"At least I have the emotional capacity to think over words before I say them!" I growl, before walking to the bathroom and slamming the door behind me.
I sit down on the edge of the tub and break down into tears, today's events catching up with me. The tears run down my cheeks and drip onto my shirt, and my sobs echo in the bathroom. There is a tissue box by the tub and I grab a few, crying into them. The door opens, and I don't look up, shutting behind whoever came in the room.
"Shhhhh beautiful girl." Violet's voice breaks through my thoughts, and I hear her sit beside me. "Just breathe, he didn't mean anything, our emotions are just running kind of his high right now."
"I am not childish right?"
"No hun. He didn't mean that, heat of the moment people say mean things that they regret. Just let it out, I bet this is your pent-up emotions from the day." She pulls me into a tight embrace and I let it out.
Some time later my tears begin to dry, and I pull back, looking at Violet through moist eyes, my breathing slowing. "This was stupid, I overreacted and now he probably hates me."
"No lovely, he woke me up to come talk to you." Violet moves my hair from my eyes and hands me back my glasses. "Now, how are you feeling?"
"Better."
"Good, not come on, I need sleep and you need to continue your watch." She grabs my hand and walks with me from the bathroom, Xavier looking up from where he is sitting.
Violet squeezes my hand then walks off to the living room, Xavier standing up and embracing me. We don't say words for a few moments then he releases me, gently tipping my chin to look him in the eye.
"I am sorry, I shouldn't have said that." His deep voice is sincere, and I echo the sentiment. "My annoyance at having no control in this situation caught up with me."
"It's alright, lets just not fight anymore, I want something stable as the world goes to hell and I have a good feeling about us." I answer, and we kiss, then sit in our chairs.
Dainan wanders back in from the living room and sits down as well.
An hour passes by and our watch is almost over, no disturbances from outside. We have about fifteen minutes to go and Dainan yawns.
"I can't wait to get to bed." Dainan mumbles and I nod my head.
"I am going to sleep like the freaking dead tonight." I answer.
"Hopefully no sleep walking?" Xavier jokes, and I roll my eyes.
"Hardy-har, yes laying horizontally and not moving."
A growl sounds from outside the window and I sigh, grabbing my knife. Xavier gets a flashlight and shines it out, and we see two glowing eyes before the rest of the body comes into view. A coyote looks up at us and growls again, and we turn the flashlight off and return to our chairs.
"Coyote. Anybody want meat?" Xavier offers to us, and I shake my head.
"No matter how tempting, who's to say he didn't come from feeding on the infected out front. Plus, it's not high on my to-do list to learn how to skin an animal." I answer, and Dainan agrees.
"I'd rather find herbivores to kill until we learn more about the infected."
The rest of the minutes are spent with us fondly talking about food, and then we get up as our watch ends. I wake up the next watch then settle into bed quietly, Xavier joining me after getting ready for bed. He shrugs off his shirt and slides under the blanket, pulling me towards him so he is spooning me.
"My, my, we are quite comfortable with each other." I comment, laughing and he trails kisses down my neck.
"What I want is a night of just us."
"When we get to the school at set up base I am sure that could be arranged."
The last words exchanged and a good night kiss, and my eyes droop closed for a few precious hours of sleep.
Chapter 27
Avyanna gently shakes me awake and sit up slowly, Xavier waking up. I stand up and nod to her, walking over to Liam to check he got his pill. We left a notepad by him and Violet signed off on it, clarifying he received it at the end of her watch. I opened the pill bottle and shook another one out, waking him enough to take it then he passes back out. I lay the back of my hand on his head and feel it, noticing it to be cooler.
Xavier walks past me and checks his foot, cleaning it and wrapping it again before we walk to the kitchen, where Dainan is making coffee and yawning. I grab some mugs from the cabinet as Xavier walks back into the living room to take orders of what people want. Xavier walks back in with the paper and hands it to Dainan to make the orders. Anthony walks in from the back room with a box that’s sealed shut.
“What’s that?” I ask as Anthony leaves it by the front door.
“Camping supplies, I figured it might be helpful. If memory serves its full of dishes that were used for camping. We have grabbed food so far which is good, but what if when we get to the school there are no plates?” Avyanna says as she walks out from the back room.
“You raise a good point, would Anthony mind if we grabbed the pots and pans too?” Dainan askes Anthony, who shrugs.
“Not like it is doing me much good here is it?” Anthony’s voice is raspy from sleep, but the sarcasm is clear.
Dainan chuckles and reaches for another mug, filling a few with coffee then the rest with hot water. More sleepy people wander in, grabbing their respective mugs and bringing the extras for the injured. I grab mine and turn to Xavier, who is sitting in the kitchen chair sipping on coffee.
“Next house we are going too is mine isn’t it?” I mumble and sit down on his knee.
“I believe so, we got this lovely.” He replies and sips more coffee.
“I just hope Will is still alive.”
Xavier levels his eyes with mine, and I read the doubt shining in them.
“We have to prepare for the worst. So, I am holding out hope for you, but keep the hope reasonable.”
I sip my tea and get back up to put honey in my cup, stirring it with a spoon.
“Shall we check on our friends?” I address Xavier, who gets up and walks to the living room behind me.
“Morning.” Lee says, holding his mug as Quiyl sips on it, her arm still across her chest.
Xavier kneels beside her and gestures to her arm, and she allows him to look after removing the gauze.
“Yours’s is already looking better, too bad Liam doesn’t have some of your genes.” Xavier joked, and helped her bandage it back up.
“I resent this, my genes are just fine!” Liam defends himself, sitting up on his own for the first time in a while.
“Least you are somewhat upright but keep your weight off that foot!” I lecture, and Liam rolls his eyes.
“This should help.” Anthony walks into the room holding a crutch and Liam sighs. “Luckily I still have this from when my Mom broke her foot.”
“How tall are you Liam?” Xavier addresses him, then adjusts the crutch accordingly.
“How do you know so much medical stuff?” Idris askes, sitting up against the sofa with Violet dozing against his shoulder.
“I got bored and read my mom’s nurse books as a kid, I am very strange. After we finished high school I was going to go to school for medicine…in British Columbia.” Xavier finished the sentence quietly and everyone gasped.
“What do you mean, in British Columbia?” Liam asked, and Xavier shrugged.
“Well my parents told me last week that my Dad got an awesome job in B.C. and when I graduated in a year my Mom and I were going to move there. My Dad was going to go first.”
Everyone started talking at once and I stayed quiet, leaning against the doorway. Violet gets up and walks over to me, her voice raising above the others.
“You haven’t said anything so far, did you know?”
“He told me when we were still at Idris’ cabins. I didn’t like it when I heard it, but I will support him in whatever he wants to do after the world stops going to hell.” I reply quietly, and Violet nods.
“It sucks, but after high school its normal for some friends to move away. In any case, it is in the past now.” Antho
ny addressed us, and everyone quiets down. “Some of us need to raid the rest of my house, some should round up the felines and a few should start packing the cars. My mom’s car is most likely still at the school, but I might have a surprise. This was supposed to wait until Avy’s birthday but…”
“But what?” Avyanna asked, her face brightening in excitement.
“Well guess it is a good time as any. Avy, your parents and I bought something for your birthday and I fixed it up for you…” He trails off as he goes to a drawer in the table at the end of the sofa and digs out something that clinks together with a metallic sound.
He turns around and holds out a keychain to Avyanna, who squeals.
“You bought me a car? What the hell?!”
“Your parents chipped in as part of your graduation present, but we were going to give it to you on your birthday. I have been fixing it for a while, I warn you she doesn’t look the best, but she runs like a dream.” Anthony explains, before he is hugged tightly by Avyanna, who then kisses him deeply.
They continue to kiss until Lee takes a pillow and throws it at them, and they break apart, Anthony’s cheeks stained pink and Avyanna staring daggers at Lee.
“It’s in the garage, so I’ll go with Avy so she can see it and get it ready, then we pull it into the main driveway.” Anthony offered, then quickly walked to the kitchen window, helping Avyanna out it.
“Don’t christen the car just yet, we do need to be on the move sooner rather than later.” Lee yells after the couple, and giggles as Avyanna flips him off.
Violet walks into the kitchen with a box and I follow, then Idris comes in with a box as well. I begin to pass Violet the pots as Idris raids the canned food. The time passes by with the clangs of metal and the heavy thuds of cans the only noises heard.
“I’m scared.” I say quietly and look to see Idris and Violet both turned to me.
“Of what, hun?” Violet askes, and her image blurs as tears well up in my eyes.
“What I will find when I get to my house.” My voice shakes, and I stop what I am doing to swipe my sleeve across my face.
Violet packs the pan then walks over to me, her hands held up to hold my shoulders.
“Whatever it is, you have us with you every step of the way.” She says, and her thumb catches another tear off my face.
“Always Eva.” Idris promises, a fierceness glowing in his eyes.
The light glints off the pan I reach for, breaking Violet’s embrace.
“Thanks guys.” I say, and the silence suffocates us again.
“When I walked down those stairs, the sadness felt like it was multiplying with every step. I saw my brother and imagined the moment when I held him in my arms when he was a baby, a practiced hand is being held by tiny fingers with fingernails the size of rice. I remember my ability to not be annoyed by a fussy toddler. I remember the conversation we had last week about a girl he liked, realizing he grew up. I saw my sister and remember the bond we had even as babies. Family friends mumbling how we never cried while we were together. Me, the big brother, my little sisters forever protector. My parents, my first family and my best teachers. The one pair that I will always rely on and trust, and when my turn, help provide for them.” Idris says quietly, his voice trembling in places. “And all I thoughts was how I had failed them, and now I had lost any chance of ever having a good memory of them again.”
The silence encompasses us, before Idris speaks up again.
“I suppose what I am trying to say is, though the hurt will never go away, there will always be the good memories, and the love I have for them. Now, I have my second family backing me up, and though we lost some on the way, they are not in pain.” Idris continues, before I embrace him.
Violet comes up beside us and places and arm behind each of us, and the warmth that I feel helps dull the ache of loss. I hear footsteps at the door then a deep chuckle.
“I see that the party has started without me?” Lee says, then I must right myself as Lee adds himself to the hug.
“You weren’t invited to being with.” Idris replies with a smirk.
“Are we having a gathering in the kitchen?” A sleepy voice echoes from the doorway and I look over to see James.
“I forgot you were still asleep, oops.”
Chapter 28
The mid noon sun beats down as we finish loading the cars, then look at each other as the cars rumble from behind us.
“Change up of car buddies?” Lee proposes, and we all nod in agreement.
“Well how about Xavier and Geneva ride with us, Liam goes with Dainan, Violet and Idris take James, finally Anthony and Avyanna go in Avyanna’s car?” Quiyl says, and we nod. “Oh, and the kitties stay in Idris’ car, its nice and spacey.”
“Sounds good.” I agree, and everyone splits to their respective rides.
“So. How do you guys feel about Queen?” Lee grins, and Quiyl faceplants into the dash groaning.
“Please do not or we will never touch again.”
“How about Bohemian Rhapsody once, then we move onto Iron Maiden or something.” I suggest, and Lee dramatically sighs.
As the cars travel down the road, one is louder than the others, singing along loudly to Queen’s wonderful song. The infected attempt to chase the car before giving up. The car ride passes too fast and we pull up on my street, slowly driving to be as quiet as possible. We park in front of my house and the dread settles in the pit of my stomach. The familiar structure appearing haunted with evil and the sadness of a family destroyed too young. Xavier hugs me from behind before strapping the blade to my thigh and slipping one of Dainan’s smaller knives into my hand.
“I believe in you, my strong girl.” His voice caresses my ear, and I lean back, feeling his heart against my back. “Soon we will be at that school and not have to explore bad memories.”
A barking sound comes from within the house and a smile breaks across my face.
“Molly?” I say and run to the front door.
The door slams against the wall as I open it, and then a big, excited presence tackles me. I fall back, and slobber coats my face as my dog shows her happiness to see me. I hug her, and she shakes with happiness. Xavier gets the leash from the front door and attaches it to her collar, and I begin to get up, grabbing the leash. My friends walk past me into the house with weapons drawn as I walk Molly out to the front yard, letting her explore outside for the first time in a few days.
“How long has it been since someone let you out, sweetie?” I talk to Molly, and she looks at me with shining eyes. “What happened while I was gone?”
She barks, and I shush her. Liam gestures from the car and I walk over to Dainan’s truck, handing the leash to him.
“I can watch her, I will keep her in the truck with me and Quiyl, keeping lookout.” Liam assures, and I nod my thanks.
Xavier is standing in the door as I walk back to the house. Violet is standing at the top of the stairs in the foyer, only 5 steps up. To the left 5 steps descend into the basement. Idris and Lee are walking through the living room and dining room upstairs, and James and Dainan are at the bottom of the stairs in the basement.
“Clear!” Dainan’s voice rings from the basement.
“Clear!” Lee agrees, and I sigh.
“Where’s Will then?” I ask to myself, then join Lee upstairs.
“There’s no one here, I’m sorry.” Lee answers, and then walks back to the front door to get a bag. “Idris and I will handle the kitchen if you want to start gathering important things from your basement.”
My Mom’s room is at the end of the hall, opposite from the kitchen. The living room is the first thing you enter when you go up the stairs, then a wall divides the hall from the dining room, then one of the bathrooms is to the right of my Mom’s room. The door creaks open as I walk through the doorway, and the bed is perfectly made, just as my Mom always did it. A backpack sits on the bed and I open it, noticing my Mom has packed what she thinks I need. I don’t notice I
am crying until tears drip onto the open bag.
“Mom, thank you.” I mumble and lift out a picture frame to observe it closely.
The moment captured is a family photo shoot, where my mom and step-dad are leaning against a fence, and I am kneeling in front, my arms around my dog. Everyone is smiling, and I remember the day these were taken. I place the frame carefully back in the bag and lift it onto my shoulders. I slide open the closet door to see the camping equipment has already been cleared out, my Mom kept her clothes downstairs in the laundry room.
I leave the room with one last glance back and grab a reusable grocery bag that the boys have left in the hall. I move to the bathroom and clear it of everything we could need, the medicine being placed carefully on top. I leave the bag in the open bathroom door and steel myself for a moment, the next room being mine to clear out. Xavier comes up and grabs my hand, then I lead him to the basement, my room being the one to the right of the stairs. The laundry room is in-between my room and the stairs, the bathroom being directly across from that, and Will’s room is to the left of the stairs.
My parents slept separate, they never got along if they slept in the same bed. My Mom slept with too many blankets, Will would complain. Will snored too loud, my Mom would say. I smile at the memory and open my door. I direct Dainan and James to clear out the crawlspace, the door to that is beside my stepdad’s room, between that and the stairs.
My door is closed, and I take a moment in front of it, Xavier gives my hand another squeeze and I open it. My bed is a mess, a thing my Mom never let me live down as I never made it. In the middle of the pillows is a piece of paper, neatly folded with my name written on the front of it in my Mom’s precise handwriting.
My school bag is in my computer chair and I take it and empty it on the bed, giving the other backpack to Xavier, I repack the things we need and turn back to Xavier with a smirk, who has assumed the computer chair.
“Think we need this for kindling?” I joke, holding up my math textbook and he chuckles.
“We will most likely be good, the small pleasure of burning that is overtaken by our need to only pack the important.”
Friends Against The World (Book 1): Bite Me Page 11
