We're Not Alone

Chapter 20

I wake up in the position I fell asleep in. Then I realize what had happened just twelve hours ago. It all comes back to me like a flood. A flood of memories. Nearly getting shot, being showered by shattered glass, seeing a zombie version of Tyler Oakley and Joey Graceffa and then them lying on the ground, wounded, blood pouring from their heads. My breathing gets heavier just thinking about it.

I must have looked hot and flustered, because Trevor comes over to me and asks, "babe, are you alright?"

"Yeah, just... what happened yesterday is something I can't un-see."

"I know, ever since Joey's music video where he basically came out...."

"You and him were super close, but do you have any idea why they were here?"

"Don't say anything to Paisley, but they were dating. They had been since a while back."

"Wow, I didn't see that one coming."
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We keep chatting until everyone else wakes up, which wasn't until ten-to-ten.

"What time is it?" Paisley asks, being the last to wake up.

"Nine-fifty," I reply.

"Oh my god, I am so sorry I..." She rambles on.

"Paisley, it's fine. Don't worry about it. Me and your Mum woke up just five minutes ago." Dad clarifies.

Paisley stops rambling after he says this, and looks down to her feet. She bursts into tears. Instinctively I run over to her and throw my arms around her.

"What's up Pais?"

Between sobs she barely manages to say, "Can we go for a quick walk?"

I answer yes, and we walk north, her still in my arms sobbing.

Once we are fifty feet away from the others I ask again, "What's wrong babe?"

She riles up again, tears streaming down her reddened cheeks from her puffy eyes.

"J-J-Jamila," she squeaks.

"What is it?"

"I..."

"You what?" I but in after her long pause.

"I was bitten."

I gasp and leave a shocked look on my face. "What? When? How?"

"What, this." She pulls back her sleeve to reveal an all to familiar bite on her forearm. "When, in Cleveland, at the same time as Kyle I guess. How, I don't know, I just found it yesterday."

A blank look just remains on my face.

"Any other questions?"

"Why haven't you turned yet?"

"I don't bloody know! That's why I'm so worked up about it. What am I going to do Jamila?"

"I don't know Pais', but we'll find a way around it." I engulf her into my arms and plant a kiss on her forehead.

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"Kiss me like you wanna be loved!" Me and Trevor sing quietly, but just loud enough for me and him to hear.

Paisley is still walking behind us, sulking.

It's killing me to see Paisley like this. But I don't understand, if she really was bitten the same time as Kyle, why hasn't she turned yet?

I am snapped from my deep thought by a loud crack and crash of a window. A window that I just so happened to be walking next to. We're walking through the town and all I can see around me is smashed in windows and doors and not much left in the shops. In the distance I can see a tall building, a skyscraper almost. I never knew there were skyscrapers here. Learn something new every day.

"Is that a skyscraper Joey?" Nirvana asks in her sweet and comforting voice.

"Yeah, don't you remember the big thing about when it went up? And then everyone started suspecting this would become the new New York?"

"No."

"I want to explore it!" I say enthusiastically.

"We will then," Dad says monotonously.

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"Wow, this place is huge!" I admire as I stand at the base of the building tilting my head up to look to the top.

"Yeah, this wasn't here when we came here on tour," Trevor adds.

Dad walks through the revolving door, the rest of us following behind. Paisley still looking at the ground with the same blank look on her face.

As the others walk ahead I drop back to talk to Paisley.

"Turn that frown upside down, or else I'm going to pick you up and swing you round and round." This pulls a smirk onto her face. "A smirk! I got a smirk!"

This sends her into more of a grin as we look each other deep in the eyes.

"I love you, Jamila."

"I love you too, Pais'."

"Are you guys alright?" Trevor comes up to us and asks.

"Yeah," Paisley says with a reassuring smile and nod.

We walk off into the direction Dad and Nirvana went. As we walk through a set of double glass doors I am shocked to see rows of desks and computers.

This place is going to be fun to ransack.