Sunnyside Up with Red Ketchup

by Andrews, Ashley

  Dexter sighed, looking at her with sad eyes. "I’m sorry I've had to put you through this."

  She grinned at him. "I’m an agent; it's my duty."

  He smiled back and laughed slightly. Then he stopped, narrowing his eyes. He grasped her chin and moved her face sideways. "Where did you get that?"

  Feeling confident that she could tell Dexter without the worry of the girls being in trouble, she shrugged. "Some girls did it to me."

  He looked alarmed. "What?"

  "Some girls did—"

  "No, I heard what you said. Why?" He asked, moving forward.

  She stared at him suspiciously. "They said I was stealing some girl’s man, or something. Now that you mention it, what did she mean by that? She was talking about Seth."

  Dexter looked at her in disbelief, like she was stupid.

  Well, technically she was being stupid.

  He scoffed in disbelief. "Unbelievable. Has anything else like this been happening?"

  She nodded. "Just this morning I was kidnapped, taken to an abandoned house, put in a closet, tied up, and then all my clothes were stripped off. I had to come back here in a garbage bag." She pointed to it in the corner of her room.

  Dexter looked horrified. He grasped her shoulders. "Have you reported this?"

  She shook her head. "It'll just bring attention to me. Besides, I’m not sure who did it." Although she had a pretty good idea who had orchestrated the entire thing.

  He stared at her intently for a moment and then released his hold, running a hand through his short hair.

  She studied his face, tipping her head to the side. He looked upset.

  "Red, I’m sorry. There's nothing I can do to help with this. You’re right, we don’t want to draw attention t you. This is why I have to ask you not to use any of your self—defense skills against these girls, unless they try something really bad." He gave her a look which she was obviously supposed to understand.

  She didn't. Besides, she wasn’t sure she had any skills. It didn’t seem like it. "It's fine. It's not affecting me at all," she said, half—lying. Having spent her entire life underground, she didn't know what it felt like to be bullied. It was quite an enlightening, yet painful experience.

  He sighed again and rose to his feet.

  “I better leave before I’m spotted and raise any unwanted attention." He looked at her once then pulled her into a hug.

  She accepted his comfort. Of all the agents that lived with her underground, Dexter was her only fatherly figure. The others were like crazy uncles.

  He pulled away, squeezing her shoulders tightly with his hands, before releasing them and heading out the door. He opened it and made his way down the hall. She watched him leave. As she turned to go back inside, she noticed another figure staring after him.

  "And that would be?" Zane asked.

  She turned her head slowly to stare at Zane. He leaned against Seth's door in his usual, insolent position.

  She narrowed her eyes. Something was different about him. She laughed nervously. "Hey Zane, what are you doing out here?"

  He stared at her blankly. "I’m waiting for Seth. Obviously." He shifted away from the door and stepped towards her and her door. She stayed where she was, watching him come forward.

  "Oh, going anywhere nice—" she stopped talking when Zane put a hand on her doorframe, leaning in toward her face. She froze. He moved his head in the direction Dexter had just gone.

  "Who was he?"

  Her eyes widened. Damn. Think Red, think.

  "A close friend. He's like a dad to me." Ha, what's better than the truth?

  Zane examined her face. He could tell when she was lying and he knew that she wasn't. Sniffing, he moved back. Again, she noticed something extremely different. She narrowed her eyes, subconsciously leaning towards him so she could see him clearer. He sent her a weird look.

  "What are you doing?"

  She bunched her lips to the side in thought, thinking hard about what it was that seemed different.

  "You look… different somehow."

  Zane stared at her. Then he snorted silently. "Are you really that blind?" he replied harshly. He lifted his hands up and brushed down his bangs.

  His bangs…

  "Oh! You've got a new hairstyle!" she exclaimed, bounding closer to him.

  He edged backward like she was about to bite him.

  "Wow, it sure does look cool." She walked around him, examining it.

  His usually messy hair had been tamed. It was all brushed forward, with one part of his bangs left to hang over one eye, hiding it completely. On the other side his hair was tucked behind his ear. It looked really stylish and suited him a lot more than his old haircut.

  He stood there uncomfortably.

  “I don't remember asking for your opinion," he said bluntly.

  She beamed up at him. "Well, I gave you it already so I can't take it back."

  For some reason, he glared at her when she said this. They were both interrupted when the door to Seth's room opened. Seth walked out, noticing the two in surprise.

  "Ah, Red, hello. Long time no see." His voice always sent a shiver down her spine.

  She smiled sweetly at him.

  "It's nice to see you again." She replied smoothly, nodding. He nodded back, his smile widening.

  Zane watched the exchange in irritation. "Let's go," he ordered his friend.

  She raised a hand and waved to Seth, who waved back. Zane didn't bother to turn around as he headed down the stairs.

  Sighing, she watched them leave before heading back into her own room. She was supposed to be keeping an eye on Zane, but how was she supposed to do that if he went on outings and didn't invite her? Closing the door behind her, she looked around the room. It felt so empty without anyone there and for some reason, knowing that Zane wasn't in the room across the hall left her feeling very, very cold.

  She reached down and picked up the cell phone that Dexter had left. She could at least text Dexter and let him know that, “The package had left the building.”

  Cool. Spy talk.

  Chapter 11: Navy

  She must have purposely not noticed his hair to annoy him. That stupid innocent expression she always had on her face and that fake personality, which he was determined to rip away from her, just kept springing up and surprising him…

  "Are you okay? You look a little sick, or upset." Seth stared at his friend in concern.

  Zane looked at him dismissively. “I’m fine.”

  Seth watched him cautiously for a few more moments. They were both heading towards a local café just outside the camp which they went to occasionally, to eat their favorite meals. Although you were usually not allowed to leave the campsite, the two of them regularly snuck out to the cafe.

  "Ever since that girl, Red, moved into the room opposite Casper's, you've been unusually quiet and distant," Seth said to his friend, staring ahead of him and pretending not to notice Zane look at him. "Does she bother you that much?"

  “She’s fake, annoying, unimportant, and not clever at all. Everything about her bother’s me," Zane replied, pushing open the door to the café. It was a classic 60's diner that had never been remodeled. He liked the atmosphere of the place more than the food.

  “I don't think that innocence is false. Can't you tell when you look into her eyes? It's like she’s just woken up after eighteen years of being asleep." Seth slid into one of the booths and placed his chin in his palm, resting his elbow on the table and looking out the window.

  Zane watched his friend. "You seem to have taken a liking to her," he said coldly, leaning back into the booths’ seat, folding his arms.

  Seth smiled, his eyes still focused on the passing cars outside. “She's like this untouched, pure, and innocent girl. One who doesn’t try to out—bitch all the girls around her, you know? I do like her," he said simply.

  For some reason, these words got to Zane. His friend—who never attempted to make other friends—had said somet
hing so…un—Seth like. About a girl Zane was trying to get rid of.

  He wondered if he told Seth that the person behind Red's very unfriendly bullying was him, would his friend be angry? Deep in his heart he had the feeling that his best friend of sixteen years might be really upset.

  And that was bad.

  * * * * *

  She waited outside her door until Seth and Zane came home. She was afraid if she waited inside, she’d curl up on her bed and just fall asleep. It was her duty as Zane's bodyguard to make sure that he got home alright. It did take them an awfully long time to get back.

  So long, in fact, the she fell asleep huddled against the wall outside her door. It was the voices and loud footsteps that woke her up. When she lifted her head off the arms she had resting on her bent knees, she saw Seth and Zane looming over her. She clambered to her feet.

  "You're back! That's a relief." She felt her shoulders drop, the tension falling out of them.

  Zane's one gray eye stared at her. There was silence.

  "Were you waiting all this time for us to come back?" Seth spoke up suddenly.

  She looked at him and nodded quickly. “I wanted to make sure you were back safe." She smiled happily at them both. "And it looks like you are. I'll be going now." She turned around and opened her door, ready to leave.

  "Wait," Zane's voice was quiet, but she heard it. He’d used the tone a mother would use on her child.

  She turned around slowly, looking up at him questioningly. Damn, every time she saw that new haircut of his, she felt herself wanting to look at him forever.

  "Seth, I need to talk to Red," he told his friend, not taking his eyes off of her.

  She gulped and her eyes widened. Oh dear. Usually, being alone with Zane resulted in him getting angry. She really couldn’t take that tonight.

  Seth reluctantly turned and strolled back to his room, looking behind him once before entering. He almost looked concerned.

  She looked up at Zane, one hand resting on the doorknob. She stepped outside and closed the door behind her.

  "What is it?" she asked, giving him a toothy smile. Throwing a smile at him might prevent him from getting mad. It had usually worked when she was a little kid and Dexter got angry with her.

  It seemed to work for the slightest of seconds. His eyes glazed out for a moment, then went back to the cold harshness they usually showed.

  "I’m the one behind the silly little pranks that keep being pulled on you. Because I want you to be so hurt and humiliated, you'll leave and never come back."

  Her stomach dropped. Him? He was the one responsible for the flour and the clothes thieves? But he had told her when she first arrived at the dorm that she had nothing to do with him, and that the others did what they felt like. He must have lied? Why would he hate her so much? This just didn’t make sense to her.

  She opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out. Then she cleared her throat, forcing a smile on her face. It didn’t really change anything. She had a job to do. Her feelings were hurt, that’s all. She’d get over it. "So? I already told you I can deal with it. Now if you don't mind, I’m tired. I waited up half the evening for someone who clearly didn't need to be worried about. See you in the morning." She grinned at him, struggling hard to keep it on her face as she shut the door.

  When she closed herself in her room, she rested her forehead against the cool wood.

  Somewhere inside she had known it was him. It was that small part of her that wasn't naive. The truth had been staring her right in the face. His dislike. His power.

  But hearing the confession come from his mouth had hurt. Hurt a lot more than she thought it would. Because they weren't real friends. She was his bodyguard and he was just a mission.

  So she shouldn't have felt like she’d had a knife thrust through her heart. This shouldn’t hurt so much. Did he know that his admission had caused her so much pain? Was that part of his plan? To hurt her more than any physical pain or humiliation ever could?

  * * * * *

  Zane woke up the next morning, glad that it was a Free Day. On Free Days campers were free to roam outside the grounds, as long as they were back before curfew.

  He needed to get away. He hadn’t slept all night. It had only been in her eyes for a moment, but he'd seen it. Red had truly looked broken. It was a picture that appeared in front of his eyes whenever he closed them and he hadn't fallen asleep until the sun was rising outside.

  He hated the naïve girl and wanted to get rid of her so badly, yet he always felt a sinking feeling in his gut after striking her down. He never used to be this cruel. For one thing, it never took much to move people along. Especially the girls. They usually collapsed and ran away first thing after discovering that their rooms had been coated in flour because they weren't wanted. They were so sure they'd be good enough to reach the top, only to be flattened by such a small prank.

  Red was impossible. He would even go so far as to say she wasn't human. No one could withstand this much abuse without cracking. No one would bother to stay in a place where they so obviously weren’t wanted.

  And yet, she did. And the more he did to her, the more he felt bad about it. He, Zane Noble, began to feel guilty over such a pointless thing. He rubbed his forehead, then his gray eyes widened and his hand froze. He sat up.

  The only way to get rid of the guilty feeling eating at his gut would be to see her smiling again, right? He could do that. He'd see her smile, and then leave her alone. That way he wouldn’t feel guilty, and he wouldn’t have to watch her expression if the others kept on with the pranks. It wouldn’t be his fault then. He wouldn’t tell them to do anything and it wouldn’t be his fault if they kept bullying the girl.

  He leaped out of bed, feeling better already.

  He brushed his new hairstyle with a comb. He liked it. It covered half his face, as though hiding him from the world. It made him feel so much more mysterious.

  He opened his door, a smirk on his face as he walked across the hall and down to Red's room. He raised a fist to knock, but very clearly heard voices from inside. He noticed the door was open a bit. He shouldn't have listened. It was below him.

  But he couldn't resist. Slowly, he moved to the side so he was standing flat against the wall. He’d committed to eavesdropping. He could plainly hear the voices inside.

  "So how long were you down there for?"

  He heard a girl's voice that didn't belong to Red. He frowned. He didn't remember Red having a friend.

  "About eight or nine years, I just came up for the first time a couple of weeks ago that. The whole experience has been strange."

  Nothing they said made any sense. Down where? Came up from where?

  "But being brought up by a bunch of guys must have been hard. Do you ever miss your parents?"

  There was silence for a moment.

  "They died when I was so little. I don’t really have pictures of them and the “Uncles” who raised me don’t really talk about them. So I don’t really remember much about them…"

  The rest faded out. Not because Red stopped talking. Because Zane stopped listening.

  Red's parents were dead. She was an orphan.

  'You could say they're in the clouds.'

  God. He was an idiot.

  He walked back to his room in a trance. After he closed the door behind him, he slowly bent down to sit on the edge of his bed, spreading his knees apart to rest his elbows on them. He placed his head into his hands.

  She was an orphan. She was an orphan.

  'I haven't seen them since I was ten.'

  He was stupid. So, so, so, so, stupid.

  You'd think that her being an orphan wouldn't change anything. If she didn't remember her parents, then she obviously wasn't very affected by their deaths.

  But it did. It changed a lot. Because now, the guilt had piled onto him tenfold.

  'I’ve got nowhere else to go.'

  He stood up quickly and shrieked in frustration, kicking the wall beside
his bed—hard.

  Why did she have to be an orphan? Why did she have nowhere else to go? Why? He rested his forehead against the wall he had just kicked.

  Why did she have to be exactly the same as him?

  * * * * *

  She carefully removed the t-shirt from her suitcase, as though it were fragile and could break at the slightest touch, then brought it over to Vikki.

  "This was my dad's. The rest of his clothes were taken away, but as a child, this had been my favorite. So I grabbed hold of it and didn't let go." She smiled sadly and looked down at the shirt. It was a simple black t-shirt that sagged around the neck fashionably. The word 'LIVE' was spread across it diagonally, in rainbow letters. She still loved it.

  She picked at the small pocket that was in the bottom left of the t-shirt and unfolded a creased picture. She straightened it out in her hand and passed it over to Vikki.

  "It's the only picture I have. I was about ten, I guess.” She shook her head, unwilling to think about that time in her life. All the other pictures had to be destroyed."

  Vikki looked down at it and smiled sadly. Her eyes were shining. "You look so much like your dad," she whispered.

  Red laughed, she was relieved to think about something else. She leaned forward to look at the picture, too. It was a close shot of all their faces. It had been taken a week before her parent’s deaths.

  Her dad was grinning at the camera, a hand on her head. She was laughing happily and her mom was softly kissing her cheek. It was such a happy picture.

  Vikki sniffed. “I can't believe this is all you have left."

  Red looked up at her friend. She shrugged, trying to hide the same sadness inside. It was true—this was all she had left of a time she really didn’t remember. Everything else had to be taken away, in order to hide the fact that her parents had ever given birth to a child. On her sixteenth birthday Dexter had explained that if Blain ever found her, she would be killed.

  It was obviously risky for her to be an agent like them, but this was the first time she had actually worked close to the person who'd killed her parents and they had died eight years ago. He was sure to have forgotten all about her.