The Last 26.

Day 4.

Day 4: Steph (still)

I was personally happy with the list. Everyone went with their own strengths. I still feel terrible ‘cause I’m not doing anything. Someone, I think it was Zach, asked why Leah didn’t sign up for anything. I told them straight up.

“I’m not going to lie to you. I never will. I need someone to keep me sane. And I feel she will keep me the closest to sane as I can get.” I gave them as warm of a smile as I could manage.

Someone asked me if there was anything else I wanted to say. “I need a bath.” Everyone laughed. “Nah really, we all smell. Living quarters people, find a place for us to you know. Get naked and clean.” I winked. Everyone laughed. Maybe I’m not so bad at leading people after all. “Chef/Cook people. Make something. Good. Please. Thank you.” They smiled and nodded. “Hunting people. Take out your ipods and shit, and look up how to hunt. I have the wifi password. I changed it to “poptartaisleparty”.” They smiled. “Oh, and I can see what you’re looking at. At all times. ALL TIMES.” I looked particularly at Jackson. He smirked. “Maintanence people. For now, just make sure generators work. Maybe figure out if you can make more. Think of… smart things. Kris and Miles. Actually work. Okay?” They laughed. “Nurses, and doctors. Set up some type of hosptial or clinic or something. Pudding aisle will work.” They nodded. “Supply people. You guys have a harder job early on. Get clothes. Like. Lots. And you know the fuck what?”

They responded with “Huh” and “What”

“Go crazy. Get like everything. I own the world now. We should get whatever we want. So just get every single thing from every single store. If possible. And someone please go and steal mattresses from bed bath and beyond, it’s not too far.”

They smiled and nodded. This was going awfully well.

I also told them if they ever needed a break, just come by. Everyone went off for their first day of work. Luckily, they didn’t want money. They just wanted to live. The chefs asked me if I could get the gatherers to get a stove/oven. I said “There’s some in the bakery, isn’t there?” They said, “Ohhhh.” I laughed.

I’m really proud of my team. I didn’t think we could make it. But right now, we’re… we’re getting there. I mean. It’s nothing. Nothing at all compared to what we had before this. But still. Living in the poptart aisle at a Giant is better than nothing. I went back into my section of the poptart aisle. Apparently, because I fucking own the world, I get a separate section of the poptart aisle. Sweet. I get the strawberry ones. Wait. I hate strawberry. I smiled to myself. I sat down on the cold, hard, linoleum floor. I was feeling… oddly happy. “Leaaaaahhhh,” I half said, half whined.

“Whaaaat,” she asked, using the same tone.

“Come hereeeeee.”
”Ookayyy.”
She plopped down next to me, and I grinned.
”The people at the nurses thing must be bored as fuck,” I said.

“Yeah. We could visit,” Leah suggested.

“Wait.”
”Huh”
”Gatherers are back.”
I ran up to them, excited to see what they brought. Thank god. They went to bed bath and beyond and got the pretty pillows. And big comforters. Two pillows and one comforter per person. I hugged them all. Except Zach. He’s still pissed at me. For something I didn’t do. I simply nodded at him. He just kept staring at me.

“What, is there something on my face?”
”No.”

He walked off. What a fucking asshole. I was seriously considering snapping his scrawny little neck and drowning him. I’ll save that for later, I guess. Brandon said,
”Steph, don’t worry. He’s just jealous he isn’t friends with the owner of the world.” I smiled at him.
”Thanks, Brandon.”
”Anytime.”