Y/n's POV

The next morning I woke up to the usual trumpets. I got out of bed tiredly and walked over to Zero's bed. I tapped his shoulder a bunch of times and started poking his cheek.

"Come on Zero, wake up." I said as I yawned. Zero groaned.

I grabbed his arm and pulled him over my shoulder. I shook him vigorously as he hung from my shoulder.

"All right, all right! I'm up." Zero groaned. I smiled and put him down on the ground.

"Works every time." I said with a smile as I ruffled up his hair and he swatted at my hand.

***

We all made our way outside to get our shovels and breakfast. We heard Padenski yelling around trying to wake us up.

"The early mole digs the deepest hole. Shovels on the left, tortillas on the right."

Mr. Sir opened up the shovels library and he started yelling at us to get us moving and awake.

I grabbed a honey tortilla and walked over to Zigzag.

"Morning sunshine." He said with a smile as he looked down at me. I tried to act as normal as possible when he smiled, even though my stomach was doing backflips.

"Morning." I replied with a closed smile.

***

We walked through the desert. Zero in front of the group.

"Man, it is hotter than Satan's butt crack out here." I sighed as I wiped my forehead. The boys laughed while Stanley looked confused.

"What did she say?" He asked.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it." X-ray said with smile.

***

I picked a spot between Zigzag and Zero and started digging.

As I was digging my hole I saw Armpit, X-ray, and Squid through their dirt into Stanley's hole and rolled my eyes.

"Excuse me, can you throw that in another pile or something, cause it keeps getting in my hole." Stanley asked politely.
The guys told him to shut up and they laughed.

"Guys!" I yelled, getting their attention. "Leave him alone. Stop your childish crap and put your dirt somewhere else." I told them firmly. "Or if you don't, I'm gonna put your dirt up somewhere where the sun definitely don't shine." I told them with a smirk.

They looked at each other before nodding and throwing their dirt into different piles.

Stanley looked over at me and gave me a small smile. I nodded back at him.

***

Hours later the water truck came. I climbed out of my hole and brushed my hands off on my pants. I fixed my shirt and Zigzag came over and grabbed my hand and looked at my palm. About a week ago I had a really bad splinter from the shovel handle. Pandenski had to take it out, even though I hated being anywhere near the creep.

"How's your hand?" Zigzag asked quietly, his voice slightly raspy. My breath caught in my throat.

"Um, it's fine. Doesn't hurt today." I told him as my heart beat rapidly in my chest.

"Great." Zig said with a smile before going over to the line. I watched him walk to the line and talk with Armpit. Zero appeared at my side, looking between me and Zigzag.

"You have some drool right there." Zero commented with a smirk as he pointed at my mouth. I quickly wiped the back of my hand on my mouth. When I didn't feel anything I rolled my eyes while Zero chuckled. I shoved Zero in the shoulder lightly as we made our way to the truck. Squid was pushing Magnet into his spot in the line while I stood in front of Zero.

"So, how'd it go your first day, yelnats? Got some blisters on ya?" Mr. Sir asked as he filled Armpits canteen.

"Big, fat blisters." Magnet comments.

"Yeah." Stanley adds.

"Well, don't worry. Everything turns to callus eventually. That's life. Next." Mr. Sir adds.

***

After more time of digging, Zero spit in his finished hole. He walked over to me and I stopped digging to take a water break.

"You almost done?" He asked. I looked at my hole.

"'Bout thirty minutes tops. While you're waiting for me, work on the words we practiced. Okay?" I told him and he nodded before standing up. I kissed my middle and pointer finger before pointing them at Zero. Zero copied my actions before walking away.

"You done already?" Stanley asked as he walked away. Zero ignored him and kept walking.

"Don't you know man. He's like the fastest digger in the camp." Magnet told him.

"He's a mole. I think he eats the dirt." Zigzag suggested and I rolled my eyes. I do that a lot with these boys.

"He's a weird dude. Mole's don't eat dirt. Worms eat dirt bro." Magnet told Zigzag.

"Really?"

I finished my hole about twenty minutes and climbed out. I grabbed my shovel and canteen. I was always the second one done after Zero. I was the second fastest digger in the camp.

"See you when I'm done?" Zig called from his hole.

"Deal." I said as I began to walk away.

Zigzag's POV

I watched Y/n walk away and I rested my chin on the handle of the shovel.

"Dude, you like her way too much." X-ray said from next to me.

"What is "much"?" I sigh.

"That, that's "much"." Magnet says as he points at me.

"Oh, shut up." I say as I roll my eyes and start to dig again.

Y/n's POV

I went into the tent and saw Zero sitting on his bed, writing on a piece of paper.

"Good, you're done." Zero said excitedly as he stood up. "I finished the words." He said as he handed me his paper. He spelt all the words right.

"Nice job, Zero. You're getting better. How about we do some math?" I ask and he nods.

I went over to my bed to take my stuff off.

"Five times four?" I started.

"Twenty." Zero answered.

"Three times seven?"

"Twenty-one."

"Six times nine?"

"Fifty-four."

***

After a couple hours of me and Zero practicing math and reading some of the boys started to come back.

Zigzag had come back shortly after Magnet and X-ray. He went and took a shower and when he came back he only had his pants on. I was on my bed reading a book and I carefully peaked over the book to look at Zig as he walked through the tent.

***

It began to get late and Stanley still hadn't come back.

"Hey, do you guys know when Stanley might be done?" I asked them as I sat on my bed, a book in my hand. Most of them shrugged.

"Guys a slow digger." Magnet adds.

***

Shortly after that, we heard gunshots and I jumped a little. I quickly calmed my nerves from the loud sound. Stanley then entered the tent, looking scared and tired.

"What color was his blood?" Squid asked.

"I don't know...I couldn't tell." Stanley told him.

"I wish I would've seen it." Squid adds. "BAM!" Stanley jumped and everyone laughed.

I jumped slightly. I didn't like loud noises. Ever since my step-dad, I've never liked loud noises.

"If Mr. Sir didn't shoot it..."Armpit starts.

"Stanley, you'd be in a hole." Magnet adds.

"Did you know that each one's got exactly 11 spots?" Zig adds.

"Yeah, man, but if you ever get close enough to count 'em..." Squid said before he imitated a slashing sound. "You're dead."

"Look, it's the lizards we're working for, man. We build their houses for 'em. I mean, yesterday, I saw, like, ten of them in one hole." Pit explained.

"Man, we ain't diggin' for no lizards." X-ray says.

"Who we diggin' for then?" He asked.

"We're diggin' to build character." I said as I imitated Mr. Sir and the boys laughed. We heard another gunshot and we all went quiet.