"Where the hell have you been?" I ask rather calmly.
"Sorry Dad, just lost track of time is all," Anna rolls her eyes playfully as Dawn smirks.
"You think this is funny?" I ask completely calm. "You," I turn to Dawn. "You're the one who set the damn curfew."
"Stand down soldier," Dawn replies casually.
"Stop yelling, we're fine, look I'm in one piece," Anna places her hands on the sides of my face.
"I'm not yelling!" I shout and she flinches. I sigh, "I'm sorry. But how am I supposed to keep my promise to you if you're out cruising around after curfew?" I'm really not yelling now.
Her thumb brushes over my jaw. "I'm fine." My eyes flutter close at her touch as my racing heart calms.
"We made dinner," I hum. Before I know it her touch is withdrawn and she'd heading happily over to the dinner table.
"Mmm, looks good!" She smiles, taking a seat. I go to take a seat next to her but Dawn snatches it up and begins piling mashed potatoes onto her plate.
"I still think we should have made a bigger dinner," Peter pouts at the potatoes and rolls on his plate.
"We need to ration the food," Drako speaks up sitting across from my Anna. I mean Anna. I trudge over to the seat on the other side of Anna and take a seat.
"Stop pouting, it's not a good look on you," Peter laughs.
I roll my eyes and begin filling my plate. Throughout dinner I can't help but notice Drako blatantly staring at my Anna. I mean Anna, who glances at him every so often.
"I think we should relax after dinner," Dawn finally breaks the silence. We all nod in agreement. Dawn starts clearing the table and whispers something to Drako. I watch him as he stands up and goes back to his desk to keep watch.
Peter has made himself comfortable on his makeshift bed, reading a comic I'd salvaged from his locker. I decide to spend some time with Anna.
"Hey, Anna. What do you say we go back to our space?" I ask. Her face drops and she stutters.
"I- we- I don't- I don't think- " Sudden horror settles inside me as I realize how that must have sounded.
"I didn't mean it like that, I thought we could talk or something," I correct. Relief washes over her features.
"Anna, whenever you're ready, I'll show you how to reload," Drako's deep voice interrupts.
"I have to-" she cuts off at a loss for words and quickly gets up, going to Drako.
I really don't like him.
Glaring, I remove myself to help Dawn with the dishes.
"What are you doing?" Dawn commands.
"Helping. I've got nothing better to do," I shrug and put a plate in the sink. I begin scrubbing at the plate vigorously before handing it to Dawn and doing the same with the next.
"So what's the story with you and Drako?" I finally ask as I watch Drako silently teaching Anna the mechanics of her firearm. "Are you two together or something?"
Dawn scoffs, "he's my twin. So no."
"Does he have a girlfriend?" I press. She stops and turns to me, hand on hip.
"Look if you're interested, stop. My brother doesn't swing your way," she raises a brow waiting for my response.
"I wasn't asking because I'm interested in him," I finally grumble, "just forget about it." I glance at the pair to see they're now in conversation. Drako looks humorously at Anna who is full on laughing. I roughly hand Dawn the last plate before storming into the other room with the rest of the bunch.
"That was pretty funny," Anna says, calming down from her fit of laughter.
"Was it?" Drako smirks casually.
"Oh it was," Anna smiles.
"I'm glad you think so, my sister says it's inappropriate. Especially the part with the whip cream," Drako smiles, laughter in his eyes.
"Oh but that was the best part!" Anna giggles. She giggled. It wasn't even- ugh!
"What was so funny?" I interrupt.
Anna starts to giggle as Drako casually replies with a knowing look. "I guess you just had to be there."
I scoff, rolling my eyes.
"I'll meet you in the room," Anna says to me, waiting for me to leave the happy couple. Discouraged I walk toward the make shift room and lay on the bed, awaiting my Anna.
A few moments later Anna approaches, a grin on her lips and a blush on her cheeks.
"So what'd you two talk about?" I cross my arms nonchalantly.
"Just stuff," She brushes off and sits on the edge of the bed. I glance at her before quickly looking away.
"Are you... pouting?" I can hear the smile behind her voice. Rolling my eyes, I grumble and turn away from her.
I feel the cushions shuffle a bit and soon she's curling up to my back.
"What are you doing?" I ask.
"I was cold," She nuzzles her head into my neck.
"And now?" I turn my head just enough to look at her.
"Oh I'm toasty now," She hums. Scoffing, I turn back to face the wall.
"Goodnight handsome," her sleepy voice is hard to hear.
Did she just... call me handsome? Ha. I knew it she likes me.
A sense of hope flourishes in my veins and soon my anger drifts away as sleep washes over me.
Stretching out, I fail to find a warm body anywhere near me. Frowning, I open my eyes only to confirm that Anna is not here.
Climbing out of bed, my thoughts are flying.
Where is she? Is she safe? What time is it? Did I just imagine her exsistance? Am I imagining that she's not here? Maybe she felt ignored and turned invisible like that girl in Buffy the Vampire Slayer?
Approaching the table, I'm greeted with Peter eating messily and Drako staring at his plate of uneaten food.
"Where's Anna?" I look between the two, awaiting an answer.
"Ask Drako, the girls were gone when I woke up," Peter picks up a piece of fallen food from his shirt and pops it in his mouth.
"Well?" I turn to Drako.
"What are you, her babysitter?" He quirks a bow, amused by my shortening patience.
"Just tell me where the hell she is?" I try to restrain a growl.
"Out with Dawn," His face is neutral.
"Where?" I snarl.
"Hey, hey. Guys, calm down. If Dawn comes back and finds out you two had an all out fight to the death, she'll kill us all," Peter cuts in.
"All except Chris," Drako smirks.
"What do you mean?" Peter looks across the table at where Drako sat leaning back in his chair.
"Because Chris would already be dead," Drako's eyes bore into my own.
"What makes you so sure?" I snap.
Drako goes to say something but is cut off by our walkies squeaking.
"Oops," Peter looks up at us sheepishly.
"What was that?" I turn my attention away from Drako.
"I pressed the button to talk on my walkie but it screeched," Peter shrugs.
"Because our walkies are so close. When you open the signal to one and the others are close it creates a form of interference. Just like microphones," Drako explains.
"What was that?" Dawn's voice comes over. Drako shuts off Peter's walkie before replying with his own.
"Just Peter messing around, don't worry."
"Over," Dawn replies before the walkies go silent once more.
Drako's eyes stare into my own, a smirk playing at his lips as he slowly raises the walkie back up.
"By the way, tell Anna I said she looked good today," Drako speaks into the small communications device.
A moment of silence passes by as I refrain from lunging at him. I could take him. He's not that big.
"She has her own walkie you know?" Dawn sounds irritated.
"Then where is she?" Drako replies.
"I'm here," Her voice fills the room.
Drako's eyes hold an evil glint as he says,"Good. I'll see you later beautiful."
Seething, I storm into the kitchen to get some breakfast. Walking back to the table, I sit next to Peter with a toasted bagel.
"So I think Dawn is really starting to dig me," Peter's eyes light up, and he tilts his head back dangling string cheese above his mouth.
"My sister woudn't even fathom the idea of someone like you whose vocabulary doesn't so much as reach triple syllables," Drako rolls his eyes.
"I know words. I know lots of them," Peter pouts.
"Don't listen to him Peter, Drako obviously has his head stuck too far up his ass to notice anything going on around him," I shoot a glare at the blonde haired boy.
"So how are you and Anna? She seemed all over you last night," Peter shoves a hand full of gummy worms in his mouth.
"What?" I can't stop the shock from crossing my features. Drako's eyes are staring at me with such intensity but I'm too shocked to care.
"Yeah, I walked by and saw her trynna climb on you and curl up to you. But you were kind of being a dick, were you mad at her?" Peter meets my gaze and it takes me a second to realize he's being serious.
"Mind you're own fucking business," I grumble, turning my gaze to my now cold bagel.
Silence washes over us for a few moments before Peter starts yapping. Again.
"So about Dawn," He looks directly at Drako.
"Do you think if I amp up my charm, she'd be into it?" Peter grins.
Rolling his eyes, Drako replies, "What charm?"
"I was thinking I could carry her guns for her and open doors for her," Peter's eyes are a light with genuinity.
"That sounds moronic," Drako scoffs as I continue to stare at my friend, the player, bewildered.
Peter's head droops a little in discouragement and Drako notices my stare. Drako glances in confusion from me to Peter.
"Don't listen to him," I tell Peter, my eyes unblinking. "Do what you want. Follow you're heart. Don't let this manboob tell you different."
Peter's eyes glance up to meet mine. Fighting a blush, he turns away, scoffing, "Follow my heart. Psh. You make it sound like I'm in love. I was just wanting, you know, a hobby or something. A player's gotta play."
Drako's eyes snap to Peter, "Fuck with my sister and you're going to wish the Seikorae got to you before I did."
Suddenly the door opens and in walks a very happy Anna and Dawn. Dawn approaches the supply closet and drops a bag inside, most likely full of weapons.
"Hey, what you boys talking about, don't stop on our account," Anna smiles, taking a seat next to Drako.
Drako smirks at me as we all simultaneously reply with "Nothing."
Anna shrugs, turning to Drako, "I finally figured out that riddle, If he lies it becomes the truth, because it becomes the truth, it's a lie. Sort of a catch twenty-two."
Drako smiles a genuine smile at Anna while nodding his head, "Perfect explaination."
"Drako!" Dawn shouts from the desk. "I thought you were keeping watch?" Her face is almost red as she scrambles over to the closet. Drako's face is priceless as he stares at her both shocked and slightly embarassed.
"I was, what's wrong?" His voice doesn't come out as strong and authorative as it did with us.
"There's a Seikorae outside the walls," She smacks him upside the head as she walks by, sniper rifle in hand.
"Anna, will you be accompanying me?" Dawn turns to look her in the eyes.
Anna pauses a second, contemplating, before nodding and getting up from the table.
"Drako, I'll need you at that damn computer again, leave and I'll come back and shoot you're balls off, got it? Chris, Peter, get off you're asses it's go time." She clicks the guns safety off. We grab our guns and walkies and rush out the door. We run down the halls and up the stairs, Dawn leading the way.
"We need to find a window we can open and shoot from," Dawn informs us. She turns toward a classroom and Peter rushes up, opening the door for her, grinning ear to ear.
"What are you doing?" Dawn pauses.
"Holding the door open," Peter beams like a proud five year old.
"We don't have time for you're foolishness!" Dawns snaps, storming into the room.
"She's totally digging me," Peter smirks at Anna and I as we enter.
Dawn slowly approaches the window, eyeing the Seikorae tactfully. Ever so slowly she unlatches the window and slides it up. We watch as the Seikorae wanders around looking like a dog with mad cow disease. He's unaware of our presense and Dawn props up the rifle, preparing to take aim. She pauses, staring intently at the creature. Peter opens his mouth to speak but I place my hand over his mouth.
The Seikorae looks lost, and vulnurable. Completely different from the few we've encountered. Anna places her hand on Dawn's shoulder, pulling her back into reality. Dawn's expression now displays determination as she take's aim. She mutters something to herself before pulling the trigger. A loud crack breaks through the still air and the Seikorae drops, convulsing.
"Shit," Dawn mutters, quickly reloading. The beast begins to scream, starting out quiet and growing in volume and length. Dawn quickly takes another shot before the creature can continue it's wailing.
Dawn slams the window shut and locks it before turning to us, looking slightly annoyed.
"So now we know, two shots to the head, and don't let them scream. I believe he was attempting to call others," Dawn announces.
"Drako, keep an eye on the camera's, I believe we'll get some more company tonight," Dawn commands into the walkie talkie.
"On it," He replies.
Dawn turns to grab her rifle but Peter snatches it up.
"And just what in the Sam heck do you think you're doing?" She quirks a brow at him.
"Carrying you're gun for you," He smiles.
"Hand it over," She sighs.
"No thanks, I'm good," He shakes his head.
"Hand it over, Harrison," She growls.
"How'd you know my last name?" his eyes dance over her face, confusion brewing.
Instead of answering, Dawn pounces at him, tackling him to the ground, pinning him and taking the gun away.
"Aw, come on. Just let me carry it," Peter whines.
"Why does it matter?" Anna speaks up from behind as we file out the door.
"It doesn't," Peter grumbles.
"Then leave it alone," Dawn recoils and Peter crosses his arms, pouting.
"We're going to be on high alert for the evening," Dawn changes the topic.
Our footsteps echo on the stairs as we race down them.
"Do you hear that?" Peter snaps out of his pouting.
"Hear what?" I look at my friend.
"I thought I heard something," Peter shrugs.
We stroll back into the office, locking the door behind us.
Drako's eyes never move from the screen, his face almost in a scowl.
Dawn comes out of the kitchen and tosses us each a granola bar.
"Clean up and get ready," she commands.
"For what?" Peter looks up at her, hanging onto her every word.
"Just in case," Dawn turns and stalks out of the room. Peter hops up from his seat to follow. He almost looks like a lost puppy. I smirk to myself at how whipped he is. I turn to see Anna walking towards Drako and I step in her way.
"Wanna play some cards?" I ask on impulse.
"We have to get prepared," She looks up at me, her eyes blue as the summer sky.
"Oh. Yeah.." I mumble and step out of her way, making my way toward our space to change for the first time today.
Glancing back I see Anna curiously staring at the screen with Drako and nonchalantly talking up a storm. How come we can't talk like that? I watch as she laughs at something he said. She's hanging on his every word. I sigh.
This is going to be a long night.