Christine

Chapter 3

I felt my jaw drop slightly. “What?”
His expression remained as it was. “I want you to answer me and do it honestly. Do you love me? Because I am in love with you, Christine. I have been for the past six years, all this time that you and I have been hanging out more. I love your smile, your eyes, your laugh. I like the way that you squint every time that you do something that you weren’t supposed to do. All this time that you’ve been happy with Rider, I didn’t say a word to you. Even before you met him, I was too scared to tell you how I feel, for fear you would reject me and tell me we’re only friends. And I know that right now that is all we can be – friends. But I swear, I couldn’t take another minute of dying inside whenever I see you with tears in your eyes, when you’re worried about the ones you love, especially about Rider.”
I stared at him blankly for a while until I processed everything included in his little speech.
“What are you talking about? How could you ask me to take a decision like this right now, have you looked around us? We almost died back there, we’re obliged to start over a new life in a place we don’t know and you’re asking me to tell you if I love you?”
I regret saying those words the exact moment I said them. He opened and closed his mouth a few times before he blinked and looked down.
He nodded, “I’m sorry. I know how you feel…Just –just forget this ever happened alright?”
“Adam, I-I’m sorry.” I said, extending my hand out, but he cringed, stepping away from me.
“Just forget it okay? Of course, how could I forget that we lost everything we had just to move here, in this God-forsaken hole – if there is a God, that is.”
I couldn’t think of anything to say, I just looked at him, my eyes full of glistening tears and my lips trembling. He backed away while he shook his head, before walking out the door into the freezing night.
“Adam! Where are you going?” I rushed to the door and looked outside, but he was nowhere to be seen.
I leaned on the doorframe and clenched my fists. What was wrong with me? I hated myself for having spoken to him like that, it was just cruel and heartless.
Bravo, Christine. You’re a heartless bastard.
I walked slowly upstairs and laid on my bed, hiding my face in my pillow, secretly hoping to suffocate myself in my sleep. But of course, I am not that lucky.

The next morning, I woke up to the sun shining in through the round window placed high on the wooden wall. As soon as I opened my eyes and turned around, Harry sat up on his bed, yawning. He turned to look at me, his face identical to Adam’s – something that really didn’t help with my feelings of guilt and shame.
“Good morning, beautiful”, he murmured, rubbing his eyes with his palms before yawning once more.
“Hi. How’d you sleep?” I said as I got up and caught my hair in the messiest bun humanity had ever seen. It was quite warm for a November evening, especially when it was close to snowing the previous night. I avoided Harry’s examining look as I walked around getting ready for the day. I didn’t have any work to do today and it terrified me not to be able to have something to take my mind of things.
“I slept alright. What’s up with you?” he asked, also getting up and putting on his shoes.
I shrugged. “Restless night, I suppose.”
“Oh, okay. Do you know where Adam is, by any chance?”
I felt my head throb at the sound of his name. “No, I just woke up, remember?”
He sighed. “Of course, my bad. Well, I’ll see if I can find him, we have the first day off since the day we arrived, he can’t miss the party!” He laughed and I heard him walk out the room, closing the door half-way behind him. I straightened my back from pretending to go through my drawer and threw my head back, staring at the wooden planks above me. The twins and I slept in the room that people would call the attic – it had an angled wooden ceiling which was actually the roof and wooden poles placed horizontally. It would actually have been really appealing to me, had I lived in it under any other circumstances other than alien zombie robots burning down my hometown and causing everyone to flee – or almost everyone, only those who survived.
As soon as I finished that thought, Rider popped into my head again, along with shame, guilt, sadness and despair. How would I be able to contact him, was there any way?

I fiddled with my phone in my pocket, my brows furrowing as I thought of calling him again. If he doesn’t answer, I said to myself, I’ll be even more miserable. But I couldn’t just forget all about him, I had to try to get to him.
I took the phone out of my pocket, flipping it open and pressing number two again, my hands shaking as I pressed the phone against my ear. After a torturing moment of silence, it started ringing again. I held my breath as my phone called his, silently begging for Rider to pick up. After a couple of times ringing, I gave up and was about to close when there was something on the end of the line. I froze, pressing the phone harder against my ear, trying to hear better. Breathing. People talking in the distance and someone telling them to stop.
“Rider?” I whispered, almost without making any sound.
“Hello? Who is this? Christine, is it you?” I heard a hoarse voice say at the end of the line. The voice was familiar, but it wasn’t Rider.
“Y-yes, it’s Christine. Is this Leo?” I asked, my heartbeat starting to race again.
“Christine, thank God! Oh dear, yes, it is Leo. We thought you hadn’t managed to get out and our phones aren’t working here – where are you, are you alright?” I heard Leo say, his voice strained with relief and his tone making it obvious that he was smiling.
“I don’t know where I am, it’s this town in the middle of nowhere. I’m fine. Where’s Rider?”
“He’s fine, he’s right over – wait, let me get him on the phone. Hey, Rider! Get your lazy ass over here, right now, someone needs to talk to you.” I heard him shout to someone standing far away from him. I cringed at the loudness of his voice, but my eyes were glistening with tears of relief – Rider was alright.

“What? Who is it?” I gasped at the sound of his voice as he came closer to the phone.
“Hello? Who is this?”
“Rider?”
A moment of silence – I could almost see his expression, his brows shooting up with surprise.
“Christine? Is that – is that really you?” his voice strained, tired, but also broken with emotions.
“Yes, yes it is me. I love you Rider, I really do love you.” I said, the lump closing my throat escaping along with my tears, as I started crying.
“Oh, Christine. I love you – and I am so worried sick of not being where you are. I thought you could be – might have been hurt. Where are you? Is everyone alright? How’s your mother? Are you alright?!” his voice was slightly panicked and I smiled despite the rivulets of tears on my cheeks.

“Yes, we’re all fine.” My voice broke as I tried to get myself together. “I called you during the disaster, but you wouldn’t reply!”
“I know, Christine, I’m sorry. I saw your number as soon as me and a bunch of others were in a safe place, but my phone wouldn’t call anyone – I think there’s something wrong with my line, I don’t know.”
“I was worried sick, Rider. You can’t believe how happy I am now. Is there any way you can come here?” I asked, my stomach twisting with anticipation.
“I don’t know – maybe. Is it safe there?”

“Yes, it’s a small town created by people running away by the robots. I think
they won’t have a problem with you coming as long as you help with building houses and facilities and stuff. How many are you?”
“There are about a dozen of us. How far away from Portland are you?” he asked.
“About five or six hours on the main highway, we’re behind some mountains – there are patrols in a radius around the town, they would find you and you could make sure you’re heading the right way.”
“Okay, love. I’ll see if we can come. Call me again tomorrow, or sooner if anything happens okay?”
“Okay Rider. I love you, bye.”
“Bye, my angel.” And he hung up.
***
A week later.

Thud… Thud…Thud…

“What the fuck!” I mumble and put my pillow over my head. At the start it seems effective, but then – Thud…Thud-thud-thud.
“Okay, that’s enough. It’s Sunday!” I cry and sit up, opening my eyes. Adam and Harry’s beds were empty and I could hear people talking and noise from the rest of the house.

I got up and walked to the door, still half-asleep. Harry was leaning on the wooden railing next to the staircase, looking at Adam who was standing on a stool, hammering in a loose board – hence the thudding that echoed through the house.
“Do you have to do that so early in the morning?” I yawn and stretch, wishing I could go back to sleep.
“Good morning to you too – it’s almost eleven, Christine,” Harry replies, smiling lightly at me.
“Oh well, it’s still Sunday, I need to sleep” I reply and pretend I don’t see Adam watching my with the corner of his eye.
“Ow!’ he exclaims and sucks on his thumb, as he hit it with the hammer while not paying attention.
“You’re such a handy-man,” I say sarcastically and get back in the bedroom to get dressed.

After getting into a pair of comfy sweatpants and a white long-sleeved blouse, I caught my hair into a loose braid and went to the kitchen, were Mum and Maggie were sitting on the table, drinking tea.
“Morning,” they both say and I nod in acknowledge. I walk over to the sink and grab a washed mug, wipe the water and pour myself some tea from the silver teapot that’s resting on top of the counter to my right.
“What are your plans for us today?” I ask, sitting into the chair next to Maggie and trying to warm up my hands – they seem to have frozen around the mug.
“We were thinking of just staying inside this week, the boys have a lot of work to do and we might have something to clean or dust when they’re done working on the house” Mum says and Maggie nods.
“This house definitely needs to become more welcome – it’s been months”, Maggie adds.
“Good, cleaning is so much better than helping to build this town” I say and get up, holding my mug and walk to the twins, who were now trying to fix the dripping faucet in the bathroom.
“Are you trying to clear a list or something?” I laugh as I walk by, not paying attention to their reply as I walk in the attic and sit on Adam’s bed, that’s closer to the other side of the room than were the door is. I pull out my phone and press two, then wait for Rider to pick up. He does after a single ring.
“Christine?”
“Yes, where are you?” I ask.
“We’re almost there – the patrol told us where to go and now we’re heading over to the – holy crap. Wow, that’s a big town for people that only get resources from the patrols and newcomers”, Rider exclaims. I can hear the excitement in his voice, but it’s nothing compared to what I’m feeling right now.
“Wait, you’re here?!” I squeal, then feel my face twitch as I regret being loud. Fortunately, the twins are too busy arguing to hear me.
“Yes, we’re now going downwards towards the town. We’ll be there in about five minutes.”
“Oh my God. Okay, okay.” I say and hang up, putting the device in my pocket before pulling the door wide open and flying down the stairs.
“Where’s the fire?!” Adam shouts from the bathroom but I ignore him, fleeing past Mum and Maggie and out the door.

When I’m at the “town square”, I look around, at the mountains, searching for the dirt lifted by a car going downhill. I spot them coming down the wide dirt road that is about a mile away, behind our house’s location. I feel my knees turn into jelly as I swiftly go back to the house and keep walking for about twenty feet, then wait for them to come closer to the road that’s next to me.

A couple of minutes later, they reach me and pull over right next to the house. The back doors open and a tall figure with dark brown hair gets out. Rider looks at me and smiles lightly.
“Oh baby,” I cry and run directly into his open arms. He caught me and swung me around.

“I love you.” He whispers, his face buried in my hair. “I love you so much, Christine.”
I blink to stop my tears from falling.
“I love you too, baby. So, so much.” I say and look up into his amber eyes. He looks at me for a fraction of a second and then presses his lips on mine, kissing me for the first time in almost a month. My worries seem to fade now that he’s here with me – that is, of course, until the back door swings open and Adam walks outside. His face crumbles with pain for a moment before he puts on a fake smile.
“Rider! Good to see you alive, man!” he says joyfully andis pulled into a tight hug.
“Thanks for keeping her safe, man. I owe you my life for doing so,” Rider says and I shift my weight nervously as Adam clears his throat and nods seriously.

After that, I look to the people getting out of the car, surprised by the number of survivors that could fit in the small car. The last one to come out is a tall, young bloke in his early twenties, with spiky bleached hair, a lip and an eyebrow piercing and the cheeky smile you’d expect to see on a six year old’s face. His eyes have a naughty sparkle hidden behind the light violet iris.
“Ello there, matey! How’s been everyone, eh?” Leo asks, his Australian bubbly personality coming out as strong as his accent, making me smile. He walks up to me and pulls me into a warm friendly hug. “It’s so great to finally meet you, Christine. I’ve heard so much about you!”

“Likewise,” I laugh, not being able to stay unaffected by the optimistic aura around him. “Rider talks about you a lot, actually. I was getting a bit worried about him spending time with you”, I joke.
“Ah, I knew that lad puts dirt on my name!” he laughs and jokingly smacks Rider upside the head.
“Hey! You little piece of pineapple!” Rider exclaims and gives Leo a nougie as the rest of their group gathers around us, carrying bags and boxes, laughing with them two fighting.

“What’s going on? Who – oh my!” I hear Maggie come to the door. “Penny! Penny, come quick, now!” she turns her head back and calls my mother out.
“What, what is it?!” my Mum rushes to the door and sees the crowd. “Who are these people? Dear God! Rider! Is that you?!” her mouth gapes in surprise.
“Hello, Mrs. Doquel. It’s such a relief to see that you and your family are all well,” he says truthfully before he is pulled into a suffocating hug by Mum.
“Oh my dear boy, don’t scare us like that ever again!” she yells. “Christine was worried sick when she called you while the disaster happened and you didn’t answer! And so was I, of course!”
“I know Mrs. Doquel. I am really sorry, I was so worried as well – I tried to call over and over again but our phones wouldn’t make any outgoing calls”, Rider replied bashfully.
“It’s all right now, honey. We’re safe and most importantly, we’re all together. All of us are a family now,” Maggie says and then warmly invites everyone inside, initiating the hard period of time of adapting to their new lives out here.

Most importantly, we’re all together.
Finally, Rider was by my side again. I was happy again.