Across the Deadzone

Chapter 6: Wystan

I skid around the corner into the Intake Cavern, which was the place where new supplies for the town were brought. And then people like me would send them out to the vendors in the Main Cavern that needed them most.  
My days usually go as follows: wake up when my alarm clock goes off- I must've knocked the batteries out last night and hadn't noticed- then did my best to stay awake as I got dressed for work. Most mornings I went to Cleo's for a breakfast of surprisingly good pastries, although I may have gotten used to bad food thanks to the apocalypse. Today, I had no time to get a breakfast of any kind. I would give whatever I didn't eat to the stray dogs that wandered around Hemmington.
With about five minutes to when the bell told you that you were late clanged, I would walk into the Intake Cavern, say hello to my coworkers, and head to my station. We receive any shipments, sort them into a usable, or scrap pile, then send them out. When the sun was at its peak in the sky, the bell would ring again, signalling that it was time for the people on my shift to take lunch.
After lunch, I'd repeat the motions of receiving, sorting, and sending. And once the bell rang again, I would go hang out with Callum at the front desk, where he was just starting his shift. His 'boss' was never happy that I was there.
"Is Mr. Perfect actually late," a voice chimed in as I leaned down to catch my breath. A voice I recognized as co-Intaker, Dion Krytes. I cringed and glanced up at the person through the hair that had fallen back into my face when I bent down. The usual sound of rock music blasted from the battery operated radio Salana always brought. Everyone was already there. Was I that late? Akron never showed up on time and even she was there, quietly sorting.
Dion was a nice guy- tall, muscular, dark-skinned- but he had an air about. One that told you he had been the hot popular guy that everyone drooled over in school. He never seemed to have lost that confidence.
"Yeah, sorry," I spluttered, sucking in air. "I had a friend stay over last night. We were up kinda late."
I saw Salana reach over and pause the music, grinning. I realized how what I said really sounded. But it was too late, once you got Salana stuck on an idea it was almost impossible for her to let it go.
"A girl?" she asked excitedly, clapping her hands.
I nodded. "Well, yeah, but-"
"In all honesty, dude, finally," Dion said, his arms folded across his chest. I pushed my hair out of my eyes.
"Guys, she's just-"
Akron finally looked up from her piles- the scrap heap dominating at the moment- her grayish eyes sparkling with humour. "How much are you paying her?" she asked.
I rolled my eyes as Salana yelled at Akron to be nice. The two were closer than sisters, and even shared a flat, and it wasn't unusual to hear them bickering about one thing or another. 
"Guys, come on!" I exclaimed, my face going red. "She's just a friend. We knew each other back in like, eighth grade and then she moved away."
Salana let out a disappointed groan and sat back down heavily on her stool before resuming the music.
I took my place beside Dion, my head down. He leaned over, his voice nearly drowned out by the blaring music and asked, "You sure?"
I gave him a weird look. He rolled his eyes like I was painfully stupid and he was going to have to slow down everything he said in order for me to understand.
"You sure you don't like her at all? Cause, dude, the look on your face you've had every day since breaking up with Colma." He shook his head. "It's starting to get to all of us. You look like your dog just got shot right in front of you. So, you totally sure?"
I hesitated a second too long.
"That's all I needed to know," he said, getting back to work, tapping his foot in tune with the music. I stared at him, shocked, but he ignored my looks.
"Shit," I muttered, reaching into my bag and fumbling around until my hand brushed against a small bottle.
It was going to be a long day, I thought, tossing two pills into my mouth.