Even before the waves I was a very observant person. I noticed little things-- like how Courtney didn't wear acrylic nails when we had a test because she would likely chew them off, or how Thomas rubbed his eyes so he could snuggle with Mom who always fell for his tricks, and even that my English teacher wore hoops only on Tuesdays because that was when her boyfriend came to see her for lunch.

That's how I notice something is wrong with Teacup. She usually walks with that faux confidence she always had, though it's obvious she just needs her approval from Reznik. Today she has tired eyes and slumped shoulders. She hasn't sworn since breakfast and it was starting to throw me for a loop. She's usually sworn five or six times by now, even more because of the fact that we're surrounding by rotting corpses. But she's only said fuck once.

And I hate that it worries me. I shouldn't even care. I pretend that I don't. No, I don't. I'm not Sofia. Stop caring about the stupid children. You're Ghost. Strong and insincere. Act like it.

"Get out of my way, kid," Tank utters to the seven-year-old, and it's like she snaps all together.

"Fuck you, Tank," she shouts, shoving him backwards. He stumbles slightly, pieces of clothing falling from his arms. "You want to get through, go the fuck around!"

"What the hell is your problem, Teacup?" Tank shouts. The clothes fall to the ground as she steps forward and sends her fist flying straight towards his face. He barely has time to register her attack before it knocks into his suit and he is sent backwards.

"Stand down!" Zombie gets between the two of them. Flintstone pulls his best friend up and checks his suit, hand gripping the front in a tight fist so Tank doesn't retaliate. "Damn it, Teacup!"

"It wasn't my fault!" Teacup screams, red in the face. That's when I step in between her and Zombie, hand gripping her bicep so tightly it must hurt. Her face melts into one of anger and sadness, but I block anyone else from the view.

"Oh, Christ, Teacup," I whisper. She's upset and it's obvious but I'm Ghost and I have to settle her down on Zombie's orders. "Calm the fuck down before I make you."

I manhandle her into the spot beside me on the table opposite of where Tank is working, making sure she is rooted to her spot and unable to move. Once Tank is settled and moved elsewhere, somewhere beside Flintstone, we continue our jobs.

"Sorry," Teacup says, five minutes later. I just nod and pretend I don't care. She silences for a long moment. Then, "I had a nightmare last night."

I note the shake in her hands and the way she shoves them quickly into the pockets of the deceased because she doesn't want me to see. I pretend that I don't and she seems grateful for it.

"Wanna talk about it?" I question awkwardly. Comforting wasn't my forte, not anymore. Not since Thomas.

Her blonde hair is matted to her forehead with sweat, but the cold has her breath fanning the plastic keeping her safe from the outside air. She shakes her head. "No. Not really."

"Okay." I toss her a set of car keys and point to the box a little bit away. "Throw those away for me, yeah?"

Teacup nods her head and does as she's told, the small frown still on her face.

__

Teacup isn't better by free time. We head to the showers together and while I'm washing my hair she begins to cry.

They're small and she tries to hide the sobs with the back of her hand but the muffled sound travels through the walls to me anyways. I wait for a minute to see if she will stop. She doesn't.

I grit my teeth. "You sure you don't wanna talk about it, Cup?"

Teacup sniffles. Waits for a moment. "I. . . I miss my mom. I saw her last night, and I think it. . . I miss my mom."

I can't see her but I know she's impatient and wants my response to come quick, but what can I say? "I'm sorry your mom's fucking dead, but get over it because everyone else is, too"? No. I can't say that.

Instead I say: "yeah. Yeah, I miss mine, too."

More sniffling. "Really?"

"I'm not heartless, Cup," I mumble as I step out of the shower to grab my towel. I can hear the snorts of Oompa and the chuckles of Flintstone from the other room and I start to wonder if they can hear our conversation, too. "I had a mom and she died. And I miss her because I miss someone taking care of me, but. . ." I trail off when my body begin to tense up. "But we can't think about that, okay, soldier? Thinking about that stuff gets you killed. I've seen that with my own two eyes."

"It's better to forget?" Teacup whispers, seemingly calm enough because she steps from the shower while I'm rubbing my arms with my towel go grab her own.

I wince and look away. "Yeah. Yeah, sometimes it is."

Another sniffle. "Thanks, Ghost."

I nod shakily. "Yeah. But this conversation never happened or I will deck you, understood?"

Teacup grins. "Understood."