Fragile Hearts [DANGEROUS FELLOWS]

⚠️FIFTY-SIX: FIRST RAID OF THE SEASON⚠️

It turned out everyone's "breakfast" was a granola bar and and an already opened bag of chips at the bottom of Zion's backpack.

"Is that really a-all of the food?" Hailey asked in disbelief.

"I'd rather starve than eat anything infected with Zion's bacteria," Jay scoffed.

"More for me," Zion said, sounding unbothered. He took the granola bar and tore it open, getting ready to chow down.

"No!" Hailey screamed, snatching the bar out of his hand. "We h-have to split it. Into eight pieces."

"You're joking, right?" Zion scoffed, snatching it back. "An eighth of a granola bar isn't gonna cut it for me. I'm the group's most valuable member, so I get the granola bar."

"When did we decide on that?" Jay asked, rolling his eyes.

"Uh, duh. When I saved all of your asses," Zion reminded him.

It was obvious he wasn't going to let go of that any time soon. Zion and Jay continued their banter, but you were focused on Ethan now. You could see the gears turning in his mind.

"Ethan? Is there something you're thinking of?" you asked him.

He nodded. "I know this area. My team came to this part of the city a lot to celebrate whenever we won a game."

"Y-you know it?" Hailey repeated, springing forward. "So is there anywhere we can g-get food?"

"A mall," Ethan replied.

"We're saved!" Jay cried, spreading out his arms. "C'mon Ethan, get over here."

"Ethan would crush you," Zion snorted, balling up his wrapper.

Ethan didn't even seem to hear their remarks. "Lawrence? What do think about going to the mall?"

"Hm?" Lawrence looked up from the crinkled map, and for a moment your eyes met. You quickly looked away, a weird feeling crawling up your spine.

"There's a mall near here," Ethan explained over. "We could go to get supplies."

"Oh! Do you know this part of the city?" Lawrence asked. Apparently he hadn't been listening to the conversation at all.

Ethan nodded. "I know the busiest area the most."

To think this abandoned place used to be the most trafficked area... it was appalling.

"So the mall... we should take as many of us as possible to cover as much ground while still staying in groups," Lawrence thought aloud. "For safety."

"Whose g-group will I be in?" Hailey peeped.

"Zion and I will take you," Lawrence decided. "And then the rest of you will be the second group."

That meant you were in a group with Ethan and Jay. Jay gave you a sideways look, and you had a feeling it was going to be a long day.

"What about me?" Eugene asked, from further up the aisle. "What group am I in?"

"You should stay," you explained sheepishly. "You're still not completely healed."

"I feel fine," he grumbled, crossing his arms. He did seem a lot more like good old Eugene... but you didn't want to take any chances.

"So I guess I'm staying too?" Harry asked, looking a bit disappointed.

"You'll watch Eugene," Lawrence pointed out. "Eugene and the bus. If anything were to happen, you'll know how to drive away from danger."

"I guess so," Harry relented.

You, Ethan, and Jay huddled together, as did Lawrence, Zion, and Hailey. The plan was for everyone to walk together to the mall, and then split up when you got there.

"Be safe," Harry called after you as you started to leave.

"You too," you replied. "And you, Eugene."

"Yeah, yeah," Eugene muttered bitterly, and you felt a pang of guilt in your chest.

It had warmed up a little since before, but it was still really cold. You stuck your hands in the pockets of your jacket, following after Ethan as he led the way.

Lawrence was marking things on the map, with Ethan's help, and you started to really realize how far you all had made it from the school. You were quite a few miles from the Safe Zone even, and it had barely been a few hours of travel.

"I h-hope it's w-warm inside of the m-mall," Hailey gasped, her words even more stuttered than usual because of her chattering teeth.

"Why would it be? There's no electricity," Zion said, and besides his red cheeks, he didn't seem that effected by the freezing temperature.

Still, it was way better than being in cold and rain.

The inner city was a lot more eerie to walk through than the edge. The tall buildings cast dark shadows and there were suspicious rotting things littering the ground. Luckily most of it was unrecognizable because of the snow, but you were pretty sure you caught a glimpse of a chunk of hair peeking out from the white blanket.

The sounds were probably the scariest part. The behemoths of concrete and all of the broken windows were the perfect recipe for the distant screeches of zombies to echo and bounce around. You couldn't help but glance behind yourself to make sure nothing was right there.

"This place gives me the creeps," Jay shuddered, swatting at a fat fly.

You didn't think you'd ever agreed with him so much.

It wasn't very far at all, and not before long you came upon the mall. The huge parking lot wasn't abandoned like you'd imagine it'd be. It was full of cars, the cars of people who weren't able to make it outside in time. You thought about the panic that must've ensued in such a crowded place, and you hoped it wasn't too brutal when you got inside.

"This is it," Ethan said, stopping for a moment to take it all in. You could tell by his face he was thinking about before the apocalypse.

You put a hand on his arm reassuringly. "You okay?"

He seemed to snap out of it, nodding.

"We'll split based on types of supplies," Lawrence explained as everyone crossed the lot. You swore you heard the groans of zombies, but you tried hard to block it out. "Ethan's group will get food and water, and things like medicines and first aid. My group will get other things like weapons or blankets, the kind of stuff we'll need to have around."

"Roger that," Jay said, looking determined.

It had been a while since you'd been on a raid like this, but the familiar hopefulness filled your chest. There had to be something in the mall that would be helpful. Besides, your stomach was starting to ache, and you were ready to eat just about anything.

"Stay close," Ethan warned in his usual protective fashion, pushing through the glass door and into the mall.

"Yeah, stay close to us," Jay said, trying to sound brave.

You couldn't help but laugh.