I wake up still having a little headache. I’m seated on the couch, flinching and groaning as Bucky taps on my wounds with a cotton bud damped in antiseptic. I sigh in frustration, consciously making sure he doesn’t see my reaction. I’m not even his sister, and yet he treats me instead.
“You really don’t have to do this… Buck,” I clear my throat as I say his name.
He wraps a band-aid open and places it on the side of my forehead. “I’ve done this to Nathalie many times, so I’ll have to start doing this to you now.”
“And why’s that?”
“Because one reason, she kicked you in the head which caused you a concussion. That I can’t let slide. Second, you know the second one.”
I chuckle in secret. “Frankly, I don’t know. I’d rather hear it directly from you this time.”
He places another band-aid on my cheekbone. He sighs before replying. “The second one is I like you.”
“That’s what everybody said.”
He groans. “I know. I guess I just couldn’t hide a secret or keep my mouth shut. I’m too open about it.”
“I’m glad you’re honest.”
“As a matter of fact, one man has to be openly honest with his feelings so he will immensely attract the woman he likes.”
“That is wise of you.” “And I’m hoping it’s working for me…and you.”
“I guess it does. For everyone else instead.”
He chuckles, his eyes never leaving me. The ambiance becomes calmly mute. Yet, I want to break it and keep the conversation going.
I look straight into his eyes and notice the bright blue which outstrips the whole of his countenance. For a second, I am mesmerized by the unique shade of color blue he has. Electric blue, if you will. I open my mouth to speak once again, “What happened back then?”
“Back when?”
“Well, Gwen told me you wanted to tell me everything but you couldn’t. And if it’s something very personal, then I think I don’t deserve to know at all.”
“You do.” He answers without a beat. He looks onto the floor before he adds, “I wasn’t the person I am before. To be honest, it was pretty dark.”
He pauses again and takes a deep breath.
“Now that I said it was dark, I don’t wanna talk about it anymore. Not that I don’t wanna talk about it with you, it’s just… I don’t wanna be a burden to you just cos I had a very unlikely past,” he slowly says.
“Well, we all have dark pasts. Mistakes were made, and failure has been a part of it. But I don’t believe it’s what makes us who we are today, Bucky. So, I understand.”
“Yeah, well. I fully believe you’d never forgive me for pointing a gun at the dog… again.
“That must have a reason.” “Yeah, it does. It actually goes with what I’ve been through.”
“Oh, I see.”
The dog walks around, playing with a toy. We let a few seconds pass as we watch him. As he’s about to say something, he yelps and the couch shakes. I find him on top of the seat doing his best to be far enough from the dog as he approaches us.
I cackle as I find it hilarious. How can be a tough man like him—who, not to mention, has killed tons of zombies, who knows stuff about guns, and probably the bravest among us—gets his feet off the ground when a disarming dog like this one comes close to play?
The dog wags its tail as it lifts its paws up onto the couch which makes Bucky scream again.
“What the hell! Get away!” He swings his arm horizontally, trying to shoo the dog off. “It’s not funny.”
I continue my joy as I reply, “I’m sorry, I just can’t help it.”
The dog jumps into my lap to receive some pets from me. And of course, he gets them all. I tell him, “You remind me of my dogs.”
Bucky responds, “Who, me?”
I chuckle. “No, I don’t think you’re a dog, Bucky.”
“Oh. You were talking to it.”
“It’s a he.” “Oh, right.”
As he’s about to say something more, we hear a deep creaking sound coming from downstairs, cutting the interaction between us. Some students come to us running, fear surging in their faces. Ysa asks them in a worried tone, “What’s going on?”
They halt, continuously pointing down the stairs, catching some air to breathe.
Lenore is with them, being the one to give us the answer we needed to hear. “We’ve been breached.” She announces, anxiety blended in her words.
Fear clouds the entire room, tears are almost coming out of their eyes. Panic begins to devour us.
“Alright, everybody, pack your stuff up!” Mark yells across the room, causing a stampede through the crowd.
I glance at Bucky and grab the dog’s leash as I proceed to get to my mattress, where I prepped my backpack. I grab a baseball bat under the bed while I put my feet inside my sneakers and I wear my backpack on my back. I sit on the bed as I fix my shoes, then Bucky helps me with tying the laces. He looks ready as he has a leather jacket on and his stuff packed up behind him.
Katy, Ysa, and Lenore approach us, all prepared, too. “Where are the boys?” I ask in a loud, stern voice. Albeit the beating of my anxious heart overpowers it.
“They’re at the side entrance!” Ysa answers back.
“Let’s head there!” Bucky commands.
As we walk by the escalator, we see a few bloodies already coming in. The crowd screams as they scatter back upstairs and the others rush toward the entrance. Some of our friends fight against the bloodies, blocking them with their sticks and weapons. I skip three flights of stairs and charge myself toward the ambush. Bucky helps along with Nathalie, Ivan, Stephen, and more, among others.
I strike my bat hard onto a bloodie’s head and kick another one behind it. The beatings resume, reassuring that everybody makes it to the entrance. We give all our strength to keep the bloodies from going through with our arm and weapon borders while making sure we won’t get our hands bitten. I look around and recognize a familiar face behind the crowding horde.
“Aaliyah?” I mutter. “It’s Aaliyah!”
Lenore asks as her eyes wander. “What? Where?”
“Over there!”
“Aaliyah! Come here!”
“No! Don’t shout! More zombies are coming!” Finn exclaims.
Mark beats up a zombie and then looks at us as he finishes. “Come on! We have to go!”
Lenore yells, “No! Aaliyah!”
Fortunately, Aaliyah hears her and safely runs to us.
“Get away!” Adam tells her.
Nathalie blocks some of the bloodies with a shopping cart. “Come on! Let’s go!”
I look around to find more shopping carts and a train of them is waiting just a few yards from us.
“Keep fighting! I have a plan!” I run toward the carts and turn them around and drive them aiming at the middle of the fight. “Move!”
As they do so, I move them in between them as fast and hard as I can, hoping the simple obstacle might buy us some time as we head to the entrance. Some bloodies make it out of the shopping carts, now chasing us. We hit the entrance which doors are now open, seeing some students get infected as more bloodies attacked them from the outside. We let everyone get outside before Bucky and Josh close the doors. The bloodies slam themselves to the glass, wiping blood onto the transparent material. We strike our weapons again as the outside bloodies swarm toward us. We take our steps backward as we head to the bus which was parked at the front of the mall. Some of our friends make it safely inside, fighting as they wait for us.