Cruel World (The Tribe Book 1)

5. Where is Bray?

I woke up the next morning to the sound of the baby crying. I quickly got dressed and went to see why she hadn't been looked after by Trudy, to find her still asleep. I let her rest and picked up the baby, cradling her and soothing her until she stopped crying and went back to sleep.

I left Trudy's room and walked into the café to find Lex playing an old GameBoy. As I walked in, Lex begins complaining about the battery dying, but I ignore him. What Zandra says next catches my attention.

"-I mean Bray, he's just left her and the baby," she whines.

"Wait, Zandra did you just say Bray left?" I interject, walking over to her. Before she can answer, the rest of the group comes into the café.

"Did you find him?" Zandra calls to Dal.

"We've looked everywhere," he responds, shaking his head, "Sorry."

"How long has he been gone?" I ask.

"Since early this morning, Salene went to find him and couldn't find him in his room, we checked in with you as well but he wasn't there, or with Trudy so we searched the whole mall, can't find him anywhere, so he must have gone out," Amber tells me.

I get very confused wondering why my best friend would just up and leave. "He wouldn't just leave for no reason, that's not like him at all," I claim, trying to reassure myself. "Besides he was going to come with me to meet with Zoot tomorrow about supplies," I recall, furrowing my eyebrows.

"Poor Trudy," Cloe mumbles. I subtly roll my eyes, remembering how everyone thinks they're together and that the baby is his.

The baby begins to whine again, so I pass her to Zandra for a second so I can make her a bottle. Once I've made it and heated it up quickly to the right temperature, I place the bottle on an empty table and take the baby from Zandra and begin to feed her, watching her as she feeds.

As I'm distracted, everyone's gaze begins to drift over to me without my knowledge, as people watch how attentive I am to the baby, and see how motherly I can be. They all begin to smile, seeing how good I am with her and thinking about how good I am with everyone else, how I seem to be able to calm everyone and gain everyone's trust quickly, and know and understand them better than most, and even themselves.

Once she finishes, I burp her and realise how quiet the café has gone. I look up to see everyone staring.

"What? Have I got something on me?" I ask, trying to figure out what they're staring for, only for them to smile and turn back to their conversations. The baby begins to fall asleep again, but instead of placing her in her bassinette, I grab a baby carrier from the box in Trudy's room and strap it onto me, giving her to Amber as I do this. Once it's secured on me, she helps me place the baby in the carrier and do it up so that she can sleep on me securely. Again, as this happens, everyone watches with a smile.

"Has Trudy woken up at all today?" I ask, getting a mix of people shaking their heads in response, causing me to sigh. I grab some fruit and begin chopping it up, placing it in a bowl to take to Trudy as I go to wake her up.

I walk in to see her already awake and talking to Salene, but notice how pale and sweaty she looks.

"Hey, are you feeling ok?" I ask, concerned, "You're all pale and clammy."

I sit next to her, placing a hand on her head, "You're burning up a bit, I'll go grab a bit of paracetamol for you, and a thermometer so we can keep track of your fever."

I leave and run down to my place, pulling the two items out of the tub under my bed, before rushing back up to her.

"Where's Bray, Amber?" she asks as I walk in, telling me that Amber came in behind me. I turn to Amber and shake my head no ever so slightly to tell her not to be honest.