Buzzkill (A Lesbian Story)

9: I Hate Silence

  The smell of oven baked pizza almost made me forget that we were in the beginning stage of a zombie apocalypse. The barricaded doors, windows, and movement to the upstairs loft space, however, had not. The four of us, Ricky included, silently sat on my couches in the dim light of a single lamp and ate our pizza.

  I didn't like this whole silent thing. Never really have. I looked over at Steve. He was on his fifth slice of pizza, eating like this was his last time. Who knows. It probably could be. Why the fuck are you thinking like this, Max? Shaking my head, I looked up at Ashley on the couch across from us. She hadn't really spoken since we got to my house. Hardly ate her pizza too. Ricky sat with his head in her lap, whining slightly with his ears back. Her hand slid over his head and down his body in a repetitive petting motion. Her hazel eyes stayed on his head and she smiled slightly everytime his tail lifted in a wag.

  God, I felt so bad for her. Even though I never thought I would say that, but after what happened to her mom... At least she knows what happened. I dont even know if my parents are alive. I tried my phone on the ride back to my house, but there wasn't any service. I dont even know where they are or if they made it upstate in time. They probably didnt, in all honesty...

  Wow. What a downer.

  Getting up, I set my plate on the coffee table. "I'm going to take a shower. God knows when I'll be able to take one again." No one says anything as I walk to the bathroom and shut the door behind me. My eyes instantly went to the shower curtain and i felt my spine stiffen. There's always that feeling you get when you think that something's going to jump out at you from behind the shower curtain. Unfortunately, that seems like a reality now.

  To ease my mind, I quickly pull the curtain back and sighed in relief when nothing was there. It was just my stupid mind.

  I get a look at myself in the mirror and cringed when I see Mrs.Anderson's dark blood still on my arms and jersey. Turning the shower on, I stripped down and stepped in. The warm water rushed over me as I scrubbed at my arms with a loofah. They were pink and raw by the time I was done, but at least I felt like Mrs.Anderson wasn't there anymore.

  Going through the motions of a shower, I cleaned the rest of my body. My back turned to the water as I washed conditioner out of my hair. On instinct, my eyes kept closing, but I had to open them back again. My paranoia set in and I kept thinking that something was going to get me. Something was going to break through the door and grab me. I will die while I'm naked and that will be the worst way to die.

  After everything, I turned the shower off, rung out my hair, and slowly peaked my head from behind the curtain. Nothing was there except for my pile of clothes on the ground. Relax, Max. I grabbed my towel from the rack and wrapped myself in it. I picked up my clothes from the floor and opened the bathroom door.

  This time, something was there and I jumped slightly, my clothes falling from my arms. It was just Ashley, standing with her back to the wall. An eyebrow rose at my skiddish behavior, "Did I scare you?"

  I bent down to grab my clothes, cautiously holding onto my towel. "Kind of. Im just paranoid. Don't mind me."

  Her eyes were averted from me and red kind of tinged her cheeks. "Noted." Her throat cleared as she looked back to me. "I just wanted to say thanks for what you did back there. Not leaving her in the middle of the hallway."

  I nodded. "It's not a problem. Really."

  Ashley only nodded back. We stood in silence for a few beats before I stepped aside, "Do you need a shower?"

  "Yeah. After today, I just..." Ashley rubbed her arms slightly.

  "I understand." I nodded. "Extra towels are under the sink. Extra soap, shampoo, conditioner, and toothbrushes are in the bottom left drawer."

  She smiled slightly. "I remember."

  All I do is nod once more before walking over to my room to change into new clothes.

Autor's Note: I bet you guys thought I was dead. Think again, fam. Thanks for reading! Xoxoxo