The Jupiter Program

Chapter 2

But was is the rule? I don't think the teacher hasn't said yet, I think, just then someone bursts through the door and skitters across the gym floor up to teach and whispers something in her ear, then skitters away. Her face falls and the look on her face is so full of sadness it has got to be something so bad even my martial arts angle would be trembling if he were here. Ok, probably not. Even nuclear bombs didn't scare him...

"So what's the rule?" Christian asked, just as I was opening my mouth to ask the same thing.

"I... I don't know how to say this... it's not the rule that's the problem... I mean the rule is just that you need to have two allies in the games, and there is no backstabbing. The problem is, I think they are having t-tech— technical d-difficulties a-and w-won't be able to k-keep all of you alive if y-you d-die in the g-games. And you will still have to participate." And, to all of our surprise, she bursts into tears. We didn't know how much she cared... although she had thought us since we were ten years old, so she had seen us grow up... oh, why am I surprised? Of course she cares. we had the nicest gym teacher in the school. She cried last Drawing when Alisha Howard was drawn, and she was only in her class for one year, when we were eleven. Leo and Jane's teacher didn't even notice they were picked until three weeks later when she sent our moms angry emails saying they'd skipped gym every day since the Drawing! Oh, I wonder why!

All of us rushed forward to comfort her, all of us giving her hugs and trying to soothe her with words only seemed to make her cry harder.

If we died, she would be devastated.

Suddenly, I felt like crying.

I felt a tear trickled down my cheek, and before I know it I am crying. All the thoughts of how this could go wrong raced through my mind. Then I realize Will could die... I won't be enough to protect him. Everyone will give it they're all, and he's too helpless. the thought makes me cry even more. Before I realize it, I'm on the ground, in a ball, crying my eyes out, with Will at my side whispering soothing words in my ear.

"Will," I whisper.

"Yes?" He asks in a hushed voice.

"I can't do it," I whisper, and then sob heavily. He wraps his warm arms around me a bit tighter than before, I could feel the vibe shifts into awkwardness around me. Everyone skaters and goes about their business, staying away from Will and me. Will picks me and takes me to the corner of the gym, puts me on a chair, kneels in front of my black fold-up chair, and looks me in the eyes with his warm hand on my knee.

"Now, tell me, what's wrong?" He says in a confused, but comforting voice, stroking the side of my face once, wiping a few tears away. I wipe the rest of the tears off my face with the bottom of my uniforms shirt, and try to collect myself. I breath in and out, and finally have the composure to speak.

"I can't lose you too. I won't be able to protect you, and myself," then I start to cry again.

Will is the only friend I've ever had, really. I tried hanging out with other people, but it's not the same. Will is special. I can't lose the most important person in my life, and we need to graduate high school together, and get accepted into a prestigious college together, and live together until we're old geysers. But if I can't keep him safe for these games that can't happen.

"I nee-" I begin, but Will cuts me off.

"Gray," he says in a sweet and reassuring voice, "I can stay alive, I know you will too, you're amazing with a sword. Don't worry about me, worry about yourself." He says with a small, sad smile. I've always wondered how he stays so calm. I'm always the worried one, I have to worry for both of us. The only thing he is scared of now is the Drawing. Before, he was scared of everything, and I loved playing the hero, every time he would cry when we were little, I would sit him on my lap and he would just cry until he felt better, but now I'm the scared one. I'm scared for Will, but mostly myself.