What Lasts in Us

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The end of the world felt like it happened within the blink of an eye, but really, it finally escalated after months and months of round the clock supervision by the TV networks. I only really knew about it because of my parents - the Doomsday Preppers - who had 'been preparing themselves for this kind of thing their whole lives'. They wanted to get up close and personal with an 'end of the world' scenario, so they packed their bags and left for the other side of the country without delay.

What I've come to learn over the years is that by the time my parents got whiff of the situation, the disease was only partly contained - despite the government saying otherwise. Everyone outside the established quarantine zone was told that every single infected person was inside, that it was managed and that the disease wouldn't spread.

How wrong they were.

Anyway, it all happened on a cool day in March, late afternoon. But I won't start there. I'll start from when I woke up that day, not knowing that today was the end of my life, that today was the end of the old Charlotte.

"Charlotte, get up! You'll be late for school!"

The combined screaming of both my mother and my alarm clock is headache-inducing. Who wants to get out of bed when you're all wrapped up like a burrito? Not this guy. But I do anyway, out of obligation.

I stumble out of bed to my vanity and plunk my butt down onto the chair. Despite the mirror, I hope I apply the right makeup. And by right makeup I mean putting on the right shade of foundation and eyeshadow because I am so going to own this day and make sure that Derek's sorry ass knows that he made a mistake and I'm the best thing that ever happened to him.

By the time I make it downstairs, I'm dressed and presentable. Mum's in the kitchen, making bacon and eggs; Dad's at the table, a couple of suitcases packed at his feet, his attention glued to the TV. And last, but certainly not least, is my little sister, Thea. She'll be turning the big seven in a couple of months. She sits at the table, little legs swinging, eating pancakes covered in so much sugar it's a wonder there are any pancakes at all.

She smiles when she sees me, but quickly resumes eating her breakfast.

"When do you guys leave?" I ask as I take up a chair beside Thea.

Mum turns away from the stove, spatula in hand. "The plane leaves at eleven fifteen," she says. "But I'll call you when we get to the airport."

"I won't be able to answer," I say.

Mum comes to the table and places a plate of eggs and bacon in front of me. Pretty sure I'd name my first-born Bacon because I love the stuff so much.

"Then I'll text you."

"My phone'll be in my locker."

Mum retreats to the kitchen and comes back with a knife and fork and – yes – maple syrup. I take it graciously.

"Then I won't text you."

Tall, blonde, and statuesque, I can already tell Thea is going to be a spitting image of our mother when she grows up. Except she has Dad's eyes: blue, so deep and so beautiful. My dad has dark wavy hair – like me, but mine's longer and slightly better maintained than his.

"Charli never puts her phone in her locker," Thea chirps from behind her sugar beard. She grins. "She texts her friends in class."

I stick my tongue out at Thea. "Do not," I say before Mum can open her mouth. I shovel bacon and eggs into mine and try not to spit food all over the table. "I never said that."

Thea's grin somehow gets bigger. "That's what Tori said."

"Whatever the reason, don't use your phone in class," Mum says. She comes to stand by me now, leans her hip against the table, and crosses her arms. Typical angry mother stance. "How many times have you been in trouble for disturbing your classmates?"