Friends Against The World (Book 1): Bite Me

by Walters, Geneva

  “Geneva should come with us as she is a great listener, and Liam will need that.” Lee says back, and Xavier shrugs.

  “It’s up to her.”

  “I will go with them, but its for the reason of I also know the house well. I think you will need Anthony and James to begin barricades, and Idris is a great planner. We can protect ourselves, and we will be there before we know it.”

  “True. Okay, then how about you three take Lee’s car and we will meet at the school. I expect you guys to take an hour and a half at most. If you don’t arrive by then we will send some help.” Xavier concludes, then walks to me.

  He plants a kiss on my lips before pulling back, his forehead still leaned against mine.

  “Be safe, I really like you and want to make more good memories with you.” He asks, and I nod solemnly.

  “It’s best this way, and I will be fine.” I promise. “I rather like you too.”

  We split up, the others getting into their car with promises of safety then pulled away from James place. The school destined ones went one way and we headed to Liam’s place.

  Chapter 31

  “How have you guys kept it together so long?” Liam askes us quietly, about halfway through the car ride to his.

  “It’s been tough. I can’t imagine being anyone who has seen their parent’s bodies. I cannot even imagine that.” Lee answers, with his eyes catching mine in the rear-view mirror.

  “It’s like the earth suddenly dissolved all oxygen.” I interject, then continue. “But I feel stable now that we have a solid plan, we will always have time to grieve later. I feel relief in the fact that I know, but it will always hurt. At the end of the day, we all have each other to fall back on.”

  As the last word leave my mouth we turn onto his street, and the sounds of Iron Maiden grow above our voices. His house comes into view, and as we pull in the driveway we see the side door open, moving in the wind.

  “That’s never a good thing.” Lee comments, then draws his weapon as we leave the car.

  Liam leans against me as we walk slowly to the house, Lee leading. We enter to see the kitchen in disarray, some cabinets hanging from one hinge. I leave Liam leaning against the wall with his crutch and I start downstairs slowly. Lee moves deeper into the main floor as I go to the basement. A groan sounds from behind Liam’s closed bedroom door and I steel myself. I nudge it open with my blade and a shape jumps at me. I scream and hold my blade out and the thing impales itself on me. Running sounds from behind me but before Lee makes it I grab a blade from Liam’s dresser and swipe it horizontally. The things head lands with a wet thump and the body slumps at my feet.

  “Geneva?!” Lee’s panicked voice sounds from behind me, and I fall back a step, Lee catching me.

  “It..it..just leaped and landed on my blade, and oh god, I didn’t mean too!” I stutter, recognizing his brother’s face staring up at me.

  Lee removes my knife from its chest, wiping the grime on the shirt before tossing a blanket over the body. My shocked gaze has not left straight ahead, then Lee snaps his fingers beside my ear. I jump, and Lee regards me with a comforting gaze.

  “That wasn’t Liam’s brother anymore. There was nothing we could have done.” He says, and Liam comes up behind me, and a sob escapes him.

  Lee helps him to his bed and I slip out the door, leaning against the wall outside his room. I slide to the floor and stare at my blade, my tear stained gaze facing me in the reflection. I run my finger over it and it smudges, and I feel a sob coming up. My crying harmonizes with Liam’s from inside the room, and Lee’s quiet mumblings is heard in-between. Tears I didn’t know I had left drained from between my clean hand, the other still coated in Liam’s brothers’ blood.

  “He knows you didn’t mean to.” Lee says quietly from above me, and his hand reaches under my arm and tugs me up.

  “I just killed his brother; how do you know?” My shaking voice answers, and I remove my hand from my face. “I just killed my close friends’ brother, I am guilty!”

  “That’s not true.” Liam’s voice pipes up from the bedroom, and as we walk into it he straightens up, his voice growing stronger with every word. “You didn’t mean too, it was self defence. Hey.”

  I move my look from the floor and into his eyes, the guilt weighing down on my shoulders.

  “I do not blame you.” His voice rang with certainty, and a few more tears escaped down his chin.

  “How can you not, when my hand is still coated in his blood.” I say, my gaze dropping to the floor, and I hold my hand out, the blood already clotting on it.

  “There is no way you could have stopped him without doing that.” Lee reassures. “Now how about you sit beside Liam and we will help him pack his bedroom.”

  I sit down, guided by Lee. I instinctively try to leave space, before Liam grabs my hand.

  “No, stop blaming yourself.” His voice catches, as Lee grabs the corners of the blanket and drags the body and the head out of the room and up the stairs.

  “I didn’t mean too.” My voice drops, and Liam squeezes my hand once before releasing it.

  “I know. Hand me that tissue please?” Liam asks, and I comply.

  He unzips his school bag and sorts it, throwing the books he doesn’t need onto his futon at the end of his bed. He begins to load the bag with stuff from around his room, him directing me what to grab. We soon finish with two bags filled, most of the stuff not being picked over. It seems whoever raided the house earlier only went for food. We toss the bags by the door and Lee collects them. I help Liam up the stairs and we do a sweep of the main floor, grabbing a few things.

  As we leave the side door another car comes into view, slowing down before turning into the drive. I spot Xavier and Idris in the front seat, Idris driving.

  “They couldn’t leave it alone could they.” Liam notices them as well.

  “They probably got sick of the worrying and kicked ‘em out.” I respond, and Liam chuckles.

  Idris shuts off the car and Xavier comes to Liam’s other side, helping take some weight off me.

  “I am sorry, I believe in you, but I disagree with it only being you three here.” Xavier apologizes, and I wave it off with my free hand, then hear Xavier gasp at the blood.

  “What happened?”

  “Liam’s brother took a jump at Geneva, right onto her knife. I don’t think we could have saved him.” Lee explains and leads us back to where there is another hole in the ground, handing me an old rag to wipe my hand clean of blood.

  “This is becoming too familiar.” Idris comments, then goes to Liam’s shed to grab a shovel.

  A few words are said before we quietly do a task we have become quite good at, sooner rather than later the task is done.

  We walk back to the front of the house and get into the cars, me disappearing into the house quickly to wash my hands.

  “We got your car, if you want to ride with Lee and Liam, I am sure he needs some bro-time.” Xavier assured Idris, who hands him the keys hesitantly.

  “Take care of her.” Idris says seriously, then walks over to Lee’s car and crawls in the back.

  Xavier climbs into the driver’s seat and I get in the passenger. I pull out my phone and plug the aux cord into it, gesturing to it.

  “Mind if I play a song?” I ask, and Xavier nods in assurance.

  “Of course.”

  The first chords of Iris ring out, by the Goo Goo dolls and I quietly sing along. Xavier’s strong voice joins mine and we harmonize with the soft tune. The scenery passes by as we drive towards the school, Lee following us. We grow silent as the trees pass and the song quiets down, then leads into Mad World, specifically the Gary Jules version.

  “When we left, Anthony and James were already nailing doors shut, and Violet was cleaning out the greenhouse. Quiyl was resting the front hallway with Avyanna, keeping a lookout. The rest were busying themselves looting the classrooms and the upper floors.” Xavier informed me. “Someone had already got to the ca
feteria and cleaning it out of the non-preserved food, but they left a huge supply closet of dried food. The boys were confident in their ability to reinforce the doors and the security.”

  “Did we figure out how everyone is rooming?”

  “Sort of, the first little bit we are going to stay in the main hall until the initial wave clears through. We couldn’t get into the offices, it was almost like someone barricaded themselves into that part. After the craze dies down a bit we were going to each claim a classroom, couples can have their own if they want.”

  “Makes sense. How’s the kitchen looking?”

  “Every appliance seems to be running still, but when we get there Dainan is going to get Liam up to the roof to check on the solar panels the school had installed a few years ago. If you remember there is roof access through the second-floor windows. The water system appears to be in good shape per Anthony. The horses were released into the baseball field and the felines were locked on the second floor for now, and Molly is in the cafeteria. We found a few infected in the building and dispatched them quickly, the corpses are already outside the school perimeter. We did a walk around that as well, and the fences seem to be in shape. Our plan once we secured the building was to take the wood from the schools woodworking class and reinforce them more.”

  “Sounds like a solid plan.”

  “Sounds like surviving this crazy chapter of human history.”

  The gates of the school pass, the ten-foot-high fences intimidating. I voice my agreement as we pull into the school’s parking lot, pulling beside Avyanna’s car. I see Violet wave from the front windows, then the others coming to join her. As we turn off the car hands are already helping unload the items. We get out and Violet walks me into the building as Xavier helps unload things.

  “Let’s get you sitting down, looks like you had a rough time at Liam’s.” Violet looks at me knowingly.

  Quiyl waves with her good arm and moves so I can sit beside her on the bench. Avyanna walks past me with a nod, and I sit against the wall, the other benches around us have things strewn across them.

  “Wanna check me out?” Quiyl offers, holding her injured arm to me.

  Violet hands me the kit and I check the wound over and rub some cream on it.

  “No infection and it is healing fast. Looking good lady.” I say as I inspect it, finishing with the cream.

  As I say this a banging sound from within the office doors, and a voice shout through it.

  Chapter 32

  “Are you infected?”

  “Who’s there?” Anthony addresses.

  “No-one until you answer my question.” The unfamiliar feminine voice replies.

  “No, no one is here.” James says back. “We are all healthy I should say.”

  A dragging of heavy furniture sounds from behind the door before it clicks open. The light fills the doorway to fall upon two figures. One moves into the front and the other groans then drags themselves behind.

  “Who are you guys?”

  A tall slender girl asks us, her hair in a bun and larges glasses are perched on the tip of a pert nose. She has high cheekbones and large green eyes and thin lips. She is dressed in a bright red shirt and plain jeans. The figure behind her turns out to be a beautiful, Asian girl, with long black hair spilling from below a black hoodie. Her brown eyes narrow in suspicion, and her full lips purse.

  “We used to go to this school. We were up north when the breakout happened and decided to head back to familiar ground to ride this out. I don’t believe we know you though.” Anthony answers, his eyes flicking back and forth between the two.

  “We are from a town west of here. Our families were heading to the border to attempted to cross it. Our families were long time friends, and we went to school together. My name is Sonji and this is Lynx.”

  The girl besides her doesn’t make a move, then turns to Sonji.

  “Don’t tell them that much information.” She hisses.

  “We won’t hurt you. If you want to stay here, you absolutely can. More people we can team up with means more knowledge and more hands to help.” Idris offers, extending a hand to Sonji.

  The pair steps back and has a quick, quiet conversation. They turn and face us, and Lynx pushes her hood back.

  “We agree. We will stay and become part of your group.” Sonji clasps his hand, then looks to each of us as she shakes it. “Can we get name introductions then?”

  I step forward and wave to them, and then gesture to each person in turn. “My name is Geneva, and this is Xavier, Violet, Quiyl, Lee, Ayanna, Anthony, James, Liam, Dainan and Idris is the person who’s hand you are shaking.”

  The pairs eyes follow the gesture in turn, then we step back. We stand in a circle around Liam and Quiyl, who remain sitting on the bench.

  “Okay, that was unexpected but welcome.” Idris nods to the new group members, then faces everyone again. “So now that everyone is here let’s discuss what we shall do today and figure out watches.”

  “Dainan and I can continue reinforcing the doors we will not be using, we are a quarter done now. I think Anthony and Liam should go to the roof and see if they can coax those solar panels to life.” James says, and Liam nods in agreement.

  “Violet and I can handle the farm idea and see if we can get the greenhouse cleaned up and started.” I mention, and Sonji puts her hand up.

  “I love gardening, maybe I can help?”

  I smile and Violet nods. “Sounds good to us.”

  “I go where Sonji goes.” Lynx announces shortly.

  “Me and Quiyl can start organizing the kitchen and getting everything set up. It’s one of the rooms that has become already re-enforced right?” Avyanna askes and Anthony confirms with a thumbs-up.

  “Lee where do you want to go?” I ask, and he points to me.

  “I’ll come with you guys, I took horticulture for a few terms and know the ins and outs of that greenhouse.”

  “Idris and I will raid the nurse’s office and set up in one part of the cafeteria, that way we can all stay in there at night.” Xavier finishes the chore dividing and we all split off to do what needs to be done.

  The five of us walk off towards the greenhouse, grabbing the brooms from the janitors closet as we go past it. The temperature change is noticeable, and the sun glints off the metal tables that run the length of the greenhouse.

  “You guys are lucky; we didn’t have a greenhouse at our school.” Sonji comments, and Violet casts a kind smile her way.

  “I am glad you guys camped out here, made the place already look raided.” Violet digs in the filing cabinet before holding up a few packets with bright packaging. “All of our seeds are still here, so we can start growing today if we get everyone planting. Once Liam and Anthony get the solar panels going again we can work on building a hydroponics system, last terms systems should be in the basement. It was our final project.”

  Lee and I work on sweeping the whole greenhouse before cleaning off the tables, and Sonji, Lynx and Violet disappear to the basement to take inventory. Before long there is a knock at the greenhouse door and Lee opens it, Anthony and James are standing there with planks of wood.

  “We are going to work on reinforcing the greenhouse, from the outside.” James informs us, and Lee grabs a few boards and carries them over to the door out of the greenhouse.

  “Dainan went up to help Liam, when I left they seemed pretty optimistic about getting the solar panels up and working again.” Anthony tells me, before opening the door to outside. “Lee, you going to help us?”

  “May as well, luckily we only need to block up the one side.” Lee says, and they disappear outside.

  The greenhouse is off the side of the school but also situated on a hill. The side with the door is level ground, but the opposite side the ground is about twenty feet down. The ground wraps around the greenhouse then drops off suddenly on the deep side.

  Laughter sounds from the basement of the greenhouse, and I follow it. As I turn the
corner I see Sonji and Lynx with measuring tapes, and Violet digging out more boards.

  “Started a comedy club, have we?” I ask with a smile, and Sonji giggles.

  “Just laughing at some of the stories Violet was telling us, our school was a strict private school. You guys don’t know how lucky you are to have gone to public school, our school had more rules than students.” Sonji told me, with Lynx nodding her agreement. “Anyone who wasn’t from a rich, entitled family was picked on. Lynx and I stuck together, Lynx never let anyone say bad things about me. She is an awesome person, but a bit standoffish.”

  Lynx rolls her eyes, but a small smile crosses her lips.

  “Our friend group got together out of mutual interests, we ignored the so-called popular kids.” I respond. “We all like video games and the same kinds of music, among other things.”

  “Well I am glad you guys came along. Our families turned so we had to run away, luckily got away unscathed. I feel better now that you all are here though; we seem to have the same goals.”

  “I feel like our chances of surviving just got better. So, what are you guys hobbies?” I ask, helping Violet dig out more boards.

  “I enjoy studying anything and everything, most call me a nerd but I just love learning. I was going to go into chemistry, and love reading as well.”

  “Drawing and scaring people.” Lynx tells us, a deadpan look on her face before that breaks into a smile.

  “Good on you Lynx. We can always use more scary people.” Violet chuckles, and Lynx salute jokingly.

  “My pleasure misses.”

  Loud banging sounds from upstairs, and Violet goes up to check. A few moments go by, then the three of us left grab some pieces and carry them upstairs. Anthony waves at us apologetically, and we set the boards down on the metal tables.

  Suddenly the lights flicker to life and a fan starts in the distance. We cheer, realizing Liam must have got the solar panels working. Xavier walks in on our celebration and cheers as well, coming and wrapping an arm around my waist.