Jo

All I've done is cry for the past three days. I haven't ate, slept, or even thought. Every inch of me is prepared for a beating that'll never come.

Everybody here is Drew to me. Every knock on my door is another rape that I must be prepared for. Every word uttered is another plan to hurt me even more. For the first time since the invasion, I feel fragile.

Ben

I'm such a screw-up. I led Jo into it, all of it. It's my fault she was raped and beaten. I'm trying to stay happy and positive, but it's hard.

"Hey, it's razorback."

"Ew! He looks gross!"

"He's probably probed. The aliens will find us any second."

And this was me walking down the hall. There was always a five-foot each direction circle surrounding me, and if someone even thought about entering it, they'd be called a gay fag (if they were a boy) or an attention-seeking slut (if you were a girl). Not even Jimmy dared to get near me. It was like being quarantined and segregated at the same time. Misery.

Don't even get me started on patrol. Jimmy doesn't talk to me. But then again, I've only heard my family and Anne's voice since I got back. Nobody else spoke a word.

"Hey, it's the razorback." I was in the activity tent, a place where teens my age usually hang out.

"Ew. I bet he's here to report to his mother ship or something." The first voice had been Freddy, a tough guy who was mean anyway. The second was his enemy, Cathleen. They hate each other, but they hate me more.

"I heard the spikes were radioactive." That last voice scared me. It was Jimmy. Well, someone cut off my dick and sell it to Jesus because Jimmy Boland is with the popular kids. I let the comment roll off my back. "He's gonna kill us all." It's water under the bridge. "Just like he did to Jo." Okay, I'm done. I threw down the book I was planning on reading, and spun on my heel to Jimmy.

"Shut your useless ass-face up before I show you what these spikes can do." I seethed.

"Ooh, someone has a crush!" Cathleen snickered evilly. Yeah, because Jo would TOTALLY forgive me.

"Yeah, with the girl he almost killed." Freddy smirked.

"Are you kidding? The little whore wanted it." Cathleen giggled as if that was the funniest joke ever.

"What can your spikes do besides make you a," Jimmy came up and flicked one of the spikes emerging from my crusted skin. "freak?" Cathleen and Freddy bursted out laughing. And I cracked. I picked Jimmy up by his collar with one hand, and threw him into the side of the tent, causing it to crash down on top of everyone inside.

"AHH!" Cathleen shrieked. "MY BARRETTE!" Another ear-deafening screech cut the air. "WHERE IS IT?" She began to rant on about how she received her precious hairpiece before the invasion, how it was imported from France, blah blah blah.

So I was punished. Bad. Extra patrol, all of which I'd handle myself, and a three week long banishment from the activity tent. Also, no guns for me, I'm surviving off a bow and arrow that I can't shoot. I can't go near Jo, either, but that wasn't gonna happen even if I wasn't under punishment.

Meanwhile, Freddy, Cathleen, and Jimmy have called World War 4 (since I guess we're living in World War 3) over the loss of the precious barrette, that's yet to be found. Jimmy has a black eye and only a MINOR concussion, I could've done worse. Like, kill him worse.

"Uh-oh, it's razorback!" Cathleen's voice echoed down the hall. I looked around. Everyone had their shirt over their nose. I guess the whole 'radioactive spikes' thing spread around.

"Jimmy, why don't you teach him a lesson?" I felt Freddy sneering behind me. "Payback's a bitch."

Before I continue, let me explain my spikes. They're extremely sensitive. They ache all the time, and even the slightest touch sends pain all over my body.

So, Jimmy's approaching me and I consider just throwing him again. It'd be easier. But what happened next I never expected.

Jimmy rammed me against the wall with all of his strength.

Jimmy

I've never heard anyone scream so loud.

As soon as Ben's back made contact with the wall, everyone ran. Even Cathleen and Freddy went for the hills. After screaming loud enough to attract ten thousand skitters and quite a few mechs, Ben simply pulled himself into a ball and whimpered. Whimpered like a lost puppy. I guess I didn't think how sensitive his spikes were. I guess I just thought they weren't. After a while, Ben looked up at me. His face was red, his eyes swollen and bloodshot.

"GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!" Don't have to tell me twice. I ran and ran, leaving my best friend behind.