"Shut up, you don't know what you're talking about," Squid said, looking away in an attempt to hide his face.
"Man, you think she's hot and you know it!" X-Ray stated, pleased with himself and smiling at Squid. He punched him lightly on the arm. "I always know with you, so don't you go saying that I'm wrong. You know that I'm not."
Squid looked at the rest of the guys eating their lunch around X-Ray's hole. None of them seemed to be listening, so he turned back to X-Ray and sighed.
"Ok, fine. Maybe you're right. Maybe I do think she's hot. I bet you do too. Doesn't mean I like her though."
"Pshhh, yeah ok. Whatever." He paused and looked over at where Avery was eating her lunch by her hole, alone. She hadn't talked to anyone all morning, but then again, no one had really tried talking to her either. That gave him an idea. He over at looked Squid, smiling evilly. Squid was in mid-bite when he finally noticed.
"What?!" he said exasperatedly, bringing his sandwich down. "Can't a man eat his lunch in peace?"
"Sure, but does a woman have to eat alone?" Squid looked at him confused. X-Ray went on. "I dare you to go over there and talk to her."
"What? No way, why don't you go?"
"Because I dared you to." Squid shook his head and took a huge bite of his sandwich. X-Ray rolled his eyes. "Chicken."
"Why? Because I won't go talk to a girl? Fine, I'll do it. Happy?" Squid threw his sandwich down and got up.
X-Ray laughed and replied, "Very."
"Yeah I'll show you happy, asshole," Squid muttered as he walked over to Avery. "Shit, what am I gonna say?" He stopped and turned around to look at X-Ray, but he was just pointing at him and talking to the other guys. Squid stick his middle finger up and kept walking. "Yeah, fuck you too X-Ray."
Avery looked up when she heard someone coming. Spotting Squid on his way towards her, she quickly looked back down at her lunch and kept eating.
"Great," he mumbled. He got to her hole and stood there, feeling out of place. I have no idea what to say, he thought to himself. She won't even look at me. I am going to kill X-Ray.
He cleared his throat. She still wouldn't look up. He fidgeted, shifting his weight to the other foot.
"Hey," he finally said, timidly. Avery continued to look down at her shoes. She bit one of her crackers. "Um...so how is your hole coming?" He looked at it and saw that it was coming along nicely. Mind you, it was a bit rough at the edges, but it wasn't much shallower than the others. He looked at her arms too and saw that she had muscles. I guess she's not just some wimpy girl. She she looked into the distance at her left.
"Why don't you just go back to your immature friends and laugh about me." Avery's voice was surprisingly calm. Squid was startled.
"Hey, I was just here to say hi and be friendly, ok? You didn't have to get all edgy and insult me," he said in self defense.
"Yeah well I don't appreciate you coming over here. It was probably just a dare someone gave you, to go and talk to the girl. Am I right?" While saying the last part, she finally looked up at him. Her gray eyes seemed more hurt than angry. They were ringed thickly with smudged black makeup that she hadn't had a chance to wash off yet, making her look tired. Squid stood there, not knowing what to say in response.
"Well, ok, maybe it was a dare. But damnit, I really did want to be nice though."
"Yeah, sure, asshole."
"Woah, look, it's not like I had to come over here and talk to you. No one else has even bothered to say hello, I would've thought you'd be grateful."
She laughed bitterly and stood up. Squid noticed that she was almost as tall as he was. "Grateful for what? Oh look, I got one of the boys to notice me. Yay! Oh, maybe I should just start making out with him next and act like a whore so that maybe he'll like me. Is that what you want me to do now, huh?"
Smiling, he spoke softly. "Well it wouldn't hurt."
Avery got a look of disgust on her face and turned around to start digging her hole again. Squid reached out and grabbed her arm, dragging her back to him and getting right up in her face. When he spoke, his voice was low and serious.
"You knew it was bound to happen eventually, didn't you? A single girl in a camp full of guys? You didn't expect to just go unnoticed, did you?"
"No...but..." Avery replied helplessly. He leaned in and kissed her, and at first, she kissed him back. But after a second, she pulled back roughly and struggled to get free of his grasp. He held on tightly.
"Let go of me," she hissed at him.
"Look, there will be others, and believe me, some of them aren't going to be as nice as me. But if you hook up with me now I could keep them away..."
"You, mister, are disgusting." There was something in the way she said that word that made him feel a little sympathy for her for some reason. "What makes you think I'd want to 'hook up' with you anyway?"
"I'm sorry, I was just trying to help..."
"Get away from me now. I mean it." Squid stared into her eyes, getting only an inch or so from her face. She faltered for a second and looked away, but she took a breath and glared back at him again. Finally, he let go of her wrist. She crossed her arms and continued to scowl as he backed away slowly. Almost tripping over a pile of dirt, he thought he saw a glimmer of a smile on her face. He turned around and walked back to the group, silently cursing himself for blowing it.
Back at X-Ray's hole, the guys were getting ready to go back and finish their digging. X-Ray snickered and patted Squid on the shoulder. Squid pushed his hand away, irritated.
"Hey, no hard feelings bro. That took guts. She looks like quite a feisty one, eh?"
"Shut up, man," Squid snapped. He walked back to his hole, glancing back at Avery, who hurled her shovel down on the ground and kicked the dust violently.
"Whatever you say, kid," X-Ray chuckled, returning to his task, whistling.