Walking Amongst Them (Among Us, Book 2)

Not a Contest

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Adam woke me up for my turn to be on watch duty that night. Outside was still pitch black and he didn't say much as he fell into his blankets and went straight to sleep. Clarke was also on watch, but she immediately got up to go grab some more firewood.

It amazed me how easily Adam could just fall asleep. Lately I'd been too wound up to fall asleep like that, it had taken me at least an hour to fall asleep just tonight.

Clarke came back in with an armful of wood and stacked it by the fireplace. As quietly as she could, she opened up the fireplace door and paced one of the logs inside, poking around with the fire poker before shutting the door. She turned and looked at me, the only light in the room coming from the soft glow of the fire at her back.

"You okay?"

I nodded, knowing she could see the move from her position.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

She walked over and sat down next to me, "well I think there's a lot of reasons to be not okay, but I'm glad you are," she shrugged.

I leaned back against the wall I was sitting next to and pulled my blanket closer to my body. I'd shared a bed with Abby, and you'd never expect it but she was a major bed hog. She wasn't when it was just the floor, but as soon as we'd moved the beds in it was a whole different ballpark.

"How are you?" I asked, probably after too long of a silence.

She leaned forward, wrapping her arms around her legs, "I miss my family. I mean, not Dad, but my mom and brother. I wonder what they're doing right now, if they're even alive."

I sucked on my lower lip, "I know what you mean, sort of."

She tilted her head, "you mean the people on the supply mission, right?"

I shook my head, "No. There's someone else who is missing from our group. I don't know what happened to him exactly. We all lived in the compound together and he went off on his own to do something and never caught up with us at the safehouse. His name's Cody. I can't help but feel like he's out there somewhere . . ."

I trailed off, not knowing what else to say. His face flashed in my mind and I had to wipe my eyes, feeling tears approaching.

"Ugh," I said, rubbing my eyes. "Sorry. It's not the same."

"I think it is," Clarke responded.

I looked at her, about to ask what she meant when a bang went off outside. It was loud enough that I heard it, and I know Clarke heard it because she perked up, but none of the others woke up. Not even Michael who had gone to sleep a few minutes after Adam. Leo perked his head up and looked around.

"That didn't sound like a gunshot," Clarke said, "too quiet."

I stood up, dropping the blanket on the ground and reaching for the gun I was given. We had three of them, but I think Sam liked to sleep with one, so the other two went to whoever was on watch. Clarke stood up as well, her gun in her hands.

We waited in the semi dark together, listening for another sound. Leo growled and stood up, prowling towards us with his teeth bared, looking towards the back of the church.

"Fuck, what the absolute shit?"

Clarke and I exchanged glances. The voice was coming from the back, near where the firewood was kept. I started walking towards it, Clarke close to my back. Leo followed us, teeth bared but silent, as if he knew it was important to be quiet sometimes. When I got closer to the door, the words that were being said outside became clearer.

"Are you sure we should just barge in there?"

"Why not? I'm freezing my ass off here, just go in! I'm tired, and done with this."

"Well depending on who's on watch we might get the 'shoot first ask questions later' treatment," a third person said.

Clarke looked at me, frowning, "is that . . ."

She didn't get to finish her question though because I pulled open the door, coming face to face with Trish who had her hand out towards where the doorknob had been. Leo instantly sat down and began to wag his tail, tongue out as he tilted his head as if expecting to be pet.

"Oh look," she said, "they heard us bickering. Excuse me Kodi, not to be a bitch, but it's freezing and I know there's a nice hot fire inside, so can you move?"

I blinked and stepped to the side, stunned at their sudden appearance. Ben shrugged and Beck was simply staring at me. Trish walked past me and had the common sense to be quiet while she walked into the church.

"What was that loud noise? Did you guys find weapons?"

I glanced at Clarke and then back at the boys. They looked tired, like they hadn't slept in days and hadn't showered in longer. Ben shifted on his feet, and neither of them were holding anything, not even backpacks.

"Um, how about we let them come in and get some food, maybe a shower and a nap, before we pester them?"

Clarke didn't say anything, and we both moved away from the door so that the boys could come inside. Leo stood up and sniffed at Ben's hand, giving a soft growl before huffing and walking up against Beck.

Beck leaned down and scratched Leo's back before the wolf walked off, back inside the church. Presumably to go lay back down next to Abby. He liked to lay at her feet, which was something I'd caught Sam being salty about, calling Leo a traitor.

Ben walked in first, limping slightly as he favored his left leg. I wanted to ask but I pressed my lips together instead, knowing just by his expression that he just wanted to relax for a minute. Clarke followed him, and I was about to follow her when Beck grabbed my hand.

"I missed you," he said, "I worried about you every day."

His words made me feel guilty. I hadn't worried much about the group, and when I had worried about them it had been for the entire group. I liked to think if I was sweet on Beck in any way, that I would have been worried out of my mind for him.

He swallowed and spoke again, filling in the silence that I let hang between us, "How are you? Did anything happen while I was gone?"

"A lot happened," I said, finally, "and at the same time, nothing happened. We're all still here, safe."

He seemed to relax at that, and smiled, coming closer to me. But I pulled my hand away and took a step back.

"Look, Beck. I don't think it's right to keep doing this to you. I can't . . . I don't want to be that kind of person. I like you, even love you. But it's not the right kind of love. Not the same as how you feel about me, and I'm so sorry for that."

Beck's face closed off then, and he was back to looking like that stranger I had tried to run away from all those weeks ago.

"Oh."

That was all he said before he walked past me and into the church, making his way towards the bathroom even though we both knew Ben was back there. I pulled the back door shut, feeling heavy as I walked back into the main room where Clarke was helping Trish find some food.