Chubs was right. So we didn't go shopping. Instead, we hid in our hideout until the sun went down. We tensed every time a car drove by or a human crossed the street nearby.
Liam had taken Zu onto his lap and held her tightly to comfort and warm her.
In the meantime, I had put on some trousers and a warm jumper, but I was still freezing.
I wondered, how long it would take us to get sick in the cold.
„Okay, I think we are safe to go" Liam said and got up. „Wait here, please. I'll go and look if we are free to leave." he went away from our hideout and came back a minute later, waving at us to come with him.
Chubs took our 2 backpacks and I took Zu and we walked slowly up to Liam who took one of the backpacks from Chubs. We quietly moved through the town. It looked somewhat scary and deserted now. Many shops were empty and their windows were smashed with heavy bricks.
We continued walking for an hour before Liam decided to get us some fast food.
While he was gone, I looked around, trying to find a place where we could sit down when I saw it: An abandoned car park full of old cars that nobody seemed to miss.
I walked towards there and looked around. Many cars were old and rusty and small.
In the corner far right I saw a small hut. I went up there and peeked inside it through a slit in the wooden panelling.
Many keys hung on the walls. I needed to somehow get in there. I found a crow bar behind the hut and propped it up in the slot of the wood. I pushed against it with all my strength and very slowly the wood began to splinter and finally break.
I laughed triumphantly and stuck my hand through the gap and opened the door from inside. Inside it smelled musty and mouldy. No one had been here for years.
I grabbed the keys which looked the least old in hope to find a car to maybe stay the night in. To at least have a dry place for us.
I walked around the place for about 10 minutes when I found it: a black minivan. At it's side it had a small writing on it. „Betty's cleaning service" it said. I grinned. It was perfect. I tried some keys and luckily had the right one on me.
I opened the car to look inside and smiled to myself. We could even sleep inside here! It was perfect for the night.
I made my way back to our small group where Liam had just arrived. „Where have you been?" he asked concerned as he handed ma a small bag with food.
„I hope, you can drive, because I've found something nice" I said, holding up the keys and grinned to my friends.
They looked stunned and amazed and equally happy when we reached the minivan. „Wow! Pretty roomy. Awesome!" Chubs said as he climbed inside.
Liam looked pleased as well and Zu couldn't stop smiling at me.
After eating, Liam took the keys. He wanted to see if „Black Betty" could still drive. We celebrated when the motor turned on.
The tank was still half full and the minivan appeared to be fully functional in other respects as well.
„Oh I could kiss you, Anni!" liam exclaimed excitedly as he manoeuvred the car onto the streets. I blushed in the backseat and couldn't help but imagining it which left a warm tingling feeling in my center. I smiled down as Zu watched me and yawned. We didn't get too much of sleep last night and my head was pretty sore as well.
__________
I must have fallen asleep. When I opened my eyes again, the sun was shining deep upon us. We were driving.
„hey, sleepyhead, do you wanna join us again?" Chubs asked amused.
Chubs and Zu were bent over a notebook. „He's teaching her maths." Liam explained. He had watched me through the rearview mirror.
„Maths? What for?" i asked, confused. It's not like we're driving home to go back to school again. There are no schools anymore.
„math is important." chubs simply answered as he looked up. The passenger seat was free. I decided to join Liam and climb up to him.
„How long have I been out sleeping this time?" I yawned and looked around. We were on some side roads.
„It's 4 pm. We wanted to let you sleep, you looked pretty done. I was worried for you." liam answered and watched me from the side.
„Have you been driving all night long?" i asked, concerned about him not sleeping enough or at all.
„I'm fine. We all slept last night. Betty is amazing. It wasn't even all too cold. We're on our way to a mall in the abandoned towns. There are some of them. The smaller the least likely the people are gone. Perfect for us." Liam explained as he turned right.
The radio was on, they were playing some old songs and Liam was humming the lyrics. I soon joined and we began singing. Liam looked instantly younger, happier. I wish, things could have always been this peaceful.
„Perfect!" he shouted and pointed forward. There was a big decrepit building. Outside there were some sale signs for food, clothing and outdoor furniture. „Exactly what I was looking for!" he said happily and drove onto the huge but empty parking lot.
We came to an halt and stepped outside, the afternoon sun burning onto our skins. I had completely forgotten how good the sun was and stopped for a moment in the sun and stretched my face towards it.
I then followed my friends up to the building. „do you reckon it's safe?" Chubs asked as we stood in front of the with stone buried entrance-windows.
„Yes. There's no one here. Come on. We need some things."
The building was massive! With many stores in it. To our left there was a camping shop. We stepped inside and grabbed a camping cooker, pots, spoons and some gas bottles which we packed into a big backpack we found. Unfortunately, all the sleeping bags were already gone.
The next shop we entered was a school supplies shop. Chubs has made us go which we all rolled our eyes to. He grabbed a few college notebooks, some pencils and pens and other stuff he thought could come in handy.
In the back, we found the shop that made Zu smile the most: the clothing section. It seemed pretty raided, especially in the women's section. I was glad for once that I had always been rather tiny so bigger child's clothes should fit me as well.
Liam and Chubs went off to the male section as Zu dragged me to the girl to a rather pinkish, glittery area. She happily let her hands glide over all kinds of pink glittering dresses and skirts. "Too? Don't you think these things are not as practical as, for example, trousers and jumpers that keep us warm?" I asked cautiously but amused. She looked thoughtful, but then nodded and we continued walking.
We found some jeans, sweatpants, Shirts, hoodies and warm jumpers to were. I was glad that they had normal stuff in the kids section as well. I wouldn't be forced to wear glittery barbie themed T-shirt's.
We grabbed a couple of plastic bags to carry our shopping before heading over to a shoe shop to get some decent sneakers.
After that, we went up the escalator that was no longer on and caught a huge supermarket. This one was also half cleared out. Since there was no more electricity, all the products that needed to be cooled had gone bad and it stank like hell. There were no fresh vegetables or fruit and I sighed softly.
We loaded our bags with all kinds of tins, noodles, rice, sweets and other things we could find to eat and drink.
On the third floor, we were lucky to find a shop with pillows and blankets, and we took some of them with us. We could hardly believe our luck.
Later that evening we sat down on a picnic blanket, eating some delicious food we cooked before and chattered happily.
„Okay Zu, time for bed! Let's go brush your teeth" Chubs said and got their toothbrushes. The two of them left.
I leaned against Liams broad shoulder, cuddling next to him. „Thank you, Liam" I said. „Thank you? What for? You and Chubs cooked. I have to thank you!" he replied sarcastically.
„No. I mean thank you. For this. For all of it. I don't know when I felt this free the last time. When I felt this happy. Thank you for giving this back to me." I said gratefully. Liam didn't respond anything for a while. He then hugged me from the side pulling me closer to him before kissing my forehead gently.