The Wanderers

Ch. 17 The Answer is Still No

Okay...so I hope this isn't too confusing. I made it longer than the last few for sure! Anyways, enjoy, comment, vote, and fan. Pretty please with cherries on top. (haven't used that one since like second grade...)

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Jay shifted quietly outside the tent and shoved his hands into his pockets. The fire wasn’t doing much good and his hands were starting to go numb. He looked back at the tent with longing. Would it really do much harm if no one was on guard for five minutes?

            Besides, lately, the feeling that he knew Teig from somewhere had been coming back and this time he was sure of it. He had a strong urge to go talk to her even though she was probably sleeping after working all day. He slipped into the tent and took a quick tab of bodies and supplies:

            Wolf, Charlie, my empty sleeping bag, and Teig. He sat down on my spot and felt heat slowly seep into his bones. As it did though, he began to get restless.

            He glanced around again and his eyes came to a halt on Teig’s face. Her green eyes were wide open and looking straight at him. He jumped and cursed under his breath.

            She smiled crookedly and gave him a look that said, “Hah, scared Jay?”

            He scowled at her and then smiled at his own stupidity. With her around there was no way to enter the tent without being seen. “Ok caught me,” Jay laughed quietly, “I came in to grab a heavier coat.”

            She raised her eyebrows at him with an unconvinced look, but didn’t argue. Wolf stirred in his sleep and they both froze. He made a face and then rolled over. Jay sighed lightly.

            When Jay looked back at Teig, her eyes were a cross between bored and miserable. He extended my hand to help her up and she smiled. They both knew she wouldn’t try anything; not with the mark on her wrist.

            They crouched low beside the fire looking at each other in silence. She cocked her head at him and squinted.

            “What?” he asked returning the gaze.

            She blushed and looked down at her feet and then at the stars. “Nothing I just…” She looked self-consciously at the tent and then said very quietly, “I just got a weird sense of Déjà vu and I wanted to know… do you want to go for a walk and you know, look at the stars.” She flushed again, but he nodded.

            They walked towards the lake. Teig sucked in deep breaths of cold air, obviously happy to be outside of the cramped tent, but not working for once. They reached the hill just above the water and sat down. The grass was damp, but she didn’t seem to mind.

            They sat in almost complete silence; the only sound Jay’s ragged breathing. It wasn’t the hike that had left him breathless. It was the nagging feeling that he knew her from somewhere. It tore through him and left him frustrated.

            Jay noticed goose bumps covering the length of her arm. He hadn’t realized until now that she was only wearing a baggy t-shirt and leggings. He reached over and pulled her close, sharing his warmth.

            She snuggled up against me gratefully. It wasn’t in an affectionate way, but it wasn’t stiff either. Teig didn’t seem to mind being so close to him. Jay didn’t really mind it either. He slid off his hat and slid it over her ears.