Dinner and a Movie

[Laurels]

And with that, they both nodded off. Rodney sighed and sat next to a Roz. He wondered if her dreams were better than his. He thought about the gun and the blood. He shook his head.

“I’m gonna die here,” Rodney muttered to himself. “I’m not going to get a happy ending.”

He looked down at Roz. She really was pretty. Even with the acne scars and bandages, she looked really peaceful and elegant as she slept.

“I’ll get you home,” he said to himself. “I know I don’t have what it takes to survive. My dad trained me and my brothers to be strong, but I know I won’t make it. He probably wants me to be a killer and a real man, but honestly, I never wanted to be anything like him. If anything, I’m glad I’ll never see him again no matter what.”

“But you probably have people you care about. You probably have actual loved ones. I haven’t since my mom died. Besides, no one knows what happens to the winner. I probably won’t get to live my dream, but maybe you will. Maybe I was never going to be a romance novelist. Maybe that’s why I’m here.”

Rodney could feel a tear fall down his cheek. He wasn’t sure why he was venting to a sleeping girl, and he wasn’t sure why he felt this was the time to be so open. But he was starting to feel lighter.

“Just please be my friend till the end,” he muttered. “Please be my first friend.”

He suddenly felt really embarrassed. He really hoped Roz was deep asleep now. He couldn’t believe he said something so directly to a cute girl. It was easier to let America hear that then her, he realized. But now he felt like it would be a good time to be quiet and let the night pass.

[Lilith]

Roz's dream was of home. Her parents were there, catching up on the lost time, her sister was watching the Program and Roz was reading a magazine. The family sat around the wooden table, it was calm and happy. The atmosphere felt good, peaceful and calming. For a brief moment, she was in a sanctuary faraway from where her body was. When she'd wake up, she would both feel glad and bitter. Her memories kept her going but they also held her back. She had to move toward the future but she desperately wanted to go back in time to enjoy these little moments. Only time will tell if Roz will have a sweet moment again in her lifetime.

Rod was speaking to her, but Roz wasn't listening. His words felt distant. She wondered what he was saying, probably something waking up. Or maybe he was talking to myself, she had no idea. Her brain fog was dissipating and her eyes slowly opened. Rod was right there, looking at her. His cheeks became red, the boy's eyes revealed his intention. She wasn't sure of it, but the boy was checking her out.

She wasn't sure how however. She questioned the look. His sight on her body didn't bother her in the church, but here it felt weird. It wasn't a lustful look like some of them she received from men in cars or when she did groceries and someone followed her thinking she had stolen something. It was a different look, he was checking her out differently. She wasn't sure how she knew but it didn't feel either vicious or malicious. If anything, his eyes were sad. Melancholic almost, bitterly sad but with a hint of happiness, it was hard to describe that emotion. His sight on her still made her uncomfortable, she instinctively covered her body with her arms. She looked away from him for a second, feeling shame. Both of their face blushed in the dark, their eyes looking away from each other. Quietly, Roz turned back toward Rod. She quietly asked him a question, there was another one in mind, but she didn't want to make the situation awkward,

"Do you want to sleep?"

[Cicadan]

Some arbitrary amount of the witching hour later Clay noticed that he was alone. Well, his friends were bundled up just around the corner. But no, they wouldn't miss him if he was gone.

((Clay Bronson continued elsewhere))

Blood had begun to dry into gelatin like blobs, striped down the dome of his knee like the melting syrup atop a sundae. So, he didn't even leave a bloodstain to remember him by.

[Laurels]

((GMing of Roz approved))

"Uh, I dunno about sleeping," Rodney began to say.

Through half-delirium, he began to look around the boat shed. Where was Clay? He should have been there with both of them.

Rodney stood up and looked around.

"H-hey. Where did Clay go?" he asked Roz.

Rodney felt his stomach start to sink again. Did Clay abandon them? Did he run away? He couldn't be losing another ally this soon. He thought they were really getting along. Now Rodney was just alone with Roz again. He was glad she was there, but it hurt that he wasn't doing well at making and keeping allies. Maybe that was something he should have asked his dad more about.

"Um, we should find Clay. And anyone else we can think of," Rodney said to Roz.

He grabbed his bag and Roz's. She was still a bit hurt, so he should try to take most of the weight with him. He was definitely strong enough for that.

He had to be strong enough for something.

With that, they were out of the boat shed, and ready to take on the second day of The Program.

((Rodney Vasicek and Roz Evans continued elsewhere))