Fire In Our Bones (NovaHD)

Chapter 6

When James went downstairs to wake Aleks up, he wasn’t in the couch room. He wasn’t in the kitchen or the front room or the basement either. He tried not to feel worried, but went to open the front door. He looked out and saw Aleks’ hoodie, red against the drab brown. He was sitting, hunched into himself just staring off in the distance. James frowned.

“Aleks,” he murmured, leaning down and shaking him.

“Mmm, what?”

“What the hell? Why are you outside?”

“I couldn’t sleep on the couch.”

“It looks like you’re not sleeping at all right now?”

“I guess I’m used to sleeping on the ground,” Aleks shrugged, not meeting James’ eyes.

“How much did you sleep last night?” James asked.

Silence.

James sighed. “I thought you were feeling better…”

“So what, James? It’s my problem, isn’t it? I don’t see why you should care.”

“You don’t see…” James stopped, dragging a hand over his eyes. “You know what? I don’t understand you. It seems like you never tell me what’s really going on with you.”

“Maybe because that’s none of your business, James! Did you ever think of that?”

“It is my business goddammit!” James yelled.

“Why?” Aleks spat.

“Because, you’re my best friend Aleks. It’s you and me right now. I think what happens to you affects me too,” James tried to explain, but he found he didn’t have the right words in him.

“Well it shouldn’t,” Aleks turned and stormed into the house and James was left alone.

He stood there for another minute before turning and following him.

The sun hadn’t come up all the way yet so it was dim in the house. Aleks was sitting at the table, examining his pistol lovingly. It was the one Kevin gave him when all of this had started. When they were all together as a group. That hadn’t lasted long, though. James had never thought that it would. He resisted thinking about them. Aleks was here; they weren’t. Right now Aleks needed him and it seemed like they were fighting all the time.

“Aleks,” he said as gently as he could.

Aleks looked up, startled. His eyes glinted in a ray of early sunlight that bounced around the room.

“Aleks, I just want to make sure you’re alright. That’s all, ok?”

Aleks nodded, looking down again. He ran his thumb along the barrel of his pistol for what felt like forever before answering.

“I’m ok, James. I am. I’m not perfect, I probably never will be, but I’m getting along.”

“Ok. Good, I guess,” James said, nodding, mostly to himself.

“And, what about you?” Aleks said, catching James off guard.

“What?”

“How are you doing, asshole?”

As long as Aleks was fine, so was James, but he couldn’t exactly tell Aleks that, so he just shrugged.

“Oh, I’m fine and dandy as always. Just needing some more zombies to smash.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say dandy before.”

“People change, Aleksandr. There’s your valuable life lesson for the day.”