Ava And Ivy

9 (Invite)

A/n yes there is no chapter 8 at the moment, i dont know whether that will change because it was simply a filler chapter, so don't worry about it. thank you for sticking around :)

*Ava's POV*

I tightened the belt around my waist and settled in a sharp knife. After taking a few deep breaths I grabbed my blood-stained bat and tied up my long hair. A new day, a new me.

"You have an hour." Reese called to me as I stepped out into the cold air and made my way down the ladder.

"I'm scavenging for food." I remarked, my stomach aching with hunger.

The plants were not enough, and I was working hard on keeping them alive and prepared for the harsh bite of winter. Meanwhile it had become necessary to hunt. An unhappy ending for the poor rabbits and occasional deer. I hadn't killed more then needed though. I wasn't a monster.

My shoes were too thin for me to not feel the cold, but they were new and not falling apart, so they would have to do. The cold ground was hard under my feet. At least the mud was gone.

As soon as I was past the gate I was running, the zombies giving chase after me faster then ever. Understandable, I mean, I would be running after my food too if I were hungry.

I found myself running towards Ivy's house, and I only stopped for the corner shop to climb on the roof and drop down to bash a few zombie heads in, before grabbing whatever looked edible and making my way the hell out of there with my backpack thudding against my back.

Just then I heard a scream.

"Crap" I cursed before sprinting across the street. I hopped two fences and knocked down a househusband zombie roaming a random garden in a chefs hat before Ivy came into view.

Ivy was being pinned against the ground by a slobbering corpse that seemed bent on snapping her pale neck.

Without a second of hesitation I threw myself at it, knocking the monster to the ground before stabbing its neck with the knife. Ivy was already up and choking down sobs, shoving the closest walking dead to the ground with her quiver and stabbing the ones already down with unused arrows.

I knocked the rotting heads off two more before we had a moment of rest as a small horde neared us.

"Deep breaths." I told her, watching as Ivy wiped the tears from her eyes and grabbed her bow.

I took my stance and ran for the left when the first arrow flew to the right. With a few punches and kicks I had made my way through the crowd and earned multiple rotting limbs grabbing at my legs.

I let out a curse and grabbed an alarm clock set for a single second by a press of the button on the top from my pocket. With care I took aim, pressed, and threw with all my might. As soon as it landed on the street a few meters from me sound exploded through the street and I used the distraction to get to the nearest fence and jump my way up to a rooftop.

Ivy ran the other way before stopping and signalling to go after her. I got up to my feet and ran across the roof by the crowd of brain-eaters before jumping back down and catching up to her running back to her own base.

"I know, I know, I'm so cool." I stated as we ran, Ivy panting while I breathed at a steady pace.

She smiled wide and I grinned right back at her.

***

"You are much more alive when in action without him hanging around." Ivy told me when we had gotten to her garden, out of danger.

I gave her a glare and put my bat away.

"Thank you for saving my life. And, just so you know, I like your 'full of remarks and funny comments' side way more then the 'silent and obedient' one." I couldn't help but feel my heart warm up at that, and before I could stop myself I was hugging her, and she was hugging me right on back.

*Ivy's POV*

I pulled away and looked at Ava, glad that that her hickory eyes were for once bright and cheerful rather then dull with hesitation and concern as they would often be with Reese around.

"Please invite Reese over to my place. I want to converse with him. Preferably over the span of a day and night. I'm sorry if that is sudden or..." I sighed, not knowing what reaction to expect from her.

"Why?" Ava asked.

"Things I would prefer to keep private for the current moment. Just to keep your mind from wandering, I would never engage in romance with him." I added just in case.

She nodded and sat down to check her backpack. I noticed it was relatively empty, with only a few lollipops, two packets of soup and a random bunch of chocolates.

"Do you need food?"

"I guess so." Ava groaned, rubbing her eyes.

"Which nutrients?" She stopped when I said that.

"You have the choice to be picky?" She gasped in surprise and I bit my lip.

"No. I saved up the correct food and rationed it into days for assurance of surviving this winter." I answered, already walking to my stash to pick out food to last two people a month on the basic amounts and nutrients. She packed them before excusing herself and leaving.

I missed her the second she left.

*Ava's POV*

"You took so long again! At this point I'll starve!" Reese remarked as soon as the gate closed and I was climbing back up the rope ladder with the now-heavy backpack on my back.

"Food will be ready soon, did you wash the dishes?" I stepped through the door, and he sat on the bed, arms crossed. As soon as I looked to the sink I knew he hadn't bothered.

"Oh, you're fine! It's just some dishes."

"Ivy invited you to stay at her place for twenty-four hours, it's like one of those social media challenges from before the apocalypse." I snorted, back to my comedian self.

"Why were you with her? You know what I told you about-"

"It's fine, she gave me some food."

"Don't interrupt me." he snapped at me, and I stopped talking.

"What is wrong with you? How can you forget our safety? She could be tricking you!" Reese growled.

Normally I would be close to tears by this point, but today after talking with Ivy I was energetic, and still powered up from her compliments.

"How can you say that!? She's my best friend!" I shouted at him.

"I am your best friend. I come first." He hissed in warning.

"But I care about her!"

"Tell her I'll see her tomorrow." Reese ordered me, his voice as sharp and cold as ice.

"Where's your attitude gone now?" I scoffed at him in disbelief, pulling out my phone.

"I honestly can't talk to you anymore. You're just screaming for no reason and you're not letting me do anything. Don't speak to me."

I didn't have enough time to even try before he got up and left the room, slamming the door right behind him.

I bit back my tears and texted Ivy;

"He said that he'll see you tomorrow."

"Thank you, I'll pick him up." She replied.

I rationed out the food and hid away everything that we weren't eating that week just in case before starting on today's dinner.