Holes 2

Once making it to the tent, Cat found Doctor Pendanski was talking to the boys already. "Catrina, welcome back to the tent. Take a seat and we can then proceed with our session."

Cat grabbed her pillow and sat beside Twitch on his bed. Twitched put on a cool front and yawned trying to put his arm around her but she pinched him.

"Alan, you were about to tell us about why you're here. Weren't you?"

Cat looked around to see who Alan was and was pleased to see it was Squid and it had her wonder why his name was Squid.

The boy put a toothpick between his teeth. "I wasn't about to tell you anything of the sort. But if you must know, the drinking age is bullshit." He smirked.

All the boys began talking in agreement but Cat just looked around and bit her lip, trying to get her thoughts out of the gutter. Whatever reason they were there, it had nothing to do with her.

"That's enough talking, boys! Alright, who's next? What about you, Theodore?"

Armpit shrugged. "I'm not ashamed of what I did. You know how popcorn costs a fortune at the movie theatres? Well, I beat up on some older guys who wouldn't share theirs with me. It's not my fault theatres are so expensive."

Doc sighed. "Theodore, Theodore. I expected better of you. You're a better person now for being here though. Aren't you?"

"I don't know if I'm better or worse for coming here but I'll tell you, I could use a back massager. Every night I go to sleep and I can't even relax because of the pain."

Commotion occurred again in the tent. It seems like all the boys could relate to each other and it only instilled in Cat that she was nothing like any of these boys.

That was no shock to Cat though. She hadn't done anything. Expensive jewelry was found and she was blamed for stealing it.

"Good conversation, boys. Catrina. Lights out in 10 minutes. Early day tomorrow just the same as usual."

Mr. Pendanski left the tent and the boys got settled. Cat played with her braid the Warden gave her and looked at her nail polish. It definitely was different from other polishes she had seen and it actually made her feel like a girly girl. There was an appreciation for that woman that she had previously found difficult to find.

Magnet sat on her bed tapping his fingers on the comforter. "Are you alright?"

"Hm?" She was taken by surprise to see someone right there. Thoughts on everything about this place was consuming her while the real world was happening. "Oh, yeah. I'm alright. Why?"

"You've been so quiet tonight. It just makes me curious."

After lifting her feet on her bed and holding her legs she spoke. "I guess my main question is what's your real name? Doctor Pendanski was calling all the boys by their real names."

"It's really Jose but I like Magnet."

"Since we're sharing information, why do they call you Magnet?"

Jose smiled like the background for the name just happened yesterday. "There's not much to stay. I stole a dog from a pet store and the then my pocket started barking. I've got easy hands I suppose."

Cat found it somewhat amusing that he took an animal. He seemed to have a gentle soul. "Injured dog I'm guessing?"

"He was sick. He had been there for a week and still wasn't getting better."

"So they took the pup away. I'm sorry, Magnet."

"I wanted to become a vet but it doesn't look like any college will be in my future. No one wants a crook."

Cat's heart sank when he said that. Perhaps it was true and that she would never get into a good school or get a good job for this incident.

"Lights out, guys." X-Ray called out and turned off the lights. Magnet went off to his bed. Cat sat in her bed and looked out the window until all the boys were asleep. She then got up and went to the commons area but what she saw there wasn't what she thought would have been there.

"Alan, I." Her eyes became glossy.

"Squid." He was at the pool table and setting it all up.

There was no sign that Squid had left the tent before everyone had gone to sleep. No one had noticed his disappearance. "When did you escape the tent?"

He looked up at the wall to see the time. "When Mom left." She was catching on to the fact that the boys called the doctor, Mom. "I never expected you to have escaped."

"As I've said before and will say again, I can take care of myself." Cat got herself a stick and buttered it up with the chalk. "Am I solids or stripes?"

"You're stripes. If I'm going to play you, it can't just be for free. Don't you know?"

Cat shook her head. "We can't just have a friendly game of pool? I'm new. You know you're going to win."

"Me winning is not definite but I want to bet on this."

This made her blush as she giggled and looked away for a minute. "I clearly don't have anything on me to bet with."

"Neither do I at the moment." Squid looked at her as he furrowed his eyebrows and thought for a moment. "Loser has to sneak into the kitchen tonight and steal some puddings."

Cat's eyes widened. "What? No, I can't do something like that! I can't steal from the kitchen. Please, can we change it to something else?"

"Nope. This is going to be one intense game. If you need a shoulder to cry on when you lose, Twitch will have no problem comforting you." He raised his eyebrows at her.

Cat made that face that said 'what the hell are you on about.'

"That's right. I saw him play the tired trick and try to court you back during the tent talk."

"Court me? He's not really my type." She joked around and sat on the table with her legs crossed. "Although, he's the only one who has been completely harmless to me.

Squid put the balls in the triangle and then released them from the restraint once they were in place. "Harmless? What are you talking about?" He leaned on the table to look at her. Again, they were inches away, giving her just the amount of room for her to kiss him.

"It's nothing. It's just that X-Ray got a little touchy with me one of the first days I was here." She covered her stomach with her arms and held herself close.

He wouldn't keep his eyes off her. "That son of a bitch."

"None of that matters anymore." She got up and lined the ball to break the triangle. "It was a onetime thing and he'll never do it again." It broke and one of her balls went in. She squealed in happiness. When she played again, not much happened but a few balls moving a few inches.

Squid looked at his best opportunity and shot the white ball. "Doesn't matter? He's a great leader but a filthy guy. I can't deny that." One of the balls went into a pocket. He moved to another side of the table and made another shot where the ball went in. His third shot, he missed.

"Tough guy like you. Maybe with you around me, he definitely will leave me alone. If he thinks you and I are buds, maybe then I'll be safe."

"You're turn." Was all he said.

Cat sighed and made her move. "So, why are you at Camp Green Lake?"

"I could ask you that very same question."

The ball went into the basket. "You already know why I'm here."

The next few rounds were not interesting. No one got a ball in but they kept going till they were hand in hand with their last ball and the black 8.

"I know why you're here but I don't believe that's the whole story here. It never is."

Cat shook her head trying to find the words. "I have nothing to say. I stole a necklace and the police came when I was with one of my friends at home." She began to think about Gordie and how he had his hands on her just moments before the police. He fondled her in the sweetest way he knew how. They were a cute dream couple. Nothing was wrong with their love.

She shook herself from her thoughts and went to the table and she bounced it on the side and her remaining ball was pushed into the net. When she tried to get the black 8 in, she missed. Her stomach churned as she saw that it was probably her last turn.

Squid put a toothpick in his mouth to say that he was ready to end this game. His last ball went in a pocket and he took a moment to angle the black just so that it would go in as well. He cheered that he had won. "Well, looks like it's time for you to raid the kitchen."

Cat began sweating. "Please don't make me do this. I beg you, Alan." She grabbed onto his shirt like in the movies and pleaded to him. "I'll do anything. Just, don't make me do this."

The begging made Squid stop and look deep into her eyes. He took a moment before making a final decision. "We'll both go then. I'll stand guard so that you can get the pudding. I promise you won't get into trouble."

Her eyes glowed hearing he would go with her and she let go of him. "You would do that for me?" She was still pretty scared but figured this was a bit better to have him with her.

"You have my word." He went to her and put a hand on her cheek and gave her the softest of kisses. Seeing as she was kissing him back, Squid let it last a little longer than a peck. It still lasted a short time but Cat wanted more. His kisses were calming.

Upon pulling away, Squid looked stunned that he even kissed her. He looked like Peter Pan who didn't want to kiss Wendy or else he'd grow up for sure.

Cat looked at his lips for a moment before putting the stick down. "And what was that for?" It took everything in her not to smile.

Squid went to put his stick away and rubbed his head. "Just some insurance I suppose."

"I guess we should get going then." There was a deep blade stuck in her gut that she still couldn't get out. She was about to steal. She had seen it be done and she had seen people be carted away by the police rightfully.

The idea of being caught couldn't be on her agenda. She was no trouble maker and she didn't want to be treated as one either.