A School Apocalypse

Chapter 17

Edit: June 28th, 2017.

Alex's POV

The sun beams down on my face, making an intense heat wake me up. I check the time on a watch, and it reads 6:30 a.m. I look at the others and they're still peacefully sleeping. I yawn, stretching my legs and get up lazily. I wrap a thin blanket around myself and go sit on the porch to think about the day plan, and wait for everyone else to wake up.

About an hour passes before I get up off the comfy chair swing, and go inside and get a picnic basket from the spare room, having nothing to do and have friends who sleep like hibernated polar bears. I quietly close the front door behind me and head to the garden for some fruit. Fruit salad? I think so.

I start picking at raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, and many different kinds of fruit. The people here must have been fruit and vegetable lovers, there's plants from banana trees to dragon fruit. I love you previous owners! I move over and start picking at the vegetables. I hear a slight moan and abruptly stop picking at the food and grab my knife from it's pouch. I stand up, turn and run into blue eyes.

"You can put that away," Parker says pointing at my hand. I jump, startled, and look down.

"Oh, right." I say and put my knife back in my carrier. "You're up early," I crouch down, picking to pick at the plants again.

"So are you," he replies. I chuckle.

"I've kinda become an early bird since the apocalypse began. But there were walkers last night that Jada pointed out. I've barely slept since, and tried to sleep very lightly in case anything went awry. But, that obviously didn't work out for me and I have been up all night." I explain, and yawn a few times. "I don't get it though, walkers pass here every night, and I slept well through them, and now suddenly I can't."

"Every night? Why?"

"The small forest that way, that's where they come from."

So what did you do to stay up all night?" He asks me.

"Um," I mumble out, after a few moments, then Parker takes the basket from me. "I was still using that," I gasp.

"And now you're done with it and I'm bringing it inside." He answers, rolling his eyes. I quiver my eyebrows. "So we can eat then leave." I nod my head, even though I still wasn't near done, and have no idea why he's acting like this. I wanted to pick as much freshies as I could before having to ditch this place. I would have just stayed here if the goofballs knew where I was. It's safe, secure, and we have no daytime roamers, meaning it's safer for those little children, and easier for our day.

But of course, things don't work in Alex's favour, apparently.

I follow Parker inside and see that Jada is still sleeping. He rolls his eyes then glances back at me.

"I got it," I say, walking up to her. With a shrug, I start slapping her stomach.

"It's time to wake up, wake up, wake up. So imma make you wake up, wake up, wake up. WAKE UP!" I sing in an annoying raspy tone, hitting the head rests of the couch.

"Oh God," Parker mutters, "your singing makes me want to chop my ears off!" I smile and turn towards him. He never liked my singing, and I don't blame him, I sound awful. Honestly, it's like nails on a chalkboard... not pretty.

"That's good! Means it's working." I say enthusiastically. I turn back around to Jada, who is still sleeping lifelessly, and start to repeat the annoying song I made seconds ago. I have to admit myself, its a pretty annoying sound, and I'd slap the persons face if I woke up to that.

"Parker?" Jada slurs, not moving or opening her eyes.

"Yeah?" He answers, stopping what he's doing.

"Can you grab that knife over there?" She raises her arm and wobbles her hand to where she thinks is the counter, but is actually the toilets.

"Why?" He asks her, confusion hovering over.

"So I can cut off my ears. Her singing is horrible and I don't want to hear it." I start laughing and Parker does too, and she slowly crooks her head and sits up.

"C'mon, we should get going. We have a long journey ahead of us. And a terrifying one it will be." I say, smiling. They look over at me and give me a gruesome look.

"What did you just say?" Jada gasps, covering her eyes with her knuckles and rubbing them.

"I said we should be leaving right now?" I reconfirm.

"No, the terrifying part. . .what will make our journey to Australia so terrifying?" She looks at me worriedly and slowly sits back in fright.

"Why are you backing away from me?" I question her, what has gotten into these two?

"Because your scaring me," she curls herself into a ball and hugs her legs.

Wait, what? Scaring her? She's joking. Her and I have known each other for years, and one snarky comment has her cowering before me?

"How?"

"I'm not saying this over and over again, Alex. What is going to make our trip so petrifying!"

"I said terrifying." I correct.

"I don't care! What's making it so 'terrifying'?"

Shouldn't they know the answer to this already? I mean, apocalypse, we've been in it for a bit now, and she's worried about Australia? "Well think of it. There's probably gunna be a lot of walkers along the way, and when we hit the capital there will be even more because it's a big city. And because we have to pass through the city to get to the docks, I can picture the trip there not being a happy one." I explain. "Now, get in the car, and let's. Go."

"Stop! You sound like a fucking possessed killer!" She exclaims. Holy macaroni, this is annoying.

"Maybe I am," I smirk at them both and her face darkens. I don't know what has gotten into them, but I guess I can scare them while they worry. I love scaring my friends. They are such easy targets, Karen from Mean Girls can get them. Well, Jada anyway, she never had a strong stomach.

"Then stop! Seriously! Now is not the time!"

"Oh take a freaking chill pill, Jada. I'm fine, and I am perfectly un-possessed, for your information. Now get your asses up and get in that car." They looked at me oddly, grabbed the remains of their stuff and walk out the room. I grab my things from the side of the door and put them in the car. I whistle for the dogs and they all came running and started to get jumbled in the door. I hear Jada giggling at their struggle and then eventually they all get through. The runt of the pack manages to get in first, and the rest follow shortly behind him.

"I can take half with me?" Jada offers happily. I look at the dogs and shrug. I put a couple more pups in the car, and close the door. Jada then whistles at the restl-including the mom-and they cram into her vehicle.

"Who are you riding with?" Jada asks Parker. He ignores her question and finishes adding the last dog into the back, who can't jump the tailgate. "Earth to idiot, I asked you something." Parker sighs then walks to the door.

"I'll ride with you," he answers with an annoyed face. I slam the car door, and start up the car. The engine mumbles and I put the gear in shift.

"Are you okay with that?" Jada hollers at me. I glare at her, pull up beside her and she gives me a look.

"He doesn't need my permission. He can do whatever he wants. He is less of a leader than I am, and I'm not starting to like it. I'll step low and he'll step up higher. I can't control him if he is a leader as well." I sigh frustratedly. I throw a walkie talkie at them. "Maybe you should take over." I start to press my foot on the gas, when Parker shouts.

"But wait," I hit the breaks, and look at them viciously.

"I'll talk to you later. We have a long ride." I say, rolling my eyes. I slam my foot on the gas again, and I whip out of the laneway.