Chapter Four

Ready for Anything

Two hours after my short argument with Squid, I was almost finished and too upset to even be proud of myself for actually managing to a dig the forsaken hole.

A shadow formed over me, blocking the sun. I looked up, praying it wasn't Squid again coming back for more, to see X-Ray hovering over me. He pointed at my ears, and I quickly pulled out my headphones and turned off my iPod.

"Why aren't you digging?" I asked, trying to be nice even though I was still in a foul mood.

"I'm finished. Most of the others have already gone back to camp." I looked up to see Squid and Zigzag walking away together. Zero, Magnet, and Armpit were gone, too. Caveman was still digging, but he was also the newest one here, besides me.

"Why aren't you leaving with the others then?" I asked, continuing to dig.

"I wanted to talk to you," he stated softly. He had sat down over my hole, with his feet dangling inside it. "Looks like you're almost done. Good job on your first day; you're a lot faster than Caveman."

"I may not be used to this kind of manual labor, but I am used to labor. It's not that hard to get a job done when you're determined to do it," I said defiantly.

"Yeah, I know. I didn't mean for that to come out as an insult. I could tell from the moment I first saw you that you're life couldn't have been a breeze."

"Oh really?" I questioned, suspicious of him. "And how could you possibly be able to tell that from just looking at me?"

"You're eyes, you're facial expressions," he answered quickly. "You have this look to you that just screams 'don't mess with me.'"

I was surprised, "I do?"

He nodded.

I thought about this as I finished the last shovelfuls of dirt before my hole looked quite perfectly finished.

"Looks like you're done," X-Ray spoke again, observing my hole.

He stood up, "Do you think you can get out of there yourself, or would you like a hand?"

He held his hand out for me to take. I looked up at him carefully, observing his facial expressions. At first, I wasn't going to take it, but then he looked genuinely sincere. I quickly decided to let him help me, remembering that he was the leader and that I should be thankful that he was still willing to show me some respect. I grasped his hand tightly and he helped me pull myself up.

"Come on, I'll show you back to camp," he put his arm around my shoulders as he steered me in the right direction.

"Thanks," I said quietly. I wasn't used to people helping me nor was I used to accepting their help.

After several minutes, I had a question burning in the back of my throat that just itched to be spoken. It was something I needed to ask because I needed to know where I stood with X-Ray. He was the leader after all and he was being nice to me. I needed to make sure that he wasn't expecting anything of it.

"Hey, X?" I started, hesitantly.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Why are you being so nice to me? I mean, what Squid said was right, you don't have to help me, but you still do…" I trailed off.

He nodded, looking wise and very sure of his and Squid's actions. "You chose to come here. You chose to be surrounded by boys who could mug you or rape you at any moment if they wanted to. That takes guts, Nic. Besides, I got Magnet to sneak into the office and look at your records."

"You what?" I asked, shocked, stopping in my tracks and quickly pulling away from him.

"Normally, Squid would be my number one choice as he's the expert when it comes to files, but with him out of the picture because of you, I had to turn to Magnet."

My blood began to boil at the mention of Squid's name.

"Anyway," X-Ray redirected the conversation to continue answering my first question as we started walking again. "We found out that you really did beat up those girls, as you told Magnet, and it turned out to be a lot more serious than you let on. You really did some damage. The judge's reason for sending you here—"

"Was because she thought I'd only do more harm in a girls' facility, I know, I was in the courtroom," I cut in.

"But don't you get it?" He asked. "You earned your right to be here in that court. For a judge to send a girl here she must have really believed you would have been better off."

"That still doesn't tell me why you are showing me so much respect or why you moved me up to the third spot in line. I know people don't just get bumped up on their first day!"

He nodded, "True, but I can tell you really aren't someone I want to mess with. The last thing I need is you daring me to a fight considering I would never hit a girl. Sorry, but I've got standards."

I laughed, "That's why you're being so nice? You're afraid to hit me?"

"Yes," he spoke solemnly. "And I made sure the others follow the same standards. I won't allow it." His voice was stern, and it was right there that I really gained a large amount of respect for this boy.

"But Squid," I paused for second, trying to keep the anger down. "He said you liked me…" I trailed off again, not wanting to finish, afraid of what his answer would be.

"I'm not doing this to try and get in your pants, if that's what you think. That's not how I roll. You're just another member of D-Tent to me."

I sighed with relief, "So, we're just friends? Nothing more?" I needed to make sure it was completely clear to both of us.

"Nothing more," he promised. "Besides, I think Squid might have a thing for you…" Now it was his turn to trail off.

"No!" I yelled, stopping again. "He's been nothing but a complete ass to me, there's no way." I continued walking.

"Come on, Nic. I don't exactly know what his problem his, he wouldn't say, but I'm sure he will come around when he's ready."

I shook my head, "I doubt it."

"You know, you're not making this any easier between the two of you. What if he was just trying to start over with you earlier? You completely blew up on him without giving him any chance of getting into your good graces."

X had a point, but I didn't want to admit that. I don't know what it was but there was just something about Squid that bothered me. "Look, he started this by walking out on me and refusing to acknowledge my existence. First impressions mean a lot to me and it's his fault for fucking it up."

X-Ray didn't have a response for that. He stayed quiet; probably in order to leave that conversation as is so that I didn't blow up on him next.

Reaching the camp, we both went into D-tent and… I realized I was going to have to shower. I think X-Ray was realizing that, too, after looking at the odd expression on my face.

'X, I'm gonna have to shower…" I voiced my concern.

"Don't worry, Nic. We've got stalls, but if anyone walks by, they are going to see you." His tone was somber as he gave me a stern look.

I figured. But what else could I expect? Criminals don't really have a right to privacy.

"Don't worry, you can use the one on the end, that way no one should have to walk by, and I'll be in the stall next to you just in case someone does try to pull something, alright?" He asked, rubbing my back lightly.

I nodded, "Sounds like a plan." I tried to smile and grabbed my relaxation jumpsuit, a fresh tank top, and underwear and followed X-Ray to the showers.

He was right; there were stalls, at least eight of them, but no curtains or doors to give any privacy. The stalls were separated into two halves; the first half when you walk in had a bench for you to lay your clothes down on while the second half, further inward, had the shower head attached to the back wall. At least I knew that my clothes would not get wet while I showered.

Someone was showering on one end, but we went in the other direction to the other end, I got the shower against the wall and X-Ray went into the stall right beside mine. I stayed quiet, not wanting to draw attention to myself. I didn't want to let the other unknown showering boy, or anyone else who might enter, know I was in here.

I quickly undressed and put my token in the slot. Freezing cold water poured out and down over me and I covered my mouth so as not to shriek in protest. I quickly washed my hair and body, not wanting the water to go off still covered in soap. I ignored the pain the water and soap was causing my poor bloody hands. X-Ray had told me on the way over here that the water would only last for about five minutes and that being quick was the way to go. Thankfully, I managed to get all the soap off of me and out of my hair before the shower went off. When it did, I quickly wrapped myself in my towel and dried off.

That wasn't so bad, I thought to myself as I began pulling on my underwear and bra. Still trying to be as quiet as possible. Then I put on my tank top and jumpsuit. Instead of buttoning and zipping up the whole thing, I followed a trend I saw some of the boys doing. I kept the top part down, around my butt, and tied the sleeves around my waist tightly. It worked pretty well, I thought. It worked for me anyway, I never liked layers. I didn't like baggy long-sleeved tops either.

I came out of the stall to find X-Ray leaning against the wall, freshly showered and waiting for me. "Thanks," I smiled. The other boy was already gone and we exited the showers and went back to D-tent quietly. We both put away our dirty clothes. I quickly brushed through my hair and pulled it up into a messy bun. I checked my reflection in the small mirror I brought with me. As far as I was concerned I looked fine, maybe a little tired.

"So, do you think you're ready to brave the Rec Room?" X-Ray asked, watching me from where he stood, next to his cot.

I thought about it. "Can't be any worse than the Mess Hall," I figured. "Let's go," I grinned.

He grinned back, shaking his head at me. "You're a strange girl, Nic. Any other girl would probably be screaming her head off to get the Warden to send her back home, but no, you're ready for anything that comes your way."

I shrugged, "What can I say? I'm not your average girl, if I was, they sure as hell wouldn't have sent me here."

"You got that right," he agreed, chuckling.

We walked side-by-side outside to a building I hadn't noticed before. On the door, it had originally said 'Rec Room,' but the 'Rec' had been scratched out and replaced with 'Wreck.'

Inside, it was full of guys, having conversations with each other, lounging on the broken furniture, lifting weights, playing pool or foosball, and watching TV.

The majority of D-tent was over by one of the two pool tables. "What's up, fellas?" X called as he walked over to them. I quickly followed, not wanting to stand alone for longer than a second with all of these guys eyeing me up and down. I stood at the pool table, staying close to X-Ray.

Squid immediately left the table to go watch TV; not wanting to be around me, I'm sure. Zigzag quickly followed him.

I watched them as they walked away. Why was he such an ass? I wondered to myself, glaring at their backs.

Well, that left me with X-Ray, Armpit, and Magnet. I found Zero over in a corner by himself and Caveman should be on his way back to camp by now, I assumed. He'd had plenty of time to finish his hole. Just as I was thinking this, Caveman walked into the Wreck Room, found us at the pool table, and was on his way over.

It was obvious that the boys stuck to their own tent mates. D-Tent was really like a strange family, but one I felt I was singlehandedly tearing apart. Squid turned his back on me every time I approached and Zigzag seemed to be on his side. I mean, I didn't even really care for Zigzag, he was too crazy for me, but I'd rather have him on my side than egging on my enemy with his insane theories about me.

"Hey guys," Caveman greeted us as he made it over to where we were standing. He was smiling and it bothered me. He just seemed so whatever about everything. I mean, that's how I tried to seem, but he did it so much more genuinely. "So, how are your hands really?" He asked me.

I figured he hadn't heard the bit about my hands when Squid first came over to my hole. We hadn't begun yelling at each other until afterward. Then again, he probably did hear Mr. Sir asking me about them. After a moment, I put up my hands to show him.

"Damn, girl, yours look as bad as Caveman's did!" Armpit exclaimed.

I grimaced at that, "Will it ever get any better?"

"Mr. Sir says everything turns to callus eventually," Caveman answered. "Mine have," he added, showing me his own hands.

I sighed, "So much for my dainty little hands."

They all laughed at my sarcasm.

"Don't worry, Nic, your hands will still be dainty, they just won't be as soft or pretty," Armpit added.

I laughed, "Wonderful!"

"So, who wants to play?" X-Ray asked, picking up the two pool sticks. Caveman seemed uninterested; probably never having played a game of pool in his life. Armpit and Magnet already looked defeated.

"Not me," Magnet quickly put in.

"Yeah, X, you always win," Armpit grumbled.

X turned to me, looking hopeful, "What about you? You play?"

"Sure, why not?" I answered.

He tossed me the stick and I quickly caught it. "Let's play then," he said, smirking at me.

The other three boys stuck around to watch, but stayed out of our way as the game became more and more intense. X-Ray was winning, but I was quickly catching up. Soon enough, a couple other guys from other tents were standing around to see who the winner would be. I think some of them were even rooting for me. Some were also making catcalls and yelling things like, "Come on, X! You gonna let a girl beat you?" But if they thought I'd mind and get all upset and lose, they were wrong. I had every intention of kicking his ass, metaphorically of course, because one thing none of these guys knew was that I was the Queen of Pool back home. No one ever beats me.

I even saw Squid watching solemnly with his arms crossed, but he stayed in the back, keeping quiet instead of jeering or cheering with the others.

I could tell X-Ray was just as much into this game as I was, it was my turn and the last ball was on the table in a spot that meant a ridiculous angle was necessary if I wanted to get it into the hole. "Come on, babe, there's no way you can make that shot," he mock-sneered, still having fun anyway.

I smirked up at him as I set up my stick for a well-skilled maneuver. Scoffing at him I quickly replied, "Honey, please, we all know whose winning and we know it won't be you." And with those final words, I hit the cue ball into the other ball with enough speed to send it around the table and straight into a hole.

I straightened up slowly, still grinning at him as everyone else starting cheering or booing at me. I didn't care. I was just enjoying the moment.

The dinner bell went off.

"Good game," X-Ray finally gave in, smiling back at me as we walked over to the Mess Hall. "You just beat the best player here," he added as he put his arm around my shoulders.

I removed it the moment he had it settled around me, "Doesn't that make me the best player here?"

"Ohhh!" Magnet called out from behind us, overhearing me rag on our tent leader.

X-Ray just ignored him, "I guess it does."

Once we were in the Mess Hall, we all filed into line for another night of disgusting food. But I didn't really care anymore. I was actually having fun in this hellhole. Who would have thought?