Dead Ahead! (Male Reader Insert)

Chapter 6

Inside the bus, everyone's sitting at the front, except for Pepper, who quietly sits on the back.

Russel: That's rude. She doesn't even want to socialize.

Russel whispers. His eyes, still red and puffy from the pepper spray.

You: Leave her alone, dude. We're all guys here. She's probably uncomfortable.

Dale takes a deep breath and slowly makes his way to Pepper. He sits adjacent to her seat.

Dale: What's the problem, kid?

The old farmer asks, looking solemnly at the girl. Pepper looks up with tears in her eyes and weakly smiles.

Pepper: I-I'm just a bit shocked. One of those marauders was someone I'd often see back at the station.

Pepper: We'd always talk during his... visits. He was a delinquent, often getting into fights, some vandalism here and there.

Pepper: But he was a good kid. Good company, even. I wasn't really that accepted back at the station, considering I'm just a traffic cop.

Pepper's eyes dart around as she tries not to cry.

Pepper: I tried... helping him. Encouraging him to try and pursue a better future. What hurt more is it was working. He got a part-time job, planning on going back to school...

Pepper: When all this zombie thing exploded, I holed up near the station, helping anyone that came by... I was so busy... that... that...

Pepper can't take it anymore and cries, hugging her knees for comfort.

Pepper: I forgot to help him. After months of completely overlooking his existence, I tried checking up on him.

Pepper: I was too late. I saw how he murdered that civilian. He stared at me, and in his eyes, he still recognized me. He feared me.

Everyone is hearing Pepper's story and shares faces of sadness and sorrow both for the girl and the kid in her story.

Pepper: His marauder buddies convinced him to try and knock me out, and he caved in. I begged him to stop, but he just wouldn't... I... I had no choice.

Pepper: The gunshot is still ringing in my ears...

Dale breathes out, wiping some tears on his eyes. He puts a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder.

Dale: It's not your fault, Pepper. You did what you could, and that's what matters. We need to learn. Learn that we can't save everybody.

Dale: Same goes for you, (Y/N). I've seen the look on your face when we walked through that town.

Dale: I know it's wrong to just leave people to die. But sometimes, you have to protect what you already have.

You nod at Dale's word but still can't seem to accept it. Stopping at the next barricade, you look around for Marauder vehicles and smile when there is none.

You: This is our next stop, ladies and gentlemen. Make sure you're all energized for the upcoming activity.

You say, imitating a cruise ship's captain. It brought joy to the members inside the bus, especially Pepper.

Russel stands up, but you push him back down.

You: Sorry, sir, but it seems you are still burdened by the story earlier. Your eyes are still puffy and red.