Lana
Paytah wasn't heavy at all when I reached him just in time, before he hit the ground.
"Paytah?" I ask. He struggles to get to his feet. When he can stand up on his own, I look at him worriedly. His eyes are huge, filled with confusion and fear. He's pale, and his body is shaking. He looks at me for a moment, then his eyes gaze somewhere else. I turn around, trying to see what he's staring at, but it's only the empty stairs.
"You alright?" I ask.
He nods, wiping some sweat off his forehead. He glances around then finally rests his eyes on me.
"Did I just faint?" The way he says it makes me want to laugh, but it's the nervous look on his face that makes me hold it in.
"Think so. I think you need some rest-"
"I'm okay." Is all he says. He looks at me and smiles a little. "Hi."
I laugh a little and give him a small hug. "Hey."
We both decide to go outside to get some fresh air, but I forgot this whole area was inside a glass dome. I look out and see people standing outside the dome, staring at all of us elements.
"Are they seriously wasting their time just looking?" I ask, and Paytah looks out and sees the people. He shakes his head a little. "Ridiculous." He mumbles.
"If you think about it, we're famous," I say, "everyone knows who we are."
"It's annoying." Is all he says. "I don't know if we're famous when half of these people want us dead."
It's silent. We take a seat on a bench, taking it all in.
"Did you see your family?" He asks.
"Yeah. They are all okay, thank god." I say. He smiles a little and nods, and it almost kills me to realize that Paytah doesn't exactly have a family. I wonder if he's seen some of his foster families, but it's not my place to ask. Besides, I think he's okay with me saying nothing at all.
"Paytah!"
We both turn our heads at a familiar voice.
It's Aira. Juris is behind her, struggling to keep up. Paytah stands up, and I notice him wincing as he pushes himself to his feet. But Aira doesn't seem to notice. She flings herself on him, her arms wrapped around his torso, her head dug perfectly into his chest.
And I think this is the first time in forever I see Paytah actually smile.
He lets out a laugh, then rests his chin on her head. "Hey." He says. Aira's chest heaves in and out, and she lets out a sob. There's something about Aira; her innocence, maybe, but there's something else too. Whatever it is, it makes Paytah's eyes water. She's so small, so kind, so freakin kind, maybe Paytah needs that once in a while.
And that's something I can't give very often.
She lets go and looks up at him, wiping her tears. "I though you were-"
"We're all okay." He says.
"Surprisingly," Juris says. He gives Paytah a classic side bro-hug, and then comes and sits by me. I hug him, because I haven't seen him for a while either. I abandoned them both last time I saw them. But he looks at me as though I never lied to him, never left him.
"What a journey," Juris says, and we all look at each other.
"Can you believe this is actually real? We were being tested, but that whole test was a lie and there was a whole other test that we were in and didn't know about and-"
"It's over, whatever it was." Aira cuts me off.
"We're still trapped." Paytah says, looking around at the glass dome.
"You don't think they would actually..you know, you don't think they-"
Would kill us?
I want to tell Aira the truth so badly, but I'm tired of being the bad guy. Thankfully Paytah isn't afraid, sometimes I can't believe how straight up he can be.
"There are people who want us all killed. More than half it seems like." He says simply.
"There's a ton of people watching us right now," Juris points to the crowd of people outside the dome, "maybe they will realize we aren't, you know, bad."
"Hanson is on our side." Aira says. "Maybe he can convince people-"
"Hanson is a dick." Paytah says, and it makes me laugh. Aira doesn't seem too amused.
"He's our only hope-"
"I still don't trust him." Paytah says, and I can't help but agree. Hanson is the one who captured us in the first place, it might take a while to forgive. And for some reason I have a feeling that Paytah rarely forgives.
"Paytah, this isn't something that us four can just fix, this is bigger then we are." Aira says, and I look at her, surprised. Aira sounds..well, mad almost. Irritated. It's strange, but Paytah doesn't notice at all, and I think that's the funniest part.
"It's always been us against everyone else," he says, "always has been, always will be."
"No, we have other elements with us-"
Now Paytah is mad, but I'm not surprised when he blurts out with a stern voice. "We don't. Sure, they are in the same situation," he points out to the people outside the dome, "but those people out there are watching us four. We will be the reason if these elements get to live or not. Once again, it's all on us. Once again, it's us against everyone else."
"Why are you afraid to ask for help?" Aira asks, and I see Paytah flinch a little. I remember back when I just caught Paytah from fainting. He was embarrassed, he didn't want me to notice he was scared. He was looking at something, but it was probably someone. A person.
"Hey," I say, "let's just forget about it-"
"What's the problem? What are you not telling us?" Aira asks, and I see Paytah take a step back.
Aira doesn't know. She doesn't know she's hurting Paytah right now. She doesn't know what he's been through. She doesn't know that he almost fainted a little while ago.
"Aira." Juris says. He must sense something wrong too.
"Are you scared to admit that maybe...that maybe you were weak for a while? T-that you needed someone to help you?" Aira says, and I know she hit him in a hard spot.
"Shut up," Paytah says, but his eyes start to water. He glances up.
And that's when he freezes.
I quick turn, just in time to see what he was looking at, probably back at the cafeteria too.
His mother.
Paytah stumbles back and trips, right over somebody's feet. He jumps on him right away, holding him down.
A guard.
And that's when I feel someone bringing me to my feet and pulling my hands behind my back.
Paytah was right. It's us against the world.
The real world this time.
******
Hello!!!
So, another chapter!!!
Please keep voting and commenting! It truly makes my day when you do!
Thank you :)