So, once again: I don't own The Host, If you like this, please review. Love you!
I wake up in a dusty smelling place with hard ground under my back. It's lumpy and uncomfortable. I can sense the people around me (they're breathing heavily) and I open my eyes. They meet a pair of dark brown ones a few inches away. I scream and jump, knocking our foreheads together.
"Ow," he says in an amused voice. It's the younger boy and one with dark hair and a crooked nose. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you, but I did kind of tackle you so… I'm sorry," he said blushing. I nod. I'm very afraid. My heart is facing and I'm very hot. The other man (I'd say in his thirties) is just staring down at me. "Kyle, quit staring," the boy says and the tall man looks away, I guess he's Kyle. I'm glad his piercing blue gaze isn't on me anymore. It was quite nerve-wracking.
"Where-" my voice breaks and cracks and my throat protests to the lack of water. I clear it and push on. "Where am I?" I ask quietly.
"I'm Jamie Styder, thanks for asking," he says and squinches his eyes up and sticks out his tongue, cute. "You're in the caves here in Arizona, but specifically, you're in my bedroom. We've got about thirty some humans here living together," he is shushed by Kyle who is staring daggers at me. What's his problem?
"How?" I ask quietly. At this he smiles and flexes dramatically.
"I carried you!" he says looking proud.
"For about five minutes," Kyle mumbles and Jamie sticks his tongue out at him, but turns back to me and smiles. "What's your name?" he asks and tilts his head to the side like a listening puppy. He just does so many random cute things, I'm not sure if he notices. I lift my head high and shake my long hair behind me.
"I'm Caterina DeLuca," I say and stare into his eyes defiantly, daring him to be… well… I'm not sure what I'm daring him to do but I don't want them to think I'm a prissy princess who can't do jack shit. (I like that saying, I heard some Americans say it before they were Turned.)
"Italian royalty, seventeen, said to be adopted (You are blonde you know, don't give me that look) but is biologically related to the king," Kyle says monotonally in one breath looking bored. My mouth pops open and I can't form words. WTF?
"Kyle?" Jamie asks and looks about as shocked as I feel.
"What? My parents had government jobs. I know things." He says grumpily. He walks out when we continue to stare at him.
"Is that normal?" I ask pointing in the general direction of the archway of a door.
"No, not really…" he trails off and holds his hand out. "It's lunch time then I'll give you a tour okay?" he says and I nod, taking his hand and letting him help me up. The tunnels are quite dark for a while so he places two fingertips at the small of my back to guide me. I don't mind it though; it's slightly comforting in this unusual, strange place. When we reach a bright lighted room he lets go, I feel slightly colder now.
"This is like a main plaza, the crops are here," he says and pulls me towards another archway into a kitchen/dining room. "This is where we eat, are you hungry? Cuz I am." He says, beaming. He pulls my hand and we get some hard-looking bread, a cup of murky water, and some raw vegetables. Not too bad considering we're in a bunch of caves. Some people are finished and leaving so it's just me, Jamie, Kyle, his twin, a small blonde girl and a small dark skinned woman. We all sit together and it is pretty quiet. Kyle and the dark-skinned woman gt up and leave. She looks at me and her eyes reflect the light from the skylight. But, they reflect silver circles.
Jamie POV:
I see Caterina tense up and stare at Sunny's eyes. I lean over and whisper to her.
"It's okay. Sunny is friendly. So is Wanda. See? Look." I say and she looks at them both who are smiling shyly and slightly hiding behind (or in Wanda's case being hidden by) her own O'Shea twin. Caterina nods and quietly continues eating. When we're finished I show her a quick tour, take her to the bathrooms and we're sitting on my mattress looking at the crack in the ceiling.
"I love how you can see one star, yet that one is so bright," she whispers and I turn my head towards her with my hands behind my head.
"Yeah, beautiful," I sigh and admire the way the star reflects on her icy eyes and turns her hair almost silver. She sits up quick and I follow.
"Jamie, where am I sleeping?" she asks, turning pink. "Well I'm alone cuz Jared is with Mel, but a lot of them are on a raid… But I have a second mattress if you want…" I mumble the end out but she's looking at me so intensely.
"Thank you" she whispers and suddenly I'm on the receiving end of a tight hug. "I don't want to be alone," she says in a broken voice and I see tears escaping her tightly shut eyes. "Hey," I whisper and pull her close and lean my head on top of hers. "It's okay," I say and she starts sniffling. She eventually falls asleep and I lay her on the mattress and go back to mine, getting into a pair of boxers and falling into a deep sleep.
