I avoided eye contact with the various faces daring to enter my area. Making eye contact pretty much meant giving away an invitation to enter my personal space, and there was no way I was giving that kind of invitation away today, nor any other day in the near distant future. For the next hour, I sat with Coby as he stuffed his face full of food. He didn't bother making conversation with me; he could see the easily agitated look upon my face. I hated being in amongst a large group of people, I hated that people were looking towards me before whispering towards their smaller groups of friends. There seemed to be one woman in particular that I couldn't seem to shake from my tension fuelled system - I had never gotten on well with other women, I was too strong-minded, I was too opinionated and that didn't sit well with most other girls my age. This occurrence seemed to be no different, but quickly it was easily stereotypically obvious as to why she was giving me continuous glares.
"That guy Jesse, he keeps looking at you" Coby informed me as he lifted his head in the direction of Jesse, Jaxon and Arden standing with a few other informant men towards another staircase leading upwards.
"And?" I scoffed as I wiped my hunting knife clear of creature blood with an abandoned shirt
"I think he has the hots for you" Coby continued as I scoffed yet again
"Do you think it's my charm, or based on just how approachable I am?" I sarcastically threw at Coby with raised eyebrows, avoiding the glances I knew Jesse was giving me from across the room, along with the female standing a few groups away
"Hey" A new voice bluntly offered as a shadow now stood in front of Coby and I seated against a wall on a pair of broken plastic chairs. I kept my eyes down, uninterested.
"Uh, hi" Coby spoke as he realized I wasn't going to speak, my head down on my knife as I thoroughly scrubbed its deadly blade
"My name is Austin" The teen continued as I felt his eyes burn on my face
"I'm Coby, and this is..." Coby trailed off again, much like he had every time he felt the need to introduce me to strangers "This is Arrow" He shortened my nickname
"Arrow?" Austin repeated incredulously "That's a sweet name" He quickly changed his tone
I lifted my head with a fake smile in place, instantly it lightened his expression
"Are you two related?" He spoke, his words not what I had expected as he looked in between Coby and I
"No" I quickly shut him down keeping my smile in place "He's just some stray I picked up"
Austin smiled, lightly laughing at my effortless joke
"Well, me and that guy over there, we're brothers" Austin continued as he pointed back towards his friends, one of them waving towards me with a bright eyed grin.
This kid was the kind of kid I wanted to punch in the throat during my torturous high school years, he was a jock, the kind of guy that thought he had the world wrapped around his fingers. Suddenly, I felt the need to take control, to finish this guy off before he had even started his oh-so-subtle flirtatious intentions.
I nodded slowly as I narrowed my eyes "He's your brother?" I repeated
"Mhm, his name is Jarod" He proudly introduced
"Oh" I scoffed, shaking my head as I looked back down
Austin instantly bit my reaction "What?"
"His posture, his features, it's deceiving, sorry" I lightly laughed as I looked back up biting my bottom lip
"What do you mean?" Austin now shook his head, confused
"He's very... petite, porcelain skin, small hands, and that teased soft hair..." I trailed off suggestively as Austin's eyebrows crossed still unsure
"I thought... I just thought maybe you two were..." I clicked my tongue as I raised my eyebrows "Together" I nodded finishing the sentence off obviously
"Oh! Oh no, no! He's my brother" Austin quickly defensively denied as he shook his head
"Yeah, you said, I'm sorry" I scoffed as I stood, forcing my knife roughly back into its place on my hip "I just, I had a lot of gay friends before this outbreak thing happened" I joked as casually as I possibly could, furthering the insultive suggestion as Austin's face grew uncomfortable.
"Do I... do I look..." He trailed off, picking up on my suggestiveness of his appearance
I smiled up at him with narrow eyes
I squinted my eyes as I made a small distance of air in between my thumb and pointer finger "Maybe a little" I told him, furthering the insult
"Right" Austin mumbled intolerably, perfectly falling into my game plan "It was nice to meet you Coby" His eyes turned on my stray before they returned to me, a new glare in place only pushing my smirk harder against my lips.
"Nice to meet you too Austin" I told him brightly as his lips lifted like a vicious dog. He made it his mission to give me one last warning glare before turning to trudge off in the direction he'd come from, the word 'bitch' being heard clearly from his mumbling retreat.
I felt myself smile, a genuine smile that made me proud to be such a smart-ass.
"That was a dick move" Coby instantly shook his head
"You shouldn't talk like that kid" I looked down at him, his eyes up on mine like a small puppy dog that had been internally wounded with mean words.
Coby continued to shake his head before he stood and waddled off in the direction of the table of food, his stomach not yet full as he went in for seconds. I watched as he sauntered off, a smile replacing my stern expression.
"I'm going to assume that's a rare sight" A voice of familiarity broke through my stare on Coby as he threw large amounts of food onto his empty plate.
I rolled my eyes, any hint of a smile dropping as I took in the smug expression of Jesse standing beside me with his arms over his chest. His hood had dropped, his hair now tucked behind his ears to reveal the full form of attractiveness in his features.
"Didn't I tell you to stay away from me?" I reminded him with a huff of breath
"You did" He nodded with a small smirk in place
"Are you mentally incapable of realizing I'm uninterested in anything you have to say, or anyone else here has to say for that matter?"
"I'm mentally incapable of understanding that you don't have any interest in having any kind of conversation with anyone here" He continued smartly
"Well, believe it" I scoffed as I crossed my own arms
"I don't believe it, because you know what?" He whispered delicately as he leaned his face towards the side of my own face, his hard breath brushing against my face
"What?" I sighed, unbothered, yet uncomfortable at the proximity
"Because this, right now, I believe is a conversation" He lightly breathed against my skin, his thick accent sending unwilling shivers down my spine
I forced a roll of my eyes, shuffling on my feet as I tilted my head away from him
Silence threatened to settle between us, making things awkward as I averted my eyes to anything but him standing so close besides me. It was then I noticed the seething woman across the room, her eyes now firmly planted on mine like a venomous snake about to pounce. It was then clear to me what her problem was.
Suddenly Jesse moved his body away, taking a step back
"Here" His voice picked back up its usual rough tone as he let out a sigh. His hand reached out towards me with a wet cloth in hand "The creature blood, it might do the macho façade justice but it's actually bad for your skin" He spoke, all personal tone gone
"Thanks" I managed out as I snatched the cloth from him, turning to aim off in the direction of the bathroom of the bank.
Looking into the faded mirror of the banks bathroom, I swiped my ivory skin over with the material Jesse had given me. Small droplets of blood scattered dry across my face, already beginning to irritate and burn with each wipe. Flashbacks of being attacked by the creature continued to linger inside my mind; I still couldn't quite believe that he had nearly killed me, or worse. I wanted to blame Coby for it; I wanted to blame that because he had taken so long to walk with me that the whole thing may not have happened. I never got myself into the kinds of situations that had threatened my life.
I looked a mess; I looked as though I hadn't slept in months. My eyes had deep dark bags beneath them; my skin was withdrawn and paler than usual. I wasn't skinny, but I was overly thin, my collarbones stuck out prominently beneath my leather jacket, the leather jacket that suddenly felt unnecessarily warm inside such a small space. I pulled my jacket off, but the moment I yanked my arm free, my forgotten wound seared with pain. I hissed out through my teeth as a passer-by entered the bathroom with curious eyes.
"That looks painful" The woman spoke, her face round and young as she smiled lightly towards me
I nodded, uninterested in making conversation with the brunette woman no younger than myself
"You know, we have a nurse out there, I'm sure she could help sew that back together and give you some painkillers" The girl continued despite my short answers and bowed head
"Its fine" I mumbled as she lingered behind me with soft blue eyes reflecting back through the mirror in front of me
"Creatures claws, they infect really easy. My neighbour, he got scratched by one across the face, it was okay at first, but within a few days it began to swell up, it got really gross and it became infected, that's how he died" She revealed to me as I lifted my head to look towards her.
I didn't know this person's name, and yet here she was giving me personal information of her friend's brutal death. She was open and her appearance somewhat reminded me of what I used to look like, before death took its toll on me.
"That's how he died?" I questioned curiously.
"Yeah, apparently their bites aren't the only lethal thing about them, their venom can seep through their blood and into their claws" She shrugged before entering a toilet stall
I looked back at my appearance, my arm stinging as I thought long and hard about what the woman had said. I sighed and exited the bathroom, walking back out into the warmth of the two story bank building where various faces now began to settle into comfortable positions on the floor.
I spotted Coby by the bonfire, his hands rubbing together as he stood beside a man a fair few years older than him deep in conversation.
I watched him, somewhat jealous of his innocence.
"You want me to show you where the nurse is?" A small petite voice spoke from behind me pulling me from my thoughts as I noticed the light brunette that had been in the bathroom drying her hands with a paper towel
I hesitated, but nodded "Sure"
"This way" She smiled as she began towards the staircase to the higher floor above, her small body catching the attention of most the boys she walked past. She was quite an attractive woman, she was small, but she had curves, her hair fell just above her shoulders, dead straight as it complimented her round face. She seemed to dress well, despite our situation amongst a changing society - She wore a light black sweater revealing her flat stomach as it buttoned up to the top of her busty chest, her long legs praised dark blue tight jeans, leading down to her black sleek fashionable zip-up boots. She looked seemingly sweet, yet if the time needed, somewhat bad-ass too.
I followed willingly as she led the way. I wondered how long it would take to heal, how long it would have taken to begin its rot and infectious spread. As we reached the top of stairs I noticed a shortage of people, but I recognized a few bodies as they stood with their hands on their hips, there fronts facing a large piece of mapping pinned against a white wall. I didn't know maps as such existed anymore and it made me curious as to what they were attempting to discover as they scratched their heads and rubbing their hands on the back of their necks.
"They're the guys that 'lead' us" The woman leading me forward spoke as she used air quotes "They've been the ones to form this whole group, they're smart as well as tough" She continued with a small appreciative smile as we stopped at a corner where a man stood above a woman sitting in a chair, his contraption over the top of her arm to examine her blood pressure.
"My name is Keira by the way" My latest brunette conversationalist spoke as she awaited me to return my own name
"Arrow" I told her shortly as she smiled, her eyes telling me she knew the name was a façade.
"That is Mason, he's the nurse slash doctor, if you have an health concerns, he's the one to go too" Keira continued to explain as Mason the nurse - cue giggle - stood with his patient behind a makeshift white curtain created by a once simple bed sheet.
Mason's face quickly turned towards us once he had nodded with reassurance towards his worrisome patient.
"Thank you" The woman spoke before lifting herself to leave his presence.
Instantly, Mason's appearance caught me off guard. His face was perfectly tanned, his eyes a wide deep green as he looked towards me and my now dripping blood arm. For a nurse, the man seemed all too manly and almost as rugged as a brown bear with a tie. He was short, as short as I was, and he had just begun the endeavour of growing facial hair. He was attractive, somewhat dishevelled and wild.
"Ouch" Mason's velvet voice spoke as he stepped towards me, his eyes firmly on my wound "A creature is the culprit I suspect?" He questioned rhetorically
I simply nodded as he held his hand out, waiting for me to give him permission. Slowly, I lifted my arm and placed it in his soft grip where his fingers began to trace the wound.
Mason narrowed his eyes as he began to lead me towards the chair the previous woman had been seated against, he quickly then began shuffling through his various bags full of doctors utensils.
"How long ago did it happen?"
"A few hours" I shrugged
"Infection can spread quite quickly, don't underestimate the simple scratch of a creature" He smiled lightly, showing parts of his white once-braced teeth
"This is news to me" I admitted softly as I held my arm up, my skin now nearly entirely decorated in crimson red blood tracing down to my fingers.
"This is news to most. Many people believe just their teeth hold their venom, that their mouths are their passages to death or turning, but the venom released from its claws can be just as fierce, maybe not strong enough to turn a human, but just as deadly to kill" Mason explained as he pulled a chair up beside me, his thin build perching beside me to examine the neat scratches
I didn't want to admit that if it weren't for Keira who watched on with curious eyes, I probably would have left it and died.
"It's deep, but it its easily controlled" Mason mumbled as he kept his head inches from my wound, his eyes unblinking before he pulled back and reassured me with a small smile
"Good to know" I mumbled under my breath
"So, I haven't seen you around here before, I'm assuming you were one of the two that the cousins found in the middle of the street earlier" Mason continued making small talk as he began to pull stitching from his bag
"Yeah" I shortly answered, remembering not to make friends, not to get attached, getting attached was bad
"Where are you originally from?" He continued assuming I needed conversation to take my mind off the soon to begin pain
"Weston" I told him honestly, it didn't matter what they knew about me, as long as I didn't know about them
His eyes paused for a moment before continuing "That's a fair while away"
I nodded "It's riddled with creatures"
"It's a huge city, that doesn't surprise me"
I shrugged "Surely you have others here from there"
"No, we don't actually, most of us are local from maximum a few hour's drive away" He answered back to my revelation
"The boy that you are with, is he your brother?" Keira now questioned as I shook my head
"Just some kid that I picked up on the way"
"I heard he's pretty handy with a pocket knife" Mason smiled curiously
"He's more skilled than I originally imagined" I mumbled as I kept my head down, surprised that the events that had happened no more than four hours ago had travelled so fast.
"I also heard Jesse saved you out there from a creature" Keira continued alongside Mason as they discreetly dug for information on their latest newcomers
"He took a part in helping me out" I half admitted. I couldn't be seen as weak or vulnerable, that was just as dangerous as creating friendships that put your judgement on hold from reality
"He's pretty... amazing" Keira smiled uncontrollably as I watched her expression seem to take off into another planet, I couldn't help but screw my face up slightly
"That's what all the girls say about him" Mason told me with a roll of his gorgeous eyes
"Not all of them" I replied as his face lifted slightly
"No girl could look at him and not feel their skin raise with goose bumps" Keira re-entered the conversation, a conversation I was beginning to acknowledge to be happening against my every belief
"Again, not every girl" I repeated with a small smile as Keira rolled her eyes with a smirk
"I saw you talking to Austin earlier, he's... okay I guess, but he's definitely no Jesse" She scoffed assuming Austin and I to have a thing already - if only she knew what the discussion was about.
"I don't have an interest in any of the males here, I don't have an interest in staying with this group much longer either" I told them as Mason began soaking my wound in yellow antiseptic
"You aren't going with us to the survivor camp?"
I shook my head as the moisture stung my wound
"Where are you going then?"
Suddenly, I felt stupid. I was in fact attempting to seek out this survivor camp, I still was unsure as to why, I had my reasons, but they weren't reasonably sane reasons. I wanted to find this camp, but I wanted to find it on my own, without strings attached, without the fear of seeing people I cared about getting hurt. I wouldn't make that mistake twice.
I shrugged again as I closed my eyes in ready for the stitching to begin
"You're pretty brave to be doing it all on your own" Keira rewarded me
"I prefer it that way" I told her
"Don't you ever wish you had something like this though? Doesn't it get lonely?" She questioned curiously. I could understand her curiosity, it was rare to find someone that wanted to be alone at a time as such.
"No, I have my reasons" I told her bluntly, growing annoyed at her prodding.
I could hear Keira sigh before the air around us fell silent. I held my breath as I felt Mason's fingertips against my flesh before he warned me.
"This will hurt"
I simply nodded and endured each single stitch he pressed into my skin with clenched teeth and tight fists. Usually, I could handle pain, but this time, it hurt and it was near impossible to remain calm and straight-faced.
It took a simple ten minutes to reach the last few stitches when an unwanted voice broke through the silence from in front of me. My eyes flashed open and I instantly recognized the boots beside Keira's.
"Ouch, did that happen out on the streets?"
"I talked her in to coming here, my neighbour died from a scratch wound" Keira's voice changed instantly into a flirtatious tone
"Will she be okay?" Jesse now turned his voice on Mason, ignoring Keira coldly as I kept my head down, small pieces of my messy hair falling on either side of my face as I cringed again at the sharp pain of the penetrating needle
"It'll be okay now, I've cleaned it up and stitched it closed, just be careful with what you do, try not to move it too strenuously" Mason directed me, his tone also changing, yet to the complete opposite of how Keira's had changed.
I sighed and grit my teeth, already tired of how annoying the new group seemed to appear around me.