Waterproof (3 page)

“Latrine duty for three weeks,” Sasha finally said. “And anything else that has to be done around c
amp will be your responsibility. That means the skinning, gathering wood, washing clothes…anything I want you to do.”

Zach stared at her
with a small smirk on his face.

“Am I clear?” she asked with raised eyebrows.

“Perfectly.”

“Do you have anything to say for yourself?” Sasha slammed her hands on her hips, daring Zach to speak.

“Yes.”

After a few seconds of silence, Sasha sighed with exasperation. “What would you like to say, Zach
ary?” I grinned at his childishness. Zach could always find a way to have the last word.

“They have a truck.”

As if he’d told us that unicorns and dragons were coming to save us, the entire camp grew quiet. Crackling from the fire eventually filled the air, but it wasn’t until Max spoke that we all snapped out of it.

“A water truck?” he asked Zach.

“Yep.”

“That’s impossible,” Trevor said. He held a cloth over his nose but I could already see a shiner beginning to form under his left eye.
I should’ve been embarrassed with the satisfaction that rolled through me.

“Are you sure?” Sasha asked, her voice softening a bit.

“Yep.” Zach’s smirk grew.

“Only government officials can
have one of those,” Carrie chimed in. I hadn’t seen her on the other side of the fire.

“You must have been seeing things,”
Daric said. He sat next to Alicia, his girlfriend who nodded in agreement by his side. She never argued with him or anyone for that matter.

“Yes,
you can’t be right,” Alicia added. Predictable.

Zach moved closer to the center of the group. “I know what I saw and I think we should go back for it.”

“What?” I called out before I could stop myself. Jumping to my feet, I only had eyes for Zach. “No! You almost got yourself killed for three bottles. Do you think they’re just going to let you waltz in there and take water from the truck?”

Sasha turned to look at me, something brewing behind her emerald eyes.
She’d acted as the group mother for so long. Perhaps my grown up response surprised her.

“Yes, that’s exactly what we should do,” Zach said.

“You’re an idiot,” I snapped.

“Can I go?” Hunter asked Zach.

“No!” we both yelled together. At least we could agree on one thing.

“Zach, it’s not worth it,” Jackson said.

“How long could we survive on that?” Zach walked around in a circle being sure to look everyone directly in the eye. He’d always been a people pleaser. “We’re almost out and we haven’t found another group in a while. I know we can ration until we’re blue in the face, but the bottom line is we’re desperate. We have two packs filled with empty bottles.”

A few people suc
ked in a sharp breath. They hadn’t known how dire our situation had become. I didn’t even realize it had gotten that bad. We never risked showing up at a government distribution center for fear of being captured. But other deserters would take the risk. And we’d steal water from them.

“We’ll be fine, Zach,” Sasha said, giving him a look that warned him to be quiet.

“But we can be better.”

“He has a point,”
Daric said.

“We are running low,” Alicia added.

Sasha glared at the couple. “Is it worth losing some of us? Because that’s exactly what will happen.”

“No it won’t,”
Zach said then continued before she could argue. “Just a few of us will go. Me, Max, Jackson, and Vee. We’ll be in and out in no time at all. The rest of you can wait nearby in case we need help. But we won’t.”

“They have guns
, Zach,” I sighed, knowing he had his heart set on this insane mission of his.

“So do
we,” he countered.

“We have one gun.” I looked at Sasha who held the only firearm in our camp.

“And a crossbow, knives, sword, and Max.” Max liked to fight with his hands.

“You’re still an idiot,” I said. Zach winked at me.

“I need to think about this tonight,” Sasha sighed.

“We should go tonight,” Zach pushed.

“I will think about it tonight and make a decision tomorrow.” Her tone turned harsh and menacing. This conversation was over. “Besides, you have holes to dig.”

Trevor pushed a shovel into Zach’s hands. He acted like such a suck up to Sasha.
Just one more annoying trait.

“And don’t punch Trevor again,” she added.

Zach started to follow Sasha when she walked away, but Max shook his head. Now was not the time. Hunter bounced over to Zach and grabbed the three bottles of water sitting on the ground. Zach roughed the hair on his head and gave me one more wink before walking to the far side of camp to begin his punishment. I couldn’t help but smile when he started whistling the famous “Off to work” tune from
Snow White
. Zach, the persistent optimist.

THREE

Zach

No one knew it, but I liked digging holes. It was the kind of workout that reminded me of the rigorous football training I’d endured before the wars. Despite lugging our supplies from camp to camp, I had little chance to break a sweat and steal time for myself. Getting punished for being insubordinate proved a welcomed retreat from reality.

Tonight I thought about Vee as I tossed one pile of dirt after another to the side. In all honesty, she’d occupied my daydreams quite a bit lately.
I loved to watch her fight and nothing pleased me more than giving her a hard time. We’ve been in each other’s lives for so long, it felt like she’d become a part of me.

We
’d met in middle school at the principal’s office. I’d been dropping off something for my teacher and she’d broken some kid’s nose. Despite being in sixth grade, I hadn’t remembered seeing her before. But when I watched her standing in front of the principal and three other teachers with arms crossed, lips pinched in defiance, and bright blues eyes daring them to force an apology, I knew we’d be friends. I was popular but she was edgy, exotic, something different.

I lingered around the office until th
eir meeting ended, finding excuses to stick around. First I chatted with the secretary, then I helped sharpen pencils. Anything to bide some time until I could meet her.

Once the crying boy with blood stains on his shirt got carted away by the school nurse, the
principal dismissed my new friend. She walked out into the reception area and slammed her body down into a chair, her backpack falling with a thump to the ground. Notebooks, pens, and other girly things fell out onto the floor but she didn’t make any attempt to pick them up. I immediately saw an opportunity.

“Here, let me help,” I said, bending forward to shove her belongings back into the bag. Propping it upright against the chair leg, I sat down next to her. “So what did he do?” I smiled in the most charming way I could.

She turned and bore an angry gaze into my eyes. A few seconds later, her face softened and she shrugged. “He called me a name.”

“So you punched him?”

The corner of her mouth lifted and she looked at me in amusement. “He wouldn’t stop, so I made him stop.”

I chuckled. “What did he call you?”

Rolling her eyes, she tilted her head up, obviously trying to decide if she should reveal this secret. Finally she sighed, “Vivacious Vee.”

I laughed again
but she glared at me. “What’s wrong with that?” I asked.

“I’m not vivacious and I hate
the nickname Vee.”

“What is your name?” I found
that I sat close enough for our shoulders to touch, effectively blocking out all of the adults in the room.

“Vivienne.
My name is Vivienne.”

“I’m Zach,” I said, extending my hand and waiting for her to respond. She
smiled and shook it.

“Nice to meet you, Zach.
What are you doing in here anyway?”

“I’m just-
”

“Zach, please get back to class.
Now.” Busted by the principal. And unlike Vee, I didn’t want to get in trouble.

“Yes, Mrs. Morgan.” I stood, and turning to the only girl in my world I said, “I’ll catch you after class, Vee.”

Not knowing what her reaction would be, I scooted a little closer to the door. She surprised me with a giggle instead of a fist to the nose. I waved my goodbye and spent the rest of the day counting the seconds until I could see her again.

It turned out that we lived in the same neighborhood. So between the carpooling, after school activities, and our
joint interest in videogames, we became inseparable. Our parents called us twins even though we looked nothing alike. Her dark mane and pale skin contrasted with my own blond hair and farmers tan I had from playing so many sports outside.

In high school, where most friends drift apart, we grew even closer. Some people thought we should just date and get it over with, but our relat
ionship wasn’t like that. Sure, I noticed how I felt when other guys would hit on her, but she never pursued them and I never had to admit my jealousy.

“You finished yet?” Vee asked, startling me
enough to force pins and needles through my body. I dropped the shovel and she laughed. “Still afraid of the dark?”

“Shut it
,” I mumbled. “What do you want?”

“Everyone’s
closing down for the night. I wanted to see how much longer you’d be.” She leaned past me and counted the holes. “Three?” Shaking her head, she turned to walk away. “I could do better.”

Without hesitation
, I jumped forward and tackled her to the ground. She screamed but giggled at the same time. When I flipped her on her back and straddled my legs across her stomach, she rolled her eyes. “You can’t compete with me,” I said.

Her dark hair splayed out around her head like a crown. Blue eyes looked up at me with a challenge. “No?” She tried to move her hands, but I pinned her wrists t
o the ground. Her struggles felt half-hearted.

“I’
m the best hunter and latrine digger in this camp.” I leaned forward, my body weight pressing down on her hips and arms. The limited light reflected an area of bare skin just below her neck. I swallowed hard.

Vee
noticed my reaction, too. With tense muscles and a tight jaw, she continued to stare at me. “What’s wrong, Zach?”

The way she said it clued me in. She knew this closeness had affected me, and she wanted to see who would hold out longest. Challenge on.

Sliding my feet down toward hers and pushing through one of my dirt piles, I lowered my body. The heat from her stomach singed my own, and I swear she would hear my pounding heart. If she wanted to play this game, she would surely lose. I slowly moved her hands over her head, allowing my chest to brush lightly against hers. Vee let out a quick breath, and I knew I had her.

“Nothing’s wrong,” I whispered into her ear. “I’m just glad I have you here to protect me.” I brushed my lips just above the exposed skin on her neck, doing my best to control my own breathing. “You are our best fighter after all.”

She shivered and I smiled. Hiding my face from hers, I continued to run my lips close enough for her to feel the heat from my breath, but not close enough to touch.

“What are you doing, Zach?” She pretended to struggle, but I knew better.
And although I would usually quit by this point, I didn’t want to stop.

Lifting my head so
that I could look at her perfect face, my own breath caught in my throat with what I saw. Where our games usually meant nothing, I noticed a different emotion teetering at the surface of her blue eyes. They were full of something I feared my own held too.

I leaned down and pressed my lips aga
inst hers. It wasn’t a typical reaction, but I couldn’t control myself.  Waiting to feel her warm up to me or punch me in the head, I sighed when she parted her lips and deepened the kiss. In just a few seconds, our childhood friendship turned into our first adult make out session.

It had been so long since I kissed anyone like this. And even then, it hadn’t been this intense.
Vee struggled against my grip, so reluctantly I let go. In an instant, her strong arms wrapped around my neck, pulling me closer. I brushed my hands through her silky hair and felt a new wave of desire when she let out a small moan.

What were we doing?
Surely this would change everything. I shushed that part of me and continued to press kisses on her lips, neck, and ear. With each one, her breathing intensified and she pushed her body up toward mine. We’d passed the point of no return and I wondered if this would really be it for us. I slid my hand underneath her shirt, fingers grazing her porcelain skin and tight stomach muscles. Letting out a noise of my own, I forced my arm underneath the small of her back and pulled her hips tight against me. She let out a gasp and I thought my heart would burst with that sound.

A branch snapped in the distance
. We both looked up in a panic, and although the kissing stopped, I didn’t move my body away from hers. It felt like the world would end if we broke this connection.

“Get off,” Vee whispered and gently nudged me to the side. She didn’t really want me to move, but we both knew what was coming.
Or rather, who.

“Zach?” Hunter’s pre-pubescent voice killed the mood and any chance Vee and I had to move things further along.
Perhaps I’d think that was a good thing tomorrow, but right now I wanted to kill the boy for interrupting.

With a groan I moved to the side and pushed up to my knees. Vee had already jumped ten feet away from me, looking as guilty as
a puppy that just tore up a favorite pair of shoes. Her flushed cheeks and disheveled shirt made me smile at the memory. She caught my eyes and shook her head. We couldn’t let Hunter know what had just happened.

“Zach?” Hunter called again, this time stepping into the halo of light emitting from
the torch I’d been using. “There you are. Oh, hey Vivienne.” Hunter looked back and forth at the two of us several times. The smirk on his face grew as the seconds ticked by. He knew.

As if coming to the same conclusion, Vee started to walk away. “I’ll be at our site.”

Hunter’s gaze followed her retreating frame, mouth wide open and ruining any attempt he’d made at disguising his surprise. “What were you guys doing?”

I stood, lifted
the shovel over my shoulder and grabbed Hunter’s. “Digging holes,” I said.

“Was that all?”

I shook my head and looked down at the kid who’d grown wise beyond his years. “Yes, that was all.”

“Um-hmm,” he mum
bled so I gave him a playful shove. Hunter had become my little brother, and just like a younger sibling, I couldn’t let him get the upper hand.

He laughed and dodged my next mock punch, running back toward the bonfire and
jumping over bodies nestled in their sleeping bags for the night. We had tents, but if the weather looked nice, we didn’t bother. It had become a comfort to have the cool night air welcome the end of another day surviving in this world.

Hunter beat me to the area Vee had set up for us. Although we all stayed close enough together as a group, at night, we liked to pretend we had our own
little piece of privacy. Vee and I usually slept side by side, sometimes with Hunter, sometimes without.

“Can I sleep with you guys tonight?” Hunter asked. Before I could say no, Vee answered.

“Yes, of course.”

I looked down at her prepping an additional spot for Hunter and tried to give her the signal. We needed more time
together and a twelve year old sleeping two inches away would not accomplish that task.

Vee didn’t make eye contact with me at all. She knew what I was thinking, and she purposely avoided me. I felt sure of it.

Sighing extra loudly, I plopped down next to her and began untying my boots. Vee stayed extra focused on Hunter, who would apparently sleep on the other side of her. I laughed to myself at the thought of me competing with a tween over Vee’s attention.

Then I relived our actions just moments ago. This could change the course of our relationship, and I worried it
would ruin what we already had. As much as I liked what happened, I’d give it all up if meant we would act normal around each other again. I decided to wait and see how Vee behaved in the morning.

I
pushed my body into the sleeping bag, lying on my back and doing my best not to notice the electricity shooting between our bodies. Perhaps it was all in my head, perhaps not. Either way, I had a feeling I wouldn’t be able to sleep well tonight. With another deep breath, I covered my face with my arms and tried to focus on sleep.

A moment later, Vee moved beside me. I felt her arm rest gently against my chest, her legs snuggling up to mine. Without saying a word, I grabbed her hand and held it close. Although we often nestled up against each other, tonight felt different. We weren’t two friends simply trying to keep
warm, we were a pair of twins, unwilling to separate. A pair of twins, who until tonight, hadn’t admitted how much they needed each other. The comfort of that thought overwhelmed me. In no time at all, I felt peaceful enough to drift into a deep sleep.

At first I thought the scream came from my subconscious. Dreams didn’t usually haunt me at night, but every once and a while a d
eep memory would surface and slash its way through my psyche. Another scream forced me to open my eyes.

“Zach!”
Vee’s panicked voice jolted me to alertness.

I turned my head to the side in time to see her being yanked away by a tall stranger. At the same time, shouting from the rest of the group flooded my senses
. We were being attacked.

“Not so fast, Romeo.”
The cold, sharp point of a blade against my throat stopped my attempt to stand. “We have plans for you once we’re finished with your girlfriend.”