I Am Zombie Bait

Chapter 15

They were still there in the morning. Ugh. I was never a morning person, and having people I didn't like camping on my lawn didn't help. That and the lack of all caffeinated beverages the world over. Actually, I don't know if the whole zombie apocalypse thing is happening the world over. When you lose T.V. and internet, you realize you don't know anything at all. Honestly, I never knew anything to begin with so... oh well. Anyway, waking up that morning was worse than an alarm with a broken snooze button on a Monday going off before the sun was even up. Of course it was just Eliza knocking on the door, but I still found it comparable to my metaphor.

"What?" I didn't try to sound kind when I opened the door to talk with her. Maybe that was because it was morning, or because I didn't like her, or maybe I was just a jerk who couldn't let go of a grudge. Yeah, probably that last one.

"T-the suns up. So we were... going to go," she said, avoiding looking me in the eye. I watched her for a minute before responding.

"Are you afraid of me?"

She looked surprised to hear my question. "Wha- no! No. It's just, you're so different now... than you were before."

I nodded a little. Trying not to sound like a total jerk I said, "it took a lot to survive on my own." Eliza nodded, shifting from foot to foot. It looked like she was having just as much trouble coming up with something to say as I was. This is what we call awkward.

"I like your hair," she finally said, actually looking me in the eye as she said it.

This is where something of a pivotal moment happened for me. I never liked Eliza and we never really got along, but she was out here trying her best to survive. Just like me. That thought spark a feeling, one that had been gnawing at the back of my mind since I realized who was making their way into my yard the night before. That spark was all it took for the feeling to explode and I couldn't hold it in anymore. "Don't trust Sussex!" I blurted out.

Eliza looked a little surprised at first, but I had to give her credit for not immediately brushing my warning off. Instead, she asked, "why?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat. Would she believe me? Would it matter? I wasn't sure I liked any of the answers that followed those questions. But I'd regret it if I said nothing. And I regretted enough as it was, so... "That day, when I got separated from the group. It wasn't because I tripped. Sussex pushed me out of the door back into the alley. He locked me out. Left me for dead. He doesn't care about anyone else, only himself."

Eliza was quiet for a moment. I could see her brain doing it's best to absorbed the information I'd given her. When she spoke, I wasn't a huge fan of her answer. "He keeps us safe." She said is simply, like it was the only thing that mattered. Maybe it was, for her anyway.

Still, I shook my head. "He keeps himself safe. He keeps the rest of you so he can always get away."

Eliza looked back at the group of people that had come with her. "The group is the best chance we have to survive." I nodded. I didn't know what else I expected. It was probably really hard to believe me at all. Maybe because we went to the same school she was more willing to hear me out. But the outcome was pretty much what I expected it to be. "If we... come back, would you be willing to trade with us?"

I stared at her hard. Enough that she actually started to squirm a little. "No. Not with Sussex," I replied firmly. Eliza gave me what I assumed was her version of puppy dog eyes. Really, she looked a little sick. Maybe she wasn't good at it, or maybe I just didn't find her cute. Either way, it was still having an effect on me. Not because of the look, but because of that realization I had earlier. She was trying to survive. We all were. I let out a heavy breath. "But I'd be willing to trade with you." As long as I didn't have to see Sussex, I could stomach trading with his people.