Stability (by D&N)

Ch. 11-Jada

As I watched my little group of brave friends enter the beige building, an unsettling cloud found its home behind my rib cage and created a fog bank surrounding my heart. A strong stench of rotting meat and puberty pervaded my nose and I found it hard to breathe. Oh my god, I thought, what is happening?? Is this my world now?? My lungs twisted tight and my vision stretched and blurred, as if I were looking through a kaleidoscope. I swayed on my feet and almost fell, if Juan's soothing voice hadn't broke my panic.

"Hey? You alright?" I knew now wasn't the time to break down. Our strongest leaders had left and I was held accountable for the sanity of the rest of the group. Four of our strongest peers had had the guts to set off on this beginning expedition: Angelina, Joe, Shamar, and Robert. Juan, although invited to join the courageous adventurers, had stayed behind to help me with anything; whether it be comforting, or asserting authority, Juan was there to help.

I glared at the kids who were still atop the locker rooms, gasping for air as though it could sew up the messed up world they were living in. Yanessa, with curls frizzing out everywhere and fright in her countenance, was focused on nervously braiding her hair. She would get halfway down the braid, would undo it unsatisfied, and would start over, mumbling something to herself, a personal therapy perhaps. Logan held his beautiful girlfriend, Josie, in the crook of his arm. Josie had agreed to go on the mission as well, but a sudden mental breakdown had prevented her from stepping off of the building. Of course, her super hero Logan refused the mission and had come to rescue her from the mental prison she had created for herself; a mental prison everyone had for themselves. I noticed her body bobbing up and down in sudden jerks as Logan ran his fingers through her thick, blond hair, lovingly and longingly. I would hate to see anything bad happen to either of them. No matter how strong Josie was, Logan would remain her rock, and he would always be there to hold her hand when her knees buckled.

 Alex and Dylan were huddled on the floor around Danika and Michael F, trying to drabble on about any distracting topic they could find. Michael F, seeing fit it was imperative for him to look after Danika's ankle, had also decided to stay behind. "For the welfare of the group," he had said. I saw Michael C and Tristan join them on the floor, before staring off into nothingness. Maybe it was fright. Or maybe it was confusion. Maybe both. Carlos, Anthony, and Sujoy, some of my best, nerdy guy friends, were climbing over an air vent sticking out to the far left of the roof. I saw Carlos leap up to the top with ease, Anthony struggle but reach his destination with a cunning grace, and Sujoy panting wildly while he begged Carlos and Anthony for help up. I wanted to giggle, but held it in. It didn't feel right to laugh now.

"Yeah, I'll be okay." I turned to face Juan, replying to his question. I stared at his childlike, baby face. His cheeks were soft and large, outlined in a faint scruff, declaring him a man. Or so he thought it declared him a man. His glasses still hung lankily off to the side, obviously broken somewhere inside the frame. He smiled at me, a bona fide smile. His lips hung slightly open, his tongue slipping out in an adorable fashion. He punched me softly in the arm and his punch dissolved into a caress, sliding up my arm, as he walked away, to go join the group of kids around Danika and Michael F.

I looked at the ground, hiding my blush, and  tilted my eyes up at the sky. It was getting dark and the sun only halfway waved goodnight. My heart beat sped up as I worried about the returning group. They had disappeared into the building with stealth in their hands and I hadn't heard any rustling yet. Either they had it too easy, or something had gone terribly wrong.

I considered sending maybe Carlos and Logan out to check if they were okay, until I saw Vanna and Kyra. They stood hand in hand on the ledge of the building, the wind billowing in their silky black hair. I couldn't see their faces; their backs faced the rest of the group. "Vanna, Kyra, what are you thinking? Get away from the ledge!" My voice ricocheted off of all the buildings, seeming to never land near the two girls' ears. Over the side of the building, I heard growls and grumbles. They were thirsty and untamed and I instantly knew that there was a hoard of zombies at the base of the building, clawing their way up unsuccessfully. I started to slowly graze over to my two friends. I had no clue in the world what to do. What would Angelina do? What would Shamar do? An endless loop of those two questions formed train tracks in my brain and increased in speed. I heard Nathan's voice over my shoulder, yelling at the two girls, to try to obtain their attention, no avail. I screamed again. "Vanna! Kyra! Stop! It's dangerous!" They ignored my every word. I was several steps behind them before they jumped.