Behind the Walls. NOVEL By Claire Darcy.

5. As Fate Would Have It;

Josh and Rowan gently lowered Ace to the ground. She was knocked out cold. They rested her on the mossy floor, then stood up and looked at each other. Neither of them knew what to do.

"So... what now?" Josh asked.

Rowan shrugged, "We could wait for her to wake up," he offered. He suggested waiting not because he had the feeling that Ace would be waking up anytime soon, but because a break would be best for both of them.
The boys sat down beside Ace.
If things were different - the way they used to be, boys like Josh wouldn't be hanging out with boys like Rowan, and vice-versa. It wasn't a personal thing; their attitudes just clashed. Josh was gentle, light-hearted and academic. Rowan was a self-proclaimed bad-boy, an avid heartbreaker, and a tech-genius. Their conversation was bound to be awkward and forced.

"So... You've got a sister?" Rowan asked. Josh nodded.

"Yeah. Annabelle's only young. She was born in Camp Two, then got taken to Camp Four with the other kids. Ace's little brother got sent there, too. What about you? Have you got any siblings?"

Rowan hesitated. "Um... no. I don't have a family."

"Whoa, dude, I'm so sorry," Josh apologised.

Rowan shook his head, "No, it's not like that. It's just complicated, you know?"

Josh nodded slowly. Really, he didn't know what Rowan meant by that, but he thought it best to let the matter drop.

"So, where are we headed, anyway?" Josh asked after a few moments of silence. Rowan climbed to his feet and pointed out into the forest.

"That way."

"Yeah, but where to?"

Rowan smiled. "To Camp Four."

Suddenly Josh's eyes lit up, in fact, his entire face lit up.

"Seriously?" he asked, his heart aching for his little sister.

"Seriously," Rowan smirked, taking a seat again.

The boys sat in a thinking silence for a while, both of them eager to get to Camp Four, despite the fact that the eagerness was for different reasons. Rowan wrung his hands a few times, his grin fading. He fiddled with the bandage on his chest that Ace had hastily put there. The wound still hurt, but he wasn't about to complain; after all, it seemed as if Ace was now way worse off than he was.

He glanced at the girl. Passed out, there was no fiery attitude emanating from her to keep him occupied, and for the first time, Rowan realised that Ace was actually a little bit... Cute. Her dark hair was in gentle waves, and her complexion was pale, but warm, with freckles that added a splash of personality. Rowan smiled just the tiniest bit – not one of his regular smirks or grins – but a tiny little honest smile, the kind he hadn't done in a long time. Quickly he hid the smile: biting his lip and furrowing his eyebrows as he thought. He couldn't afford to waste his time smiling at nothing- he had a mission to complete.

"Come on, Joshua. We've got to keep going," he said a bit too harshly, jumping to his feet. Josh moaned and rose to his feet, too.