"Basically, Zero almost killed Ricky." Pandenski told the Warden.

"Basically?"

"Uh, uh, Ziggy was beating up the Caveman, right? And then Zero started choking Zigzag. Y/n and I had to pull Zero off of him." Pit explains as I fold my hands together and put my head down.

"Yeah, I mean, you know, Zig just got a little hot. Out in the sun all day, the blood starts to boil." X explained before the Warden went over to Zig.

I wanted to keep quiet, not wanting to get Stanley and Zero in trouble for digging holes together.

"Is that what happened, Zigzag?" Warden asked.

"Yep." He replied. "Like X-Ray said, you know, working all day out in the hot sun, you know, while Caveman sits around and does nothing."

I internally groan before I glare wide-eyed at Zigzag. He looked over at me and quickly averted my gaze.

"Excuse me? Caveman digs his holes just like everyone else."

"Sometimes." Zig adds and my eyes widen more at him.

"Excuse me?"

"Ma'am, Zero's been digging a part of Caveman's hole every day." Squid explains.

"You're not digging holes no more? Huh?" Mr. Sir asks.

"I...I'm teaching him how to read." Stanley replies and I feel bad for not being able to help Zero more so that him and Stanley wouldn't be in this situation.

"What?"

"He's a smart kid." Stanely adds.

"Smart?" Pandesnki chuckles and my jaw tightens. "Oh, yeah? Hey, Zero, what does c-a-t spell? Huh? What's its spelling?" Zero stayed silent. "Yeah, he's a real genius. He's so stupid, he doesn't even know he's stupid."

"He's not stupid." I snapped.

"Okay," Says the Warden to stop an argument from rising. "From now on, I don't want anyone digging anyone else's hole. Is that clear. And no more reading lessons." She adds mainly at Stanley. She doesn't know I teach Zero too, so I could still help him.

"Why? I mean, if the hole gets dug, who cares who's digging it, right?" Stanley asks.

"You know why you're digging holes?! Because it's good for you. It teaches you a lesson." Mr. Sir replies.

"If Zero digs your hole for you, you're not learning your lesson, are you?" Warden adds.

"Yeah, see that?"

"We'll, why can't I still just dig my hole and teach him how to read?" Stanley asks,

"Cause, I said so." Warden replies.

"We know you mean well, Stanley. But the mental stress just causes his brain too much of a challenge. That's what made his blood boil, not the hot sun." Pandesnki said and my hands clenched into fists.

"I'm not digging any more holes." Zero speaks up.

"Good. I mean, you might as well teach this shovel to read." Pandesnki says before he tosses Zig's shovel to Zero. "Go ahead, Zero. Take it. It's all you'll ever be good for. D-I-g. What's that spell?"

Before I could speak up and defend Zero, Zero took the shovel in his hand and hit Pandendski, making him fall to the ground. My mouth gaped as Zero replied "Dig." And he ran off.

"Go, Zero! Go!" Stanely cheered. My body was frozen as I watched him run. Mr. sir started to follow when the Warden told him to leave him.

"I want round-the clock guards on all water sources." The warden ordered as she poured the rest of Zero's canteen on Pandesnki.

Pandesnki tried getting up, saying some nonsense before falling back on his face.

I pushed my hand through my hair as I turned back and saw Zero running.

***

Me and Stanley walked up to the tent together. As we made it to the entrance we heard Pandesnki talking.

"No one cares about Hector Zeroni."

Stanley and I walked into the tent and glared down at Pendenski's small figure.

"We do." Stanley spoke harshly. We walked past them and set our canteens down.

"They were in this thing together. His blood is on your hands then." Mr. Sir said as the three adults walked outside.

I sighed and pushed a hand through my sweaty hair.

"I'm going after him. Tomorrow. He shouldn't be out there alone." I said with a sigh.

"No. You stay here. I'll go. I don't know what it is, but I have this feeling..." Stanley said as his eyes lay on his feet. I looked over at him and he picked up his head, giving me a sad smile. "I'll take care of him. I promise."

I searched his eyes for a slight bit of fear or doubt, but he was confident. My eyes went to the ground and I slowly nodded my head.

***

I sat up in my cot. My knee hugged to my chest as I picked at the hem of my pants, my other leg hanging off the end of the cot.

"Man, if he's not back by morning, he's dead." Said Armpit as he lay on his cot.

"He's dead either way. If he stays out there or if he comes back." Said X-ray.

"When do you think they're gonna find his body?" Zig asks and my nose scrunches up.

"What body? Man, Zero's buzzard food. You know what? They pick out the eyeballs first." Squid says before he makes a disgusting squishing sound.

3rd POV

"What is wrong with y'all?" Y/n snaps her voice raised slightly. This catches their attention and they turn to her. "He's just a kid. He's out there probably starving and dehydrated and all you can talk about is how he's going to be bug food like it's some kind of sick joke." She say harshly, glaring at all of them. Some of their mouths dropped while others looked down with a guilty expression. One of the guilty being Zig. He didn't want to make her angry. He knew how close her and Zero were. If she and Zero were to switch places, Zig would yell at the guys for joking about her dying.

Y/n scoffs at them all, her heart tripping slightly as Zig looks over at her. She could tell he felt bad, but she was still upset at him.

"He's a kid." She repeats sternly before crawling under her covers and turning her back on the group of boys. Who all silently climb into their sheets and turn off the lights.

***

Y/n stirred in her cot, her eyebrows knitting together.

In her dreams she watched as Zero struggled against the desert heat, without food or water. His face dripping with sweat, his cheeks growing hollow. He stumbled to the ground and layed on the hard ground. As he laid there taking long breaths, his eyes closed to deflect the bright rays of the sun, a yellow spotted lizard began to make its way towards him. Zero oblivious continued to lay on the ground. The lizard grows close to his neck. With a hiss the lizard bites its sharp teeth into the base of Zero's neck. Zero screams. "HELP!"

Y/n sat up quickly. Her heart burned and tightened as her breathing became rushed, never getting enough air to fill her lungs. Her forehead was covered in a cold sweat. Y/n tried to slow down her breathing but failed as she clutched her hand to her chest. She ripped the sheets off her and staggeredly walked out of the tent.

As if on schedule, like most nights, Zigzag steered awake and sat up as he rubbed his eyes.

He looked over at the clear tent doors and his stomach churned as he saw Y/n kneeling next to the stairs, her hand gripping onto the wooden steps for deer life. He quickly got up and made his way outside.

As he opened the tent doors, he could hear her quick shaky breaths. He leapt over the steps and crouched down in front of her.
Y/n eyes were shut tightly as she tried to focus on her breathing, her hand shaking as it lay on her chest.

"Y/n-" Zig began before he was interrupted with Y/n putting out a shaking hand, holding her index finger up at him. She was still upset with him and didn't want to deal with the confusion at the moment. But still, he persisted. "I know I've been a total jerk and I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what happened with Zero. I'm sorry for not saying anything to you after Zero choked me." He spoke quickly as to not give Y/n enough time to shut him up. Y/n continued her shaky breaths as she slowly raised her head and looked at him. Zig felt his stomach twist. "I'm sorry."

Y/n looked at him. Her eyes drifted back to the ground as her previously raised hand fell to the ground with a small nod of her head. Zig slowly made his way next to her and gently wrapped his arms around her shaking figure. She grabbed on tightly to his sleeve and tried to match her breathing with his.

Zig hugged her tightly.

When Y/n had calmed down slightly, Zig found something that could distract her. He repositions her in between his legs, his arms wrapped around her from behind, her back resting against his chest.

"Could you show me where the constellations are again?" Zig asks. Y/n looked up shakely, meeting his eyes. He gave her a tiny smile to reassure her. Her eyes drifted to the sky where bright stars shone in the darkness, reflecting off her eyes.

Y/n's hand shook slightly as she pointed towards a group of stars as she took a deep breath.

"That's...Leo. It's a lion...you can...see it only during the spring." She explained in between breaths. Her mind blanked and she closed her eyes.

"What are the other ones?" Zig asks gently.

Y/n took a deep breath and looked back at the sky.

"There's the big bear...or big dipper...and uh, then there's the little dipper...over there." Y/n explained, her breathing starting to come down to normal. Zigzag rubbed her arm in comfort. Y/n put her head in the crook of his neck and her shoulders relaxed.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Zig asked, referring to what made Y/n so frantic. Y/n turned her head to the side, her forehead resting against Zig's neck.

Trying to keep his composure as he felt heat crawl up to his cheeks, he gave her a soft squeeze.

"I had a nightmare...I saw him, out there, by himself. He looked tired and hungry. He laid on the ground and this...lizard bit him...in the neck and he screamed, crying for help." Y/n squeaked. She didn't want to cry, she hated crying, but it was hard. Her lip quivered as she held in her tears. Zig noticed this and brought her impossibly closer to him. Y/n let out a shaky breath as she closed her eyes, a tear dropping from each of her eyes.

// A/n: I hope everyone is enjoying the story. I apologize for the cringy spots! I'm trying really hard to write them decently. Anyway, I'm trying to update more so I can finish this story. Hope y'all enjoy! //