(four months and two weeks in)
It had been two weeks since they had found information that was going to save their friends. Not wanting to wake up Vince, Harriet and Bea told the leader the great news early that morning. To say he was ecstatic was an understatement. Everyone was excited and happy that they were going to get their friends back.
"Bea?"
She hummed in response, putting down the book she was reading, her head snapping to Vince.
"Can you go with Harriet's wood group. A few of the kids have some sort of bug goin' around."
"Of course," Bea nodded, a smile etched on her face.
"You're the best," he sighed with relief, "The group is meeting at the hill at two-thirty so you have a few hours."
"Okay, cool. Thanks for letting me know," Bea nodded.
---
"You got everything?" Harriet double checked.
"Yes Harri. I have everything. You've checked a trillion times," Bea groaned, rolling her eyes.
"The first aid kit?"
"Yes," Bea glared, becoming impatient.
"Okay, okay," Harried sighed, holding her hands up in defence before turning to face the kids in the group.
"Right guys, remember this is only a quick trip. Stay in groups of four. And try not to injure yourself."
The group nodded before dispersing and making their way towards the entrance of the wood. Harriet and Bea stayed at the back, making sure nobody lagged behind.
"Thank you for coming," Harriet whispered quietly to Bea, "Sorry it was last minute."
"Nah it's fine," Bea dismissed. The two walked together in a comfortable silence, the only thing to be heard was the hearty chatter if the other kids.
After a brisk half-an-hour walk, Harriet and Bea reached the outpost where the log pile was. Usually, the younger kids would cut down the main logs and then Harriet and some of the adults would chop them into smaller chunks - this way was quicker and more effective.
"We got some!"
Bea and Harriet turned their attention to the chirpy voice. One of the boys with blonde hair, hurried forwards, a smile on his face before dropping a pile of logs in front of them.
"Thanks Benny. Good job!" Harriet smiled, a look of adoration on her face. The young boy blushed red before running off to catch up with the rest of his small group.
Bea had come with the wood trip a few times in the past, however not that many so she didn't really know the names of any of the kids. Harriet on the other hand did; Bea could see the closeness between the her and the kids and how much they loved at looked up to her.
"Right, let's get started," Harriet exclaimed, gripping one of the logs and placing it up-right on the stone slab in front of her. She then picked up her cross-cut saw, swinging it upwards before smashing it downwards onto the log, chopping it straight in half. Bea copied her actions, cutting through the log in ease.
They were halfway through Benny's pile when other kids started bringing their piles, making Harriet and Bea's pile even bigger.
"I can't believe we're going to get the others back soon," Harriet breathed out in disbelief. This was a conversation that had come up frequently between them.
"I know. Same," Bea agreed, "I guess everything we've done has paid off, huh."
"Yep. I just wish we could get them sooner," Harriet complained.
"You know what Vince said. We can't," Bea replied. She wanted to get Minho and Aris back badly but as Vince said, they needed to prepare properly because there was no way in hell they would get a chance like this again.
"It doesn't make sense why we can't though," she stropped, "Like you said Bea, we don't know what WCKD is doing to them."
"We need to come up with a plan Harri-"
"But Vince is already doing that with Thomas," Harriet cut her off, wacking down on another log, "We know where they're going to be on May 8th, so why should we have to wait until June?"
Bea gave Harriet an 'are you serious' look. "The district line is closer to us than any of the other railways they are going to be using. And-"
"Since when had the distance ever made a difference?" Harriet snapped, "If we can get them back sooner then we should."
Bea parted her lips to retaliate when one of the kids came skipping in, dropping of her wood pile. Harriet murmured a thank you to the girl before she left.
"Harri, I know you want to get them soon. Trust me, I understand -"
"No," Harriet cut her off for the third time, "You don't understand. It is killing me inside knowing that I can do something soon to save my friends but no. We have to wait until almost a month later to actually do something."
"We can't do any of this without a foolproof plan," Bea sighed, choosing a softer approach.
"But we can get them back, Bea," Harriet exclaimed, "And soon too. What if they change plans, huh?"
"Harri-"
"What if they change routes?"
"Yeah but-"
"What if they knew we were listening so they came up with a fake plan so when we get there, they can capture us too? Guess you didn't think about that one."
Bea inhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of her nose. One thing she hated most was arguing with Harriet. Usually, it was just bickering over small stuff - nothing major. Nothing like this.
"Harriet, please just listen to me," Bea urged. "We are 100% going to get them back, okay? Look, I know you want to save them soon and really badly. I want to get Minho and Aris back too. But if we did something early without a proper plan, we would be putting them in more danger and putting ourselves in danger too. And I know that Son-"
"You don't understand Bea!" Harriet shouted, startling one of the kids that was dropping off a log pile, "You knew Minho and Aris for what....like a week? You barely knew them. Aris and Sonya, they-they're everything to me. They're my best friends. They're all I have."
"All you have?" Bea repeated, trying to cover up the sad look on her face.
"Yes. All I have," Harriet confirmed, her eyes burning with rage.
Bea nodded solemnly, turning back towards her freshly cut log pile. Gathering a huge chunk in her arms, she moved them over to the second pile she had started with Harriet. The two finished off cutting the logs in complete silence
---
"Bea, Fry's just finished dinner," Thomas called out from down the corridor.
"Yeah, I'm coming," she shouted back so he could hear her.
After the log cutting trip, Harriet and Bea had walked back with the kids. This time Harriet walked at the front 'just incase the kids took a wrong turn and got lost'. Since then, Bea stayed on he room, lying in her hammock to avoid Harriet.
Grumbling to herself, Bea exited her room, trudging to the dining area, where the food was being served today. Her eyes lit up when she saw Fry had made toasties. Grabbing one of the plates, she picked up a toastie, putting it on it. She turned around, looking for where her friends were sitting. Finding them she walked towards them but she froze when Harriet slid into the chair next to Brenda, starting a conversation.
Not even thinking twice, she spun around, bumping into Thomas.
"Hey we're sitting over there," he said, nodding his head to the side.
"Oh-yeah, I know," Bea replied. "I'm just gonna eat in my room today because I have-to um...I want to- I got some....I just want to."
And without even waiting for Thomas to respond, she speed-walked off. Thomas was left in the dining area confused. He frowned but dismissed his sister acting weird as he sat down at tht table, opposite Harriet and in-between Newt and Fry.
"Do you guy's know why Bea's acting weird?" he asked immediately. Newt just shrugged, digging into his food.
"I mean like, ever since she got back from the trip she's been acting weird," Thomas continued.
"I dunno man. I've been in the kitchen the whole afternoon," Frypan sighed, swallowing a mouthful.
Harriet was about to bite into her own toastie when she felt everyone's eyes on her. Her mouth hovered over the food before she sighed, putting it down.
"Me and Bea.....might have had a little argument...." she trailed off. The others glanced at each other before bursting into laughs and snorts. They only calmed down when they realised she was being serious.
"Wait you guys actually had like a proper argument?" Brenda asked, frowning slightly.
"Uh-yeah," Harriet responded, chewing on her lip, slightly embarrassed.
"Well I think you guys should just sort it out," Thomas butted in through a mouthful of food. Harriet knew Thomas was right but she was stubborn; and so was Bea. "It can't be that bad."
"Well it must be," Brenda countered, theorising about what might have happened, "They're inseparable. It would have to have been a pretty bad argument if they're not talking."
"Um hello. I'm right here you now," Harriet added, waving her hand in front of her face.
"Just go apologise," Thomas sighed, "When she's in a mood she get's really cranky." His face then paled at the words he had chosen to use but Fry was desperately trying to stifle his laughs.
Harriet contemplated what to do in her head before standing up from the table. She had provoked the argument and deep down she knew Bea was right. Making her way towards their room, she stopped in front of the closed door, hyping herself up to apologise before opening the door.
When she entered the room, she could see Bea lying in her hammock, her eyes closed, facing the ceiling and a empty plate that was placed on her bedside table.
"Uh hey- Bea?" Harriet said. She didn't respond.
"I'm just gonna carry on talking because I know you're awake," Harriet continued, "I mean you never sleep on your back because you always complain how you get back cramps in the morning and then you're grumpy for the rest of the day. So-yeah, you must be awake." She laughed to herself nervously as she rambled on. Bea bit back a smile that was threatening it's way onto her lips.
"Okay maybe I should quit stalling," she mumbled to herself.
"I want to-I think I should....I'm going to-" she stammered, mentally facepalming for making a fool out of herself, "Look, I just- Sorry."
"As much as I hate admitting this...you were right. Everything you said about waiting and-and needing a plan...and-uh, having to wait and the dangers of no. You-you were right. And I'm sorry - I just hate arguing with you."
She paused, licking her lips.
"I'm sorry too," Bea murmured.
"What?" Harriet frowned.
"You were right. I wouldn't understand what it would be like for you. I wouldn't know what it would be like to lose a best friend because-because, you were right, I did only know them a week-"
"No," Harriet shook her head, "I was wrong about that too. It-It was wrong for me to assume that you wouldn't be close for them because you didn't know them long. I'm sorry about that. And-and I'm sorry about what I said about Aris and Sonya."
"Wait-what? What do you mean?" Bea asked, this being her turn to be confused.
"I-I said they were all I had. I was wrong. I have you too."
Bea turned her head to the side, her eyes boring into Harriet's apologetic ones. Her heart hammered against her chest as she shuffled out of her hammock. Instantly, she walked forwards, pulling Harriet into a hug. The latter seemed shocked but accepted the embrace. Bea tilted her head downwards, burying her face into Harriet's shoulder. To her, this hug spoke more words than an apology itself.
The brunette girl pulled away first, slowly moving backwards so their faces were a mere few inches apart. Bea's breath hitched in her throat, her eyes not leaving Harriet's for a second. Neither leaned forwards but neither pulled away.
Kiss her.
"Hey Harriet, have you apologised to Bea yet? If she's in a bad mood tomorrow I'm blaming you."
The two girls sprung apart at the sound of Thomas' voice. The boy in question waltzed into the room, unsuspecting of what had happened a few seconds before he had entered.
"Uh...yeah-I...uh-she," Bea stammered, the previous moment still replaying over in her head.
"I apologised," Harriet finished, covering up Bea's awkwardness.
"Great," Thomas said, breathing a sigh of relief before exiting the room.
This left Harriet and Bea left standing in their room, staring at each other.
authors note:
thank you to for a bit of inspiration for this chapter ;)
hope you guys liked it. don't forget to vote and comment.
also i kinda wanna have a pen name. what should i choose?
Love K :) xx