"So, Andi, How did you meet up with these two?" Dan purposely bumped my arm, getting my attention.

  Clearly Dan didn't care about Janet's no 'chit chat' rule. Funny how she didn't make any sarcastic remarks about Dan talking. I explained how Will saved me from the group of flesh eaters back at the old animal clinic, not one of my finer moments, and how we met up with Janet.

  "So then this is your home we are going to?"

  Janet shot Will a funny look, like he had never mentioned that little piece of information.

  "Yea, where I grew up."

  Dan had a way of looking right at me as we spoke, like what I had to say was the most interesting thing he ever heard, making me feel a little self conscious. Janet sped up a few paces, tired of the chatting. Will followed along like her personal puppy dog.

  "How old are you sweetheart?" he asked, an almost purring sound with an Irish accent that sent a shiver down my spine.

  I was about to answer but thought about it for a moment. It was hard to keep track of the days. Back at the house, I had Dad's watch with the date on it, but normally I had no idea what the date was at any given time.

  "You're not sure?"Dan chuckled.

  "No, actually. Do you know the date?"

  "I do. It's June first," he said, pulling up his sleeve and tapping a watch.

  "Well, then I'm eighteen. I'll be nineteen in two days."

  I knew my birthday was close but I didn't realize it was even June already. The weather was still cool, especially at night, so I figured it was still a few weeks away.

  "Well then, happy birthday in advance."

  "What about you?" It was impossible to make an accurate guess with that scruffy beard of his.

  "Me? Oh, I'm way too old. I've recently turned the ripe old age of twenty-two."

  Dan laughed, getting the attention of Will and Janet. Will had been turning around every few yards to check on us since Janet decided they should walk up ahead again. I would have guessed that he was older than Will, but again, I would have been wrong.

  "Up ahead." Janet stopped us, motioning to a single flesh eater walking crookedly down the road ahead of us.

  I could tell it was a teenage boy, a jock type with short brown hair. Most of the flesh was still intact on his face but missing from one arm, which hung lifeless at its side. There was something familiar about this one. Despite Janet's order to stay put, I walked up ahead to get a better look. Will tried to hold me back but Dan stopped him, following along with me. As we approached, it began growling deep in its throat, limping faster to get to us. The clothes were dirty and torn but still recognizable. His blue t-shirt, emblazoned with 'Titans' was clearly the one all the athletes in my high school walked around in. That wasn't just any Titans shirt though. It was one I knew well. It was one I saw many times, ripped along the collar in just the right place, just above the embroidered name.

  "Zach," I whispered as the realization hit me, lifting my hand to my mouth. I could feel my legs tremble, threatening to give out beneath me. Dan wrapped his arm around me, holding me upright, and pulled my face into his chest, blocking out what I knew was about to happen. Zach was close, too close actually, but it was the last thing on my mind. I felt the arrow whiz by me just before Zach dropped to the ground. Dan held me a moment longer, then released me to fall at Zach's completely dead corpse.

  I hadn't seen Zach since that day his sister attacked him. I don't know why it never occurred to me that he would turn and be out there somewhere. I guess I didn't want it to be real. I pushed it from my mind completely. I was grateful that Will had shot Zach rather than allowing Janet to go psycho with her knife on him. Maybe she just didn't want Dan to see how crazy she was. I wondered what I would have done if I had been alone when I came across Zach. Would I have stood there while he attacked me, like he had when he saw his sister? Or, would I have had it in me to kill him myself. I had to do a lot of difficult things since the outbreak but one thing I had been spared, was killing a friend or family member. I know that was why Dad had taken his own life, to spare me the trauma of being the one to finish him off. I didn't realize what a gift that was, until today. I felt my whole body begin to shake, as memories of my dead loved ones flooded my head.

  Janet tried to protest about lingering at Zach's body. She wanted to move on, bitching about how unsafe it was to sit there in the open, crying over a dead zombie. I wanted to tell the cold-hearted bitch to shut the hell up, but Will told her flat out to shut her mouth and give me a few minutes. I stared down at Zach, trying to remember him as he was a year ago, or even before the outbreak. Back then, I was convinced that I was in love with him. I just knew that we would end up together, living happily ever after. After living with Zach in the basement, I realized how naive that was. The real Zach was nothing like the fantasy I had created about him, but he was a decent guy. Before the end, I was pretty sure that he and June had a thing going on. I wasn't heartbroken like I would have been if none of this had ever happened. None of it seemed to matter anymore. I hardly even thought about boys like that since the early days, until I met Will.

  "Sweetheart," Dan said softly, squatting down, taking my trembling hands into his steady, larger ones. "What can I do?"

  I don't know why, but the way he looked at me made me break down, losing control over the tears I had been fighting back. Dan pulled me close, cradling me against him as I sobbed into his massive chest. He held me, gently stroking my hair as I cried.

  After I calmed down a bit, Will walked over and bent down to talk to me.

  "Andi, we can take him back with us if you want and bury him."

  His voice brought me back to the present. Looking into his eyes took away some of the pain. For a moment, I wished it were his arms wrapped around me instead of Dan's.

  "Are you kidding me?" Janet blurted out incredulously from where she stood.

  I really wanted to smack that woman, not that she wasn't right. We couldn't bury him here without anything to dig with, and dragging Zach all the way back home didn't really make sense. Truth was, my tears weren't only for Zach. I grieved for him a long time ago. Seeing him again brought up not only losing him, but everything I had lost since. Everything I once wanted for my life, everything I once believed in, was gone. I could never go back to that girl who once believed in fairy tales and happy endings. Now, what mattered most was surviving. Deep down, I held on to hope for a normal life one day, like my mother's letter said. It stayed hidden under the surface until I met Will. Being with him brought out those feelings I thought were buried so far down. I actually started to believe in possibilities. That was until I saw Zach lying dead in front of me.

  I gave Zach another look, wiped my tear soaked eyes, and pushed myself off the ground. Janet was right. It wasn't smart to be sitting out here in the open. Will eyed me unsurely.

  "No, but thank you."

  I wrapped my arms up around Will's neck and kissed him on the cheek for his effort. I walked over to Janet, who tried her best to give me a quick look of compassion, to signal I was ready to go on. Dan picked Zach's body up and moved him into the grass on the side of the road, and grabbed his pack, ready to continue on. Will and Janet moved ahead a few paces, bows up, scanning for danger.

  "This was in his pocket," Dan said, handing me a small, silver pendant, with my name in delicate script etched across it. I had never seen it before. My name wasn't exactly common, especially in the feminine form with this spelling. I had no idea where Zach would have gotten that. I was amazed that he had managed to still have it after all this time.

  "Thank you."

  My eyes met Dan's, stopping us both for a moment. He really was sweet. Will and Janet both turned to look at us confused.

  "Everything okay?" Will called back to us, readying himself to walk over to us to check.

  "Fine," Dan called back, draping his arm over my shoulder as we started walking again.

  Will shot Dan the death glare again before turning back to continue on, causing Dan to chuckle. His jealousy really was kind of adorable. But then, so was Dan.

  ~Chapter Thirteen~

  Dan cleaned and started cooking the dead fox he carried back with us for dinner. I tried to ignore the thing slung over his back, not wanting to think about the death of another poor creature. Death was inescapable these days. I still couldn't help but think of Tod and Copper from the Fox and the Hound movie. I missed the days Mom would bring home packages of meat for dinner that did not include a face. Janet kept an eye on things after it was started while Dan went off to shower and clean himself up. He was thrilled when I showed him the razors.

  When Dan emerged from the bathroom showered and freshly shaved, he was unrecognizable. If I wasn't positive that no one else was in the basement, I would have swore it was a completely different person. He shaved off the beard entirely and trimmed his hair to a manageable mop of dark curls that fell around his face haphazardly. It was easy to see his age like this. His crystal blue eyes stood out, captivating me. He was absolutely beautiful. He was dressed in a pair of old jeans that hung low on his hips and had a t-shirt slung over his bare, muscled shoulder. Without realizing it, I was staring, mouth dropped open. I'm surprised I didn't have drool dripping down my chin. Obviously enjoying my attention, or maybe my shock, Dan's lopsided smirk grew into a full on smile, revealing his perfect teeth. No one should look this good during a zombie apocalypse. I could feel the warmth spread across my cheeks in what I was sure was a deep red blush. Twenty minutes ago, Dan looked like a young Hagrid. Now he was looking like he was ready to grace the covers of a fitness magazine. Will cleared his throat loudly, breaking my stare.

  "Oh don't you look hot!" Janet teased, tousling his wet hair.

  "I think some people might say that," Dan said looking in my direction, winking, sending my blush further across my blazing face.

  Janet's gaze flashed up and down over me, one eyebrow raised. She let out a huff bordering on disgust, and headed back to the kitchen to check on dinner. Ignoring Will's continued death glare, Dan walked over to me, lifting my chin to once again look at him.

  "What do you think?" Dan asked, batting thick lashes over his hypnotizing eyes, stealing my breath from my throat.

  "You, uh, you look, fine," I stuttered, lost for words.

  I could feel the heat from his body between us. My mind went blank of any rational thoughts, leaving behind only sensations. I was aware of the pounding of my heart and my breath, loud in my own ears. His thick fingers slid up from my chin, behind my ear, then down and past my neck. His knuckles brushed down to the point of my v-neck t-shirt before moving back up, stroking across my warm cheek, before dropping his hand down to rest on my shoulder. I thought I was about to hyperventilate.

  "Do I?" Dan asked, snapping me back to reality.

  "Huh? What?"

  I had no idea what he was talking about. I could feel Will's stare burning into me from across the room.

  Dan laughed, kissing the top of my head, and went to join Janet in the kitchen. I was left standing there wondering what the hell just happened.

  "Seriously?" Will asked, walking over to me, looking irritated.

  "What?"

  "I thought you two were going to skip dinner and just go right for dessert."

  Will was using his angry tone again. I honestly wasn't in the mood for it.

  "You're one to talk."

  "What is that supposed to mean?"

  I tried to push past him, not wanting to have this conversation right now, but he grabbed my arm, stopping me.

  "Answer me." He demanded, gripping my arm tighter.

  "You're hurting me." I tried pulling away again but he only squeezed tighter.

  "Then answer me."

  "Okay, I saw you, and her, in bed. I know what's going on with you two." I pulled harder, finally freeing my arm.

  "You're joking right? You think..."

  "I don't think, Will. I saw it. So don't stand there thinking you have any right to judge me after you just climbed out of bed with Janet!" I was nearly shouting, not caring who heard us.

  Will stood there shaking his head in disbelief.

  "How exactly did you see that, Andi?"

  "Dinner is ready," Janet called interrupting our obvious fight.

  "Ya know what, never mind. I don't even care." Will walked into the kitchen, leaving me standing there.

  The four of us sat at the table silently, eating our dinner of fox and canned potatoes. The meat had an unusual taste, not like anything I'd tried before. It's wasn't something I was excited to try, but it was better than starving. Will sat at the opposite end of the table from me, trying to keep as much distance as he could manage while still sitting at the same table. He managed not to look in my direction even once during the meal. He had no right to be so angry. It's not like anything happened between Dan and me, unlike what had actually happened with him and Janet. Not that any of that mattered. Will and I were not dating. We weren't anything more than two people helping each other survive. Neither of us had any right to be angry with the other over what was, or was not, going on with another person.

  After dinner, Dan convinced everyone to play a game of scrabble, probably hoping it would lighten the mood. I agreed, hoping it would. I didn't want to fight with Will. The truth was, I cared about him, more than I was willing to admit. I guess that's why seeing him with Janet bothered me so much. What didn't make sense was Will's jealousy of Dan. He obviously had a thing with Janet, so why did he care if Dan flirted with me?

  The game did the trick. Slowly, the anger faded and both Will and I relaxed a bit. On my way back from the bathroom, halfway through the game, Will pulled me aside and apologized.

  "I'm sorry about before. I had no right to act like that." Will ran his hand over the bruise he left on my arm, and winced.

  "It's fine."It wasn't but I wanted it to be.

  "No, it's not. I shouldn't have grabbed your arm so hard. I'm really sorry about that. You and I need to have a talk later. There are some things we need to get cleared up."

  "Sure." I left him there, afraid that if we talked anymore it would turn into another argument.

  After the game was over, the four of us stayed up talking and having a good time for hours. Even Janet loosened up and managed not to insult me too much. I learned that she had been married at eighteen and had a son named Gage. Both her husband and son were lost in the first week the outbreak hit her hometown. That explained why she was such a bitch I guess. It was hard to lose my parents and my friends, but I couldn't imagine losing a child. I couldn't help but feel for her after hearing that. Dan had lost his parents in a car accident when he was fourteen. When the outbreak hit, he was living with his aunt and uncle who took him in after he lost his parents. They made it a few weeks before a horde came through and wiped out everyone in the area. I told them a little about what had happened with me, all stuff Will had already known. Even Janet looked sympathetic while I told my story. That was the one thing about living in a zombie apocalypse, everyone could relate to what you've been through. Throughout the conversation, Will said little. Even after all we had been through, I still didn't know much about his life before we met. Sure, he told me the story of what happened to his group and about his childhood, but that was about it. I could tell he went through a lot since the outbreak, but I figured he would tell me when he felt ready. I was sure Janet already knew the story so it was obviously something he just didn't want to share with me.

  Dan managed to steer the conversation back to lighter topics. Making people feel at ease seemed to be a talent of his. He really was a genuinely nice guy. Even Will couldn't help but lighten up and even lay off the death glare.

  "So Andi, What do you want for your birthday?" Dan asked, looking down at his watch.

  Will looked at me confused. He must not have heard the conversation earlier.

  "I still have two more days."

  "One, it's after midnight." Dan pointed to his watch. "So, what's your birthday wish?"

  There was actually one thing I would like for my birthday, but there was no way I was sharing that with the group. I flashed them a smile, keeping my secret safe. I knew it wasn't something I was likely to get anyway.

  "Come on Andi, share it." Will sat, leaning forward, suddenly very interested.

  I shook my head at Will, covering my mouth. Dan moved closer to me, rubbing his face along my arm like a kitten.

  "Please?" He purred.

  Will immediately stiffened up. I could feel his anger building from here.

  "Yeah, Andi, What do you want for your birthday?" Janet asked, trying to look innocent as Will turned his death glare on her.

  The three sat looking at me, all wanting to know. There weren't many things in this new world I wanted that were actually a possibility. The one thing I wanted, that was even possible to have, wasn't something I wanted to share with the group. Especially not Janet.

  "It's late," Will said, standing. "We should all get some rest. I'll show Dan where he can sleep."

  Will motioned for Dan to follow him and the two disappeared down the hall.

  Will took Dan to the Allen's old bedroom. I guess he wanted to make sure he didn't end up in my room. What did he really think was going to happen? He couldn't possibly think I would invite a total stranger into my bed, could he? Not that it should matter to him. He was probably going to end up in with Janet again anyway. I could hear Will and Dan talking from the bedroom but I couldn't make out what they were saying. I wanted to sneak closer to catch some of the conversation but Janet sat looking at me, her stare told me to mind my own business. I wanted to tell her to mind hers when Will's raised voice made its way out to us.

  "I'll check on them." Janet jumped up, giving me no choice in the matter.

  I was getting sleepy and was so over the drama for the day. I figured whatever was going on, Janet could handle it and went to get ready for bed.

  After I changed, I heard a knock at my bedroom door before Will popped his head in.

  "How about we have that talk now?" He asked, closing the door behind him.

 

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