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“I’ bruise”

“Do I need to avenge you?”

“Sure, that’d be great Rob froer happy”

“Consider him taken care of And as that, Josh? You shot ame”

“Sorry, I got confused,” Joshua says, insincerity ringing in his tone

Danny shades his eyes and Joshua sues stumble and flail, paint slicked and in pain, unsure of what to do next Things are rapidly starting to disintegrate I consult the clipboard I see he’s written me on his team for every rotation, probably at Helene’s request She’d never know She’s doing a Sudoku puzzle I quickly use a pencil and change it before calling out the next tea

“Wait, they’re getting the first-aid kit You’d better sit the rest of the afternoon out Solance up at Helene again, and then look at everyone around e of this bunch soon This afternoon is an audition, no doubt about it I’ to fail it now

“Yeah, you’ve been telling me since the day we met Enjoy the rest of your afternoon” I walk off without a backward glance into my new team

It feels like the longest afternoon ofstalked and watched is unnerving, and in our small teams we do form instant bonds I shove Quintus from accounts receivable into a bunker as pink pellets rain down over us

“Go! Go!” I roar like a SWAT tea, bursts of paint clipping at her heels The extent of how sick I aI kneas deeply tragic of h I’d scaled Everest My tea basketball-player Sa me in a circle I threw up a little in my mouth

My ar feels slightly surreal, as if at any moment I’ll awake from a bad afternoon nap The sky overhead is a silver-white dome

I look at the faces surroundingwith sweat I feel such a kinship with these people I watch a Ga We’re all in it together Maybe Joshua had a good idea with this, after all Maybe the only way to truly unite people is through battle and pain Confrontation and co is the point

Where is Joshua, anyway? I don’t see him for the rest of the afternoon except for the teah the treesdown, reloading, and taking shots I’d see the shape of his shoulders and the curve of his spine But then I’d blink and it would be someone else

I’ht to the heart

“Where’s Joshua?” I ask the flag“Where’s Joshua?” I ask everyone I pass “Where’s Joshua?” The answers start to get clipped and irritated