Desperado: A Holes Fanfiction

Ty

At night, Lou would softly detangle my damp curls with a brush, gripping a couple strands firmly enough to hold my head in place, and ask, "Anything I should know about?" which was her way to demanding I tell her everything.

I was on shovel duty when I overheard Stanley ask the D-Tent how Lou knew his name when she came to retrieve the lipstick tube.

"Oh, she's got these tiny cameras and microphones spread out across the camp. They're in the rec room, the mess hall, the tents, the showers..." Zig Zag's eyes were wide and paranoid, as usual. He watched his back as he spoke, the corner of his mouth twitching with adrenaline.

"Man, who told you that?" Armpit laughed.

"Tyler!" Ziggy shifted his wide eyes to me, seeking for reassurance.

"They're not in the showers," Stanley protested.

"They're definitely in the showers," I interrupted followed by a wink. I turned my back to them to hide my laugh. Boys are so stupid. I told Zig Zag about the "cameras" with sarcasm when we wouldn't stop grilling me with his theories and he took it literally. The boys trusted me and I needed it to stay that way. After that, the gossip spread like wild fire: Too easy.

I caught up with Mr. Sir as he got into the water truck to make his rounds for the day. I baked cookies from scratch and couldn't wait for Stanley and Hector to try them. I was in a good mood after spending time with my favorite boys the night before.

"Mr. Sir!" I hopped in front of the driver's side of the truck, starling him.

"Good lord, girl. Ya can't do that," he warned me.

"Sorry," I apologized, "You think I can hitch a ride with you? I made cookies!" I opened the container to prove my case.

"Cookies?" He looked at me with suspicion as he chewed on sunflower seeds. He then took a look at the delicious treats before deciding he couldn't resist. He growled, "Get in. But I get first pick, ya hear?"

"Deal," I promised as I hopped into the truck.

"Someone's in a good mood," he said without taking his eyes off the road as we drove. He chomped on a cookie, carelessly dropping crumbs into his lap. I ignored him and turned up the radio, which was randomly playing mariachi music.

When we pulled up to the D-Tent, I hopped out of the truck to be greeted by Pendanski with his usual cheer.

"I thought I'd do something special today, mom. The boys deserve it Cookie?"

"Well, that's very sweet of you Tyler," Pendanski said without suspicion. He called the boys to help themselves and I made myself comfortable on the truck's hood.

I casually scanned the area for Caveman, who, to my surprise, was digging his hole with the help of Hector. His eyes eventually met mine and he eagerly hopped out of the hole to meet me. I gave him a half wave before my line of sight was eclipsed by a disgruntled Squid.

He scowled at me through the thick layer of dust that sat on his face, "Wow, look at you. Susie Homemaker now. You must really like the guy; Smiling, late night visits, baking him cookies. I never got any cookies. Well, not those kind anyway." I heard the others snicker at his comment and blushed. That was supposed to be a secret.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said casually with a fake smile.

"Oh, come on. We're not stupid. Caveman, really? You have better taste than that," he teased.

"I'm not doing this with you. I baked everyone cookies," I snapped, looking him square in the eye, "You're welcome to have some if you'd like."

Squid aggressively reached into the container and took more than he needed. As he sauntered off, I saw him whisper something to Ziggy, who snatched the cookies from Squid's hand and bee-lined towards Caveman's hole. Hector quietly appeared next to me.

Zig-Zag playfully kicked Caveman and said, "Hey, how about I give you one of my cookie and you let me dig your hole?"

Caveman shook his head, "Look I get it. I'll dig my own hole from now on. Leave me alone."

I looked to my brother, seeking an explanation, but he averted his eyes and focused on the scene in front of us.

Zig-Zag chuckled, unwilling to accept rejection and shoved a cookie in Caveman's face. "Eat the cookie," he demanded. The boys continued to shove each other back and forth before Mom stepped in.

"Hey hey hey," Pendanski said, "What's going on here?"

"We're just foolin' around," Ziggy replied. I hopped off the hood of the truck and took a step forward with curiosity.

"No, I see what's going on here," Pendanski smirked, "Come on, Stanley. Hit him back." Pendanski continued to instigate as Stanley and Zig-Zag continued to hit each other, each blow heavier than the last.

I opened my mouth to object as the others laughed, but the words wouldn't come out. Stanley was doubled over on the ground while Zig-Zag beat him viciously. I felt sweat drip down my face as I grew furious, fighting, for the first time, to find my voice.

"Alright, that's enough," Pendanski said. Only, it wasn't enough for Zig-Zag. He tackled Stanley and continued to punch him in the ribs. With a single punch to the face, Stanley fell unconscious. My eyes met Hector's, and, at that moment, I realized it wasn't sweat that was dripping down my cheeks, but tears. She loved him.

My brother looked at me, eyes wide. He's always hated seeing me cry. Since we arrived at Green Lake, it was always him that needed the defending, never the other way around. Tell me when, his eyes said. I took a deep breath and nodded slightly. Without hesitation, Hector bolted towards Zig-Zag and leaped on his back, wrapping an arm around his neck in a chokehold. Ziggy fell to his knees as he gasped for air and Hector constricted him like a carnivorous snake. I watched as my brother gritted his teeth, hungry for murder.

I came to my senses, remembering our deal. He'll never finish his sentence if he kills Zig-Zag. Finally, my lungs released a scream. "Stop it!" I cried, "Please, stop it!" She loved him.

Armpit rushed to the scene and loosened Hector's grip.

"I said that's enough!" Pendanski hollered. He cocked the shot gun and let off one warning shot into the air, startling the camp. I covered my ears and fell to my knees, haunted by a nightmare assumed to be forgotten. They killed him.

"When I say end something, I mean end it!" Pendanski continued to yell as the boys broke up the fight, "Back to your holes, now!"

Zig-Zag rolled to his side, returning to his normal color as he continued to gasp for air. I sprinted to Hector after he helped Stanley up and wrapped my arms around him tight. We came in this world together and together we will leave it. I love him and they won't kill him.