guys." This time we actually got up. We walked through the death walk at night. It's pretty cold. We hopped the fence and celebrated. " We made it this time! No bus! No Warden!" said Ziggy We walked for miles and miles. When the sun came up, I could have sworn I heard The Warden scream. We reached a sign at around 8:00 the next day. " Look! We're in Utah!" We stopped in a general store. The manager saw us and thought that we were kids that ran away from abusive families because we looked so dirty. He gave us clean clothes and some food and water. It took us about 2 or three months, but we finally made it back to Paterson New Jersey. Only Tulex, Suda, Zero, Lightning and I were left. Stone, Ziggy, and Bones went back to their homes. When we got to Bones house, his parents let us stay the night. We all took a shower and got to sleep in a normal house. For Tulex, Suda and me, the only house we've ever slept in. At Stone's house, we each got a room to sleep in. Stone's family is like rich! I don't know how Stone can like to live like a poor kid. I'd switch places with him any day.. But I don't wanna! Ziggy was the last one to drop off. We had to pass Paterson to get o Ziggy's house. He lives in Bronx, NY. He lives in the kind of apartment that I lived in. With furniture of course. " Any time you guys wanna come and visit, just drop in.You know where to find me." said Ziggy
" Yeah. Back at Brookdell." I said jokingly.
" Don't even joke about that. I hate it there. I hope they get a better Warden. That guy is nuts!" he said
" Well Ziggy, thanks for the great times.. See ya later." I said
" Yeah. We gotta get back to Paterson before our territory gets taken." said Tulex
" Peace you guys!" We left for Paterson. When we finally made it back, I showed Zero and Light around. " This is my apartment." The building was in the worst condition ever. It looked like it would fall down any second. We walked around town. We saw The Chief. " Hey Chief!' I yelled
" Back so soon Tonya?"
" Yup. Missed you to much." I showed them 'our' territory. " This is my domain." said Tulex
" Hey! The 5 of us share this 'domain' now!" said Suda
" Where do you sleep, Tulex?" asked Zero
" Follow me." he said I haven't even seen where Tulex slept at night. He brought us down an ally- way, and in back of this bulding. " Here." It was a really old car. " The radio still works and I have $5.00 saved up that I found in the seats."
" And you never told us about this?!?! I'm sleeping in the car now." I said
" You got your little apartment." said Suda
" Not any more."
" Great. Now 5 people have to sleep in here." said Tulex
" It's alright. Light, Ze and I will go look for another sleeping domain." I said Light, Zero and I walked around town again, this time looking down ally- ways. We found another abandoned car. Finding abandoned cars in Paterson is something normal. The car wasn't far from where we live. " Look! I found $10.00 in the car!" said Zero.
" I know just what we can do with that. C'mon!" I said I ran to find Tulex and Suda. I brought everyone to a store that one of those photo machines. The pictures came out in color. I was luck I took the pictures then.... The worst thing happened that afternoon.. Lightnin met up with some rivals of his. Turns out that they were looking for him for the 2 years he was in Brookdell. They found him alright.. And killed him. One of them took a gun and just shot him, dead.
" Lightning!" I screamed I ran over to his body. The guys left, and it began to rain. Lightning wasn't completely dead. He was just barely alive. " Light, don't die on me." I said Everyone came over. " Tell my parents I'm sorry. That I was innocent." He stopped breathing. I took the pictures that Light had, out of his pocket. I cried all the way to Tulex's car. All of us slept there that night. The next day, Lightning's body was investigated. The boys were never caught. Tulex, Suda and I made Zero his own sign. Then we broke the news to them that we like eachother.
As you can see, My life wasn't very good to start with. I went to Brookdell Boot Camp, met a few new friends, became re-united with my old friends, and witnessed the death of one of my best friends. Just a little secret between you and me..... I kinda had a crush on him. He was more then a friend to me. We became attatched in a way. We were like brother and sister..
R.I.P José 'Lightning' Castro