To Be A Warrior

Chapter 22: Half Truth

"Watch out!"

My eyes go wide, and I just about dive out of the way of a ball flying towards my head. It hits the ground with a soft thud, rolling away a bit as the owner of the voice jogs over to me. Lucy, one of the people we rescued from Blackmoore valley a few days ago, gives me a sheepish grin.

"Sorry, Five. We're still learning how to control the ball."

My eyes shift from her to the group of people behind her, separated into two groups by an empty clothesline. I cock my head to the side.

"Uh, Callista's fine. And what are you doing?"

"Oh! Sorry. Uh, well, after we saw you and that one guy playing yesterday, we thought we could just copy what you did, except with a clothesline as the net."

"That one guy? You mean Tom?"

She blinks once, twice. "Sure."

I huff, although I can't really blame her or any of the people from Blackmoore for not knowing who we are. They've only been in Abel a few days, and most of that has been settling in. They're nice people, but they're rather introverted. You have to make the effort to talk to them. The only reason they talk to me is because I helped them stay alive.

"Well, uh," I walk over to the soccer ball, since we still have yet to get a decent volleyball, and pick it up. I hand to her, "here. Have fun."

I start to turn to leave, but I stop when Lucy calls out to me again. It's a struggle to hide my steadily growing irritation. Forcing a neutral look and praying my impatience isn't showing through my eyes, I turn to her.

"Yeah?"

"Uh, well, since you actually seem to know about the sport and there's enough of us to make two teams, would you mind teaching us how to play?" She tucks a strand of brown hair behind her ear, smiling hopefully. I peek back at the others behind her and see that they're wearing expectant and interested looks.

Normally I'd jump at the chance to get to teach someone volleyball. It's only been recently since I started teaching Tom that I've really gotten to play again. That's why I internally ask why today and why this time, because as fun as I'm sure it would be, I have something else to do.

It'll be short, most likely, but I cannot miss it. And in my book it is far more important than this.

"Maybe later," I reply, and I cringe at the disappointed look on everyone's face. I hate having to be the one to do this, especially since I know they're doing this because one: I helped save them in Blackmoore, and two: they quickly learned that I was one of the few people here in Abel that are around the same age as them.

Honestly, the look on their faces when I told a group of the girls that my best friend was seven years older than me while I was showing them around Abel was priceless.

I think they just want to be friendly and show me what it's like to be friends with people my age. That is, people my age who weren't forced to grow up quickly. I mean, they lived through the same apocalypse I have, but they've been in Blackmoore valley through all of it, isolated and relatively safe until the V-Types swept in to ruin everything.

They and the Last Riders are alike in that aspect.

Guilt hits me like a truck at their reaction to my rejection. I glance around, trying to find a way to make things better without having to explain why I can't stay.

As luck would have it, someone who also knows how to play volleyball and is close to these guys in age is walking through the town.

"Just one second," I say to Lucy, before racing off. "Nicole!"