population control

Chapter Seventeen: Maddi

Almost two weeks go by, and the weather is getting cooler. It's obvious fall is near. We all sit down for dinner, Omar, the last adult on earth, had food growing outside in a garden behind the cabin. So we always had food to eat. Today he made salads straight from his garden.
"What made you move here in the middle of nowhere?" John said to spark conversation.
"Well kiddo, my mom had gotten sick with cancer and uh, i wanted her to have a nice quiet place to...rest."
"Oh I'm so sorry." Sam responded with sympathy.
"Oh no it's alright, she was...gonna leave anyways because shortly after the apocalypse happened."
"Right."
It was quiet for a while.
"Well what did you do before you moved here?" John asked again.
"Wow you're full of curiosity aren't you?"
"I'm sorry about him." Maddi said with a stern look.
"Oh no it's okay, I like questions." He seemed like a very open and truthful man. "I was actually going to med school to become a doctor.
"Oh really? So you can help people get better?" John said sweetly.
"Yeah..." He said doubtfully. "I was also a chemist. I like mixing chemicals seeing what they'd do but I never made it into a career."
John looked amused and they continued conversations until dinner ended.
Nightfall had settled. John and Tally were sound asleep. I lied awake. I went into the kitchen to grab some water when I heard noises which sounded like they came from below my feet. I crawl onto the floor with my ear sinking into the wooden tile. I heard groaning and slurred words. Then I hear-
"What are you doing?" I jump up and turn my head to see AJ standing in front of me. I sigh with relief.
"AJ. Good it's just you."
"What were you doing on the floor?"
I look around to make sure no one is listening.
"Come here." I whisper. I can hear something underneath us.
"Like a basement?"
I nod and he gets on the floor and puts his ear to the tile. He looks up at me with concern. He gets off the floor. "Tomorrow we tell the others. What are you doing up anyway?"
"Couldn't sleep. What about you?"
"Same I have insomnia"
"Oh." We hear foot creaks coming from the other side of the house.
"What are you two kids doing up?" Omar said.
"Couldn't sleep." AJ said nonchalantly.
"Yeah me either!" He said with a chuckle. I looked at AJ. He was good at keeping his cool, so I played along.
"I just came down for some water I should probably head to bed though." I said. I took a dip of water and started heading up the stairs. In-between the bars I listen into AJ and Omar conversation.
"You like her?" Omar said with a smirk.
"Yeah she's cool, I mens we just met a couple days ago."
"Really?" Omar said intrigued.
"Yeah uh, her boat crashed into ours so we took them in."
"Them?"
"Uh yeah Sam, Maddi, and John."
"Ah cool cool cool."
"Well I probably should head up to bed too."
"Right right well night kid."
"Night." AJ started walking toward the stairs as I run to jump back into bed. Part of me wished he would say something to give me a sign he liked me, part of me wished that he would tell me himself. But don't want to waste my time wondering on the should've could've would've especially wishing on something that could potentially never even happen.