The Real Ram

Chapter 14

We start walking back to the dorms after dinner. We find a roster on our way and luckily it's not too crowded. Shawn runs to it and sighs with relief. He looks to us and says, "We're on the eighth day."

Trish smiles, "That'll give us enough time to work out some of our faults."

Someone hits my shoulder from behind as they walk past me. For some reason my mind thinks I can shout at people now, because once he walks past me I shout, "Hey!" at him.

He continues walking, like nothing happened. I pause, recognizing him from somewhere. The way he walks, the way his hair swirls in the back. The same dark purple jacket my...

By now my friends are all at the roster sheets, and I'm the only one away from it. The guy turns a hallway and I follow him. "Hey, stop I need to ask you something."

He only walks faster. This can't be happening. They wouldn't let humans in this compound, then again that one guy my stepfather sent got in. I start to jog and the guy turns another corner. I take a sharp turn and someone grabs my arm and pulls me into the first room. I gasp a little out of surprise, then freeze when I see his face.

"Hey Zoey," my brother's voice sounds pinched. He's standing right in front of me, I can't believe it.

"Long time no see," I say. All I want to do is run and hug him, but I can't. I can't forgive him that easily.

"I see you finally made it to a compound."

"No thanks to you," I cross my arms to hide the tremor in my hands.

He looks down, "Yeah, I'm a real failure of a brother aren't I?"

I sigh, "I missed you."

"I missed you too," he pauses as we hug, "Listen, I don't know if it's worth anything, but I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I left you with...him." He pulls away and lowers himself to meet my eyes, "I never should have done that."

"I can understand why you wouldn't want to be in the same house with him."

"But I left you," he clenches his jaw, "I left you with him. I yelled at you for not standing up to him, and for being a coward when I was the real coward." He puts his hands on my cheeks, "I don't even know why I came to visit you. I never expected you to even want to see me again."

"Then why'd you come?"

"When I heard you ran away from him and came here, I just wanted to see if you were okay," he smiles, "It's been what? Two years?"

"Just about," I say nodding. "Where've you been all this time?"

"It's a long story, maybe another time."

"If there will be another time," I mumble.

"Zoe? Hey Zoe!" I hear Beast's voice come through the halls, "I saw you run this way, you alright?"

Phillip smirks, "Zoe? What a cute nickname. Who's he? Your boyfriend?"

"No, absolutely not," I say blushing. "He's from my group, they all call me Zoe," I look to my brother, "I better go. Promise me you'll come visit again."

"I will," he says softly, "Now go out there and tell him you thought you saw someone you knew."

"I did see someone I know," I say and Phillip smiles. We hug one last time then I walk out just as Beast rears the corner. "Oh hey," I say.

"I've been calling your name," he looks at the room I just came from, "Everything alright?"

"Yeah I thought I saw someone I recognized, no worries."