"Woah woah, settle down." Newt tried calming me down. "What's going on here?"

"There is absolutely no fucking way I'm spending the day with him!" I cried. Newt's eyes darted around. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Look, Victor why don't you just leave her be for now okay." Victor looked at Newt bitterly.

"Fine." He said finally. "See ya soon sweetheart." He shrugged off towards the baggers. I was absolutely revolted.

"Newt there's no way-" He cut me off.

"Let's talk to Alby." Newt motioned for me to come with him. "Come on." I followed Newt all the way to where Alby sat. He had set himself up at a lone table, moodily looking out into the distance. "Hey there Alby." Alby was broken from his trance, he swiveled himself towards us.

"What's up Shank and, uh, Lady-Shank." Alby crossed his arms, his brown eyes dulled over.
"Still don't got a name huh." I opened my mouth to speak but he beat me to it. "I guess we'll have to start calling you Knife-Girl like how Newt said." I went to speak again but now Newt cut me off.

"We gotta talk to you about something."

"Well what is it?" Alby said looking like he'd rather be doing a million other things. "Ain't got time to be jawin' with you two all day."

"They don't want to work with the baggers today." Newt said keeping his usual mellow demeanor. Alby squinted at me scrutinizing every inch of my skin.

"Does it look like I give a klunk?" He scoffed. "What, you think you're better than us? Is that it?" I glared at him.

"No, I'm just tired of getting fucking harassed!" I spat. It felt as if flames played across my skin.

"Newt tell No-Name over here to watch their shucking mouth." Alby glared, burning his eyes into my skin. I dug my nails into my palms, breathing in and out deeply.

"Come on now." Newt said chastising me, adding a look.

"Did he touch you?" Alby was making direct eye contact with me.

"Well no-" Alby leaned back in his chair.

"Then it's settled. You'll work with the baggers today."

"What?!" I shrieked. Why the fuck was Alby was being such a dickhead?

"Newt I don't have time for their hysterics, get her out of here." Alby said waving me off. I was fuming.

"Hysterics?! Oh I'll show you Hysterics!" I started waving my hands around when Newt grabbed my wrist.

"Come on." He muttered, dragging me away from Alby. I threw the finger up at him as I was pulled away. "Stop that." Newt hissed. I stuck my tongue out at him trying to turn my wrist out of his grasp.

"Let go of me you Gank!" (Gank is what Sikowitz uses as slang in Victorious y'all 😏).
I struggled all the way till our table. "I swear to fucking God Newt I'm gonna kick you in the fucking shins!" Everyone around us seemed to be enjoying the show. Newt forced me to sit, pressing down on my shoulder.

"Stop it. Okay. Calm down." Newt ordered. Chuck touched my arm. I was seething "Breathe. Just Breathe." Once I got a hold of myself I began to talk.

"There's no way. I can't. I hate him." I said enunciating every syllable.

"I know, but for today you'll just have to deal. Okay? The day will be over before you know it and I'll try to keep an eye on you from the garden." I scowled wondering how Newt could let this happen. I thought he said he was going to keep me safe. He pleaded with me. "Please. Please? Just for today. I promise."

"Yeah we'll see." I mumbled, still irked from his "excellent" promise keeping. Victor sauntered over to us.

"Hey. It's time for work Greenie." He tapped at his wristwatch.

"Go on." Newt patted me on the shoulder. Chuck glowered at Victor, squeezing my hand before I left. I took one last look at Newt before tailing after Victor. He did a zipping motion across his lips. Even though Newt was shit at promises that didn't mean I was. I vowed to try my best to act civil to this freak I was walking next to. Victor broke into conversation first.

"Aw girl, did you not miss me?" Did he really have to ask that question. Oh my god.

"Not particularly." I answered cooly.

"That's too bad." He poked my shoulder with his finger. "Cuz I missed you." I remembered the breathing I had practiced. Keep cool, keep cool.

We arrived in a place just adjacent from the middle of the glade. A group of boys who I assumed to be the baggers, huddled around in a circle. Victor began to talk. "Okay guys, today we gotta new greenie."

"They look a lot hotter than the other greenies we've had." A boy with sandy hair looked me up and down. Victor started to check me out, again. I gave him a nasty look.

"Really?"

"What?" Victor looked like a kid that had been caught with his hand down the cookie jar. "Are you gonna tell me that Dave's wrong?"

"Can you just keep talking already." I muttered rolling my eyes in disgust.

"Anything for you princess." He winked hoping for any reaction from me. I Ignored him and he eventually continued. "But anyways they're right, we should explain what goes on with the baggers. We're basically like the police y'know. We gotta keep people in line."

"Sounds thrilling." I said, already bored out of my mind.

"Don't forget we also get rid of the bodies." Dave piped. Hold up.

"Bodies?" I questioned.

"Yeah, like the dead ones."

"Why would there be dead bodies?" Everyone here looked healthy enough. A short kid made a cutting motion across his neck.

"Some shanks walk into Griever-land and go bye bye." His voice was gravelly, like a chain-smokers. The baggers laughed goonishly. I was spending the day with children. Great. I slapped my hand to my forehead, rubbing my face.

"Uh." Victor started. "Well yeah that's about it. Okay everyone go do your job or whatever." I started to sneak off, hoping I could get away with another trackhoe day. An arm was slung around my shoulders.

"Too slow." I audibly sighed. "Aw don't sound so sad babe." Victor crooned.

"I'm not your babe. Arm off now."

"Alright." Victor said lifting his arm away from me. We settled over on the homesteads porch. I moved farther away from Victor. He scooted himself closer. I moved. He came closer and closer and closer, until if I moved anymore I'd fall off the porch. His thigh was grazing mine.

"What's your problem? Like why can't you leave me alone." I felt tired from running away from him. Numb from his advances.

"Because you're so pretty." Victor rubbed his chapped lips together. "And you smell so good." He leaned his head over to my hair, picking a lock up. "Like peaches and-" I swatted his hand away.

"No."

"Okay." We sat there in silence for a few minutes. My gaze was set on a patch of reeds blowing in the wind. Victor asked. "Can I touch your hair again?"

"No."

"Okay." I was chewing my nails off one by one, eyes glazed over. He started to edge his pinkie across the skin of my thigh.

"No." Victor shot his hand back. My eyes started to trail over to the deadheads. Gally was at my treehouse. It looked like they hadn't missed a day of work. That's what Gally must've been doing yesterday. I had the sudden urge that came straight from my stomach to see him. "I'm gonna go over to the builders."

"You're supposed to stay with me!" I was already headed straight for the work site. Eyes tired I stood directly in front of Gally looking up at him.

"Hey." I said dryly.

"Hey?" He tilted his head in confusion. "Aren't-" I cut him off.

"That's it." I wandered off mindlessly, my brain filled with clouds. The next thing I knew I was in front of the log Newt and I sat on my first day here. Right there, stuck out proudly was my knife. The same one I sliced Gally with.

I had forgotten it, and here it was, waiting for me. Pulling it out of the thunk of wood I held it in my hand. The handle was still rough, blade still sharp. I looped it in my belt and headed back over to the homestead. It was almost as if I wasn't myself, like I was watching myself do this. I stuck my tongue out the corner of my mouth as I worked.

I carved into the back of the homestead in big jagged letters. "NO NAME FUCKED YOUR MOM" Slumping back I admired my handiwork before trudging off. Unfortunately in the midst of my getaway I didn't notice I had walked right into a swarm of baggers. Someone touched my shoulder.

"Hey how bout a smile?" Fuck. Another one stepped in front of me.

"Aw what's wrong Girly?" I sidestepped around him and was almost out when someone grabbed my wrist pulling me back.

"Where you runnin' off to?"

"Hey leave them alone." Newt said as he grabbed my other hand and yanked me away from the other guy. "Come on Greenie let's go." A voice called out behind us as Newt snatched me away.

"Aw come on Newt we were just havin' a little fun!" We ended up in the homesteads drab living room. Newt looked at me with concern.

"Are you okay?" His voice giving away his worry. My head felt milky and everything seemed to want to blur out.

"No. I feel sick." I mumbled looking at Newts shoes. That's a lie. Newt felt my head with his hand.

"Your temperature seems okay..." He trailed off. "You better go check it out with Clint and Jeff." I walked slowly up the stairs until I reached the medjack room. I told them my stomach hurt.

That was another lie. I was getting pretty good at this. They told me to get some rest and shut the lights off to let me sleep. As I lay on the soft downy bed, I stared up at the ceiling focusing and blurring it out over and over again. My breath felt shallow and I felt so so tired.

There was something wrong with me but I didn't know what. It was almost like I was a ghost watching everything unfold. That's enough thinking I thought, before shutting my eyes and forcing out the world.