Disclaimer: Don't own it, not making money off it, never will be.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 15 I Only Hope He's Alive

 The next morning Misty awoke and slowly opened her eyes. She could hear Squid's soft breathing and didn't want to disturb him. The bell was going to ring in a few minutes so she carefully got out of Squid's cot and put her orange suit and shoes on.

 She sat on her bed brushing her long hair, watching Squid as he slept.

 'He looks cute when he sleeps.' She thought to herself.

 A few minutes later, as Misty was tying her hair into a ponytail, the bell rang. She left the tent with the guys and went out for another terrible day of digging.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 After a week or so Misty realized that Stanley, who was now known as Caveman, and Zero were spending a lot of time away from the group. Misty was curious and she asked him about it in the Rec room. He told her Stanley was teaching him to read.

 "You don't know how to read?" She asked sorrowfully.

 Zero shook his head silently and walked away to the tent.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 The next day at about noon the water truck came. Mr. Pendanski was driving so Misty didn't expect to get water. She stayed in her hole until she heard a shovel clanging against someone's head. Then she popped her head out of the hole and saw Zero running toward the mountains with a shovel.

 She knew he wasn't planning on coming back.

 After Misty finished her hole she walked back to camp and sat on her cot.

 "What's wrong, Misty?" Asked Squid.

 "I can't believe Zero. . . Left." She replied as fresh tears formed in her eyes.

 "It's okay Misty." Squid said sitting down next to her.

 "What if he dies out there?" Misty asked.

 Squid sighed.

 "I only hope he's alive." She whispered.

 Squid could tell she was upset. He ran his fingers up and down her arm staring into her brutal blue eyes intensely. He could tell just by the look in her eyes that she had been hurt in the past.

 He hated his dad and mom, but couldn't imagine her life. Her dad running out, her mom remarrying, her stepdad beating her, Matt raping her. He shook the thoughts from his head when she put her head on his shoulder. Squid touched the scar on Misty's back and got the sudden urge to kill Matt. He didn't see how someone could be such a foul person.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 YEAH! Squid wants to kill Matt. I think I'll make them fight somewhere later in my story.

Squid: Why?

Monkey: So you can prove how tough you are. *Smirks and grabs Squid's arm* I think you can take him.

Squid: Oh brother.