...

WHEN THEY RETURNED TO the clearing, Clarkson was sitting on the log, a group surrounding him. The complaints they had were so loud they even reached Ella's ears and by the sight of Clarkson's deep breaths, she guessed he was probably refraining himself from attacking them. A wicked smile appeared on Alex' face then and he turned around towards them, his eyes gleaming with mischief.

"Okay," he said," I'm off to annoy Clarkson as well. See you later, mes chouchous."

"What?" Ella blinked.

"Don't reply, just nod," Levi said, while nodding solemnly himself.

"I have no idea what he said," Will said, a warm smile on his face.

"Should we follow him?" Ella frowned, unsure whether she took more pity on Clarkson or Alex at the moment.

"Definitely not," Levi said," let him vent all his annoying energy there and he'll come back calmer."

"He isn't a dog," Ella frowned.

"Or is he?" Will said with a raised eyebrow. He couldn't keep the mysterious gaze going for long though, his expression quickly crumbling in his usual gentle amusement when he laughed. "No, I'm kidding."

They took a position by the trees then, Levi leaning against one as she and Will sat down. Watching the teens run around, leaving chaos in their wake wherever they went, was fun and Will told her stories about whomever passed them. During the conversation she let her back rest against Levi's legs, but despite what she had expected he didn't freeze up. Instead he glanced at her with something almost akin to warmth, before focusing his eyes again on where Alex and Clarkson were standing.

She had to give it to Clarkson. Though Alex was being very persistent in following him around, the man hadn't tackled him yet. When Alex started mirroring his every move, she wondered how long that would take.

Sure enough, she looked away for a moment and a fuming Clarkson was walking their way, Alex' wrist caught in his grip.

"Take him back," he said when he reached them.

"But sir," Alex whined," I was learning so much from you."

"What if we don't want him back?" Levi deadpanned.

Will smacked him on his shoulder in a chastising move when he got to his feet, before opening his arms wide.

"It's fine, Alex," he said," come here."

"Will," Alex said, his voice touched.

He ran slowly in Will's arms then, their hug brief but dramatic. Levi expression was as natural as ever though, like he was more than used to this. She didn't doubt it. Meanwhile Clarkson was watching it all happen with a more perplexed face than ever, before shaking his head and walking away.

"Okay," Clarkson's voice boomed through the clearing, interrupting the chatter easily," you all have done a terrible job at the scavenger hunt." People booed, but he didn't react to it at all. "I'm hoping you'll do better at this next activity."

"Probably won't," Alex said.

"That's not the spirit, Alex," Will frowned.

"Oh, but it is," Levi said.

Ella shushed them with a glance, all of them shutting their mouths like reprimanded children. When she looked back she noticed Trevor joining the group from the forest, his anger more quiet now. She was sure it wouldn't be the last she heard about him, especially when he spotted Ava, who was laughing with the beautiful girl by her side.

"I'm going to let you all cook dinner from scratch," Clarkson called out," and then at night we can gather for a game night. You can get your ingredients from the front, along with the necessary supplies." He turned around to look at all of them, his following words warning. "And don't stab each other with the knives, please."

"I know who I'd like to stab," Alex scowled, his glare trained on Trevor.

Though the boys had come out mostly unscathed, the fight had left it's marks. Alex' lip was cut and a bruise was blooming near Will's cheekbone. Levi followed her gaze, a frown knitting his eyebrows together once he saw it too, even though his own knuckles were bruised and bleeding.

"What is it?" Will said, a shy blush coming on his face when he noticed the attention. His eyes lit up in realization then and he grazed his hand across his cheekbone. "Don't be angry, we're all fine."

"Of course I am," Levi said," you're my brother."

Alex placed an arm around the two of them, the sign of affection enough to make Levi uncomfortable, though he didn't care. "Levi's right," he said," let's be bitter." He shook his head then. "If you had had your bat, Will, at least then we would've done more damage."

"Clarkson took it from me," Will said, sounding more sad about that than he had about anything else just yet.

"Boys," Ella said, snapping her fingers," focus. You can get revenge later, let's eat first."

"I like a girl who has her priorities together," Alex said, a smile creeping up on him again.

"If I can tell you one thing about girls," she said," it's that literally none of us have their priorities together, we just pretend we do."

"Cheers to that," Alex grinned.

"We learn more each day," Will said, actually looking like he was taking note of it.

"By the way," Ella said," what shall we cook?"

In response to that they all looked at her and she raised an eyebrow. "What? Please tell me you all can cook."

"Sorry, babe," Alex said," but I'm useless."

"I can try," Will said.

She looked at Levi as last, but his usual, emotionless eyes told her enough about his abilities in the kitchen.

"Come on," she said," really? You never made anything at home?"

They all stared sheepishly at her, Levi even averting his gaze, and she sighed, before beckoning for them to follow when she walked to the front. How these guys had survived this far, she did not know. They might have been the worst delinquents in St Joseph, but each day it was becoming blatantly more obvious to her that they were more like teddybears than the wolves they were made out to be.

"Really? Do make me baklava sometime."

Alex head turned towards the voice, Ava smiling at the brown-haired girl she had been with before. She threw her head back in laughter, baring her neck, adorned with at least five silver necklaces. He glanced at them, but quickly looked away then.

"Tell me," he demanded," I'm prettier than her, right?"

"Who?" Ella frowned.

"Kübra," he said, as if it was obvious.

She looked at the girl, her caramel skin and the kohl lining her eyes, before glancing back at Alex.

"What does it matter?" she said.

Alex looked at her with shock, his lips parted and his eyes wide with betrayal. Levi offered him no consolation, but Will patted him on the back.

"You are the prettiest of them all," Will offered.

"This is why you rank the highest for me, Will," Alex said, pretending to wipe a tear away.

"Rank the highest on what?" Levi frowned," are you pretending this is Big Brother or something?"

"If it was," Alex said," I would have already voted you out."

"Please vote me out."

Ella chuckled, before shoving a bag in Levi's hand and slinging the other across her shoulder, already prepared for the disaster that was to come.

"Let's get cooking, guys."