Another Sunday, another visitors day came and went with no drama. Part of me was relieved my mom was a no show. Another part, deep down, was dissapointed. I took that dissapointment out on the metal chairs as I practiced throwing them across the room with a simple thought. By Monday morning, my bad mood had vanished with four words. 

"Today is volunteer day!" Ms. Pierce announced at breakfast.

Moans and groans could be heard throughout the whole cafeteria. The only exception being a loud "Yay!" which came from the ever bubbly rainbow haired girl bouncing in her seat next to me.

"Whats volunteer day?" I asked Lolly.

She gave me a quick "Hush." while keeping her eyes glued on Ms. Pierce.

"All our occupants between the ages of fifteen and seventeen will be taken downtown to pick up trash off the streets of our fair city. We will have extra security, so don't even think about trying to make a run for it. Those that get out of line will not only be reclassified to Class B but will be banned from attending the dance, which we are happy to announce will take place this weekend."

I could nearly feel the energy radiating off of Lolly. Placing a hand on her shoulder, I hoped to calm her and keep her from zapping in and out all over the room. At the end of breakfast, Ms. Pierce called names from a long list and instructed for those called to line up in the hall downstairs. After hearing each of our names called, my group got up and headed for the line of kids. I was irritated but not surprised to find big Bertha and her brother Toby in the line, along with a bunch of other kids I just barely recognized from previous classes. Altogether there were maybe forty kids in line.

A large number of officers escorted us through the metal detectors and outside. I expected to find buses waiting to take us to our trash detail but instead, a row of black vans lined the driveway. They were able to squeeze all forty kids and the security officers into eight vans. I was thankful to be seated between Sage and Lolly and not forced to be up close and personal with someone I didn't know.

The drive through the city was a familiar one. We seemed to be taking the same route that we had taken to the church ruins the week before. I was even a little happy to catch a glimpse of Mr. B's sister's voodoo shop.

The glimpse was short lived as we passed it and headed several blocks away, stopping in the parking lot of a gigantic park. It was pretty, covered with green grass and big trees. One side of the park hard a playground while the other side had a basketball court and tennis court side by side, the rest of the grounds covered in walking trails and small groups of shrubbery. .But for a pretty park, it was clear we had our work cut out for us. The grounds were littered with fast food wrappers and assorted trash, gross.

The vans unloaded and the kids stood in a large group while the officers handed out trash bags and pointy sticks.

"We will be splitting up into four groups of ten." Ms. Pierce informed the crowd.

The first three groups were formed and headed off with their security detail to start cleaning. The last group was made of the rest of us. Which included me, Wes, Lolly, Lucas, Alicia, Sage, Declan, some big guy that looked like he was way older than the rest of us, Toby, and Big Bertha. The two siblings glared at the rest of us at the big guy fist bumped Toby. Great, the big guy was their friend. At least we had the numbers in this group.

Mr. B and four other officers lead us toward a more wooded area of the park to start cleaning. The ten of us spread out along the tree line stabbing pieces of trash with the sticks we were given and sliding them into the trash bags. I would never have thought I would enjoy picking up trash, but just being out of the stale surroundings of Landry's walls, I felt rejuvenated. The fresh air filled my lunges and the sound of the city flowed around me, allowing me to imagine that I was a free person just enjoying a day in the park instead of a prisoner doing manual labor.

"Feels good, doesn't it?"

I turned to find Wes behind me. The wind blew and ruffled the strands of his dark hair causing it to fall in his face. His looks were even more striking outside of the gray facility I was so used to seeing him in. Out here, it looked like the open space was breathing a new life into his body. His eyes shone brighter and there was a more carefree way he carried himself. Looked like it did us both some good to get out in the real world for a little while.

"It really does. I feel like I can actually breathe out here."

Wes' heart seizing smile was in full force as he strode closer to me, picking up a piece of paper from the ground along the way.

"Yeah, you don't realize how suffocating that place is until your out."

"No kidding."

Now that Wes was only a couple inches from me, he lowered his voice.

"If it weren't for you I probably would have lost it by now."

Instantly I felt my cheeks blush.

"Please, I haven't done anything special to make that place better."

His relaxed demeanor changed to one of complete seriousness as his brows pinched together and the muscle in his jaw slowly ticked.

"Chloe, you make that place brighter."

"Wes, I..."

He cut me off as he took an impossibly closer step.

"You make it brighter for me. Whether you want to believe it or not, you do. With everything that's been going on, everything we've been forced to accept, you've made it all bearable for me. Every time I feel like giving up on finding out..." He looked around to see if anyone was listening in. "...finding out what it is I can do, I see you. You try every day to get a grip on all this, and you make me want to try harder. I don't want to give up when you're around."

Tears pulled in the corner of my eyes. I was just trying to get through each day and yet Wes saw me as some kind of inspiration to do better. I didn't understand it, but it cut deep into my heart.

I wiped at my tears and forgot about everything and everyone else around me, I pulled Wes against me and placed my mouth on his. He dropped the bag and stick in his hand and wrapped his arm around my waist locking me in place. The park around us faded into nothingness, that was until the sound of laughter brought it all back into focus.

My eyes opened wide and without thinking I pushed Wes away from me. I looked to the laughter and found Bertha, Toby, and the big guy watching us only a few feet away.

"Look here, Betty, two lovebirds in the park," Toby said to his sister.

Looks like Bertha was actually Betty, go figure.

I looked around for the rest of our group, but everyone else had wandered off in the distance, including our security. So it was three on two, great.

Wes held his ground, balled his fists, and sneered at the laughing hyenas.

"Fuck off, Toby!"

Toby tsk-tsked at us before taking another step closer, as I sized up the situation. I knew Wes could fight, especially after watching him in the training room all week. But Toby had the big guy on his side, and if Betty went after me that would give them two the opportunity to gang up on Wes. The odds weren't good.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you to share your toys?" Toby asked, this time looking me up from my feet to my face.

A growl crept out of Wes' throat. "Don't you dare! You go near her and I'll kill you."

"Try it!" Toby barked.

I had been paying so much attention to the two boys going back and forth, I didn't notice Betty sneak up behind me until she darted out and snatched my arms up behind my back.

"Get him, Toby, I got the little bitch handled!"

"No!"

I tried to pull out of her grasp but she had me locked up tight. I searched deep inside of myself for that fire that I knew would help me out but the more I searched the more I panicked. If I couldn't find my fire to help me get free then maybe I could use my mind to send something flying at my assailant.

Toby and the big guy were circling Wes, like sharks circling their prey. In seconds they swooped toward him, the big guy grabbing Wes' arms like Betty had grabbed mine, while Toby went in for a punch to Wes' jaw. Wes' head snapped back but other than that he looked unfazed by the hit. He quickly jerked out of the big guys hold much easier then I would have imagined and went for a kick to Toby's gut. While Toby doubled over, Wes turned and landed two quick jabs to the big guy's face.

"Damnit, Toby, get him!" Betty yelled in my ear.

I looked around for something, anything, I could move without my hands. I spotted a trash can off to the side along the sidewalk. I pulled at it with all my energy but the damn thing must have been bolted to the ground.

While I was futilely pulling at the trash can with my mind, Toby and the big guy were maneuvering Wes right where they wanted him. They each took turns throwing fists at Wes, and though Wes was able to land some hits of his own, the two on one strategy was working.

The big guy grabbed Wes once again, taking Wes' arm and shoving it behind his back and up into the arm, effectively pinning him in place. If he pulled Wes' arm up any higher the limb was going to break for sure.

"Let him go!"

Toby turned to me this time. "What? Don't want me to hurt your boyfriend?"

"He's not boyfriend!"

Wes face shot to me and I could instantly see the pain in his eyes. Didn't he see, if I admitted any feelings for him these guys would only hurt him more? But I couldn't tell him that, not here, not now. I had to say whatever I could to save him.

"Oh, he's not?" Toby asked walking closer to me with a victorious smile on his ugly mug.

"No, he's not. Just leave him alone."

"Fine, I'll have Brent let him go, on one condition."

I didn't like where this was going, but I didn't have a choice.

"What?"

"you're going to be my date to the dance."

My stomach dropped. How did I know he was going to say that?

"Don't do it, Chloe!" Wes shouted, and the big guy, Brent, jerked Wes arm up higher causing him to yell out in pain. If he went even a centimeter higher he was going to break Wes' arm.

"Fine, I'll do it," I whispered.

"What was that? I didn't hear you, a little louder so everyone can hear."

"I said I'll do it!" I shouted in his face.

With my words, Toby snapped his fingers and Brent let go of Wes' arm only to shove him down to the ground. The three of them walked off, and as bad as I wanted to attack their retreating forms, I opted for checking on Wes instead.

I ran to him and crouched down in the dirt next to him. He massaged his arm, trying to get the blood flowing through it again. But he wouldn't look at me. As he massaged his arm his face turned red, with anger I could only assume. I tried to reach out to him but he pulled back.

"Wes, please."

"Get away from me Chloe."

"Wes, I had to. They were going to break your arm."

I reached out for him again but this time he not only pulled away from me, he jumped to his feet and stormed off into the wooded area beside us. I couldn't let him walk off like that, he needed to hear me out, and one way or another he was going to listen to me. I followed him into the woods, but the trees were thicker than I had thought. I couldn't see him, but I couldn't hear the sound of footsteps breaking sticks. Following the sound, I traveled farther into the woods.

The deeper I got the thicker the trees got. Eventually, I approached a group of large stones and boulders. The sound of snapping sticks came from the other side of the biggest rock. I walked around it and found Wes standing there, only he wasn't alone.