Fragile Hearts [DANGEROUS FELLOWS]

⚠️SIXTY-NINE: WE NEED YOU⚠️

"M-me?" Hailey said in a voice hardly above a whisper. "N-no, not me... why me..."

"Hailey!" you screamed, rushing towards her just as her legs gave way. She fell forward. You caught her, staggering under her taller frame.

Hailey's eyes were unfocused, tears pouring out from their corners. Her breaths were shallow, and with every exhale more blood spurted from her wound. You placed your hands over the hole, trying to cover it, but it was a messed of torn shirt and flesh, hot, sticky blood gushing out from it all.

"Hailey," you said, feeling two warm tears spill onto your cheeks. You didn't know what else to say. You couldn't have even said it if you did.

Hailey didn't say anything either. She didn't have to. Neither of you did. You were both thinking the same thing.

Why her?

Meek old Hailey, always trying to stay out of trouble, always taking the safe route through life. Your relationship with her had started off rocky, but recently she had begun to warm up to not only you, but everyone else as well. In actuality she was just a quiet, shy girl who only ever wanted for things to be okay.

"(Y/n)—" she sobbed weakly, cut off by a dry cough that caused her wound to drip with blood. You shushed her, biting your lip to keep your own sobs contained.

You felt like screaming. Screaming until all of the zombies came and ate you alive.

"Damn it— Damn you!" you heard Lawrence curse from over your shoulder, the bus' alarm still wailing on. Everyone was uncharacteristically quiet. It was almost as if everyone had forgotten how to react to such a tragedy.

"I'm sorry, Hailey," was all you could manage, choking on your emotions. "I'm so sorry."

"(Y/n)," she sputtered again, seeming like every word sapped her of her strength, her very life. Her eyes were fading, becoming vacant, and you squeezed her hand tight. "Thank... thank you... thank you for being nice to me..."

You couldn't hold in your streams of tears then, shaking your head. "Hailey, you—" you began to say, but she went limp in your arms, all signs of life disappearing. You shook her slightly, and when that didn't get a response, you began shaking her violently.

"Hailey, please!" you begged. "I'm sorry, just..."

You went quiet. There was no point anymore. Hailey was gone, and there was nothing more that could be done about it.

Maddie. Judy. Sue. Jay.

Hailey.

"Damn it!" Lawrence shouted again, and you looked to see him kick the bus in frustration. He turned to the man on the ground, who was definitely cold and dead, raising the butt of his pistol with a murderous intent in his eyes.

"Will you cut that out?" Zion snapped, shoving Lawrence, causing the leader to stumble and drop his gun. "I'm getting real sick of you and your little meltdowns. You're not the only one having a rough time out here!"

Lawrence simply stared at Zion for a moment, his face as cold and unreadable ever, before reaching forward and punching Zion in the jaw, sending him staggering to the side.

"Hey! Enough, you guys!" Eugene shouted, coming forward, but when he saw the rage that flashed in Zion's eyes he hesitated, easing back.

"You're dead, you four-eyed prick," he seethed, and the look on his face meant there wasn't a hint of a joke in his words. Lawrence simply stood there as Zion approached, and at the last minute Harry slid himself between the two, attempting to diffuse the situation.