Catalyst (14 page)

             
“Thanks,” she muttered and
lifted her knees and put her forehead against them.

             
I mouthed to Ryan ‘What’s her name?’

             
She told me it was Ellie. She hasn’t spoke
n
much, even to me
,
but from what I
understand
she was turned ove
r to the Lighters by her two brothers
. They were after the rebel reward money. She’s only eighteen.

             
I c
losed my eyes and shook my head. What was this wo
rld coming to?
I spoke my next words to her softly.
             

             
“I have some clothes you can have. We all kind
of
trade clothes anyway
around here
. Most of us didn’t come here with much. I’m sure they’d be your size.”

             
She looked up and at me with a wary expression.

             
“I don’t have any clothes to trade.”

             
“It doesn’t matter,” I said with a smile. “I’m sure you’re ready to be out of those clothes. I can...uh, show you where the showers are a
nd get some
you
some clean clothes
while you clean up a bit
.” Her eyes went wide and her hand went straight to Ryan’s sleeve, bunching her fist in the fabric
, as if she didn’t even realize she was doing it
. I wondered what they had done to her to make her so scared. And why Ryan was the one she had claimed as her protector. “I’ll bring you right back to Ryan when we’re done. We’ll be just down this hall.” I pointed to show her.

             
She looked up at Ryan and he nodded an
d smiled as he said, “It’s ok.”

             
“Ok,
”
she whispered.

             
I didn’t touch her,
I didn’t think she’d like that
,
so I
just le
d her slowly down the hall a
nd prayed we didn’t pass anyone, b
ut we did. Miguel. He cast surprised eyes on us and then pasted on a friendly smile.

             
“Hello
, ladies.”

             
Ellie quickly lo
oked down at the floor and sort of
tried to blend with the wall.

             
“Miguel, t
his is Ellie.”

             
“Ellie. Pretty name,” he said softly and leaned
down to try to see her face. “And h
ow are you today?”

             
“Fine,” she whispered and then peeked up at him from under her bangs. “You talk like that guy from Lost.”

             
Miguel chuckled and nodded. I giggled too.

             
“Yes,
I guess I do. You watched Lost
, did you?” S
he nodded slightly. “Me too. Who was your favorite?”

             
“Hurley, of course,” she said and gave him a subtle ‘duh’ look.

             
He laughed harder and nodded again.

             
“I think he’s
probably everyone’s favorite.”

             
She smiled at him and bit her lip.

             
“Say something
really
Australian.”

             
He screwed up his lips and thought hard, or acted like he did for her benefit. Then he spoke with a way over exaggerated accent.

             
“G’day, mate. Let’s head up to the boozer for a cold one and on the way we’ll probably
croak
a croc or two.”

             
She laughed and looked thoroughly pleased. She pushed her hair out of her face and lifted her chin a little.

             
“I’m Ellie.” She extended her hand. “I’m sorry if I’ve been...weird. But I haven’t had a very good experience with strangers lately.”
             

             
He took her hand and shook it gently.

             
“Quite alright, Ellie. We tend to loo
k a bit ruggish
,
b
ut I promise you that this bunch of blokes and sheilas are the best lot you’ll find from here to the bush.”

             
“I have no idea what you just said
,
but it sounded fantastic,” she said through a smile.

             
He chuckled and started to head up the hall.

             
“Good enough for me. See you later, ladies.”

             
“Bye, Miguel,” I said gratefully and he winked before turning.

             
“He’s nice,
”
she said.

             
“Yeah,” I agreed as I directed her to the end of the hall where the showers were.

             
I told her where everything was
,
but she a
sked me to stay if I w
ould, so
I did. I turned as she undressed and then sat on the sink as she showered. She spoke to me over the rush and crash of water.

             
“So that Miguel is nice.”

             
“Uhuh.”

             
“I think he likes you,” she said and I laughed sadly.

             
“I’m kind of
taken.”

             
“The lip ring one?” she questioned.

             
“
Yep, t
he lip ring one.
Cain.
”

             
“He’s cute
too
,” she confessed softly.

             
“What about Ryan?” I a
sked. “You seem to like
him.”

             
“He’s..
.” She peeked out the curtain at me
and looked at me
. “He was afraid to touch me.”

             
“What?” I asked and stood to take a few steps closer.

             
“When Billings handed me over to him in the van...he was afraid to touch m
e. He was so careful with me that
his hands barely touched me at all. He kept whispering in my ear that it was all ok. That he was there to help me, that he wouldn’t let them hurt me anymore.”

             
“Yeah. Ryan’s pretty
great
like that
. He’s sweet.”

             
“He is,” she agreed and went back behind the curtain. “He’s treated me the same
ever
since.”

             
“Well, I know you’ve been scared but you don’t have to be.
We’re just like you. We’re all j
ust surviving.”

             
After some silence she sighed and said,
“I know.”

             
I let her finish and then gave her some jeans and a blue shirt to change into. She looked a million times better. She
tussled
her long chestnut hair and left it hanging in long waves down her back as we made our way back to the living room.

             
There were quite a few people there once we got there and she again seemed bashful and withdrawn but not as much as before. I realized she’d barely slept, barely eaten and hadn’t showered at all since she’d been
t
here. One down. So I t
ook her straight to the kitchen.
Ryan’s eyes followed us all the way to the kitchen in fascination.

             
He really cared about her
,
but
for some reason that seemed lost on him.

             
“Hey, Sherry,” I called. She looked back and did a double take as she saw who I was coming with. “Can we get Ellie something to eat?”

             
“Sure,” she said and quickly dumped a ladle full of noodle soup in a bowl and placed it on the table, directing Ellie to sit.
“Hi. I’m Sherry.”

             
“I remember you,” Ellie said and started spooning the soup quickly. “You were the one they came to rescue.”

             
“Yeah,” she said softly. “I was. I’m glad we could get you too.”

             
“Me too.” She looked up at Sherry
with wide eyes
. “Did they do to you what they did to me?”

             
Sherry gulped and then crossed
her arms over her chest
in a very un-Sherry like move.

             
“Um...
d
o you want some tea, too? I made some.”

             
She turned to the fridg
e, avoiding the question an
d our gaze
and it was strange
f
or Sherry. Most people would need time to get over all she’d been thr
ough but Sherry
usually just shrugged
things off.

             
She got Elli
e
and me
a glass and I saw Ryan come in and stand in the doorway
, playing watch guard
.
Sherry took a deep loud breath as
Ryan came in
.
He
glanced at Elli
e and smiled.

             
“Hey, y
ou look better.”

             
“Thanks,” she said and looked up at him
,
smil
ing
sweetly. “
Thank you for helping me. I’m sorry I’ve been...strange.”

             
“Not a problem,” he said, waving her of
f. “I’m just glad you’re here a
nd
that you're
safe.”

             
She nodded and took another bite of soup. Ryan looked at Sherry then and his face registered her look of discomfort.

             
“Are y
ou ok?”

             
“Yeah. I’m fine,” she told him, her voice small and flat.

             
He bent his head to see her face. She peeked
up
at him
from under her lashes
and smiled sadly at him. He held his arms out to her and she walked gladly into them.

             
I could hear him murmuring to her that it was all fine, that it was ok to feel strange after what she’d been through, that we were all here for her.

             
When I looked back to Ellie, her spoon had stopped mid-bite and she was looking at them with a perplexed expression. I
waved to get her attention and mouthed ‘It’s ok’ to her. Then ‘Just friends’. That seemed to appease her somewhat as she started eating again
,
but she still glanced at them a couple more time
s
. I’d need to explain the rules to her. That we were all family and everyone had each other’s back. Especially Sherry. She was one of the original members of this group and
everyone knew her and loved for the little mama she was to us
. Ellie w
ould just have to get used to that
.

             
“I’m sorry,” Sherry said as she swiped a loose curl from her neck and smiled bashfully at Ryan. “I’m a big baby.”

             
“I remember someone telling me once that I was silly for saying I was a baby,” he said and looked at her pointedly. “I think she was right about you too.”

             
“Ha, ha,” she said and laughed at some private joke
they apparently had. “Thanks
, Ryan
.
”

             
He nodded to her
as she turned to leave
and then
he
looked back at Ellie.
I saw it. His whole face completely changed. He was her protector and her comforter. Maybe this stemmed from the fact that Calvin didn’t really need him much anymore
as a Keeper
. But in his mind
,
and on his face, this girl was his now, he was her Keeper.