“Next!”
He missed the smell of popcorn and hot dogs. The multi-colored displays of candy and chips were also gone. A boring array of in-bins and cardboard boxes sat in their place. This area of the school had been so alive too few years ago—people hurriedly purchasing snacks, trying to get back to the game. Fathers stacked as high as they could be with nachos, pretzels, and soda. The first time Xavier had treated a girl he liked to a soft serve ice cream cone. Mindy…
“Next!”
The wall just behind Jenny still displayed the school's mascot—the River’s Edge Croc—smiling with all those teeth. Jenny peeked over her shoulder at the wall and then back to Xavier.
“That thing's silly.”
“Why?”
“He just looks funny that's all.”
“Some might think a sixteen-year-old with pigtails is funny.”
Jenny looked at him coldly. “It keeps my hair from my face when I work.”
“Yeah…”
“Next!”
Xavier turned away from Jenny and took his spot closer to the service window.
“Did I offend you or something?” Jenny asked, as she tugged at the tail of his shirt. “Come on. Talk to me. What’s going on?”
“I've been here since the beginning. There are a lot of people that want a history lesson, and I'm not in the mood today.”
“I'm not asking for one.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah...” Jenny tilted her shoulders away from him and unraveled one of her braided pigtails. “I’m sorry. Maybe we can talk another time then?”
“Next!”
“I don’t know.” He shook his head. “I’m up. I’m sure I’ll see you around.”
“That’d be nice.” Her lips twisted into an awkward smile, obviously upset by Xavier’s decision.
He stepped forward to the window and took the scrap sheet from his pants pocket. His fingers worked to unfold the order, and he laid it face down on the counter. “Good luck,” he said with a grin, pushing it past the partition. The disbursement officer took the paper and glanced at the chicken scratch.
“I see Grant’s your boss.” He worked to flatten out the creases as he spoke. “What do you really need? I’m not sure what ‘qirggeg’ are.”
Xavier gave a polite chuckle. “I only need glasses. I don't know anything about picking them out, but yeah, I’m having some trouble.”
“Glasses are easy. I have bunches of those in the gym.”
You have?
“Do you have others to turn in or is this your first pair?”
“First.”
“Let me grab some up, and you can try ‘em out.”
The officer shifted from his position and started toward the back of the service area. Xavier craned his neck as the officer opened the door into the gymnasium. No luck. How much of our stuff is still in there? The common hallway entrances were now chained from the inside—strictly off limits. He might never know. Everything was a big secret now.
Xavier drummed his fingers on the edge of the counter and hummed as he waited. He noticed Jenny putting in her request two windows down. Annoyance filled his thoughts but began to soften as he studied her body—top to bottom. She had a gentle face. Her skin complexion was fair, but a light dusting of dirt gave her color.
Jenny took to unraveling her other pigtail. She let it out—evened now with the other side. Her head swiveled, swishing her hair along her shoulder blades. She placed both elbows on the ledge and arched her lower back, angling her butt slightly toward him.
Xavier spun away. He couldn't be caught admiring her. He was pleased with having her want something from him. The thought of speaking with her became more appealing now that he had properly vetted her.
Jenny's attention remained fixed to the officer that was handling her request. Her voice was sweet. She was fluttering—laughing and smiling. Her gestures were pulling at Xavier. What is that guy saying that could be so funny? He stumbled, but caught himself on the counter. Jenny giggled again, but only this time, it was about him.
He adjusted himself, straightening in front of his window. He blushed. She knew. His advantage was probably destroyed. “We should work together sometime,” Xavier blurted out.
“Great. I’d love to.”
“Alright, got 'em.” The officer put a shoe box filled with glasses down in front of him. “Take these to the back of the room. Swap ‘em out until the boards look clear to you. Nothing to it, really.”
Xavier collected the box and went to the back of the room. He carefully emptied its contents onto the floor and began. The words faded in and out as he tried each pair. Every attempt earned them a spot back in the box or off to the side for comparison. He rested a pair of thick black frames on his nose. Finally, the job postings sharpened, and Xavier could clearly read them:
Position: Farm Hand – Age: 8 years old
Position: Maint. Gen. – Age: 12 years old
Position: Scavenger – Age: 15 years old
“This is probably the best it's going to get,” he said while glancing around the room.
Jenny grinned, making her way toward him but stopped just beyond his breath. She raised each side of the frames and reset them. “There you go. Much better.”
She caressed his cheek with the back of her hand. Xavier peered at the officers working behind the counter. He became nervous. Did they see that? She’s crazy. The three disbursement officers were preoccupied with their duties, and the last man in line was too old to hear or to even care about their conversation.
“You can’t do that here. We’ll get in trouble,” Xavier whispered.
“I’m sixteen.”
“Yeah, well I’m not yet, alright?” He kept a nervous watch over the others as he continued. “I can’t afford to have the town’s council after me too.”
“Who’s after you now?”
“The Second Alliance is after everyone.” A disbursement officer coughed, startling Xavier, making him reconsider the direction of this conversation. “Hey,” he whispered again. “Do you have a key to the basement?”
“No.”
“Go to the entrance by the maintenance room. Knock twice, pause, and then knock three times so I know it’s you. I’ll be there.”
“Why the basement?”
“I go there to think sometimes. It’s quiet. We’ll just talk.”
“But wha—”
“Be there an hour after the night lighting comes on.”
“I will.”
Chapter Three
“Lana, Lana, Lana,” Xavier softly reminded himself as he returned to the courtyard. By now, his stomach was well established in its revolt—groaning against the involuntary hunger strike. I’m here for one thing. Food. That’s it. Don't get caught up in a conversation again. He pressed upon his stomach, assuring it that food would come, but then his thirst joined in, begging for water. He couldn't win. It was an unfortunate start to his day that he just couldn't seem to adjust to. Dad, you need to get back here and fix this… The S.A.’s taking our food, supplies—Sam…
He raised his eyes to the vast August sky, and sighed. The land it stretched across was simply a dream to Xavier—his life confined within the walls of River's Edge. He held his hand across his forehead as he looked further into the distance. Not a single puff of cloud around. Not a bit of shade to relieve him from the sun's unrelenting glare. It seemed higher than usual—hot and brutal—draping the school in a blanket of heat. A sweat began to form beneath his clothing as he stood there underneath it. What I wouldn't do for air conditioning or some ice or... rain.
He spotted the reservoir tanks, now more empty than full, sitting along the brick wall. It hadn’t rained in more than a week—a serious concern during a long summer. He started toward the tanks, but stopped—his eyebrows puckered. Realizing that he was by himself, he began along the rows of corn, pacing, searching for someone else, but there was no one.
The rabbit hutches and chicken coops were filled
, but without anyone to tend to their needs, they sat there, waiting. Only the bleating of a goat and its indiscriminate appetite picking through the grasses and dirt of its paddock gave any sign of activity within the farm.
“Hey!” A single Sentry perched in an observation post along the rooftop called out to Xavier while keeping close watch of his movements. The Sentry's scowl pegged him as a potential thief. “Whatchu doin’ here!”
“I'm looking for Lana,” Xavier yelled back.
“Not here.” The Sentry waved his hand across the open farm below him as if he were a magician and had made them all disappear.
“I see that. Do you have any idea where she went?”
“Lunch.”
“Lunch already? What time is it?”
The Sentry pointed toward the sun. “Guessin’ bit after eleven, you know, lunchtime.”
“Thanks,” he called out and then lowered his voice, “dick.”
“Don't be messin’ anythin’ up. Got my eyes on ya.”
The Sentry sat back down inside the observation post. He set his rifle in its slot on the rack and picked up his lunch. It was obvious he was rehashing the conversation he just had—speaking to himself and laughing between bites of his meal. Alone up there like he should be, miserable jerk.
Xavier made another pass through the empty courtyard, letting the green sanctuary flood his senses. Nature seemed foreign—a luxury. This instance within the enclosed farm was a pleasant escape. With no one on the path beside him as he searched, he felt alone. Finally, alone. He disappeared within the tall stalks in the field. One breath in, one breath out, timed perfectly. The air was muggy, but refreshing when compared to the stuffiness of the school. For a moment, he left the pungent smells of gasoline, sweat, and must behind. He felt invigorated as his nostrils filled with the unspoiled scent of his surroundings.
He rolled the sleeves of his maintenance shirt, welcoming the rays of the sun to tan his arms. How could he make this last? A long minute or two just to be—no work, no JCNs, no structure. An instant of life just to be. He closed his eyes.
“Dad, I think Mom lied. I don’t think—“
“Don’t say that about your mother.”
“Yeah, X.
“Tara, I don’t need your two cents on this.”
“Yeah, mind your own business.”
“You’re the one looking out the window all day. You should mind—“
“Stop you two! Your mother’s coming back. It’s just taking a bit longer than we thought.”
“That’s because everyone’s going to the hospital. Mr. Jones had a coughing fit out in his front yard this morning. It’s only a matter of time before he goes too.”
“Aren’t you just Mr. Wonderful today?”
“Cut it out! Can’t you both at least act like you two love each other? Or at least treat each other like family?”
“Sorry.”
“Sorry.”
“Dad… I just—I just don’t see this getting any better. Mom’s never coming back if it stays like this.”
“She’ll be back. She didn’t lie. It’s… she didn’t have all the information. We wait and keep doing what we have been—keep away from everyone else. The news is saying this Almawt thing is all over the world, not just the U.S.”
“I don’t care about that. I just want her back.”
“Xavier! Damn it, she said she’d be back in a month, okay? Quit being so selfish all the time. This virus is bigger than us. Your mother’s trying to make a difference, and once she’s done, she’ll be back. If it makes you feel any better, I’ll try and give her another call today.”
“Promise?”
“Do you two promise to get along?”
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
“We’re family. We’ve been lucky so far, so act like it. Act like we can get through this together.”
“Together with Mom maybe…”
“Xavier!”
“Yes, sir.”
“Tara, quit with that look.”
“I’m the only one left…” Xavier opened his eyes and sighed. He kicked at the dirt and watched as a few loose rocks collided with a fence post. Abandoned. Where are you guys? He moved back and forth along the path while he continued to strike the ground with his foot. A barrage of small rocks hurtled through the grass, bending the blades as they tumbled through. I’m still waiting.
An unlucky dandelion along the paddock's fence became the target of his frustration. His aim was off, but the amusement began to build. He continued to kick, driving more and more rocks toward his target, but it wasn’t long before the goat interrupted Xavier’s game by snatching the weed from among the grasses. She bleated—satisfied with her find.
A half-smile raised Xavier’s cheek as he made his way toward her. “Hey girl, you’re not going to leave me, right?” She moved her head between the rails and nuzzled it along the post. He scratched the thin goat along the ridge of her back. “That feels good, huh? I almost feel bad doing this, but you’re actually cleaning the dirt from under my nails.” He laughed lightly to himself while continuing to scratch at the wiry hair of her back. The goat's tongue drooped from the right side of her mouth. “You're a funny girl. I like you,” he said in a high-pitched voice one would use to talk to a baby. He looked around. I sound like a nutcase. I’d better cut it out.
He rubbed the goat along her sides and began to feel a tugging at his pants. “Hey! You can't have that. These pants are in bad enough shape.” He tried to peel her jaw open, but it wouldn't budge. He pushed her head away from him, yelling, “Quit! Quit biting that!” He hoped that it would scare the goat into obliging his request, but the goat persisted.
As he continued to try and forcefully remove her from his leg, she bucked back at him, cracking a portion of the rail. This goat is strong as hell! Xavier pulled back hard and fell backwards to the dirt. Rip! He groaned as he watched the fibers of his cargo pants appear and disappear from the goat’s mouth. “Aww, Come on!”
A loud fit of laughter came from the rooftop—the Sentry doubled over, halfway falling out of his seat. “Nice work!”
Ass! Xavier slapped at his pants then picked himself up from the ground. You know what? Screw that guy. He did his best to ignore the laughter. He couldn't resist the goat’s dopey grin. At least you didn’t laugh at me…
Cautiously, he extended his arm forward, keeping his distance while he rubbed her muzzle. “You’re not getting me again.” He laughed at her. “You don’t know any better though, huh?” The goat kept chewing. “I still like you.”
“Do you now?”
Xavier flinched then turned to see who got the better of him. Lana. Did she see me fall? Xavier’s cheeks flushed, and his heart skipped. He couldn’t prevent it. Her beauty was disruptive. His words escaped him. Thought shifted to her. Emotion shifted to her. Get it together. She can't possibly like you. She's older than you. Stop! She's just a girl. It didn’t matter. Xavier was stung.
“Uh, yeah!” he finally blurted out. “You snuck up on me there.”
“It wasn’t too hard. You’re here schmoozing your girlfriend.” She laughed out loud while resting her hand on the fence. “What's going on with those glasses?”
“That bad, huh?” He forced a weak smile. These stupid things.
“No, not at all. They just—they make you look old.” She shook her head. “No, I didn't mean that.” Her hand moved a few stray hairs from her face. “They make you look older, not old. You look good.”
Xavier couldn't help but smile. Don't get ahead of yourself. She said 'they' look good, not you. Or did she...? Say something! “Thanks,” he forced it out and then calmed himself, “but I don't really have a choice. Grant seems to think my eyes could start affecting my work. I couldn't deal with listening to him if that ever happened. Besides, now that I have them, I kind of wish I would've gotten them sooner.”
“Are they that big of a difference?”
“Definitely.” He took the glasses from his
nose, moving them back and forth from his eyes while focusing on the rabbit hutches. The difference was obvious. “I really didn't know how bad it was until I got them.”
“Well, good.” She paused for a bit, her eyes searching for something to talk about.
“How was lunch?” Xavier spared her from the awkward silence. “Good?”
“Yeah, it wasn’t bad at all. A nice stew made from venison and potatoes. They butchered the deer early this morning. I heard the Sentry that shot it bragging that he only used one round, but I'm not sure I believe that.”
“I thought I heard a shot this morning, but wasn’t sure. Used to be a normal thing. It’s been awhile now.”
Lana nodded in agreement. “Oh!” Her eyes lit up. “And they had some chips at lunch. Actual chips! They were expired, but the flavor was still good, not too stale either.”
“I haven’t had chips in a long time.” His mouth began to water. “Were there a lot?”
“No. Sorry.” She grimaced. “I doubt any are left. I really shouldn’t have said anything.”
Xavier's head drooped.
“I know it's not chips, but you're still welcome to pick something out from here.”
“Yeah.” Xavier raised his head. A slightly relieved look upon his face. “I'll definitely do that before I go. Hopefully, that will hold me over until lunch.”
“Aren't you going now?”
“I’ll have to wait for Grant.”
“Is he up to something?”
“No, he had to go to the infirmary this morning to get a cut looked at. He's probably going to need some stitches.”
Lana frowned. “You going to check on him?”
“No, he'd be more upset if I let anything go wrong with our work. I need to check on that first. I was try—”
“Then what are you doing here joking around with this goat?” Lana asked.
Almawt Virus Series (Book 2): Days Since...Xavier [Day 853] Page 4
