To Mend a Broken Memory - [Troy Otto]

Chapter XXV

Perhaps I am truly getting the fever, because my eyes are burning up and my head feels lighter, but I've had fever before, and I didn't remember it was like it. I don't know, it feels different. It's like I am dehydrated, but we've been drinking water, so it can't be. Troy's still sleeping, but we must keep moving. I am about to go wake him, but it seems to me to notice a figure in the trees, a human figure. It's like a shadow, though. So I grab the gun and slowly walk down that direction. The shape is gone, but I still can hear noises. I follow the sounds and near a bush there's someone crawled up.

"You must be the worst spy ever" as the person turns around, I notice he must be a teenager, and my eyes open wide. He looks at me and his face reflects terror when he sees the gun.

"Who are you. And why are you alone?" but he still looks terrified, so I drop the gun and relax a bit. He's more scared than me than I him.

"I'm.. I'm Joffrey" he replies, hesitant.

"And what are you doing here, Joffrey?"

"I was racing, but my partner got killed" now that the hood dropped, I can see he's practically a child.

"How old are you, boy?" I ask in horror, noticing his pale face and his unnaturally sunken eyes.

"I'm 16" oh dear lord. How can he possibly be in here.

"And they let you in?!"

"They tried to stop me, but I needed this" I am about to ask why, when I hear steps behind me and I assume Troy's up. And I already know he won't like this guest.

"Leyla what the f... Oh, not you again!" he says, looking at Joffrey. And it completely catches me off guard.

"You know him?" Troy barely glances at me and dismisses it all with a hand.

"I've met him when we were gathered, he's been annoying me the whole time" I am quite sure that's the other way around.

"Oh yeah? How exactly?" I ask, with an eyebrow raised and my arms crossed before my chest.

"Asking for personal info and blubbering" thought so. I shake my head and look at Joffrey, who's been passively observing the scene and evaluating the situation.

"Forgive him, kiddo. He's a lost cause when it comes to human interactions"

"Thought so. Hasn't even told me his name" his tone sounds firmer now. Perhaps he's realised he's not in danger for now.

"There must have been a reason" Troy spits out. So typical of him, somehow he looks charismatic even to younger people. And all he can do is pushing everyone away and be rude.

"Yeah, he's a gentleman like that. IT's Troy anyway. Now, come with us, we can't let our guard down too long" Troy literally kills me with his eyes, as if I said something out of this world.

"What the hell are you talking about?! He's not coming with us!"

"He's a kid Troy" it should be enough as an explanation.

"Come" hisses with rage and he literally drags me by the arm some feet away, with his usual ungentle manners.

"Have you lost your mind?!"

"He has no one here anymore. He's 16 years old" he massages his temples while he's pacing and then he stops right in front of me and starts speaking slowly as if he was talking to a child.

"I'll explain simply, we're not here for fu*king charity. It is already difficult as it is, we can't afford another impediment" he can use his harsh tone all he wants, I don't buy it.