I was in ZigZag's arms like a child. He gazed at me like looking at gold. My breath hitched completely and my lungs shriveled up. No comment. It felt different-like I had just met him for the first time. He looked forward and started walking. Please throw me in a hole. Please bury me and throw me hard. But he didn't. Zig pushed into the tent and laid me down on his cot. He sat down next to me and I had to take a second to learn to breath again. "Perry, I know what happ-" I held up a finger and laid a hand on my heart.

"Hold on, give me a minute to revive." He chuckled, but I wasn't joking. I finally sat up. "Ok, proceed." "I know what happened yesterday and I don't know what came over me. Watching you with Stanley kinda got me mad." Realization hit me. It wasn't hatred of me. He was jealous. "ZigZag, were you jealous of Stanley? Did you think I liked him?"

A wide blush spread across his face. "I-I um..I-I...Kinda." But this didn't solve anything. "Then why did you push me like that?" He lowered his head. "After I got jealous, I was so mad at Stanley that I just wanted to kill him. When you got in the way, I was sure you were going out with him. So, That's why. I just want to say I'm so sorry." I smiled at his honesty.

As sketchy as it was and as stupid as he could be sometimes, I can't hold a grudge. "No sweat, Blondie." I said, poking his wild hair. He smiled and it was as if none of it happened. "And I'm not with Stanley, nor shall I ever be." Because, Stanley is Cece's. Relief came over ZigZag. "And I'll apologize to Stanley is he doesn't kill me with fire first." I laughed,falling back on his pillow. My hair flew back in my face so I swiped it into a fishtail braid. "So, heard about the new romance?" I asked,fixing my braid. "You mean Breezy and Squid? All of D-Tent knows it. Camp Green Lake knows it. Texas knows it. I think Asia knows it."

I laughed again and sat up, getting to toy with my braid. "Well, our sneaky Breezy found out spying. I had been talking with Squid 'bout it. But now I'm glad they're together. It gets me jealous though." "Me too." ZigZag said, glancing around the tent. My mischief face came on. "Oh, really? You want a girlfriend, really? I thought you were loner kid." He rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Of course I want a girlfriend." My mind went back to his letter. Maybe-A loud ring went off. That only meant one thing. Mail day.

There hadn't been a mail day once and faith flooded me. They had to write back. They had to. Without a word, we scrambled to the Wreck Room. Pendenski was calling out names. "George Harris, Kay Yeagerson, Ricky Tomlinson, Gregory Willton." ZigZag's eyes lit up, my mine threatened to water.

Did my family seriously hate me that much not to tell me hello? Of course they did! I'm a freakin killer with no social life. I can't even get a-"Oh, and Perriella Ross, you got a package." Ok, maybe It's alright. Attention picked up when I was handed a package to fit in my arms.

ZigZag helped me back in the tent with the rest of D-tent at my heels. "What is it?" Alexis asked, ecstatically. "Don't you know if I knew, I'd tell ya'll?" This shut her up. I set the box down on my bed and unwrapped it. The second I saw what was in, I shut it tightly. "What the hell, Perry? Open it for us." "No. Uh-Uh." I said, shaking my head. "What's in there, underwear?" X ray asked. I shot him a death glare. "No!" Suddenly the box was snatched up by someone. "No! Drop it, Now!" I yelled. But everyone was already tackling each other for it. Magnet had it, now Alexis, Now ZigZag.

Finally it was tossed to Breezy. I gave her praying eyes. But evil ones were given to me. "Let's see.." She opened the flaps. No! She pulled out what was inside, My favorite stuffed animal, Ellie, the elephant. "Oh my god! Perry, it's Ellie!" I blushed bad as everyone laughed. I snatched it from her and held her in my arms. I had kept Ellie because I absolutely loved her. What? I can't have a stuffed animal? My mom had bought her for me at the zoo when I was little. "Geez, you guys act like you've never had a stuffed animal!"

I set her down and picked the box back up. Inside was a heavy envelope. "What's that?" Stanley asked. I wasn't sure, but I was grinning from ear to ear. I had Ellie, so everything was gonna be alright. I had to read it. But when everyone was gone. ZigZag sat by me and picked up Ellie. "I think she's cute." He said, toying with her ears. "Not the elephant, though." The only thing to do was smile.

P.S. Ellie the elephant is a REAL stuffed animal. Come on, I have a kid life out of this thing!

~M&M