Denial Used to Feel So Good

Sisky and I were playing Go Fish. Ask me how.

I. Don't. Know.

I can't completely remember the sequence of events leading up to the Go Fish, but I do remember him bribing me with a cookie. That was enough for me. Boredom was also a contributing factor.

"Two's?" I asked with a smirk, knowing full-well that was the card he had just picked up. I had seen it.

"Go fish." Sisky grinned.

"You are such a liar! I knowyou have a two!" I scoffed at his audacity. How long had he been cheating?!

"I do not!" He defended, holding his cards close to his person. I glared at him, hopping up out of my seat and lunging at him.

"You card hording bastard!" I cursed, trying to wrestle the cards out of his hand.

"NO! NO!!" He tried feebly to fend me off, "Butcher! Bill! Someone help me! I'm being attacked!" I growled a warning to everyone to keep out of this.

"Sisky! Let me see your cards! NOW!" I sat atop him. He was relatively easy to pin down. He's a skinny boy. "I don't want to have to hurt you...or tickle you."

"NO! Don't! Please!" He begged, "Have mercy!"

"Give me your twos." I demanded firmly.

"I swear! I don't have any." He cried.

"Why do you continue to lie to me? I saw it when you picked it up!"

He stopped squirming beneath me, "Oh...well...this is awkward." He cleared his throat before sheepishly handing me his two.

"Thank you." I stuck out my tongue and stood up, taking a seat pretzel-style and happily placing my new pair in my pile. Sisky sighed, sitting up and brushing himself off.

"Aggressive." He muttered, taking his sweet time sitting back down and arranging his cards to his liking.

"Hurry up." I said impatiently, "I wanna get this over with..."

"Hey! You're the one that pounced on me." Sisky raised an eyebrow.

"Dirty Sisky." I laughed.

"You're four years old." He rolled his eyes but cracked a smile. I shrugged, about to say something in response but the bus suddenly halted.

"Break time?" I frowned. Sisky shrugged in response, it seemed like we had just stopped. Mike, Michael, The Butcher and William all emerged slowly from the bunks.

"What's going on?" Mike asked to no one in particular.

I stood back up and shrugged, yet again, "No idea." I headed for the door and everyone followed closely behind. I stepped out into a parking lot of a rest stop. Looking around, Cobra Starship's bus and our van pulled up next to us.

Colin and Kale stepped out of the van and Cobra Starship and Tony soon joined us.

"Sorry for the stopping thing." Kale immediately apologized as he approached the large group of us that had accumulated. Colin stayed back, leaning against the van; looking pale, "Colin isn't feeling good. And he looks like shit too. I don't think he's going to be able to play tonight." Kale stared at his feet.

"What?" I gaped, looking from Kale to Colin and then to Tony, "What do you mean he's 'not feeling good'?"

Kale gave me a look. A look that told me everything I needed to know. I kept my mouth shut.

"Maybe he should hang out on our bus." Michael shrugged, "We've got an extra bed."

"I think that's a good idea." I chimed in, "I'll ride in the van."

"You don't have to ride in the van, Kyle-" William began. I shook my head and answered quickly.

"No, I shouldn't be hogging all the bunks. Colin needs it. That's fine." I stole a glance to the side, where Colin was now sitting on the ground, cradling his head. Everyone else's gazes soon found their way over to Colin as well.

"He looks horrible." Nate stated.

Kale sighed, looking at me out of the corner of his eye, "I'm going to get him on the bus." And hurried off to help Colin. Kale and Mike helped Colin on the bus and everyone began to disperse. But Gabe caught my attention.

He was staring at me. Giving me one of those 'what's going on' looks. I quickly turned away, walking to the van. Tony was at my heels.

"Kyle, what's going on?"

I snorted; he and Gabe must've been on the same wavelength, "What do you mean?"

"You know something I don't. You and Kale are being weird. What's going on?" He climbed in the van as I did, sliding the door shut behind us.

"We aren't being weird. I'm just wondering why Colin's sick all of the sudden." I wondered if he could hear the guilt that laced my words. I could. I could feel the guilt, it made my words heavy.

"Bullshit." Tony accused.

"Come on Tony." I tired to hint to him that I didn't want to talk about it. Tried to tell him that I was about to explode from all the fucking emotions running through me at that moment.

"Is it Bill?" he asked quietly.

"What the fuck is up with everyone and Bill?!" I growled, forcefully buckling my seatbelt as the van pulled out of the rest stop. Tony was more than slightly taken aback by my sudden hostility. He was silent for a moment or two before composing himself.

"I just thought you two-"

"No! We're not!" I hissed.