No Time To Bleed

Over the next week, Southwestern Airport sort of became a home.

Well, not a home, but a place where we could let our hair down.

Cece, Alex, and I hadn’t heard a word from Clarissa, Ryant, Max, or Aliah. We’re tried to figure out plans to get some sort of information, but we just ended up short.

Cece knew her way around breaking into places, but she said she needed more time.

And I hadn’t talked to Alex either other than when he’d returned my bat to me. Being around him just confused me, it was like he was trying to be my friend, keep his distance, and be protective of me all at the same time.

So, Antoinette and I hung out a lot of that week.

It was midday and the growling in my stomach hadn’t subsided since the morning so I decided to stop for some lunch.

My plate had become hallway full by the time someone came walking over behind me.

“Hey.” A smug grin crossed a boy’s face as I turned.

“Oh hey Jesse.” I had to say he looked especially devious today. “I haven’t seen you the last two days. What’s up?”

He wiggled his left leg a bit rigidly and grinned. “Yeah, they gave me a bit of physical therapy to get used.”

I put a corn on the cob on my plate and he followed me over to a table. His brown hair was tousled messily above his head.

We sat near the windows where the sun reached us.

I took a sip of my soda and he chuckled.

“What?”

He shook his head. “It’s just funny the way you drink stuff. You used to have that same look on your face at school.”

I rolled my eyes. “What look?”

“The I Need To Use The Bathroom look. It’s cute.”

I dismissed his compliment immediately and turned to my food again.

“We haven’t had the time to talk a lot.” His eyes squinted a bit more devilishly. “What have you been up to?”

“I don’t know, hanging out…” My eyes stuck down to the food. “I have a question.”

“Yeah?”

People were taking their various seats, enjoying the noon time relaxation. This place was a whole world different from the outside.

It almost seemed unfair to indulge.

“Why didn’t you tell me what happened to Jessica? That she got brain damage.”

His hands cuffed the front of his left shin that was propped upon his knee. He seemed look past me as he spoke. The light used its magic to change his eyes to various shades of hazel.

“Because I didn’t know how you’d react? There’s a lot to Jessica, a lot you never knew.”

“Well can you tell me? Cause she can’t and I’m wondering if I completely wrecked her life. You said you and her were friends right?”

He nodded and I forced a bit out of my sandwich even with the appetite suddenly gone from my stomach.

“Jessica and I used to live in the same house. Not like we actually liked together, but our parents were friend and it was a two family house.” His teeth needled against his lower lip. “We used to play all the time. Her dad was the big, burly guy who used to teach her how to fix cars and stuff. I used to bake in the kitchen with my mom.”

The image of a small Kyle, brown locks of hair down his ears and a silly little grin on his face, trying to reach the counter for flour and giggling with his mom.

It made him seem so innocent.

He sniffled. “Her mom used to take her on trips. I never knew where they went until I’d hear her dad screaming, like really screaming his head off and he said his wife was a lying bitch.”

I set my fork down to the napkin I had on the table.

“One night I heard her dad screaming and this thud hit the wall. The ambulance came and took Jessica’s mom onto a stretcher while her dad got taken away in handcuffs.” Jesse swallowed, muscles tugging against his hoodie. “Jessica slept in my room and she cried herself to sleep. She said she wanted to see her brother.”

Oh…

“Those trips her mom took her on were to see her other family. Her mother’s boyfriend lived 50 miles away in an apartment building.”

“Do you see why she’s such a bitch now?” he said.

It almost seemed ill to speak of a mentally disabled person in such a way.

“Actually I don’t. I know what it’s like to be in her situation and it sucks like hell. But, you don’t use it to torment other people.”

His eyebrows pulled together. “That’s what I was afraid of you saying. I guess I always took up for her cause I remembered her crying that night. She always seemed like that little girl to me.”

This confused me. “Then, why would you flirt with me at school when you knew she didn’t like me?”

“Because I liked you.” He admitted. “I can pick up for Jessica all I want, but I’m never gonna let her control my life.”

Now she never could. No matter how that had managed to happen.

“And I don’t hate you Jasmine.”

Hate me?

He must’ve read it on my face because he answered. “I don’t blame you for everything that’s happened. You were head strong, more than Jessica ever could have been.”

“Did you… you know?”

“Did I what? Like her?” He laughed. “Never. She was like my sister. Nothing like that ever happened.”

He leaned forward more now, feet against the floor and the hum of relaxation around us moving away. “So, what about you and that boy, Alex?”

I groaned at him. “Really? Are you seriously going to play that game?”

“What game?”

“The one where you act all jealous and like you own me. It’s fucking old and annoying and maybe I should leave.”

I picked up my plate and prepared to leave

“Wait! Wait! I didn’t mean to be rude. I’m stupid, okay? Just don’t go. I barely talk to anyone else here.”

I exhaled and plunked back down to my seat. “Something new to talk about then?”

He nodded timidly. “You pick.”

“What exactly have you been doing since I’ve been gone?”

His eyebrows popped up. “Curious? That’s surprising! You used to avoid me like the Plague!”

“Well, I’m your friend now. Is that hard to believe or do I have to shove my foot up your ass again?”

He leaned back casually. “Oh please, I didn’t even take the shoe out from last time.”

That got an honest to God laugh out of me and I appreciated the humor. Not many people like to tolerate it.

“What I’ve been doing? After you left, I woke up and Jessica was trying to hold back the dresser because those pricks were getting. I ended up finding this match and lit the place on fire. We ran out while those things were on fire and coming after us.” Goosebumps rose on my arms.

“And Jessica was delusional. She kept on saying she saw her dad and she had to go back into the house while it was burning.”

My food was about halfway done by now and I moved onto the cake that was on my other small plate. It was moist and cool.

“After that, I took care of her and she took care of me. We ended up in this grocery store with a bunch of other people. It was barricaded and we were safe for a while. The zombies got in once or twice, but the last time it happened, we knew we all had to leave.” He finally looked to me. “That’s how we ended up here.”

I shook my head, sipping my soda again. “That sounds freaking crazy. Do you know that?”

“Oh please, I bet you have about 10 million more stories than I do.”

I snorted. “Whatever.”

I internally laughed. It was probably right though.

“Tell me what’s happened with you! I wanna know what you did.”

So, reluctantly and slowly I went through it. I went through looking for Ryant, getting kidnapped, William having an untimely end, breaking into Lexicon (a few things not included), Shatoya being gone, picking up Aliah, the park incident, and the murderous family we’d barely escaped.

And in the end, it probably took about a full hour to explain and we were mowing around to 3 pm.

“So, that lady killed her son?”

I nodded and my plate had long gone been done. “Yeah, she had to.”

He sighed. “Well, geez. Your story kicks my story’s ass.”

“I think there’s no real competition as long as there’s a zombie outside.” I contradicted.

A table nearby was being cleaned. A baby cried in a man’s arms. The guards were clearing out the area.

“I guess we should be leaving soon.” He stood first and reached out his hand for me to take. “You ready?”

I took his hand with only a bit of thought and forced back the tugging in my stomach.

His leg wobbled from side to side as he tried to maneuver it correctly.

My fingers ended up itching away first from his grip. He didn’t even seem to care as we walked.

“Jasmine! Jasmine!” Kyle came scrambling down from ahead.

“Yeah?”

Kyle and I had sometimes talked during this whole week, nothing too far from a joke here or there. He had managed to be entirely obnoxious and somewhat charming at the same time.

“Have you seen my sister? She’s being totally weird today. I think she got into some fight with Cece or something at breakfast.”

“Wow. A fight with Cece? Like fists flying?”

He shook his head, suddenly aware that Jesse was here and moved his gaze back to me. “No. Not like that. Just some silent screaming death match between them. I guess they don’t like each other.”

“You guess?” I gaped. “Where the heck have you been?!”

“What?”

I looked to Jesse for a bit of support and he shrugged. “I’m not involved.”

“Anyway, I think she’s on the roof. I need you guys to help me find her.” His eyes were pleading.

“But, what about Cece?”

“I think she’s back at the hotel lobby reading magazines. I tried to talk to her, but she said I was the enemy.”

“Well, I can’t just-“

“Don’t worry.” Jesse said. “I’ll check on her.”

“Um, okay?” I hadn’t even got the words out my mouth and Jesse was gone.

“That dude creeps the hell out of me out.” Kyle murmured.

“What?”

“Nothing! Never mind!” He yanked my arm out the socket and we were off.

“Um, Kyle how are we getting to the roof of an airport?”

His arm latched around my shoulder and pulled me ahead. “We’re gonna sneak up there of course.”

That’s when I really felt like throwing up.