Uprising: A Collide Novel Part 18

"She always pressed my b.u.t.tons, everyone's b.u.t.tons, back in the bas.e.m.e.nt before. She has no regard for anybody's feelings. Who's to tell Lillian how long she can mourn her husband? What she can and can't be upset about?"

"No, I agree. I'm just surprised it was you that said it," he said smiling and chucked my chin.

I smiled back and then laughed as he gasped and flinched. Lily snuck up on him and jumped in his lap when he was looking at me.

"Lily bug! Did you sleep good?" Cain asked her, settling her better in his lap.

"Yep, Uncle Cain, I did. I was dweaming about pancakes," she said matter-of-factly like it was completely normal.

Us that were left in the commons room all laughed.

"Me too. I dream about them all the time. Sherry makes good ones doesn't she?"

"Yep," Lily answered, twisting her doll's hair.

I smile and turned to Merrick and he was lost in thought, staring into nowhere.

"You ok, babe?" I ask rubbing his arm.

He turns and smiles, pulling me into his lap.

"Yeah. I'm great, actually. I hate to say that I was worried about them, but I was. I hated it when we had to split up back at the bas.e.m.e.nt. I can't believe they found us. It's just bizarre. Small world."

"It is, isn't it. That all? You're sure? Nothing's wrong?"

"Nope." He pulls my forehead down to his. "I'm fine. Just thinking. I'm proud of you too. Polly shouldn't get away with that c.r.a.p."

I smile at his often use of slang words. He never used to do that.

He kisses me and we've barely touched lips.

"Eew!" Lily and Cain both groan.

I make a fake jump to tickle her and she bolts, laughing and squealing.

"So what's up with Lillian?" Cain asked, stretching his legs back out and flexing them.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"I mean, what's up? Kids? Husband I know of. She seems sweet. And she's cute, in a dirty ragam.u.f.fin sort of way."

"Cain! She just got here!"

"I know! But you did promise me a girl, remember?" he says smiling.

"A promise is a promise, Sherry," Merrick mocks, laughing while Cain b.u.mps his fist.

"Jeez! Give her a minute! She might not even like you, ya know. Her husband, Michael, was a pretty great guy."

"Yeah," he said and sobers. "I'm sorry, I probably shouldn't be joking about this right now, should I?"

"I don't think it's that Cain. She's not pining over him. I think it's just that she hasn't had time to stop since we split up. It sounded like it was pretty bad for them. She probably hasn't even had time to grieve properly, especially with Polly yelling at her about it. Just give her some time. Besides, you're cute enough I guess."

"Cute enough?" he says and grabs his chest in mock hurt. "I'm taking my wounded pride to the hall to see if they need help down there."

I push his shoulder playfully as he gets up.

Merrick and I sit there for a while. Me enjoying his warmth and his shoulder. I doze off after a while and wake up to see him asleep too, with Piper watching us through hooded eyes from across the room.

Cleansing Waters

Chapter 3 - Cain.

"Dang it," I hear myself mutter as I stub my toe on an ugly bag someone left in the hallway.

I kick the bag to the wall, and immediately regret it as I see the tall and strange dark haired girl from before, who was blasting Lillian for crying, come out of a room and lock me in a heinously wicked gaze.

"Sorry," I mutter but keep walking.

What I want to say is 'you left your bag in the way and you deserve more than just having your bag kicked you hateful Amazon'. But I don't say that and never would.

The rooms are filling up again. We'll have to start digging again soon to make more halls and rooms. Mike thought Jeff's idea about going deeper instead of further out would work. He should have known I guess. He was a nice guy.

I'm seeking out Lillian of course. Not just because I was joking with Sherry about her but because she did seem sweet, but she also seemed like she could use some help. A little broken and fragile. I like to feel needed and useful.

I find her with little problem, Marissa leaving her room after getting her settled. She goes straight to Jeff and whispers in his ear then bites her lip, playing the innocent seductress nicely. He smiles and laughs, pulls her into his room a couple doors down across the hall and shuts the door.

I shake my head. Those two are almost as bad as Merrick and Sherry, who seem to be touching or talking to or about each other, every waking minute of every day. Which would be fine except for one thing.

I am absolutely in love with Sherry.

I know, I have to get over it. For one she's only nineteen. Seven years doesn't usually make much difference but for someone that young it does. But she doesn't act young, that's the thing. But number two and most important, she's married.

And I would never ever act on it. I would never ever say anything to her about it. Merrick is the best. He's like a brother to me. I couldn't do that to him, plus the fact that Sherry loves him and doesn't love me.

I'm fine with it. Well, not really but I'll find a way to deal.

I'll busy my time with something other than Sherry, which what with us being trapped together and almost dying, then worrying about her all these weeks as she has hobbled around trying to take care of everybody has been hard.

The first time I knew she was gonna be trouble for me was the coffee shop. Yes, way back then, the very first time I saw her. She came in with her long brown curly hair pulled across one shoulder, leaving one side of her neck exposed. I immediately busied myself behind the counter so as not to draw attention with my staring. I wiped a circle into the counter the full minute she looked around the shop, watching people.

I thought it was such a waste for a cute pretty thing like her to be enthralled by evil but she wasn't watching the tv. She was watching the people. It was interesting, because the Lighters speak drew you right to it so I figured I'd bust out the question that would make or break her story once she finally made her way to the counter.

I knew right off something wasn't right but I thought it was too good to be true. After the whole kissing-to-save-us incident, which was a good idea, I then learned she was married and I remember thinking, c.r.a.p. I remember exactly what her lips felt like. The way the soft skin of her wrists felt as I held her arms above her head.

Of course, I thought to myself. Of course, she's taken. Then I met Merrick and realized how he could get her. He was a beefy tall dark guy with a fierce protective streak for Sherry. Then I learned he was a Keeper and knew why.

I've tried every since then to stop loving her. Us getting trapped in the cave together did nothing to help the situation and her constant willingness to be her sweet smiling touchy self doesn't help either. I tried. Really. I'm still trying.

But now, I have distractions. The new guys...and girls. Or girl I should say. Lillian. The others seem a little too young and h.e.l.l bent on revenge for my taste. But Lillian is really cute. She looked a little young to be married, but then again so does Sherry.

"Hey, Lillian is it?" I ask, tapping on the door slightly. "Need some help in here?"

She looked up at me. I can see her better now. She's a mess. A pretty mess but a mess just the same. Her eyes are red from crying, her hair is matted and she's got dirt on her arms and face. Her eyes though, are clear and a deep bright blue and fastened to mine instantly.

Man, the bluest eyes I've ever seen.

"Um, I don't think so. I didn't bring a lot with me," she said softly and chuckled sadly.

"Yeah, I guess not. Well if you need anything, let me know. I'm Cain." I reach out to shake her hand.

"Oh!" She made a big show of wiping her hands on her pants legs, even dirtier than her hands. "I'm sorry. I'm such a mess. Nice to meet you."

She extended her hand, but I knew she didn't want to and was just being polite. I took it anyway.

"You too. It's ok, Lillian," I said grasping her hand, surprisingly soft for someone in her appearance. "I'm not sure what happened to you guys but you're not the first new people to come in here. We know it's rough out there. Like I said, if you need anything, I'm two doors down, that way," I say and point further down toward the hall.

"Thank you, Cain. Actually, if you could show me to the bathroom, I'd like nothing better than a shower before everyone starts fighting over it."

"Sure thing. Follow me."

She did and we parted our way through the hordes of people crammed into the hall and doorways looking for rooms. She was getting pushed around a bit and wasn't in any shape to force her way through so I reached back and took her arm, pulling her in front of me until we got out of the hall.

I decided to take her to the less crowded bathroom on the other end. We entered the commons room and no surprise, Merrick and Sherry are murmuring and smooching on the floor, as are Celeste and Danny in their usual corner.

To be perfectly honest, and to my dismay, I've never seen happier people.

Lillian stops and turns to me.

"So, Sherry and Merrick got married?"

"Yep. That's what I'm told. It happened before I got here."

"Huh. That's strange. I wonder when that started. But Jeff and Marissa too? I saw them before in the hall."

"Yep. Not married though, just, I don't even know what you'd call it these days. Dating doesn't seem to fit does it?"

"No, it doesn't. So how did you come to be here," she asked, her eyes drifting back to mine.

"Uh, Sherry came into the diner I work in. She helped me get my family, then they brought us here."

"You sound very fond of her."

"Do I?" I shrugged. "I am. That little gal and me been through a lot together since then."

I look away remembering it all. The cave where we almost froze to death, Sherry's broken leg, the Markers and Lighters. The Taker. Their van going over the bridge into the river. Lily's parents. The list of blunders could go on for miles.

"She does seem very Mother Hennish doesn't she."

I glanced over and saw that Lillian was looking at Sherry like a sister would with a smile to boot.

"Yeah, that's a good word for it. Even more so now I'm sure than she was back then. She's taken on a few more responsibilities lately."

"Yes. I heard. Wow, so they found a little girl somewhere?"

"Jeff and Miguel did, and we all sort of adopted her but Sherry and Merrick are...I don't know, her guardians. She loves them like parents and they love her too. She's the cutest thing you've ever seen. Two feet of blonde, bubbly and gorgeous."

"I can't wait. I always wanted kids. I guess that's not possible now," she muttered quietly.

I looked at her, she must have seen something there, sympathy maybe because she quickly went into a spat of recants.

"I don't mean because of my husband being gone, I just meant because, who would bring a child into the world like this ya know? I mean, that'd be pretty selfish. Wait... I don't mean that. c.r.a.p. I don't even know what I'm saying anymore," she said, scrubbing her hands over her face in exasperation, or maybe it was embarra.s.sment.

Either way, it was pretty cute. I couldn't help but chuckle at her which she smiled and blushed at before she finished her explanation.

"I'm sorry. I'm a mumbler."

"It's ok. It's refres.h.i.+ng actually. No need to hide how you really feel. We're all friends here. Well, most of us."

She must get my meaning about the Amazon woman and giggled, pus.h.i.+ng her dirty hair behind her ear with her fingers. As we pa.s.sed each room I motioned and pointed, telling her what each one was used for. We reached the bathroom door, I leaned against the doorframe with my shoulder and put my hands in my pockets.

"Thanks, Cain. And thanks for the tour. I'll do my best to remember everything, but no guarantees."

"No problem. I'll just have to keep showing you until you learn it. I'll leave you to it."

She smiled at me, a real smile, as I walked away and I returned it. Nice girl. I walked away wondering how old she was, what she looked like not caked in dirt, is she really as sweet as she seems, will she be able to get over her husband, would she be the one able to replace Sherry in my thoughts. Gah, I hope so.

That night after everyone showered and the ladies slaved over making dinner for everyone, we traded stories. Everyone piled in the commons room, wall to wall, some people had to sit in the hall and on the stairs. I found my usual spot. Next to Sherry on the back wall. Ahem.

But oh wow.

When I saw Lillian emerge from the hall all scrubbed clean and hair brushed, I know I must have done some kinda girly gasp. I couldn't believe my eyes. I almost asked Sherry who the creature was before it hit me. Her hair is seriously blonde where before it had been dingy and almost brown from mud.

Her skin is a sharp pale making her blue eyes very bright and blue, the thing you have to look at first when you see her. It looked like she was wearing some of Sherry's clean clothes.

I also saw that I wasn't the only one looking. Miguel, Josh, even Ryan and that new Keeper were looking as well, just as in awe. Hmmm. And she didn't notice a one of us.

She came to sit herself cross legged on the floor in front of Sherry, sort of half turned to focus on us and whoever was speaking. I wanted to say something to show the others that I was closest to her. Something childish like 'nana nana boo boo' but I kept it to myself.

I tried to focus on Susan, who was speaking at the time. Everyone told their own story if they had one. Pap told our sad little pathetic story of before we got here. Maggie joined in of course to correct and yell at him about changing things to make them sound worse than they were.

Everyone laughed and carried on. It was light conversation mostly. No one went into great gory detail about the things that had happened. Lillian didn't speak and no one else spoke of her husband. Sherry whispered to Merrick and he smiled at her, then she whispered to Lillian and she smiled to. Then Sherry got up, wobbly on her cast. I extended a quick hand which she took, she always took it. But she wouldn't if she found out how I felt, one of my main reasons to keep quiet. I was wondering what she was whispering about when she turned to me.