The Apocalypse: The First Year

More Than What Meets The Eye

"We're gonna need to make a decision soon, we're wasting daylight." Carmen says to the group as we continue to try to decide what we're gonna do.

"I vote we help them find their group." Glen speaks up.

"Me too." I say and Ashley turns and gives me a slight smile.

"What about our group, me and Carmen's families?" Tim asks.

"We're not saying that they aren't important." Ashley says, putting her bow on her back. "We're closer to my group so we're gonna look for them first and we promise to help look for yours."

"I know these woods." Aiden says. "If you tell me where they were last, I could probably help you find them in no time." He adds.

"Sounds like a plan." I say.

Tim sighs and looks at Carmen for an answer. She shrugs and shakes her head like she doesn't know what to do.

"Okay." Tim nods to Ashley.

"Okay, let's get going." She says, throwing her pack on her shoulder and taking off into the woods with all of us on her heels.

"Spencer." Carmen walks up next to me and says. We're in the back of the group. A few feet behind Aiden and Glen who can't seem to keep their hands off each other.

"Yeah?" I ask, turning to look at her briefly.

"How much do you know about this Ashley girl?" She asks me and I stop walking and turn to face.

"I don't know." I shrug. "Not a lot, I guess...why?" I question her with narrowed eyes. Was she getting the same feeling as I was?

That Ashley was hiding something...something big.

"I don't know." She shakes her head as we start back walking. "I just feel like maybe there's more to her then she's letting on." She says, boring holes into Ashley's back.

"I think she's just..." I trail off, not entirely sure what I was going to say.

"She's just what?" Carmen asks, glancing over at me. I keep my eyes on Ashley for a moment. She walks with so much authority. Almost like she's been in a situation where she's had to lead before. She's super confident and amazingly good with a bow and arrow and probably her gun too. I've yet to see her shoot it though. "Spencer." Carmen calls my name, breaking me from my thoughts.

"Hmm?" I ask, looking over at her.

She smiles and looks back up at Ashley. "You like her huh?" She asks.

What?

"What?"

"I can tell. I think she likes you too."

"I barely know her."

"I barely knew Jayden before I decided I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her." Carmen shrugs. "Sometimes we don't get to choose who we love, it just happens."

"I don't love her!" I counter quickly.

"Didn't say you did." Carmen turns to me and says with a smirk. She runs to catch up with Tim close to the front. Glen whispers something in Aiden's ear then comes and join me in the back of the group.

"How's it going baby sis?" He asks with a smile.

"I should be asking you that." I say with a smile. Glen blushes a deep shade of red before shaking his head.

"It's going." Is all he says. "I mean with Ashley, though." He says after a moment. Why does everyone think I'm into Ashley? I've only known the girl for three days.

"Glen I don't-"

"I think she likes you." He says cheerfully.

"We barely know each other. How do you even know she's into girls?" I ask, out of sheer curiosity.

"I don't. Aiden says she never talks about past relationships or anything like that. He barely knows anything about her, now that I think about it." Glen says and scratches his head.

"That seems to be the theme going around." I say softly as I stare at Ashley's back.

"Yeah, well if you like her you should just ask her if she's into girls." He shrugs. "That's what Aiden did... you know to me about guys." He adds before running to catch up with Aiden.

Maybe I should just ask her...I mean, asking her if she's into girls doesn't mean I like her or anything.

We walk for a couple more hours before we decide to break for lunch.

"Four cans of beans and a box of crackers." Aiden says taking everything from his bag.

"Two cans of soup, a can of corn and some Vienna sausages." Tim says, doing the same.

"I have medical supplies in my bag." I tell the group.

"I have spices." Glen says with a shrug. Getting a look from everyone. "What?" He asks looking around at everyone. "You're gonna thank me later when you don't have to eat bland beans and corn." How did I not see that he was gay?...

"I have rice." Carmen says, shaking her head at Glen.

"I think there's a creek about a mile in that direction." Ashley says, pointing to her right. "I could probably catch some fish."

"That's a great idea. A little protein would be great right about now." Tim says. Ashley gets up and looks around for something. She picks up a stick and takes a need and some rope from her backpack. She bends the needle on a rock then takes the rope and ties it all to the stick she just found.

Really?

She didn't just make a fishing rod in five seconds.

"What were you before all this?" Tim asks Ashley with a raised brow. I guess as amazed as I am.

"A student." Ashley answers quickly before she starts to walk in the direction of the creek.

"I'm gonna..." I trail off and point in the direction Ashley just walked off to. Getting a smile from both Glen and Carmen. "Ashley wait up!" I say as I chase after her.

"Hey." She says once I reach her.

"Hi." I reply with a smile.

"You fish?" She raises a brow and asks.

"Yeah." I say with a puffed out chest.

"Right." She says and laughs a bit.

"What?" I drawl out. "I do fish." I say, trying to convince her. She's not buying it.

"Lemmy see your hands." She says and grabs my left hand before I can even reply. We stop walking as she examines my hand carefully. "No you don't." She shakes her head, dropping my hand and starting to walk again.

"Okay so I don't." I jog to catch up with her. "My dad was gonna teach me once." I say.

"What happened?" She asks quirking a brow.

"A zombie apocalypse." I tell her with a shrug.

"Right."

"Teach me." I throw out.

She turns and looks at me, brows raised and a smirk playing at her lips.

"Okay." Is all she says before turning and continuing to walk towards the creek.

"Okay." I say unnecessarily as I turn and follow her.