Kirk rushed over to her. “Are you okay?”

The spots where Mary Rose struck her were still sore, but the pain was ebbing. She knew she'd have bruises, but all in all things could have been much worse. She hugged him, relieved it was over. “Yeah. I'm fine.”

Kirk hugged her back, then looked down at her. “Alicia, that was amazing.”

Alicia nodded. “Yeah...I know, right? You wouldn't think to look at her that she could swing a club that hard.”

Kirk shook his head. “No, not Mary Rose. I mean you. YOU were amazing. You were so cool!”

“I was? No, I wasn't!” replied Alicia, surprised. “I might have talked big to her, but she kicked my butt! I was just lucky she ran off!”

“Are you kidding? She beat the stuffing out of you, and you stood your ground and faced her. But as soon as it looked like you were gonna fight back, she turned and ran. You're way tougher than her,” said Kirk. “Not that I needed to see you do that in order to know you're tough. You're not an aggressive person, no, but you're extremely strong. I see that side of you all the time on the field. No matter how bad things get, you won't accept giving up. Nothing can shake you or your optimism. That's why-” He looked embarrassed. “That's one of the things I really like about you.”

Alicia felt herself turn red. Her heart sang. That was the first time Kirk told her he liked her. She smiled and eased herself into him, putting her hands around his waist. She looked up at him. “Hey, Kirk?” she asked shyly. “Did you mean what you told her? About how I'm your girlfriend?”

He put his arms around her in turn. “Well, yeah!”

“And that was reason enough?” asked Alicia. “I mean, you were okay with turning down a girl like that...just because you have me?”

This perplexed the boy. “Well, yeah!” he repeated. “Like I said, I really like you! I wouldn't do something like that. What do I need anyone else for...you're one-hundred percent my type.”

Alicia looked doubtful. She looked away from him. “Is that really true?” she asked, sounding troubled. “Am I really one-hundred percent your type? If I was, wouldn't you have asked me to Harvest first?”

“Huh?” asked Kirk. “I did ask you to Harvest first!”

“No, you didn't!”

Kirk thought about this. “Then who did I ask?”

“Chase!” replied Alicia incredulously, almost annoyed. Didn't he realize how much she'd been worried about this? She felt like an idiot.

“Oh yeah, that's right! I forgot about that!” recalled Kirk. He smiled and shrugged. “Well, at least it all worked out in the end, right?”

Alicia looked back up at him. “It did?”

“Oh, for sure,” he nodded. “I mean, don't get me wrong, Chase is really cool. No question there. But now that I've gotten to know her a little better, we really have nothing in common. Not like you and me,” Kirk divulged. He took Alicia's hand. “It's just like in football. Does the best guy always get drafted first?”

“No,” admitted Alicia.

“I mean, come on! Tom Brady was a sixth-round pick! TOM BRADY!”

Alicia giggled. “Yeah, that is true.”

They stood there for a moment, holding each other. No words were spoken. They just let the silence settle in around them like a comforting blanket.

Alicia wondered if maybe she should say something, but being held in his arms in the darkness of his living room, with the TV casting a flickering glow across them, started to feel like an opportunity. So she decided to save her breath.

She'd need it.

She tilted her head up and kissed him.

...........

Lila Jean had her phone with her, so she was able to call one of her friends and have them bring a four-wheeler out to her location. They loaded Chase onto the back of it and drove her to the Sunnycrest hospital as quickly as they could.

“Good lord!” cried a nurse, gaping at Chase as they dragged her in. For her entrance, the unconscious Chase made her own red carpet, leaving a thick bloody streak on the white, polished linoleum. “What happened to this poor girl?!”

Lila Jean spat. “Reckon she was cleanin' her gun an' it went off.”

“SIX TIMES?!”

“She does a thorough job.”

“And that looks like a stab wound!”

“Well, natcherly. It was a bayonet.”

When Chase awoke, she found herself in a comfortable hospital bed, clean bright sunlight coming in through the windows and spilling over her room's many meticulously sanitized surfaces. She was constricted by numerous bandages, and her wrist was sealed in a cast.

Almost immediately, she was further constricted by the arms of her friends. Alicia, Caitlin, and Lindsey were all present, quietly visiting their sleeping friend, and when they noticed she was awake they erupted in cheers of joy and gave her big hugs. Chase was thrilled to see some friendly faces.

“Chase! You're awake!” piped Alicia.

“Oh man, thank goodness! What a relief!” agreed Caitlin. “I'm so glad!”

“Hi Leash, hi Cait, hi Lin! I glad you wake too!” said Chase, since it seemed like a thoughtful thing to say to anyone, not just gravely wounded people.

Lindsey separated from her first so she could pull a card off of one of the many bouquets that Chase had been brought. She handed the card to Chase. “Here you go! We got the whole squad to sign it!”

“Oh! Thank you!” said Chase, touched. She opened the card, and happily scanned the signatures and messages. “Them not sick of sign these things for me yet?”

“Nope!” said Caitlin, also letting go of her. “No matter how many times you hurt yourself we'll always want you to get well soon.”

Alicia seemed to be having a hard time separating herself from Chase, still hugging her tightly from her seat at Chase's bedside. “We tried to bring you some candy, but the doctor said you can't have solid foods...”

Though Alicia's tone was light, Chase could feel her body trembling. “Leash...you shake!” said Chase, concerned.

Alicia looked at her with surprise. “I do? I mean, I am?” Chase thought she might sit up, but instead, she let her head fall back down onto Chase's clavicle. Chase was relieved. After what she'd just been through, the sensation of being hugged was a tremendous comfort. To feel the weight and warmth of a person who wasn't struggling to kill her, to have hands clutching her that weren't trying to strangle her...It made her feel so...normal.

She returned the hug, gently rubbing Alicia's back. “I guess that's not surprising,” said Alicia. “It...It was kind of scary, Chase. The doctors said they've never seen somebody as messed up as you were when you came in. Alive or dead. We...we didn't know...”

She sat up, shook her head, then gave a wan smile. “I'm, I'm sorry. I'm just so happy you're alive, Chase.”

“Not sure why I am,” said Chase honestly. “How I get here?”

“We were hoping you could tell us that,” said Lindsey. “These doctors won't tell us anything.”

“What happened to you?” asked Caitlin. “Can you remember?”

Knowing it would be a long story, Chase tilted up the head of her bed so she could sit leaning her back against it (she had been in the hospital enough times already to know how the controls for the beds worked). Once she was comfortable, she filled them in on what happened to her up to the point where she blacked out. They, in turn, filled Chase in on how Mary Rose came to Alicia's house looking for trouble. As they did, Chase noticed the bruises on Alicia's arms.

“Should known,” she said, kicking herself. “It trap. Them hunt me... just trap, get Leash far from me.”

“You couldn't have known, Chase,” said Caitlin.

But it seemed incredibly obvious to Chase, in hindsight. “Could known. If known, could lose them, get to Leash. If not so dumb...If not so...” She looked for the words. In frustration, she clenched her good hand into a fist and smacked it against her bed. “So think-of-fight. But think-of-fight make dumb. Need beat foe. Need beat foe. That all I can think.”

Seeing her anger would do her no good now, she unwound her fist. She reached out for Alicia's hand, and gently took it. “But not need beat foe. Not need one bit. Most need...is keep friend safe. Now you hurt...since I too dumb to help.”

Alicia didn't know what to say. She squeezed Chase back and tried to think of something to lighten the mood. “It's okay, Chase.” She smiled. “She wasn't that tough, anyway.”

Chase burst into a grin. “You beat up big eye girl?!”

Alicia giggled. “Well, not really. It was more like she beat me up. But I scared her off.”

“That great! That be a tough Leash!” said Chase. She slapped Alicia on the back, which caused Alicia to cry out with a small 'ow'.

Their reunion was interrupted by the door opening. They looked up, expecting to see a nurse (at least three had popped in to perform a routine maintenance on Chase during the time Alicia, Caitlin and Lindsey were waiting). Instead, Chase had another visitor. Lila Jean.

The Lawman Creek girl took off her trucker cap as she entered. In her other hand she held a single yellow tulip. She looked at Alicia, Caitlin, and Lindsey and said, “Oh. Ah'm sorry if ah'm interruptin'. Ah can come back.”

Lindsey stood up. “Hey, I know you! You're one of those Swallered Opossum cheerleaders! Come to finish her off, huh? Well just try it, sister!”

Lila Jean looked at her, spat, then jerked her thumb at the window. “Reckon if ah wanted ta finish her off, ah'd do it through that winder from a half mile away, cyclops.”

“That's a seriously disgusting habit,” said Caitlin, unable to look away from the spit on the floor.

Chase lifted her immobilized hand. Using the two fingers poking out the end of the cast, she gently tugged on Lindsey's sleeve. “It fine, Lin. Not think she want fight.” Chase looked at Lila Jean. “You bring here?”

Lila Jean nodded. “Reckon so. Me an' a buddy.” She scratched her head. “Want ya ta know ah am right sorry for the misunderstandin'. It's clear ta me you ain't any true Campbell. No Campbell woulda risked herself to save a Swindle from a b'ar the way you done did.”

She looked Chase up and down, taking in the extent of her sorry state. “Reckon there ain't nothin' ah can do fer you by way of coverin' your hospital bills, but just know ah owe you one. You need someone to have your back, Ah'm yer girl.”

Chase was speechless as Lila Jean handed the tulip over to her. However, it was not a particularly happy sort of speechless. Chase looked up from the flower to its giver. “Not want owe. Not need help.”

Lila Jean spat again. “Ah ain't offerin', Miss Campbell. Ah mean, Miss Chase. You ever need mah help, you have it. That's all there is to it.”

Her message delivered, she didn't bother to hang around any longer. She put her hat back on, turned, and left.

“I don't blame you, Chase,” said Lindsey. “I wouldn't want a Lawman Creek girl watching my back either.”

Chase sniffed the flower, sighed, then leaned her head back against her pillow. “It not that,” she said. “Now her next for hurt from my think-of-fight. Leash, then Tor, next Lie-” She suddenly jolted upright. “Tor! Where Tor?!”

“Oh, he's fine, he's fine,” said Alicia. “He's probably at home resting, he was in here with you all day yesterday.”

Chase was very happy to hear all of that. “Can please call him for me, Leash?!” she asked hopefully.

“Yeah! Sure!”

Alicia called Torey and informed him Chase was awake and wanted to see him. While they waited for him to come over, they switched their conversation to lighter fare, catching Chase up on what was going on at school and at practice. Some funny stories, a couple new assignments in Chase's classes, revisions to one of their routines. A healthy amount of who's-dating-who, a subject which Chase was developing more of an interest in now that she knew what dating was. Getting an idea for how to cheer her up further, Caitlin took one of Chase's gardenias, sat down on the edge of the bed, and fixed it in Chase's hair while they conversed. Slowly, Chase began to relax, forget her guilt, and feel at home among her friends.

When Torey arrived, he looked intact except for some bandages wrapped around his forehead. He grinned with relief at the sight of Chase awake, sitting up, and drinking a milkshake.

“Tor!” she said happily.

Alicia and Lindsey stood up, and Caitlin jumped down from Chase's bed. “We'll leave you two alone,” said Alicia considerately, giving Chase a wink. The three of them left. Chase supposed they had something else they needed to go do. It was a shame, though; they ended up missing a pretty good kiss.

It surprised her, after her lips and Torey's were already locked, how instinctual the action was. Where her early experiments with kissing Torey were somewhat planned and calculated, displays of affection she employed chiefly because they were the norm in this new society she found herself in and she was interested to see what the big deal was, this time she did it with no thought, no curiosity, only need.

After what felt like a long while, they separated. Chase put a hand to his forehead, feeling his bandage. “You okay.” Relief was overwhelming her. Sure, Alicia, Lindsey, and Caitlin already told her he was fine, but seeing him fine made her feelings really come out.

“Yeah. You're okay, too,” he said. “Well, more or less. I'm sorry I couldn't be more help.”

Chase felt a pang of guilt. “No, Tor. You great help. Cold dead if you not come.” She dropped her hand to his cheek, rubbed her thumb against his skin. He felt slightly stubbly. “Too much help.”

He sighed. “I know. You didn't want me to come.”

Chase shook her head. “No...not mean that. Did say that. But much glad you come. Much glad to have friend want to help me. Need that, with Ma and Pa gone. Am much luck, have Tor, have Leash, have Cait, and Lin.” She lay back down on the bed and held his hand. “But once saved me, should got safe. Should left fight to me. Them not play, had guns. You much luck to still breathe.”

“That doesn't matter to me, you still needed my help,” he answered.

He wasn't exactly wrong, Chase had needed all the help she could get. But she said, in a calm, steady voice, “Mat-ter to me, Tor. Need or not, Tor must live. My fight not hurt Tor. If Tor must choose Tor or me, must choose Tor. Must use head. Must not hurt self for me. Not want feel that guilt, Tor.”

She turned her head and looked out the window. A bird came to rest on a tree branch, but Chase was looking past it, at the buildings and streets of Sunnycrest. “Am strange to this place, am strange to you and to cheer and...” She paused to think of the right word again. When she resumed speaking, it was with a pang of sadness. “...and nice life. Not want hurt you, not want hurt nice life. Not want make nice life bad for all since I am here and bring fight with me. Not want Tor if have Tor means hurt Tor. Not want cheer if have cheer...means hurt cheer.”

She felt herself getting emotional, but through force of willpower would not let herself do it in front of him. She fell abruptly silent for a moment in order to compose herself. Torey commandeered the lull in order to tell her, “Come on, Chase. You're not 'strange' to any of this. You belong here.”

Chase looked at him with hope in her eyes. “Do?”

Torey smiled. “Yeah. You do. But you should know that better than anybody, right? How do you feel when you do cheerleading?”

The girl thought about it. “Feel...feel full. When cheer, want no more things. Have all I need.”

Torey nodded. “That means you're doing what you're supposed to be doing. Even if you're new here, no matter where you came from, you're a cheerleader now. This is where you're meant to be, and these are the people you're meant to be with. This is your home. Alicia, Caitlin, Lindsey, they're your people. They love you, and the nice life they have would be less nice without you in it. They need you here.” He added with gravity, squeezing her hand: “And that goes for me too.”

Chase suddenly sat up and hugged him. He enveloped her in a hug of his own, as tight as he could without hurting her in her physically broken state. “Even if...” came Chase's doubtful voice, “Even if fight? Even if bring fight here?”

“Look, you've already done a lot of fighting since you came to town. It hasn't made anybody care about you any less. It hasn't made anybody feel any less safe. If anything, you make me feel more safe.” Oddly enough, Chase was thinking the same thing about Torey. “I know you went through a lot in your past. I still don't know what exactly, but I don't need to know. It doesn't matter anymore. Coming here was a new beginning for you, you can be whoever you want and live whatever kind of life you want. And no matter what happens, your squad, me, we'll help you do it, because you mean so much to us.”

Chase listened to him, let these words sink in. Her heart swelled with emotion. Suddenly, she was at risk of crying. Instead, she kissed him a second time, even more feverishly than before. Lips locked, she fumbled for the bed remote. When she found it, she returned it to horizontal mode. She laid down on her back, and Torey came with her. Her tongue entered his mouth as she reached up to wrap her arms around him. Feeling the cool plaster of her cast on the back of his neck, Torey ran his hand through her hair.