The end of the world

Chapter Eleven

"That is part of the learning process. You get your ass beat and Danielle feels bad afterward." Miguel says.

Once we get to our tent we climb in. I sit on the little bed I made and grab a pair of my pants. "Ugh! I guess." I groan. I grab my knife from under my pillow and started cutting my pants.

"What are you doing?" Miguel questions with raised eyebrows. I look up at him and then back down at what I'm doing.

"I'm making shorts. I don't have any." Miguel nods. "I'm going to go hunting today. Maybe I can find a good deer to bring back. We're running low on food."

"Would you like company?"

"Only if you want to accompany me." I finished cutting my pants. I slid the pants I'm wearing right now off and replaced them with the shorts I just finished making. I take off my red and black shirt and replace it with my red flannel. I don't button up the shirt. I keep it unbuttoned but I tie it around my chest which exposes my stomach and my bra. I roll up the sleeves so they're around my elbows. This is the most skin I have shown since meeting Danielle. I turn around and look at Miguel.

"How do I look?" I raise an eyebrow. Miguel looks up at me and whistles lowly.

"Caliente," Miguel says. I smirk.

"I'll take that as a compliment. Considering I don't know what it means." I wink at Miguel with a smile before getting out of the tent. I was on my way to the weapons bin. I need my weapons so I can go hunting. Before I could get across the camp Cora passed me muttering under her breath.

Before Cora passed me fully she whispered "slut" under her breath. I refrained from flinching.

"You slut!" My dad would scream.
"That's too revealing. What are you trying to go for? The school Slut? Go change that's against the word of God." My mom would always say

I shake my head to get the flashbacks out of my mind. I turned around so I could face Cora. "Excuse me? What did you say?"

Cora turned around and narrowed her eyes. "I called you a slut." Cora shrugged. "You were clearly asking for it. Dressing like that." Cora chuckled.

"For one, I'm not a slut not that it's your business in what I do. Two, you don't have a right to call me that." I smile sweetly.

"For one," Cora started mockingly, "I can call you whatever I like. Two, you aren't the boss of me."

"This is my group." I took a step towards Cora. "I let you stay here. I can easily kick you out."

"Your group? I don't see you doing anything besides being a slut." That was my final strike. I clenched my hand into a fist and let it swing into Cora's face. Cora stubbled back at the blow to the head.

"You bitch!" Cora screeched alerting everyone of the fight that will most likely take place. Cora tried punching me but I grabbed her wrist and flipped her over my shoulder making her land on the ground. Cora swiped her leg at my feet making me meet the ground. Cora got off the ground and crawled onto me landing a punch to my gut. Cora then punched me in my face. My mouth was suddenly filled with blood. I lift my leg so my knee would connect with Cora's chin making her head go up. I lean my head up and headbutt Cora, causing more damage to her face. Then I kicked Cora off me with my knee.

I get back onto my feet along with Cora. Cora tries to punch me again but I punch her in the throat making her hold her throat and stagger back for air. I tried walking towards Cora but she kicked me in the stomach making me fall back onto the ground. Cora takes something out of her back pocket and it glints in the sun.

That's when I realized it was a knife. Oh hell no. I kicked Cora in the stomach as she did with me. Cora stumbled and I took that to my advantage and jumped up off the ground. I grabbed Cora's forearm as she swung the knife at me and twisted her arm making her groan in pain. Cora dropped the knife and I twisted her arm behind her back and kicked at her knee caps making her kneel.

Cora knocked her head back, making me stumble and lose my grip on her. Cora then started advancing and I did too. Before we could do any more damage Miguel and Danielle held me back while Lilley held Cora back. "Let go of me." I sneer trying to get out of the two holds. Cora's nose was bleeding from when I headbutted her. A big blue bruise started forming at the side of her head and chin from when I kneed her and punched her. I shrug Danielle and Miguel off me and touch my lip. I hiss in pain as my finger glides across my split lip.

I narrow my eyes at Cora before I lean down and grab her knife from the ground. I approach Cora but I still keep my distance. "You do not pull a knife out on me. Or anyone for that matter." Cora scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"You were the one that started the fight," Cora gestured to the side of her now bruised face "you punched me. I only did what you deserved."

I roll my eyes. I take a step closer toward Cora. "Maybe you should learn to keep your mouth shut and mind your own business." I tilt my head to the side and slip her knife into my knife holster. "If something like this happens again you're on your own." I threaten before turning on my heels to grab my weapons from the weapon bin. I hear Cora scoff behind my back. It took all my willpower not to flip around and punch her in the nose again. I grabbed my katana, shotgun, and pistol before I headed into the forest to catch myself a deer.

It's been a couple of days since the fight between me and Cora. I've been avoiding her like the plague. Anytime she comes up to me I ignore her and walk the other way. I still have no idea what was going through her head to make her go after me. My lip is still split but it's starting to heal. When I went hunting I caught five squirrels, one owl, and a raccoon. Sadly I didn't get a deer. Miguel also started to bring up my parents again. He keeps saying I should 'see the good in the bad'. I want to believe Miguel about my parents changing but all they have done to me is bring me pain. I don't think I can handle any more pain from them.

If I ever am in a tough spot out here and my group and I need a place to stay then and only then would I ever consider going back to living with them. I was cleaning Miguel's and mines dirty clothes down at the river when I heard a noise approaching me. I look up from scrubbing the clothes and see Cora walking towards me.

I raise my hand stopping her from moving any closer. "No, nope, not doing it. I am not dealing with your shit today." I wave my hand at her in a signal to go away.

Cora raises her hands in defense. "I just wanna talk."

I give her a look that asks her are you crazy. "Yeah no." I shake my head. "Last time you and I had a one-on-one experience," I nod to the bruise on the side of her face. "That happened." I raise my eyebrows.

"I want to apologize and explain my actions." I roll my eyes.
"There's a reason behind picking a fight?" I tilt my head. "Usually I just do it for fun."

Cora sighs, "I was mad." I wave my hand in a circular motion to signal her to continue. "I was mad that you were ignoring me."

I frown my eyebrows in confusion. "Why?"

"Because I want us to be friends. I want to make it up to you for what I did in school." I sigh and look down. I get up from the ground and go to a nearby tree.

"Well, maybe you should learn how to actually communicate. Then I might take you up on your offer." I smile a small smile in her direction as I put the clothes on different branches of the tree so they can dry. Cora also shared a small smile with me before leaving. Once Cora was out of sight I let out a little chuckle.

I could give Cora another chance. We were in high school as freshmen when she turned on me. She could have changed. I sure as hell did.

But if she makes one wrong move I will end her.