#Chapter 16 – Completely Illogical

The rest of the bouts around us begin to end pretty quickly, with Lieutenants moving around the room recording the results. Rafe and I sit quietly together in my circle and, even as my mind whirls fruitlessly, trying to figure out what the hell just happened, my eyes scan the room for Jesse and for Luca. Did they win? Did they keep their place high in the rankings? “If you’re finished,” a Lieutenant says, stopping by our circle, “you should go to lunch.” He nods towards the door before he moves on. “Come on,” Rafe says, standing up and grasping me by the arm to pull me with him. “I can stand,” I mutter, even though he’s already pulled me to his feet. Rafe doesn’t say anything, but he keeps hand on me as we move towards the gym door and towards the barracks cafeteria. As we get into the lunch line – which I’m pleased to see we’re at the start of, lucky us – I turn to him suddenly, realizing that I’ve been too lost in my own thoughts to ask. “Wait, did you win?” I ask, eager. Rafe