I spent the day with Ryan. We talked and giggled, her lips occasionally finding their way to mine.

She found enough food for Castor's crew, me, and Juniper. We packed quickly, finding excuses for our hands to overlap or for my fingers to be in her hair or for hers to slide across my skin.

Ryan was trying to apportion supplies into bundles, putting food and clothes and other necessities and toiletries into groups, bundling them together. We worked at a similar pace. We smiled, filling each bag and lingering on our success and celebrating a bit before moving to the next.

Vampires glowered at me, but it didn't matter. I had Ryan.

There was a happy laziness about the day. Castor and Juniper's happiness suddenly seemed like nothing in comparison to mine.

We slept under the stars again, but I didn't waste any time sleeping. There was only her, and her little laugh as she kept prompting me to tell her about the stars.

The packing stretched into two days, much longer than was strictly needed. Castor and Juniper broke up the activity, but they were nothing next to her. Her smile. Her sloppy signs. The way she wrapped her arm carelessly around Leland when she saw him. Or when she ruffled his hair in a way he obviously hated. Or when she leaned into me.

Every time I saw the other couple, it felt like a double date. Like we were now on even footing, even if I was going to lose mine in a couple days. But the happiness wasn't affected by the impending feeling that I was going to lose something.

Those two days became a blur of the vague feeling we were going to be leaving, prepping for said leaving, and dragging everything out with a girl that seemed to be overjoyed each morning she woke up and I was still there. Like she thought I'd leave in the night.

But I didn't, and eventually it became time to leave during the day. Three days after Castor had told me he wanted to go home.

ψψψ

The sunrise was pretty, but no one stood around to watch it. No one cared that the sky had lit up a myriad of colors, seemingly just for us. Me and Ryan were perched on the wall, watching the colors rise over the forest. Her hand was in mine, and her skin was warm against mine.

She leaned over and gently kissed my neck. I smiled, watching over the stillness of the camp. We were the only team leaving. There was an unspoken agreement me and Castor would carry Juniper. I'd helped him dig out a tub in the middle of the night.

I knew he hadn't left yet, me and Ryan's cuddling on the wall holding him up.

I giggled as her hair tickled my shoulder. She pushed my hair over my right shoulder and continued ignoring her station to lavish her affections on me.

"I have to go soon."

She pulled away and pouted.

"I'm leaving, remember?"

She crossed her arms and shook her head. I laughed and stood. She made a big show of being hurt and I only laughed, my feet touching the ground by the time she'd given up her theatrics.

"What if I wanted to come with you?"

"You said you couldn't." I wasn't laughing anymore.

"No, not the whole way. Just to the coast. I'm not staying here, and it's on my way."

"Do you have supplies?"

"I got them last night. Enough for me and Leland."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I wanted to surprise you."

"And you're sure about this?"

"Yeah. I've been thinking about it. I want to make change here. I need supplies and support to do that, which I can get in the same place I can get you a boat to go home."

I didn't say anything. I couldn't think of anything to say. She smiled at me and climbed down from the wall.

I found Castor next to a full tub of water talking to Juniper. He lifted her up, carefully setting her in the metal tub, making sure her back found its way to a blanket he'd draped over the rim.

It'd taken him hours to find the blanket, but he'd seemed to think it was worth it.

By the time me and Castor had gotten the tub to the gate, Ryan was waiting for us, my backpack slug over her shoulder in addition to mine. Leland clung to her side. I nodded at her, trying to hold the tub as still as possible.

We walked in step, Ryan and Leland slowing down to keep up with me and Castor.

We walked painfully slow, but I was strong enough to carry the tub down the forest. We took a zig zagging route, which to put mildly, my muscles didn't enjoy. My arms burned but me and Castor never wavered. When we finally stopped for breakfast, it was all we could do to lower Juniper.

We both sprawled out on the ground, Ryan sitting next to me. She smiled and pulled out a slice of chicken. I barely tasted it, I wolfed it down so quickly. She laughed and I smiled back at her.

My muscles burned worse after the break. Every time I thought I'd need to set the tub down, I looked over at Castor's face in anguish. We stopped routinely. Each time felt worse and worse. Eventually, Ryan was annoyed with us stopping, and she formed a rotation. She'd take one end the tub for Castor to recover. Then he'd take over for me. Around and around in a loop until our muscles still ached, but not unbearably so. Our muscles ached, but not enough that we ever had to set Juniper down. When Ryan wasn't holding the thick metal, she was signing, serving as an effective distraction.

Ryan lightened all our moods. We were almost home. Home.

I vaguely wondered if my parents would still be angry. If they would hold my running away against me. I knew they would. But I missed the Red Revenge too much to care.