((I apologize for the lag in posting, muchachos. I can always find something to do around this place, and my OCD dictates that it must be completed or it will nag on my nerves.
Without further adieu, I give you: LE POST!))Maybe it was just his imagination, but the air didn't seem nearly as clear down here as it had back up in the little mountain ranch where he had first encountered Gail, Jackie, and John. Then again, Ricky Callahan supposed that he shouldn't be concerned with such trivial things as how breathable the air was, or the fact that even though this island had probably been abandoned for some time, the smog still seemed slightly apparent over what had to have been the city off in the distance.
He continued to meander at an almost leisurely pace down the seemingly endless stretch of asphalt that lay before him, the soles of his tennis shoes padding quietly against the road as he zig-zagged along the brightly painted yellow line, his eyes gazing off into the distance. Given the circumstances, he probably should have been a bit more precautious. He had to admit to himself that he didn't quite feel the same amount of safety and security as he had at the barn, but full comprehension of his predicament hadn't yet set in for Ricky Callahan.
It would.
So far, their little foursome had been very fortunate. They had yet to encounter any of the "players" of the game. Of course, Ricky had been victim to witnessing shotgun blasts in the early morning hours of the game. Of course, he knew that given that fact, it was only a matter of time before his little group stumbled upon someone hostile. Here they were, only a few hours into the game, and the resounding echo of gunfire throughout the island could already be heard. Slowly but surely, Ricky was coming to the obvious conclusion that some of these kids were already far too deep into the game to ever, ever turn back.
In a way, Ricky Callahan had never felt so alone. He took solace in the fact that three other students -- students he had never in his life encountered until just hours prior -- had joined in his cause and more or less put their lives in his hands. It showed that despite the disaster of a situation the students found themselves suddenly thrust into, people still had faith in one another... and at this point in time, faith was something that everyone in this game needed desperately.
There's no point in dwelling on it, Ricky. People are going to play the game. Even if they didn't, even if the entire island teamed up to take on Danya, not everyone would make it out. In a way, you should be grateful. It buys you time... in this place, time is something you just can't have enough of.
So what now, Mr. Genius?
The nagging voice in his head made Ricky sigh audibly. He wasn't cut out for this. He wasn't cut out for playing leader. He was never the leader of anything, ever. Even in team sports, Ricky was only a benchwarmer... only the name at the bottom of the list that the coach probably hoped he never got to. Shaking his head slightly, Ricky tried to shake the doubts and insecurities away as well. He wasn't doing this for him. He was doing this for Jackie. For Gail. For John. For... Whitney.
Hopefully, they'd run into her soon. She had to be here too, she was on the bus. They all had to be here. It was only then that the thought crossed Ricky's mind. What if she had her own strategy already planned out? She could've easily found her own friends and grouped up. They could already have some fantastic plan worked out that didn't include Ricky and his current entourage. Or worse. She could've teamed up with the person most of the ballteam had taken to referring to as her little boytoy -- Matthias. Ricky never had gotten confirmation on that situation, and let's face it, people talk. They might've just been friends, as Ricky liked to think, but he had his doubts.
Forcing thoughts of the girl and his friends out of his mind once again, Ricky figured that having a clouded mind would only impair his judgement. It was then that his rumbling stomach reminded him of something else that could quite possibly impair his judgement. It was nearly noon, as the sun looming higher and higher in the sky was easily confirming, and Ricky was starving.
"Hey guys," he chimed quietly, "You up for stopping and grabbing a bite to eat? Nobody's gonna be doing the team any good if they're so hungry they can't function."
Unzipping the pack he had thrown over his shoulder, he once again eyed the contents therein. He had to admit that the food looked a lot more appetizing than usual. Perhaps that had something to do with the fact that no other food was readily available. He grinned a bit at the trio that followed him as he inspected the food.
"Our menu today consists of bread, water, and crackers. Sounds like prison food."
The hispanic boy laughed lightheartedly at the thought. That was what they served people in the pen, wasn't it? It was quite ironic, now that he thought about it. Turning off the main path, Ricky headed just offroad into the bushes where he and the "team" wouldn't be spotted and readily picked off by some opportunistic young hunter. After surveying the area to make sure all was clear, he flopped down in the mossy undergrowth, his daypack containing his afternoon meal sitting in front of him.
"After this," he once again mused, "We should head to the residential area. They might've confiscated anything we had on us, but I don't think they could've possibly inspected every nook and cranny in every house in that place and retrieved everything. There's got to be something left, we've just got to improvise. That sound good?"
Not really waiting on an answer, the dark-skinned boy dove into his loaf of bread. It was still a ways to the residential district, and hunger wouldn't do any of them any favors. As the thought ran through his mind he subconsciously looked at Gail, who was by far the tiniest and most petite of them all. She probably had less endurance and stamina than the guys of the group, so they'd have to baby her just a bit more. Ricky had no problem with this, of course. He was rather glad to have at least one lady in their midsts.
Anyway, I just wanted to let you all know that I'm not neglecting this topic, but someone else had planned on entering in with us and I'm sort of waiting on that.))