Chapter 2

Emily's POV

There was an alarm that went off, filling the thick desert air at zero dark. Gabby leapt up out of her bed and stood in a battle stance as soon as it went off.

"What was that!" she yelped.

I sat up in my bed, unable to grasp what was going on, "It…the sleds are outside."

"What?" Gabby asked, rushing to put on her orange suit.

"OHMYGOD!" I jumped out of bed. "We have to get up!"

She laughed, "Come on, we have to go to that Library shed."

I obeyed and changed into that horrid orange jumpsuit, putting on a white tank top and tying the arms around my waist, sweating too much already to have long sleeves on. Gabby did the same as she did yesterday, except she let her long flowing hair fall down around her shoulders. I pulled mine back, leaving my bangs down, knowing that my hair would be slicked back with sweat by the end of the day.

"Ready?" she asked, pulling on a pair of socks and her boots.

I nodded and walked out of the tent after her.

"What do you think we have to do?" she asked, eyeing the guys who walked past us holding shovels.

"Hey!" Zig-zag ran over to us with Squid and Caveman by his side. "Fox and Kitten!"

"Hey!" Gabby smiled. "Good morning!"

"More like good night," I mumbled.

Squid stared at me for a moment and I snapped, "What?"

He shot me a dirty look, "Calm down girl."

I ignored him and saw that Gabby was talking with the others.

"You gotta dig a hole five feet deep and five feet wide, use the shovel to measure." Caveman explained. "You guys are gonna come with the D-tent group."

Caveman handed Gabby a shovel and she thanked him as Squid tossed one to me and I jumped out of the way, letting it fall to the ground.

"Nice catch," he sneered.

"It's about one in the morning, I'm not exactly ready to catch flying tools right now," I said and he smirked slightly.

"Hey everyone!" Mom came out of the F-tent. "Here is your breakfast."

He handed out a soggy tortilla to everyone and I grimaced when he handed mine to me. "Is this edible?"

Gabby held hers out, watching the boys devouer theirs. She cautiously bit hers and shrugged, continuing to take rabbit sized nibbles.

I handed mine to Squid and he gratiously took it, eating it just as fast as the other one.

"You're gonna be starving by lunch," Zig said, licking his fingers.

I scrunched my nose up, "I think I'll be ok."

"Come on sugar, let's go dig," Squid put an arm around my shoulders and led me away from the group. I gave him a look and pushed his arm off. The rest of the group was following after us.

Squid carried his shovel over his shoulders one arm on each side, he chewed at his toothpick. He glanced down at me, noticing I was staring. "What?"

"Nothin," I mumbled, dragging my shovel beside me.

He smirked, "You starin at me?"

"Don't humor yourself," I sighed.

He bumped into me teasingly, "Don't lie Fox."

I bumped his side back but a little harder, sending him off course a little, "I'm not."

He held his shovel to the other side and bumped into my side harder than I did, making me trip a little. And I smiled slightly before coming back at him throwing all my weight, sending him falling over with me on top of him because he grabbed on last minute, making sure I fell too.

I laughed, "Asshole."

He seemed to laugh a little, "You were askin for it."

"Hey guys," X-ray walked past us. "Let's save the flirting for later."

I felt my face flush and I grabbed my shovel off the ground, walking to an empty spot between Armpit, Gabby, and Caveman to dig my hole.

GABBY'S POV

The sun poured down out of the sky, slamming down on my face as I was about five feet deep into the ground, digging for a reason I didn't know. I wiped a bead of sweat off my upper lip and sat down in my hole, trying to salvage all I had left in my water canteen.

I groaned and stood up again, knowing I had to only dig a little more before I could go back to camp. Emily poked her head over the side of my hole.

"You ok down there?" she asked, her big blue eyes staring down at me.

I nodded, "It's just hot."

"First hole is the hardest ladies," Magnet called from behind us.

So far out of all the guys we had met, Caveman and I had gotten along the best. He and I joked around about a lot of things and seemed to have the same views on everything. He wasn't a bad kid either like a lot of the guys here, he didn't even do anything to get here, it was a misunderstanding. Or so I hoped. X-Ray and I didn't really talk much, he kind of seemed a little too self-obsessed for my taste. Armpit, Magnet, and Zig-Zag and I all were friends though, they all had extremely different personalities but we got along all the same. Then there was that guy Squid. I didn't so much like him either, he kind of scared me the way that he always looked like he wanted to hurt someone. Maybe that's why Emily seemed to have a huge crush on him. Last night before we had went to bed all she could talk about was him.

"Caveman?" I called, climbing out of my hole, sitting on the side next to Emily who was laying down in the dirt.

"Yeah?" he asked, popping his head out of his hole.

"Where do we go when we're done?"

"We normally go to the wreck room or our tent. I'm almost done, maybe we can go hang out in my tent or something?" he asked, rubbing his brown curls.

Emily rolled over onto her stomach and looked over at us, "I need it to be like a centimeter deeper then I'm done."

"Too weak?" teased Squid from his hole.

"Blisters," she said, eyeing her hands which had random bloody spots all over them.

I looked down at my hands which were fine, used to the hard labor from gardening so much at home.

Squid climbed out of his hole and spit into it before jumping into Emily's.

"What are you doin?" she asked, sitting up.

"Helpin you before you pass out and die," he threw some dirt out of her hole.

"Hey Gab," Caveman stood next to me. "I'm done."

"Em, you coming?" I asked.

"No, I'll wait for Squid," she said.

"Alright, Ill be in D-tent," I said as Caveman gave me a small smile and we walked back to camp

"So," Caveman popped another goldfish into his mouth that we got from a stash they had in their tent that one of the boys stole from the cafeteria. "How long have you and Fox known each other?"

"Since sixth grade," I took a handful of orange crackers. "French class. We became closer in seventh grade and then we were best friends."

"I don't really have that many friends back home." He tied the orange jumpsuit around his waist tighter, rubbing his stomach from under his white t-shirt revealing perfect abs. "I'm socially awkward."

I laughed, "I know the feeling. I had my friends though. From cross-country and just my normal friends."

He stared at me for a long moment, "You have gorgeous eyes."

I shooed him away with my hand, "Oh please."

He sat up on his cot a little, "its true."

I fidgeted next to him as he touched my cheek slightly. His eyes and mine were hooked together and he leaned closer a little more, seeming scared.

"DOES EVERYONE HAVE THEIR CLOTHES ON?" X-ray screamed as he walked into the tent with his hands over his eyes. All the boys followed after him. Zero plopped down on his bed next to Caveman's. Everyone else went back to their own.

"Where are Squid and Fox?" Caveman asked.

"Squid is helpin Fox with her hole because her hands are bleeding like crazy," Zero mumbled to him.

A few seconds later the two walked into the room, Squid sitting down on his bed, laying out lazily as Emily just stood there, unsure of what to do.

"Sit down girl," X-ray said, my opinion on him since yesterday was slowly changing to a more positive view.

Squid stood up quickly and picked her up (something I know she hated) and sat her down on his bed, her eyes were insanely wide.

"Never pick me up again," she breathed.

Squid spit onto the ground and leaned back onto his bed with his back to the headboard like Caveman was sitting. I leaned back into Caveman's chest and his breath staggered slightly. Emily was sitting at the edge of Squids bed with her legs in pretzel position.

"Let's play a game," I suggested.

Zig-zag snickered, "What is this girl scouts?"

I shot him a look, "Well it's better than just sitting here."

"What's the game?" Caveman asked, all for my idea.

I thought for a moment, "Truth or dare?"

Emily and Squid snickered from his bed.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing," Emily laid down on the bed, not caring that Squid was there next to her.

"Ok you go first then." I commanded. "Truth or Dare Miss. Fox?"

"Truth," she said.

"Do you think Squid is hot?" X-Ray asked quickly.

Her face twitched a little, "What?"

"Do you?" Armpit ribbed.

"I don't know," she mumbled.

"Kitten, you go now," Caveman changed the subject seeing that Emily didn't want to answer that question.

"Dare."

"Give Caveman a big kiss for us," Zig-zag laughed.

All the blood rushed out of my face and my eyes widened.

"Just do it!" X-ray hollered and laughed, making me dislike him again.

Everyone was making kissy faces in the room except for Zero, Emily, and Squid who just sat there. Zero looked nervous as Squid didn't really seem to care and Emily chewed at her lip, probably trying to think of how to help me.

Caveman saved me by quickly leaning in and kissing me for a brief moment before leaning back. Everyone laughed a little before they turned their attention to the next person.

"Squid's turn," X-ray said, obviously enjoying the game.

"Do I have to?" he asked.

"Yes!"

"Fine, truth."

"Why did you help Emily with her hole today?" Magnet chimed in.

He looked away, "Because the Warden would have bitched if it didn't get done."

"No because you were tryin to-

"I told you why I did it now shut'cher mouth Magnet."

"Squidward," I chimed in.

He looked over at me, raising his eyebrows.

"I think you liiike her."

"He better claim her soon, or else."X-ray said laughing.

"Or else what?" Emily asked.

"Yeah, what?" Squid looked over.

"I may have to claim her for myself." He chortled.

Squid looked at him and his eyes said it all.

"What, jealous?" X-ray challenged.

Squid growled a little, "No."

"Fox, why don't you come sit with me then beautiful?" X asked.

"X-ray is just mad because he knows Fox likes Squid," Zig-Zag kidded.

"Let's talk about me more like I'm not sitting right here," Emily sighed.

"Why don't you just come over here?" X asked again.

Squid stood up, "Shut up man!"

Emily grabbed onto his arm and pulled him back, "Stop it. The Warden is gonna freak out."

X-ray glared at him, "I was just kidding Squid. You know I was."

"Whatever," he stormed out and Emily followed after him.

The alarm from this morning went off again and I looked around.

"Time to get up?" I asked.

Caveman laughed, "No, dinner time."

We all got up and headed for the Cafeteria, Caveman holding my hand the whole way there.