Finding it

Edited: KATIE 9

Shouts erupt from all around us as I hold the Blue Team's flag above my head and Miranda crushes both Mae and myself in a hug.

"THAT WAS AMAZING!" Miranda shouts, "the way you conjured that vine for Katie just in time!"

Mae smiles widely. "It was nothing! Katie, you're so quick in your feet! You got the flag!"

"Oh shut up both of you, I couldn't have done it without you!" I feel my own face smiling.

I get claps on the back from my teammates as the fighting has stops and people see my in possession of the flag. Alex comes up from behind and grabs all three of us into an embrace, Angelo quick on his heals. Although they're cut up and bruised pretty badly—not to mention drenched in water—their spirits are just as high as ours.

Separating from the group, Miranda laughs at Connor's expression and she gives him a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey, give me the flag." Angelo says laughing.

I hand it to him and he raises it up causing another round of cheers. Alex smiles at me. "Good job, Kates!" He says.

"Thanks!" I reply "Good job, yourself!"

He nods, gives me a high five and another hug. At first I stumbled back because I wasn't ready and he is bigger than me. I just barely see over his shoulder and catch Miranda's raised eyebrows. It means nothing. It's just friendly. I hug him back and just as soon as the hug came, it was gone. It was friendly. Nothing more.

Angelo then comes over and pulls Mae, Miranda, Alex and myself into a hug.

"Another group hug!" He says, his voice muffled by bodies. "Good job team!"

I roll my eyes at his nonsense and spot Travis through the crowd. I  separate from the embrace and walk over to him. I wave and he looks over, something flashes in his eyes but just like Alex's hug, it is gone just as soon as it came. I might have just imagined it.

He has been acting weird lately, I push down my frustration and dismiss it. I make my way to him and he wraps his arms around my waste and I wrap mine around his neck. "Good work, Gardner." He says.

"Why, thank you," I reply.

"I saw the maze you made."

"Oh?"

"It was crazy. Only Con and I could get out of it because of our shoes. But even at that it was ridiculous."

I laugh, "Did you see Miranda's rose?"

"Yep. It was nice."

I give him a kiss on the cheek. "And did you see how Mae saved me back there? She's amazing."

His eyes flick over my shoulder for a second and their character seems to change again. But again then it's gone.

"Travis?" I call out. "Did you hear me? You saw what Mae—"

His blue eyes are back on mine and he kisses me, stopping my words. There is something different about this kiss, I notice, even as I kiss him back. I can't place what it is though. We pull back and I see him looking at me. A cup the side of his face. What is going on inside your head, Trav? I question, What are you thinking? What's wrong?

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"Nothing."

"Travis," I pry, "Stop being so stubborn. What's on you mind?"

"Nothing."

I give him a look.

"You just have a lot of new. . ."

"Friends."

"Yeah, them."

"Alex, Mae, and Angelo?"

"They're really starting to grow on you?"

"They're good friends." I can't detect the emotion in his voice.

"Friends," he huffs. He runs a hand through his hair. A nervous habit I've come to easily recognize.

"Why are you acting so weird? Be honest."

"I'm not being weird." He gives me a smile and kisses my forehead. "I'll see you later."

"Oh," I look at him as he is already walking away. "Good bye. . ."