The Girl Who Stopped the Apocalypse (pjo fanfiction)

4- Once we can see the stars again

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I woke up with the chilly air of autumn. It had been one whole year since the Apocalypse started. One year...

My morning was as ordinary as it could be in the middle of disaster.

I woke up in my shelter, alone and freezing. I jumped up and down to get the feeling back to my limbs before I went outside.

I grabbed my sword and a bucket to fill in the puddles that were all over the place, as it had been raining the night before. I filled the bucket and went back inside, running away from the cold.

I took off my clothes and washed myself with the water of the bucket, scrubbing hard to clean the dirtiness, the blood and the death smell. I rinsed my hair and tied it up in a bun once more. 

I dressed myself in some jeans and a green top, and put on my parka.

That morning, I ate some stale crackers in order to fill my emty stomach, and took a look at my surroundings. The shop was now nearly empty, with barely any food to survive. I'd need to move soon if I wanted to keep myself alive.

So I packed my things in my schoolbag. I kept all of my clothes, my weapons, a cereal bar and a lighter that I'd found during a raid. I'd need to find a bigger supermarket to move in.

When I was about to go out, though, something stopped me. Or should I say someone.

"Nico!" I ran to him and hugged him.

We did not live together. He's a lone wolf, and so am I. We need our own space. He leaved for a while, sometimes a few weeks or whole months, but always came back.

"Haze, I've got so many things to tell you!" He said, excited.

"Can it wait a while? I've got to move." I told him as I packed the little water I had left "It's hard living all alone, you know."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about, sissy" He sat in the floor and motioned me to sit by him.

I scoffed but sat by him.

"You see, there are some survival groups. Nice people. Mostly teenagers like us."

"Ok... And?" I sounded annoyed, as I felt. Why were those teenagers important anyway?

"I know two of them. There's a tiny one here in San Francisco and one much bigger in New York, right in the Metropolitan museum."

"So, there are two groups of teenagers that are smart enough to survive. So?"

"We could move in with them! You said it, it's hard to live all alone. We could move with the tiny one first so you can get used to them, and then join the two groups! It would be awesome, and much easier!"

His eyes sparkled with excitement. But I was confused. My brother, wanting to socialize?

"And why do you have such an interest in enrolling in those groups?" I asked

"You know... Less work, easier to survive... More people..."

I sighted "You're my brother. I know you. What's with that new sudden interest?"

"I met someone, Hazel. He's just wonderful, and makes me feel really happy"

I smiled sadly "I see... What's his name?"

"Will. Will Solace"

"I won't move with new people, Nico. I just can't. I... I don't think I can trust new people anymore. But I think you should do what makes you happy"

"But I don't want to leave you!" He whined 

"You follow your heart" I told him "You are lucky, you found the love of your life. Now don't let him escape"