Chapter Text
It was destined to end badly. That much was guaranteed. After all, there could only be one winner. It was inevitable that at least one of the two would die...so why had they struck up a friendship of sorts in the first place, when the only outcome would be loss and heartbreak?
Piper had met Barkovitch very early on during the Long Walk. Fifty boys and girls had set off, a wave of hope and nervousness settling over the large group, the majority of whom were merely walking themselves to a premature grave, with the exception of one lucky soul. The morning sun hung high over their heads, its rays pleasant and comforting for now, along with the fresh Spring air.
The group must have only been walking for ten minutes or so, when the warning sound had rang out loud and clear, echoing through the crowd, causing a ripple of movement as each Walker turned their head to find the source of disruption.
"Warning. Warning, number five."
In the midst of the walkers, hunched down on the ground, apparently fiddling over his boot, was a messy haired blonde-boy, donning a tan sun-hat. Piper began to trudge backwards, like many of the other Walkers, both interested and fearful of how the scene would turn out. The boy appeared to be attempting to remove his boot, his fingers working furiously at the laces, as the second warning rang out.
"He's gonna get himself fucking killed," A brunette girl beside Piper muttered, turning back around, seemingly not wanting to witness the likely-gruesome scene. Piper followed suit, her chest tightening uncomfortably at the thought of the blonde being the first to go. She knew witnessing people die on this God-forsaken walk was unavoidable, of course, but the reality of it all hadn't quite settled in yet. She had never seen anyone die before, and the thought of the blonde boys brains being splattered across the hard tarmac road was not something she particularly wanted to behold.
"He still hasn't gotten up," Piper winced, hearing the boys third and final warning ring out. A few of the walkers hollered at him - scolding him, urging him to keep walking. Piper could not bear it. She raised her hands to her ears, pressing tightly, hoping to muffle the oncoming booming gunshot that was bound to ring out any second now. She kept her eyes trained to her scuffed boots determinedly, not daring to look up. She did not want to see the looks of horror and fear on her peers faces at the slaughter...but the shot never came.
Instead, the soft voice of the girl beside her sounded out once more, muttering an unimpressed, "Idiot,". Piper looked up at her, noting the girls dull gaze was fixed on the Walkers behind them. Piper chanced a glance too, both relieved and surprised to see the blonde boy was back on his feet, no blood, brain matter, or gunshot wounds in sight. Instead, the boy was walking briskly. He looked tense, angry even, as he appeared to share an intense exchange with a huddle of boys beside him. They were too far behind for Piper to make out what was being said, but none of them looked particularly pleased.
In fact, Piper noticed an array of head-shakes, eye-rolls, and judgemental stares being thrown at the blonde boy. It was clear each of the walkers seemed to think he'd taken a stupid and unnecessary risk, and Piper secretly agreed. He'd used up all of his warnings in one go. He needed to walk for three hours with no more incidents in order to completely clean his slate. It was risky indeed. One mistake within the next hour, and he would be shot dead, with no warning at all. Piper could not even begin to imagine being in his position right now. No one wanted to be the first to go. No one wanted to go at all, she supposed.
The blonde boy, seemingly annoyed by the exchange with the surrounding walkers, appeared to storm off. He broke away from the group, his furious gaze fixed on the road before him as he began to pass through the crowd at rapid speed, as though to make up for the time lost. His feet carried him closer and closer to Piper.
Piper wasn't sure what made her want to talk to the boy. Maybe she wanted to see what he was playing at, or maybe she simply felt sorry for him. A brush so close to death was bound to leave one feeling shaken. Hell, it had left her shaken at just the mere thought of having to witness him die. Whatever it was, Piper found herself calling out to the boy as he levelled with her, his legs initially moving as though to carry himself even further ahead.
"Hey - you okay? That was a close one," Piper kept her voice light and cheerful, not wanting to wind him up further.
The boy glanced at her, his intense blue eyes studying her suspiciously. He kept his head low, and his shoulders were hunched almost defensively, as he stared at her sideways through strands of messy hair.
"I'm fine," He almost snapped out, both his expression and his tone stony, as Piper eyed him curiously. A camera hung from around his neck, swinging precariously with every move. His hands were grasped on to the strap of his bag, his grip so tight that his knuckles had turned white.
"What's your name?" Piper asked, finding herself rather intrigued by the boy. He looked so angelic with bright eyes and sunshine locks, but his whole demeanour screamed bitter and guarded. Piper wondered if it was a result of almost being shot, or if the boys further back had said something to upset him.
"Gary. Gary Barkovitch." He replied dully, his stature not softening. Piper ploughed on nevertheless.
"I'm Piper. Nice to meet you," She smiled cheerfully at him, "I'd shake your hand, but I don't want to risk slowing you down again after...well...y'know..." She trailed off awkwardly. It felt surreal, being a part of the Long Walk, death chasing them every mile of the way. It felt wrong to even mention their possible demise, as though acknowledging it would somehow bring forth the soldiers and their guns.
Though Barkovitch still seemed defensive, his hands shoved in to his pockets, and his gaze fixated on the rocky road before them, Piper noted that he didn't seem in a rush to break away from her and her yapping. His pace remained identical to her own. Maybe he was after some conversation, and it sure would help time pass by. Piper could hear the other Walkers chatting amongst themselves too, some making meagre small talk, others speaking about the oncoming slaughter, and others complaining about how their feet hurt already.
"What's with the camera?" Piper decided to ask, noting how Barkovitch's hands moved to clutch on to the aforementioned camera in an almost protective manner.
"I-it's nothing. I mean, it's silly really. I just - I just like takin' pictures, I guess," Barkovitch glanced at her almost uncertainly, and Piper guessed that maybe he wasn’t as angry or tough as he tried to appear - maybe he was just a little shy.
"Yeah, but what do you take pictures of?" Piper asked.
Barkovitch shrugged, "Anythin’, really,"
"Hmmm...nature? People? Buildings? Animals? Pretty girls?" Piper probed, grinning widely as Barkovitch let out a small scoff of laughter, his gaze falling to the camera in his hands. It was a nice smile, and Piper found herself wondering if she was subconsciously flirting with the boy. He wasn't bad looking, she supposed.
"Anythin' that catches my eye, really," Barkovitch glanced up at the road before him, one eye closing as the sun shone down on his face, his eyes crinkling, "Figured takin' pictures here would give me somethin' to look back on when all this is done."
"Oh, so you think you'll win then, huh?" Piper teased.
"Well, yeah! Ain't none of these fuckers beating me...um, n-no offense," He added hastily, glancing at her sideways, as though worrying he'd somehow offended her. Piper merely laughed, knowing most of the people here believed they would be the only person finishing the Long Walk alive. She had believed it too...up until the Walk had began. Now, she wasn't quite so sure.
"I wish I had your confidence," Piper admitted, her grin falling slightly, "I don't really know how far I'll even make it, everything feels achy already."
Barkovitch let out a laugh, "This is nothin', we've only just started,"
"Sure...I just hope I'm not the first to go," Piper stated lowly, glancing around at her fellow walkers, to see if anyone seemed to be struggling yet. Everyone seemed fine, if a little uneasy.
Barkovitch studied her carefully, "Why'd you even enter if you don't think you'll win?"
Piper shrugged, "I'm not sure...delusional hope that a miracle will occur," She smiled, though it felt forced and strained, "It's not something you really think about that much until you're actually here and doing it." She began to fiddle with her bag, pulling out a chocolate bar. She had skipped breakfast that morning, too nervous to eat. Probably not a smart move, in hindsight.
"W-well if it makes you feel any better, I'll make sure you ain't the first one gone. After that, well...you better hope I don't trip you," Barkovitch smiled almost sheepishly, and Piper realised he was trying to tease her.
"Wow, thanks," She grinned back at him, before moving her gaze back to the snack in her hands. She broke a few squares of chocolate off, before holding them out to Barkovitch, who appeared to be momentarily confused. His brow furrowed, as he glanced at Piper uncertainly.
"What? You never shared some snacks with a friend before?" Piper asked, nudging at him to take the chocolate. He did so carefully, his fingers brushing against her own, as he muttered out a small 'thanks'.
Piper had a feeling that she'd said something wrong, as the boy fell silent once more, his defensive walls seemingly strong. Maybe she’d been a bit too quick to try and call him a friend. After all, no one was really here to make friends, but she figured if she was going to walk to her death, then she wanted to do so in good company.
The two continued their walk together in silence, their feet falling in step with one another, as the morning sun continued to beat down upon the back of their necks.