At Least We're Alive

We've been driving for a while, I think. I crawled into my bunk after we left Walmart and slept for what felt like hours. With a yawn, I stretched my arms over my head, arching my back off the mattress in the process. I cringed slightly at the clicking sounds my bones made before rolling out of my bunk and onto the bus floor. I pulled myself to my feet and wandered into the kitchen area, where Alex, Danny, Ian and Rian were sorting through the supplies we had collected, stocking food in cabinets, loading guns with their corresponding bullets, and stashing first aid kits here and there. Matt was at the wheel and Ellie was leaning over him. It sounded like they were arguing, though I couldn't hear what about.

Alex, who was sitting at the table stuffing batteries into walkie talkies, was the first to notice my presence, glancing at me through thick eyelashes "Jacky boy, up so soon?" he asked, a small smile playing at his lips.

I laughed at the nickname and decided to take the seat across from him "How long was I out for?"

"'Bout an hour." he responded, tossing me a water bottle and a granola bar of some sorts.

"Where are we?" I asked, to no one in particular.

"Don't know. I do know that we haven't left Maryland yet, though." Rian replied, sounding the slightest bit annoyed.

"Matt and Ellie haven't been able to agree on what direction we should go, if we should stick to the roads or try the freeway, blah fuckin' blah. They've known each other for less than two hours and they're already like a married couple." Danny sighed.

The door to the backroom slid open and I could just make out Evan, Jeff and Zack flipping through channels behind Vinny and Grieco walking through the hallway into the kitchen.

Glasses, right. I need those.

"Excuse you, Danny, but I called dibs the minute she walked through that door." Vinny stated.

"Vinny." I love the guy, but I'm not gonna let him try to shack up with Ellie.

"I'm kidding.. Sorta." he said as he slapped me upside the head.

An overdramatic sigh was heard from the front and Ellie stumbled out into the kitchen, grabbing a water bottle and ruffling her fringe.

"Hey, um.. Grr.. iiecooo? What'd the news say?" she asked, struggling with our drum tech's unusual last name.

"Well, one of the channels that hadn't already been shut down was reporting the ridiculous traffic over the freeway, but then crashed onto said freeway, so." he replied, smirking with the last word.

An insanely cocky grin stretched across Ellie's face before she turned back towards Matt, "I fuckin' told you, Flyzik!" she shouted, claiming victory over their argument.

"Bite me." he called back.

"Nice choice of words there, sweetheart." she smirked.

Alex finished loading up the walkie talkies before handing me one and telling me to go to the end of the hallway. I did as was told and leaned against the bunks, waiting for Alex to-

"Say something!" he commanded, his voice coming through a lot less static-y than expected.

I chuckled, "Suck my dick."

"Maybe later." he winked.

"I'll hold you to that."

-

November 24th 2012, 7:36 p.m.

It started to get dark, and Ellie demanded that we stop and rest up for the night, saying that it's best to travel in the day. Matt drove off road and into a clearing, passed a park and a whole fuck ton of trees.

Deciding I needed to get out of the bus for a little while, I grabbed a shotgun off the backroom table and walked towards the bus door. I was stopped, however, by Ellie, who snatched the gun right outta my belt loop. "Ah ah, not until you boys learn how to shoot."

I scoffed, "Oh, and you know how?"

"I use to hunt with my dad." she handed me a hunting knife and shove me through the door, "Now go get your fresh air or whatever."

I leaned against the side of the bus and took a deep breath. I was just getting used to the silence when Alex stumbled out of the door next to me.

I smiled, "Hey."

"Hey, um.. Ellie m-made me come out here." he stuttered. I could've been wrong, but I could've sworn there was a slightly red tint to his cheeks.

He leaned on the spot next to me and we stood there in a comfortable silence for awhile. That is until Alex started to chuckle out of no where.

"What?"

"Ah, nothin'. It's just this whole situation's a little ironic for us, isn't it? I mean, we were just about to go on a tour entitled 'The Rock Show At The End of The World', and then the end of the world happened."

I laughed, 'cause yeah, it was a little ironic. But then Alex's smile faltered and he quietly asked, "Do you think we'll make it out of this?"

I didn't really know what to say. We hadn't run into much trouble, but then again we hadn't come very far either. He looked pretty freaked out, and I wouldn't dare make it any worse for him "Of course we will! There's no reason we couldn't."

He sighed, "Yeah, I guess."

"Look, It's only the first day. Who knows, maybe it'll all blow over by next week."

"You and I both know that's not true. But thanks, though."

"No problem." I titled my head back and rested it against the bus "I know this whole thing's kind of horrible, and that we could all totally die, but I'm glad I get to spend the end of days with you."

He grinned and was about to say something, but froze in place. I would've asked what was wrong, but I heard the moans and rustling not to far off.

"Fuck."

"Get inside, c'mon." I took him by the arm and pulled him inside myself, 'cause I'm pretty he was just gonna keep standing there. I shut the door behind me and started to panic when I didn't see anyone inside but then I remembered, backroom. "Matt, get the fuck out here!"

"God damn it, what happened now?"

"What the fuck do you think happened?! Get out here and fuckin' drive!"

It wasn't until geeks started pushing the bus that Matt hauled ass out to the driver's seat and got the fuck out of there and back onto the roads.

Ellie, Jeff, Matt, Rian and Zack stayed in the kitchen while the rest of us went in to our bunks and try to get some sleep. It probably didn't even matter, but I couldn't get my mind off what Alex was about to tell me. I pulled back my curtain saw Alex sitting in his bunk, reading some book with one of his earphones in. He took his eyes off the book and nodded, silently telling me he was listening.

"What were you gonna tell me back there?"

"Oh.. um, nothing. Goodnight, Jack." and with that, he closed his curtain.

I laid back on the mattress and pulled the curtain closed.

I'd get him to tell me sooner or later.