Prisoner

Chapter 23

I woke up to a cold sweat. I didn't even have a dream. Was this whole situation bothering me this much? I got out of bed and put on some new clothes that I bought. I walked out the door and into the hallway. I decided I'll talk to Jackson first. I walked to his door and knocked. He answered the door.

"Hey." Jackson said.

"Hey. Can I talk to you?" Jackson let me in. His room was still bare.

"So what do you need to talk about."

"It's about you and me. Honestly, I had forgotten about you when I got here. I moved on. I think of you as just a friend. Someone who helped me though a tough time." It felt good to get that out.

"Wow. You just let it all out didn't you." I nodded. I just wanted to get it out.

"I'm sorry but, I just don't feel anything anymore."

"You have feelings for Gus." I nodded. "That's okay. You moved on because that's what would have been best for you."

"Really?" How does he take this so well?

"Yeah." I got up and hugged him.

"Thank you." I pulled away and walked out the door. I started to walked to Gus' room next. I knocked on the door. Gus opened the door quickly.

"Have you made a choice?" Gus asked. I nodded and he let me in. We walked to his couch and sat down. We sat in silence for a while.

"I want to be with you." I said after a while. Gus looked at me in shock.

"What did you say?" Gus asked.

"I chose you." I said now smiling. Gus was smiling now too. Gus got up and picked me up out of my seat. He swung me around. We were both laughing. I know I love Gus now. He's the only one I want to love. He's the one I want to be with forever.

"I love you." Gus said. I looked into his eyes.

"I love you too." We stood there staring at each other for a while before Gus looked at the time on his phone.

"I'm sorry I have to go. I told my friend I would meet him in the lounge. I'll see you later." Gus walked toward the door. When he opened it, he looked to me and smiled. I smiled back and he walked out.

I walked toward the door after Gus left. I decided I wanted to go to Alexis. I was going to tell her what had just happened.

I walked down the hallways toward the elevator. I pressed the buttons to go to the bottom floor. When the doors opened back up, I walked out. Alexis was in the room, sitting on the floor.

I knocked on the door. She looked up in the direction of the knocking. She smiled and motioned for me to come in. I walked through the door and sat on the floor next to her. We were sitting in the middle of the room. 

"Did you come to practice?" Alexis asked.

"No. I want to talk." I said. I started to smile.

"Is this good news?"

"Good for me, bad for someone else but I've made my choice." I kept smiling.

"What choice?" Alexis was clueless.

"Okay. It's a long story. Do you have time?" Alexis looked at the clock on her phone.

"Yeah. My next training is in a hour so talk away."

"Okay. You know Jackson right?" I asked.

"Yes. Continue."

"So I guess you could say we dated..." Alexis cut me off.

"You dated Jackson?!" She was really shocked.

"Yes. Right after you left. Can I continue?" Alexis nodded. "Okay so, he showed up here. You know how Gus and I are dating so everything was awkward. Jackson thought him and I were still dating. I told him I had moved on, but I wasn't sure who I loved more. I also told Gus and they both gave me time to think."

"Oh, this is the choice you were talking about." Alexis said.

"Yes. So today I went to Gus and I chose him." I smiled.

"Aw that's so cute. How happy was he?"

"Very." Alexis smiled. The loud noise of a walkie-talkie sounded through the room. Alexis pulled it off her pocket. How have I never noticed that? Maybe it was a new security measure for the war that may happen.

Someone on the other end said, "Alexis to lounge. Alexis to lounge. A fight is in progress."

Alexis got up. "Come with me."

We both ran out the door. We got into the elevator to go to the top floor. The fight was close to the door, on the left. There was a group of kids around the fight.

Alexis pushed though the crowd of kids. "Move. Out of the way." She tried to stay calm. There were two guys on the ground, wrestling. Alexis picked up one of the guys. She really did have incredible strength to be picking up what looked like a grown man. He seemed like the one doing the most damage to the other. The other guy laid on the ground. He couldn't get up. The guy Alexis picked up off other other seemed to be fine from where I stood.

"You didn't even fight back! You just blocked your face!" Yelled the boy standing over the other. I noticed that voice. It was Jackson! Who was he fighting?

The boy on the ground rolled over. It was Gus. His face was covered in blood. I could barely notice him. How could Jackson do this? Was he jealous of Gus?

Jackson went to kick Gus in the face, but Alexis quickly pushed him to the ground. He hit the ground hard. It was the only time he got hurt and it wasn't even in the fight. Both boys laid on the ground. I stood in awe and confusion. We're they fighting over me? Why?

Jackson looked up. He was shocked when he saw Alexis. He seemed surprised that a girl pushed him to the ground. He looked next to her, at me.

"Annabel." Jackson said. He was in shock. He didn't explain anything. I stood there staring at Jackson in awe. Gus moved in the direction of my voice.

"Annabel." He moaned. His right eye was black, his nose bleeding, busted lip, and a cut on his cheek. I walked up to him and knelt next to him.

"It's okay. I'm here now. I'll help you." I said.

"I... I didn't..." Every word seemed to be painful for Gus.

"I know. Just rest right now." I glared at Jackson. "How could you?"

Jackson sat up on the floor. He said nothing and looked down at his hands in his lap. I looked to Alexis. She nodded and picked Gus up. She read my mind. She carried him toward the elevator. I got into the elevator with them and we went to the first floor. Alexis carried him to the nurse.

"Come..." Gus said as he stuck his arm between the doors to stop it from closing. He looked at me.

"I am. Don't worry. I'm not leaving you now."