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I nod hopefully.
“Telling her you’re here to listen if she ever wants to talk about it. This is important because the road to recovery is long, and if she feels comfortable enough to open up and be vulnerable…it makes self-awareness that much easier for her to confront the hard stuff.” Skylenna absently keeps her fingertips on my forearm as she continues her list. “Let her know that you’re proud of her for eating the amount she did. Offer to eat a little more with her. Never give advice or criticism. Help her understand that she is not to blame for this hardship.”
Guilt pierces my chest and twists like a rusted dagger. I feel like a fucking fool for talking to her with such insensitivity all this time.
“I’m sorry, Skylenna.”
“You didn’t know. I know you were just frustrated because you want her to see how beautiful you think she is without these extreme tactics,” she offers with a sympathetic smile.
My Adam’s apple jumps. I do think she’s beautiful. Is it that obvious?
“Now that you understand a little better, will you please be more considerate of her feelings?” Skylenna squeezes my arm to bring my focus back down to her.
“Of course. Thank you, Skylenna.”
16. Bunny Moon Tag
Ruth
“I hear it’s time to celebrate, Beetle Brain!” Helga Bee does a cute, jiggly dance around him.
Dessin sighs. Skylenna laughs.
“Saw you had to hack off the grimy old kitchen hag! I thought y’all would have settled for sucking some dick to get food again!”
Warrose scoffs with an eye roll.
“No dick sucking necessary.” I snicker at the unamused expressions between Dessin and Warrose. “Not when we have old grumpy Dad to filet our enemies.” I slap Dessin on the shoulder.
“Don’t call me Dad,” Dessin grumbles.
“Daddy Dessin!” Niles slaps his knee. “Haha!”
We sit on the stage during the regale hours. Prisoners nurse their wounds, exercise, or nap in the stadium seating. The glowing red light makes Helga Bee’s face look rounder than normal. Her giant blue eyes shine with a tint of pink.
“Impressive. But how are we going to party?” Helga Bee searches our faces for an answer.
Party? We’re in prison.
“No one is partying.” Skylenna chuckles. “We’re just happy to have food in our systems.”
“Nonsense! You’re a family, aren’t you? A pack? A squad? A sneaky little sixsome?”
“Don’t say sixsome.” Warrose grimaces.
“What about Bunny Moon Tag? You must refuel your pack culture! Your family spirit! How do you expect to keep the squad morale alive?” She ruffles Niles’s perfectly coiffed hair. He curls back his lip in annoyance.
“What’s Bunny Moon Tag?” Marilynn asks.
“What’s Bunny Moon Tag she asks.” Helga Bee snorts, elbowing Gerta in the bicep like it’s an inside joke. “It’s only the most iconic game us East Vexello Mountaineers play after a hard-hitting battle!”
“How do you play?”
“Simple! We wait until a full moon and spread out to find a white spearheaded bunny. Whoever finds it gets to chase after the other players until they pummel them into the dirt! Then they hand over the bunny, and it’s that person’s turn to chase!”
Warrose arches an eyebrow. “Why does it have to be a full moon?”
“And why the bunny?” Skylenna adds.
