Free Apocalypsis 02 - Warpaint by Elle Casey

of you.”
    “Burn, Paci,” said Peter, his voice again full of pride.
    Paci smiled. “I like your style, Bryn. I really do.” He walked towards the ceremonial hut. “Let’s go. The tribe is waiting for you.”
    “Tribe, as in singular?” I asked, walking over to follow him through the trees.
    “No. They’re both there. I’m just trying to get my head wrapped around the idea of us being just one now. It’s not easy.”
    “It’ll get easier,” I said.
    “Let’s hope so,” said Paci. He remained silent the rest of the way to the ceremonial hut, but he kept looking back at me from time to time with a weird expression on his face.
    Peter came up to me as we reached the edge of the trees that ringed the hut. We let Paci pull ahead until we were alone again. Peter spoke once he was out of earshot.
    “I think he likes you.”
    I watched Paci join the others, noticing that he was still glancing at me occasionally, and watching other guys who were looking over at Peter and me.
    “Really?”
    “Yeah. He keeps watching you. Once he heard Bodo wasn’t your boyfriend, he was all over that.”
    I sighed. “Shit.”
    “Yeah. Exactly. You’d better not go around advertising you’re single. There’s not a hell of a lot of available jawbreakers if you know what I mean.”
    My mind raced with the implications. It was stupid of me not to have been thinking about all this stuff before. I guess I was so wrapped up in finding food to eat, a place to live, and companions who wouldn’t eat me, I hadn’t much considered the other human needs, other than on the most basic level. God, I hope there are no rapists in this group. The last thing I wanted to do was kill a guy in the swamp.
    ***
    There were almost a hundred people jammed into every available spot in and around the hut. Some carried torches, but none were lit. Most of them came in regular clothes, no one bothering to get all dressed up like they had last time. Trip and Kowi were talking together near the center. Coli was standing off to the side, behind Kowi, gesturing to me with her head to join the two leaders.
    I walked into the center of the hut, making my way through the surrounding throng. I came up in time to hear them talking about what I assumed was the training I’d done with the guys earlier today.
    “Yeah, very cool. You’ll like it. She knows her stuff. I’m dyin’ right now, man,” said Kowi, rubbing his bicep muscles.
    Trip acknowledged me with a bland look. His bruises from our fight still hadn’t completely faded.
    “What’s up, guys?” I asked.
    “I was just telling Trip about your training … told him he needs to get in on it.”
    “He can if he wants. I’ve got room for two groups a day of each tribe. One girl, one guy. Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that.” I changed my focus to Kowi. “I’m putting Peter in charge of the schedule if that’s okay with you. He needs something to organize so he doesn’t go nuts or drive me crazy. He’s already reorganized our pitiful pantry about a hundred times.”
    “It’s okay with me,” said Kowi, looking at Trip.
    Trip shrugged. “Whatever.”
    I couldn’t get a read on Trip at all. “ Whatever , as in, you’re okay with it? Or whatever , you don’t want to do the training?”
    “Whatever.”
    I rolled my eyes. “Again, Trip? Again with the rooster shit?”
    “Rooster shit?” he said, looking a little angry now.
    “Yeah. The strutting around with the feathers and stuff. Honestly, I thought we were beyond that.”
    Kowi cuffed him in the shoulder. “He’s just pissed you kicked his ass in front of everyone.”
    Trip scowled at him but said nothing.
    “Don’t let it bother you,” I said with a totally straight face. “No one’s managed to beat me since I was twelve. You have a lot of company.”
    Trip smiled in spite of himself. “Seriously?”
    “Yeah. Seriously.”
    “How long have you been doing this? The fighting stuff?” asked Kowi.
    “Since I was