Cataclysm

2.2

I was almost asleep when the ballet ended, and Braken practically dragged me to my feet, turning to make sure Leo wasn't looking, and then asked me again. GET ME ONE? Then he put his hand on his chest, almost like he was apologizing, though his palm was flat this time instead of a closed fist. That was please, wasn't it?

"We'll see," I said. "Come on, we have to go before they figure out where we went."

He sighed again and took Leo's hand, helping him up to his feet. Together, the three of us staggered out into the freezing night, leaving the warmth of the building and pushing past crowds of people determined to block the exit by taking pictures with the decorations. 

Again, we were hit by a blast of icy wind, a few stray snowflakes drifting through the air. "Where are we going to go?" Leo whispered, shivering violently. 

"I don't know," I mumbled. I looked around, but I didn't know what I was really searching for. A miracle? No one was here to help us. The whole wide world was against us. I didn't know what to do. 

We walked for a little bit, and then Braken pointed to a dark alley. "In there?" Leo murmured, and the other boy nodded. 

"Just for tonight," I said, praying we wouldn't get caught or freeze to death. 

We ducked inside when it felt like no one was looking, and found that it opened up a little in the back, once we got past the cramped entrance. There were scraps of garbage all over the floor, and that gave me an idea.

"Do you think you can make a fire?" I asked Leo.

He nodded a little. "But ... won't they see the smoke?" 

"It'll get lost in the city pollution," I said, though I wasn't sure. "I'm afraid we'll freeze out here." I sat down, and the other two sat next to me. There was a little spot in the middle, just enough room for a tiny fire. Leo and I collected the scraps of garbage and piled them up, and then Leo held out a finger and ignited it. It smelled horrible, but it was warm. I held my hands out and let them warm up, sighing softly, and wrapping my blanket tighter around my body. Braken leaned his head on my shoulder, yawning wide like a cat, and then snuggled a little closer. My first instinct was to flinch away from him, but he had his hands pressed tightly against his chest, and I managed to hold still. I draped my arm across his back, covering him a little with the blanket, and he twitched a little in pain, but then relaxed. 

Leo watched with something almost like jealousy in his eyes. He scooted as far away from me as he could, and lit his hand up, rolling the ball of fire in between his palms to warm himself. I looked up at him, but he wouldn't meet my eyes. Once Braken was asleep, I voiced my question. 

"Leo, do you really hate me?"

He hesitated. "No."

"Then why are you acting like it?" I asked. "Why won't you let me help you?"

"Because I don't trust you. I'm afraid of you, Joel. I'm sorry."

"You're afraid of me?" I leaned back in surprise, and Braken shifted on my shoulder to get comfortable again.

Leo rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Um ... yeah. I don't know, I just get this nervous feeling whenever I'm around you, like my stomach is trying to eat itself."

"Are you sure you're not just hungry?" I said, glancing at his stomach.

"Positive. It doesn't ... there's just something about you that's not right. I don't know what it is, and it's nothing I've ever felt before. I felt it the second you were thrown into your cell back in the games." Leo shifted further back, as if trying to escape me.