Covered Emotions

Chapter 3

The sound of the buzzer woke up all the girls, except for Catastrophe who was already up. Everyone sluggishly made it outside, standing all beside each other. Harlot was searching for Turbo, while Sapphire helped Catastrophe stand up. Skye was talking to Strings and Jazz. Spark stood by herself, watching a guy named Slick. He was talking to Turbo and another friend named Harley. The Warden's shrill voice broke every other strand of communication within walking distance. She glared down at the new arrived girls who were sleeping on each other's shoulders.

"Now girls, you're going to dig holes which are 5 feet down and 5 feet in diameter. Use your shovel to measure.The boys will assist you and help you if you need it but I don't want them digging your holes. If you don't dig your holes, you don't dig character and there's no use being here if you're not gonna get character. I think that's all. If you have any questions, ask your counsellors." The girls went to retrieve shovels. Skye found a small shovel, meaning that she'd dig a smaller hole. She began to walk away with it when Squid pushed her down. She looked up at him as he grabbed the shovel. He spat on the ground, landing right beside her and walked off with X-Ray. Armpit helped her up.

"Don't ever use that shovel. It's Squid's. He's just too lazy to dig a big hole." Skye thanked him as he handed her a shovel. "Do you want to walk with me?" Skye nodded as they walked off.

As this was happening, Strings was still sleepily moving around. Totally unoblivous to the fact that there was other human beings around her she picked up a shovel and swung it over her shoulder, striking Zig-Zag in the head. He fell and started squealing like a pig. She rushed to his side and gasped. There was blood coming from his head.

"You're bleeding!"

He gasped as well. "Is it my blood or yours?" She rolled her eyes and helped him up. "Can I at least know your name, Murderer?" Strings giggled.

"It's Strings."

He stumbled over a rock but regained his footing. "Well I'm Zig-Zag but since you're out to kill me I guess you knew that."

"I wasn't out to kill you, I swear." He nodded but Strings was sure he wasn't convinced.

"Sure you weren't pretty lady. Don't become a Harlot." he said, acknowledging the model who's head was down and muttering as she kicked the ground with designer leather boots.

"You're digging in boots?" Jazz asked her.

"I didn't bring any other shoes. And I'm not wearing their boots. I'll probably get fungus on my feet." Skye pushed her shovel into the ground and began flying.

"You're pretty fast at this." Armpit yelled. Even though he was right beside her, she had her music jacked up all the way. She took out the earplugs and smiled.

"Who's the one with the music?" X-ray asked, his glasses already covered in dirt. Armpit said that Skye did which was evident as she was moving her head and singing along with Kelly Clarkson's Behind These Hazel Eyes. "Can I borrow that Skye?" No answer.

"You have to yell at her." Magnet told him. X-ray leaned over to her and yelled. "CAN I LISTEN?"

She looked at him. "For hating you, I blame myself." she sang. He kicked dirt into her hole and walked away.

"Talk about a grouch." Jazz muttered. The first day of digging for the girls was hard. They weren't used to digging in such heat, or digging at all. The morning passed with every girl managing their best.

"The truck's coming." Squid said as he wiped his head with his bandana. He hopped out of his hole and stood waiting for the truck.

"Hi Squid." a cheery voice rang out. He saw Skye walking towards him smiling.

"Hey Skye." He really didn't feel like talking to some fancy pants model, especially if she was going to end up being like her sister, Harlot who had caused enough trouble already. Skye could feel the coldness of his glare as she walked past him with Catastrophe. She knew that he and most people thought that she was just like her sister, a slut and a jerk but she really wasn't. The only person that hadn't judged her so far was Armpit. Harlot had made fun of him because of his slight obesity and Skye had to interject before Armpit had mashed Harlot's face up. She realized that he was very nice and a great person to talk to which no one else knew. He saved her a place in line in front of him.

"Thanks." she said with a smile. Mr. Pendanski placed an apple and grahmn crackers into her hand. "Is this all Sir?"

He eyed her crossly. "What'd you expect? Hors d'ouvers?" he pushed her aside. "We are not a fancy pants french resturant, we are a detention camp." Skye sat with her feet in her hole, coughing up the dust stuck in her throat.

"This food isn't enough to last me an hour." Spark muttered.

"Hey chika you better count your blessings." Magnet warned her. "Sometimes we only get cheese and a cracker."

"I'm on a diet. I cannot eat anything that hasn't been approved by my dietician." Harlot grumbled.

"Deal with it Harlot." Skye said. She was sick and tired of her sister grumbling and complaining all the time. "We're sick and tired of hearing you complain all the time, ok?"

Harlot raised her eyebrow and approached her sister. "How can I not complain? This place is horrible and I'm not used to it, you aren't either."

"So what? You need to learn to rough it." By now everyone in D-Tent had stopped to witness the oncoming fight between the Ashford sisters. Even other members from other tents had stopped to listen.

"I don't want to learn to rough it ok? I'm happy being cushioned the way I am and you are too. You were the one saying that you didn't want to be stuck with a whole bunch of losers, people like Strings and Armpit who I might add, you're pretending to be friends with."

Strings was taken aback. Skye was very nice to her, the only person that had bothered to take the time to talk to her. Skye looked at Strings, then Armpit.

"I never said that and you know it. It was you who said you didn't want to hang out with people like this."

"You lying snake!" Harlot gasped. "How could you make me be the bad one?" She started to force tears. "I'm just used to having everything done for me. You're the one talking about people behind their backs."

Skye's mouth dropped. Her sister was pulling one of those acts where she mixed up their roles. By now everyone was looking at her, hate filled in their eyes. Armpit couldn't even look at her.

"I do not and you know you're lying India. Stop lying to them, please." Skye was almost going to move to tears like Harlot, except that her's were real. "You're the one who"

"You know I don't think anyone wants to hear what you have to say cause it's all a bunch of bull. The only reason that were here is cause Dad wanted you to finally learn your lesson and I'm sick of having to deal with your coniving ways." Harlot collapsed in the dirt and sobbed loudly. Out of nowhere, Turbo came and held Harlot in her arms. She looked up at Skye.

"I only acted mean so I could be more like you no matter how mean that is. I only ever wanted to please you." The glare that was for Harlot last night had now been given to Skye.

"I...I" Skye ran as fast as her legs could take her.

"What a...is there even a word to describe her?" X-ray asked after moments of silence.

"No not really." Sapphire replied. She went to Harlot and hugged her as well. "Sorry we were so mean to you. But can I ask you what's with your nickname?"

She sniffed. "That was Skye's nickname for me and I know she loved it so I used it.That's why I was so rude when you asked me." She stood up with the help of Turbo who was smiling at her.

"I can help you dig your hole." She shook her head.

"No thanks. I should do it on my own. Gotta get back that character ya know." she said. He smiled at her again before he left her to dig her hole. Harlot sighed and continued to dig but her thoughts went back to that fleeing figure in the midst: her sister. She really felt bad about pulling another fast one on her again, making it seem like Skye was the bad one and her the all self righteous person. But if that was the only way to get Turbo she would do it, even if it meant to make her sister seem selfish.

Skye eventually came to her tent and fell on the ground. Her body was shaking with tears. Now everyone here hated her, even her new closest friends Strings and Armpit. She had no one to talk to, no one would believe her if she told them the truth anyway. No one ever did. She was again beaten by her little sister.

"This would be a perfect time to take a shower." She gathered her towel and personal items and went into the shower. The water was freezing but at least it was clean. Besides she wasn't exactly hoping for a hot shower after digging in the hot sun. She came out of the shower and put on a white tank and white shorts. She went into the Wreck Room which was empty. After looking around and seeing that there was nothing to do except for listening to the radio and watching a busted up television, she decided to write to her mother. She went back into her tent and grabbed some paper and a pen.

Dear Mom;

This camp is horrible. India has done it again, she's managed to turn everyone against me. Why can't she just learn to get along with people and stop turning people against me to make friends? I know you've told me to try and talk to her but this camp is filled with people who've done worse than accidentally kill a rival model. If I know India like I think I do, she's doing this to get some guys attention as always. His name's Turbo and he met her last night after she deeply insulted his sister. He hated her but now she's twisted it so it seems like I'm influencing her to be like this. Also I lost two of my closest friends that I've made here. There names are Strings and Armpit and they're very nice. But I doubt that I'll get a chance to talk to them again. Do you think that you can make arrangements to go to jail and let Harlot stay here? I really don't feel like being here for one more moment.

Love your daughter,

Skye Ashford

As she folded the letter and placed it in the box in the Wreck Room, a group of boys filled the room. She sighed as one glared at her and began to walk away.

"So you're the real harlot." he sneered. Skye's eyes began to fill up again as she ran down the steps. But before she could she was pushed down by someone. Her lip collided with the step and started to bleed. She held it and watched the boys make a circle around her.

"Turbo told ya that you'd have trouble if you were like your sister." the boy said. "Now it seems like you will have that trouble." He pushed her again into another boy who punched her in the face. She fell to the round, tears rushing down her cheeks.

"Why are you doing this?" she screamed. "Why?"

They all looked at each other and shrugged. "For fun." One picked her up and threw her very close to the shower. Her shorts were all brown from the dirt and she was dirty all over again.

"Looks like your all dirty. Maybe you need a shower."

She stood up. "I already took one."

"Yes but you need another one." The boys pushed her into the shower and turned on the water. It seeped through her white clothes making them see-through. She tried her best to cover herself and retreat but they blocked the way. Then one jumped into the shower with her.

"Since your such a good little Harlot, why don't you live up to your reputation, huh?" he asked her as he leaned in closer to her. His lips grazed hers as he held her hands tight behind her. She tried to kick him but he pushed them back with his.

"Leave me alone please." she cried. He took out a knife and held it to her throat.

"You're going to cooperate or you're going to die." he snapped. She gulped and shut her eyes whimpering. The knife was lowered to her shirt and cut it open. Her chest was exposed. Then she felt the knife plunge into her stomach and screamed. She opened her eyes and saw Squid standing over the boy who was trying to hurt her.

"Leave Killer." he growled. Killer and his friends went off into their tent. Skye tried to cover her chest before again realizing that there was a knife in her. He looked at her. "Oh it's you. If I knew it was you that I was saving, I wouldn't have come at all." He turned around to go into the Wreck Room before hearing a dull thud. Skye had fallen out of the shower.He went over to her and turned her over. Her eyes were open and she was breathing but she looked as if she was in shock.

"I'm not really good with blood." she said. "I get woozy and faint." Squid helped her up.

"I'm sorry about what I said earlier." he told her.

She shrugged. "Whatever. I'm used to it by now but this knife in my side hurts more than what my sister did." He saw the knife in her side. "Can you take it out?" He told her to lie down and he pried it out.

"Thanks." Skye stood up and held her side and went into her tent, Squid on her tail.

"You need to wrap something around your stomach. It's really bloody." She took out a tank and wrapped it around her stomach.

"That should do it." she whispered. "You can go if you want to ya know." He stood up and left without a sound.

In the Wreck Room sat Sapphire, reading a magazine she had gotten from Harlot. But her eyes were not on the atricle about the hottest clothes that summer. They were on a very distinct recognizable face. Toxic was his name. She had met him before at the movies when he accidentally spilt Pepsi all over her. To make up for that he had taken her out for pizza. He was walking out of the Wreck Room when Sapphire called to him.

He spund around and was about to snap at her when he realized who she was. "Is that you Christine?" he asked excitedly.

She grinned. "Yeah it's me. What are you here for?"

"Street fighting. And what exactly is a pretty girl like you doing here?" Sapphire blushed.

"Long story but I burnt someone's house down." He offered her his arm and invited her into his tent.

The next day Skye was up before anyone else and grabbed a shovel. No one talked to her at dinner last night or in her tent. She wasn't getting used to the eerie silence that was around her. She saw that Strings was walking with Zig-Zag and that Armpit was talking to Harlot. She was puzzled about that but let it go.

"Hey Skye." Squid came up behind her, scaring her.

"I thought you were Killer." she managed to say.

He rested his hand on her shoulder. "That's understandable."

"Won't you be beat up if you're hanging around me? Seen talking to me in fact?" She felt people glaring at her, peering their eyes through her back. She looked up at Squid.

"Don't care. People can't tell me what to do. I make my own desicions and if I want to hang out with an outlaw, I will." he told her with a straight face. "Besides I don't believe a word Harlot says. And I can't believe how dumb everyone is to fall for her lame story."

"I'm used to it by now." By now they had reached the dig site and had started to dig a ittle aways from everyone else. "This isn't the first time she's done something like this."

Squid was suddenly interested. "Really? Why don't you tell me about it?"

"Maybe later. I don't think this is the right place for that kind of talk." She continued to dig without uttering a word before the water truck came with lunch. She got her lunch and sat in her hole as usual. Turbo had come over to join their group and was holding her sister's waist and kissing her cheek. Disgusted, Skye turned away to come face to face with Armpit.

"Hey." he grunted. She smiled before she saw the frown on his face.

"Hi." There was a akward silence where Armpit stared at Skye as her eyes shifted nervously. "Did you want something?"

"No not really." He started to get up but the turned to look at Skye. She was crying.

"I feel as if I lost my best friend." she said quietly.

His heart went out to her. In his heart he surely knew that Harlot's story was false but with everyone hating Skye he couldn't be friends with her again. "Me too." he said with a quivery voice. He walked away as Skye dropped her head and cried.