Alex doesn’t look scared. He doesn’t look like the kind of guy who gets scared.

But the way he’s looking at Dawn and the others, Dawn can tell he’s at least, you know, unnerved.

Alex shares his Origin Story as they stand around outside headquarters.

“I’m from Spokane, like that dude said,” he tells the Pack while they wait for Christian to take their pictures and give them new gear. “Inner city, as much as you could say that there is one there.”

He says it was stealing that got him dragged out here. “Stickup kids,” he says, kind of grinning. “Me and this guy I was kind of sort of seeing. We’d steal anything that wasn’t nailed down.”

He shrugs. “Wasn’t anything violent,” he says. “We were just bored. Kind of for the challenge of it, nothing else. Steal a bunch of shit and go somewhere and hook up.”

He meets Dawn’s eyes.

“Anyway, we got caught, and my man blamed me for everything. And then the youth counselor asked me did I like camping.”

Alex says, “I told her I didn’t care for it.”

He smiles again.

“Wrong answer.”

The rest of the Pack kind of laughs with Alex. As far as Origin Stories go, it’s not the worst thing they’ve ever heard.

And Alex doesn’t seem altogether miserable to be out here. And he kind of looks like he knows what he’s doing. He seems to know how to bundle all of his stuff in his tarp, anyway.

Alex seems like a Good Dude.

He’s not bitter, at least.

(Dawn wonders how long that will last.)

Chapter 21

BRANDON GETS HIS PROMOTION to Black Bear this week, probably just so Evan will stop teasing him. The clouds above Warden and Kyla get darker. Even Lucas looks disappointed.

But Amber takes Dawn aside. “We can’t promote you yet,” she tells Dawn. “But you did have a pretty good week. So me and Christian decided you were due for a reward.”

Dawn wonders just how much input Christian had in this decision. Somehow, she doesn’t think he cares. But Amber clearly does. She actually looks happy for Dawn, like this is some big event in her life.

Amber touches Dawn on the shoulder. “Come on,” she says, grinning. “Rewards are in the cabin.” She gestures through the open cabin door. After a beat, Dawn sighs and follows her inside.

The rewards are pretty basic. Dawn’s options are:

1. a hiking backpack, or
2. a tent

“You also get some better food,” Amber tells her. “So you don’t have to eat lentils all the time. And whatever you don’t pick this time, you can take next week when we come back to resupply. Just keep doing great, like you’re already doing, and you’ll be kitted out in no time.”