and cats. Her best friend Faith was going, as well as Rebecca. Most of her nearest and dearest, two-legged and four-legged, would be with her. She didn’t have to stay here where it was familiar, but she could take a bit of familiar with her.
We’d all be okay. I was determined we would.
CHAPTER SIX
“Melissa, could you come help me, please?” I’d been trying to braid my hair for ten minutes and was getting nowhere. My hands were already cramping up with the effort.
She came bounding into the room a few seconds later, her dark hair in a high ponytail and secured with a green ribbon. I was lucky I’d made it out of bed. The training the last two days had been brutal. Those of us designated as fighters were pushed to our limits, while the others were put through less grueling self-defense drills.
“What do you need, Ells?” Skip slid into the room on her heels, shaking a toy made from a knotted sock.
“I don’t want to have to deal with my hair while we’re on the road, so I’m trying to do the French braid thing.”
Melissa sat on the edge of the bed, and Skip jumped up and lay down beside her. She studied the tangled mess I’d made of my hair and sighed. “You want the braid on each side, then meeting up at the back of your neck and turning into one braid?”
“Exactly.” I’d then coil up the braid and pin it at my nape, keeping it out of the way.
Melissa took my comb and untangled my snarly locks, parting it down the middle and starting the first braid. “Your hair is a lot lighter than it was.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “I’m outside a lot more than I was…before.” Who knew all it took to turn dishwater blonde hair into a soft light gold was hours and hours of weapons training and zombie fighting in the blazing sun? I didn’t recommend it.
When my hair was battened down for the journey, I thanked Melissa, rose, and threw a blue chambray shirt on over my jeans and black tank top. It was early May, but the morning had a little bit of a chill.
“Beth’s waiting downstairs,” she told me.
I’d been dreading this part. Melissa, Rebecca, and I had made our rounds of the neighborhood since being named to the fallback team, but at home we’d all been pretending nothing was happening. I thought we wanted to hold on to “normal” as long as we could, but now the time was here. We were leaving.
We arrived downstairs to find Rebecca and Bethany standing awkwardly on the front porch. Rebecca had gone full-on military, with a camouflage tank top, olive cargo pants, and her customary boots. She’d never been in the military, but it suited her. She stood in sharp contrast with Melissa’s green-checked gingham blouse, tied at the waist, over a green t-shirt and jeans. It almost looked like the apocalypse hadn’t touched the teenager, and I wished that were true.
I opened my mouth to speak, but Bethany held up a hand. “No, Ellen, we’re not saying goodbye. Okay?” Her lip trembled a bit as she finished speaking.
“So I guess a big, teary hug is out of the question?” My attempt at humor fell flat, and Bethany launched herself into my arms with a sob.
“I love you guys,” she sniffed, “but I’m not saying goodbye. I’ll see you again as soon as things are safe here.”
I glanced at Rebecca, whose expression said she wasn’t betting on Bethany’s prediction coming true, but knew we had to go with it. “I know, Beth. By fall, everything will be back to normal.”
She nodded. “I don’t want to watch you leave, so I’m going ahead to the greenhouse.” She slung her day pack over her shoulder. “Emma and Lucinda are moving in this evening, so I won’t be alone. Don’t worry.”
“We won’t,” Rebecca said, giving Bethany a friendly slug in the shoulder, which caused her to take a step to the side to retain her balance. I thought it was actually a very gentle gesture, coming from Rebecca.
After a few more see-you-later exchanges,
We’d all be okay. I was determined we would.
CHAPTER SIX
“Melissa, could you come help me, please?” I’d been trying to braid my hair for ten minutes and was getting nowhere. My hands were already cramping up with the effort.
She came bounding into the room a few seconds later, her dark hair in a high ponytail and secured with a green ribbon. I was lucky I’d made it out of bed. The training the last two days had been brutal. Those of us designated as fighters were pushed to our limits, while the others were put through less grueling self-defense drills.
“What do you need, Ells?” Skip slid into the room on her heels, shaking a toy made from a knotted sock.
“I don’t want to have to deal with my hair while we’re on the road, so I’m trying to do the French braid thing.”
Melissa sat on the edge of the bed, and Skip jumped up and lay down beside her. She studied the tangled mess I’d made of my hair and sighed. “You want the braid on each side, then meeting up at the back of your neck and turning into one braid?”
“Exactly.” I’d then coil up the braid and pin it at my nape, keeping it out of the way.
Melissa took my comb and untangled my snarly locks, parting it down the middle and starting the first braid. “Your hair is a lot lighter than it was.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “I’m outside a lot more than I was…before.” Who knew all it took to turn dishwater blonde hair into a soft light gold was hours and hours of weapons training and zombie fighting in the blazing sun? I didn’t recommend it.
When my hair was battened down for the journey, I thanked Melissa, rose, and threw a blue chambray shirt on over my jeans and black tank top. It was early May, but the morning had a little bit of a chill.
“Beth’s waiting downstairs,” she told me.
I’d been dreading this part. Melissa, Rebecca, and I had made our rounds of the neighborhood since being named to the fallback team, but at home we’d all been pretending nothing was happening. I thought we wanted to hold on to “normal” as long as we could, but now the time was here. We were leaving.
We arrived downstairs to find Rebecca and Bethany standing awkwardly on the front porch. Rebecca had gone full-on military, with a camouflage tank top, olive cargo pants, and her customary boots. She’d never been in the military, but it suited her. She stood in sharp contrast with Melissa’s green-checked gingham blouse, tied at the waist, over a green t-shirt and jeans. It almost looked like the apocalypse hadn’t touched the teenager, and I wished that were true.
I opened my mouth to speak, but Bethany held up a hand. “No, Ellen, we’re not saying goodbye. Okay?” Her lip trembled a bit as she finished speaking.
“So I guess a big, teary hug is out of the question?” My attempt at humor fell flat, and Bethany launched herself into my arms with a sob.
“I love you guys,” she sniffed, “but I’m not saying goodbye. I’ll see you again as soon as things are safe here.”
I glanced at Rebecca, whose expression said she wasn’t betting on Bethany’s prediction coming true, but knew we had to go with it. “I know, Beth. By fall, everything will be back to normal.”
She nodded. “I don’t want to watch you leave, so I’m going ahead to the greenhouse.” She slung her day pack over her shoulder. “Emma and Lucinda are moving in this evening, so I won’t be alone. Don’t worry.”
“We won’t,” Rebecca said, giving Bethany a friendly slug in the shoulder, which caused her to take a step to the side to retain her balance. I thought it was actually a very gentle gesture, coming from Rebecca.
After a few more see-you-later exchanges,
Similar Books
