Fake smiles. Happy laughs. Big hugs. Thoughts of what I was putting everyone into. Shane, who I found out was the guy trying to kill me, had ran from the camp to join a bigger more evil army. What would he bring back? Would he come back at all? All I could do was put on a happy face and act like nothing had happened. I couldn't even tell Andy, Coma wouldn't talk to me about anything, and Jake was no where to be seen.

Every morning I woke to Andy's sweet smile. I wanted to tell him about everything, the fire, the threat, the guy running. But I couldn't...what would I say? How would I say it? Instead I went on with my life and let everyone else think I was as happy as a clam. Today Andy was the one who seemed like he was dealing with what I was though. It worried me that he had found out what happened. I wanted to find Coma and tell him not to tell Andy but he refused to talk back.

"What?" I asked when I was done with our mini staring contest in the kitchen over breakfast.

He set down his plate of food and looked at his hands resting on the table. "I..." he took a breath. "I'm kind of seen as an important person."

I laughed a little, "what does that have to do with anything?"

"I travel a lot. To other camps, telling them what we're trying to do here." He paused, was he really suggesting what I thought he was? "I just don't want you needing to deal with whether I'm even coming home after trips. As you know F.E.A.R. isn't really fond of rebels."

"No!" I yelled knowing exactly what he was talking about. "No!"

"Babe, I just..." I cut him off.

"No, this discussion is over. I'm not letting you dump me because you think I'll be too worried to be with you!" I got up and left for work leaving Andy at the table.

I kept thinking about what I should've said instead of telling him off. I didn't have to worry about my happy face because by this time I had already mastered it after Coma told me about Shane. Not much was sold today and almost no one had even come in. I was getting ready to ask my boss if I could leave since it was so slow and be with Esther when a customer came in and walked straight toward the most expensive thing in this place.

She was an old woman with silver gray hair that was in a mess around her head. Winkles around her face suggested that she had seen a few years. She didn't look like she could afford the things she was awing over.

"Can I help you with anything ma'am?" Which was shop owner speak for 'better not steal anything, I got my eye on you.'

She looked at me with a twinkle in her eye. "Oh yes! How much is this?" She picked up a glass rose necklace with cow hide leather lining.

I smiled, "50."

Her smile vanished, "oh why so expensive?" She leaned close to me after looked around the shop. "Do you think you could let a little old lady just walk out with it?"

"No ma'am, you'll need to pay for it." I smiled taking the necklace away from her.

"You know you need to be nicer to people." She smiled back snatching the necklace back into her wrinkled hands. "You never know who might want to kill you anyway." She walked out of the shop with the necklace as I stood there stunned.

Was that another threat? From an old lady? I didn't know what to think of it. I could hear my boss screaming out of the shop. Probably trying to stop the old woman. She came over to me and slapped me across my face. I held me cheek to find that she had drew blood. My mouth was open surprised at what she had done.

"What the fucking hell!? You just let the most expensive thing just walk out of here in an old woman's shaky hands! I should have never even hired such a bitch! You will work until you can pay me back for that then you're fired!" She spit in my face before storming off leaving me even more stunned.

I wiped the spit off my face and along with it some blood from my cut lip. I wanted to leave. I wanted Andy to comfort me and tell me everything was going to be all right. I wanted to tell him everything. But it was too late for that. And who's fault was that again? Oh yeah, mine...

I worked until closing and tried to stay clear of my boss. When she ordered me to go home I got out of there as soon as I possibly could practically running home. I got home to see that Zain was yelling at Andy. I couldn't understand anything. Andy saw me and walked over to me shutting Zain up for a few seconds.

"What happened?" He asked touching the cut on my lip.

"Nothing," I looked away.

"Well you should probably go see Esther." He told me looking back to his furious brother.

What had she done this time? I nodded and headed toward where I knew I would find a furious Esther as well. I walked into a completely different scenery. Esther was curled up on the couch sobbing into her arm. She didn't hear me walk in and I felt so bad for her. Zain had been a really good guy. What happened?

"Aw sweetie..." I sat beside her and held her in my arms.

She continued to cry into my shoulder. I tried to sooth her but she kept crying and gasping for air. I didn't want to ask her what had happened so I kept rocking back and forth.

"Shhh, it's okay." I said when she tried to talk.

"You were right." She finally got out, "you were so right."

Notes

Oh no! :O