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Sorry if this is kinda short... Enjoy! :-P

Chapter 10 - Now Or Never

Madeline's thoughts were still on her dream as she dug her hole the next day. She didn't know why, but it seemed like a sign that something was going to happen. Maybe not to her sister, but to someone close to her... someone like her.

She sighed and wiped her forehead. Shoveling another pile of dirt, she looked over at Zero, who wasn't looking in her direction. Cocking her head, she looked at him. His face looked blank and emotionless. It was probably how he got through digging so much.

He's a smart kid if that's true... smarter than anyone else knows, she thought.

***

Later that afternoon, Zero and Madeline talked while lying on their respective cots, cherishing the time they had to just talk until the others got done digging. As much as they wouldn't admit it to one another, that time was what they looked forward to all day.

"Favorite color."

"Light blue."

"Dark blue."

Madeline looked over at him and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Light blue's better."

He stuck his tongue back out at her.

"Is not."

"Is too."

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Oh, for the love of Orlando Bloom! Let's agree to disagree," Madeline said with a smile, giving up. He smirked.

"I won," Zero said. She stared at him for a second, her head cocked to the left. Suddenly, she got up and walked over to his cot, knelt down, leaned over him for a fraction of a second, and then kissed him. At first, he was shocked, but kissed her back.

After about five seconds, she broke it. Still kneeling beside the cot, she smirked.

"No... I think I won."

***

Three? No... four. Yeah, four.

That's what Zero was thinking about all through digging the next day. Well, not completely on the number of kisses he and Madeline had shared, but about her. There was so much more to her than everyone saw. To the rest of them, they just saw her as a tough girl who just stole a car for fun. But there seemed to be more than that... something a little below the surface. He didn't know why... but he wanted to find out what it was.

***

"Someday... somehow, I'm gonna make it alright but not right now. I know you're wondering when. Someday, somehow, I'm gonna make it alright but not right now... I know you're wondering when..."

"You're a really beautiful singer, you know that?" Zero commented, walking into the tent as Madeline lay worn out on her cot, singing softly to herself. She forced a smile.

"You caught me again...," she said tiredly. She yawned and winced as she felt her muscles in her back tighten. He looked over at her strangely.

"You okay?" he asked. She nodded and rubbed her back.

"I'm good... just a little tired... that's all," she yawned and closed her eyes.

"Just go to sleep... I'll wake you up before dinner," Zero said.

She was already asleep.

***

Anna hurriedly grabbed the bag, tossing the empty one to Lorelei.

We have to get this done tonight, she thought. Like Madeline always said, now or never.

***

"Madeline... hey... Madeline - wake up," Zero said, shaking her gently. The brunette opened her eyes lazily and saw that the tent was once again empty.

"Where is everyone?"

"Already at dinner. We'd better get to the Mess Hall," he answered. She nodded and stood up, only to fall into Zero's arms, completely unconscious.

Song Credit - "Someday" by Nickelback

*~*

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