THE HIVE

Chapter 18

I look down at Kevin. His eyes are wide open, and tear stained.

Beth is confused, as if refusing to believe what we have all heard clearly. Fiona and Diana look at each other but don't share any words.

"I think, it would be best to show you how," Sally says. "I just can't make myself begin to explain it. That won't do Billy justice." Stopping, she looks straight at me. "When we are all up at the station, follow me." Leaving us with that, Sally walks away.

____________

The spiral slide to reach the ground floor is not as fun anymore with them being used to it, and with the mood being the way it is.

I hold hands with Beth and Fiona like last time and somehow keep myself from stupidly shouting. This is only my third time.

Well, I have regulated your adrenaline levels like last time so there shouldn't be a problem.

And then there's him. Thanks, Space buddy.

I reach the ground floor soon after, and find my heart not jumping out of my chest, like it should.

He really does come in handy.

____________

Taking a seat on the ground at the dining area, nobody says another word. It's been quiet like this ever since we left the human hive.

Why did she have to-

No. I'm a very bad person if I say that. It was her duty to tell us. And maybe I've been away from my group for quite some time but they must have had encounters with Billy and that Noah frequently. Maybe everyday. I don't even know what to say. And moreover, Sally blames herself for being responsible. For what happened to Billy. But how could- aghhh!

"This is so not how I imagined my day to go, after what I've accomplished," I mumble to myself as I sit with my knees close to my chest, my head resting against my folded arms.

Currently, we are sitting for breakfast. But dare I say, I'm full on an empty stomach right now. And so are they.

Beth is by my left side, Rocky on the right. He is still in shock. Crying.

The mood is heavy. And I'm not at all feeling it. That jerk,...how could be just die like that? Out of nowhere?

"Ugh." I hold my head. "For once, I thought I could show Billy what I could do! How can he just up and leave like that? This isn't fair." That's not exactly true. But, yeah, if I were to meet Billy now, that's definitely what I'd do. Show him that I'm not useless. It's not something I had planned to do, but it's the course of action I would have followed in.

"Life isn't fair, " Sally says. "It just had to be him. If it were a nobody-" she tches, brushing her red hair back. "What difference does it make. We all are the same race. Why does a person become special? Just because we know him? Have spent some time with him?" She slams her fist down on the hard ground. "Nothing's fair! Nothing makes sense." She pants.

"You didn't sleep last night, did you," Diana says, her voice deep.

Sally scoffs. "As if I could."

I clench my fists, try to calm down. Easy. Easy. Taking in a deep breath, I take action.

"So," I begin, trying to divert them all from brooding like that. I need to learn a bit more about Billy, what he was like. Maybe we all do. "He got into the front lines as well? How good was he? All this time I was gone, you guys must have had interactions. I hate him, but, he's a person after all. I wish I could have known him better, to have hated him more."