Apocalyptic Love

Youth

After the farmhouse scorched to dust we made camp in a gas station nearby, it was too dark to drive back, and we didn't want to risk getting caught in the darkness. Memories were flashing through my mind of the night me, and Carter ended up in the same situation, gazing at the stars until we passed out from exhaustion.

The boys were searching the store below whilst me and Melanie were making a camp on the rood, we laid a few scattered blankets across the concrete using our backpacks as makeshift pillows, but the normally loud girl was suspiciously quiet. "So Brent huh?" I nudged her side playfully.

Her pale skin blushed pink while she double checked the ladder to make sure the boys weren't coming "He is.. something" My eyes glued to her, the direct look she could never avoid "Fine. We had a moment in the house, we were just talking and we almost kissed. I think. I haven't even thought about this kind of thing since this shit started, it's always been surviving" She sighed laying her head back.

Melanie was outspoken, brave and never backed down, but sometimes even the hardest people need reassurance "That's because you was lone Mel, but in this life you got to just go for what you want because you don't know how long it's going to be there" The brunette rolled her head to me, smiling as we laid side by side "That boy would be crazy to not like you" I poked her fair nose.

We snuggled closer, leaning our heads onto each other as we faced the dark sky "I'm so glad we found each other Kate, I don't know what I'd do without you" I mumbled a sweet "Me too" before the boys finally joined us.

"Thank god we found this" Brent muttered to Carter looking over at us, he had a glass bottle of vodka wrapped under his arm "Looks like a girl's night". The two looked comfier around each other now, they barely spoke at the start of the day and now they were fist bumping as we rolled our eyes at their show.

We all sat around our home for the night, Melanie was leaning against the air conditioning unit next to Brent whilst I was leaning back against Carter's chest, his arms wrapped around my shoulders and gripped at my front. The boys found a loot of snacks, alcohol and plastic cups. It probably wasn't the best idea, but we were young, and safe for the time being.

"So Ninja boy tell us your story" I raised the plastic cup towards Brent, my throat burning at the strong liquid, but I felt lighter.

The boy hesitated a moment looking around to our group as if he was trying to decided if he could trust us or not. "Um. Was just me and my mum before this, she was sick a few weeks before the broadcast went off and we spent most our time in the hospital" his eyes were watering over the memories, but I noticed Mel tangling her fingers with his and I couldn't help but smile when he reciprocated "When the news spread I went straight to the hospital looking for her but she was already turned, one of the nurses must have put her down because she was covered in a white cloth. I wandered for months, just going place to place, until I got trapped in a store. Few of the scouts found me and brought me to the school and yeah, you know the rest".

Carter held me tighter knowing the talk of the school still haunted me, but I held them back "Sorry about your mum Brent" he nodded before looking back to my friend.

Mel changed the subject fast, trying to lighten the mood "Remember when we would play never have I ever Kate" she winked, and we all laughed agreeing that the alcohol was now setting in our bodies. Mel started seeing as it was her idea "Never have I ever got so drunk I passed out".

The three of us drank apart from Brent, we were all unsure until he admitted he had a strangely high tolerance.

Carter was up next "Never have I ever done drugs". The only two who drunk this time were me and Mel getting over-exaggerated gasps from the boys.

Mel nodded to me to explain "We went to a house party, Mitchell Lamb, all three of us had major crushes on him" I didn't miss the sly eye roll from Carter "Everyone was on something, Mitch offered us some pink pills telling us they weren't as strong as what everyone else was taking. He lied. We were off our faces until our parents showed up, and screamed at us until they were blue in the face".

"You missed the part where you threw up all over Mitch" Everyone was laughing, and the small roof was beaming with happiness. We spent the night like this, going back and forward, telling stories until eventually we all crashed.

I think all of us needed this, a night away where for once we could just be kids, God knows we couldn't do that at home. There was always something to do whether it was taking watch or fixing the place up, we needed to be mature but sometimes we missed being young. it was stolen from us along with our lives.

But in the darkness we can still find happiness, even if it's just for a few moments.

Edited