The Zombie Apocalypse with MCR (Complete)

Warm Welcome

"I'm sorry," He said immediately, breathless. "I'm sorry, doll. I didn't mean to do that. It's-... It's not your fault."

"It's fine." I'd muttered sullenly. Turned away.

"Your... Your skin is cold, Nevaeh." His voice was hushed. Stunned by his own instinctual reaction and by this change in me.

I hadn't bothered with a reply.

I'd tried my best to dodge everyone as I'd packed my own bag and the essentials. I'd gone out early that morning looking for a car. I'd crashed my mother's the day before, and while the damage wasn't irreparable, I didn't want to risk breaking down on the road. I'd got lucky in the village we lived closet to, finding an expensive looking VW van with enough seats for us all and room in the back for our essentials.

I'd managed to get the van back to our bungalow, and was doing some minor repairs as Alissa joined me.

"I'm all packed." She'd announced.

"That's great." I'd grunted, because I was in the middle of heaving at a wrench to remove the massive wheel nuts. The sun was high in the sky, and I'd already changed two tyres, so I was sweating as I worked.

"You're acting perfectly normal."

"How else would I be acting?"

"You shouldn't be doing anything. You should be dead." Alissa's voice was strained, almost hysterical, and I'd turned.

Her mousy hair had been scraped back in a harsh ponytail. Her nose and mouth had been pinched, like she was speaking through gritted teeth. Her eyes blazed, and I'd been surprised by the emotion in their depths - fury.

"Yes." I agreed calmly, "I should be dead."

She had her arms crossed over her chest. Her foot tapped against the gravel, rapid-fire.

"Why you?" She demanded. "Why do you get to survive when no one else did? Huh? Everyone else is gone or a corpse. Drew. Mark. Both of my mothers. My cousins and friends and family. Nat's family. Everyone the guys know. Why do you get to live?"

"I don't know, Liss."

"Don't call me that!" She snarled. "Don't call me that ever again."

"I didn't ask for this." I said, voice tired.

"But you got it, didn't you? Survived, like you always do. Like some kind of cockroach." I flinched at the insult. "Everyone is gone and you get to stay. Just like you get everything else - you get to be brave and strong and you get to be a good fighter and you get to fall in love-" She dragged in a heaving, wet breath, close to tears. "What makes you so fucking special, Nevaeh?"

"Like it's my fault you're a coward." I'd thrown the words at her, finally too annoyed to choke them back.

"You bitch-!" She'd breathed.

"What's going on?" Frank's voice snapped between the two of us.

"Nothing," Alissa had shrugged, and started to stomp away. She'd stopped first to look down at me and wrinkled her nose. "I hate your eyes. They're ugly and frightening."

"Liss!" Frank exclaimed, but she'd already stormed back into the house.

I'd told Frank to leave it alone, but Alissa's irritation had not abated as we'd packed the house as best we could and filled up the new van. She'd chosen the back bench to sit on with Mikey, as far away from me as she could get.

Gerard, Ray and Natalie sat together, with Pandora sat under Natalie's feet, stretched out along the floor. Frank sat in the passenger seat.

We'd be leaving the tour bus behind. Alissa had tried to argue for it, hoping to keep the beds and the heavy-duty doors, but we needed to move quickly. Our new van was best.