Waveland

Chapter 5

The watcher from the tower instantly saw them. The gates immediately opened welcoming the two teenagers having no idea what Rose held over her shoulder. 

Xavier walked behind Rose entering back into his home. He saw Tyler come sprinting around the corner, his eyes immediately finding Rose. Xavier's felt his hands tighten into a fist. He wasn't sure why he got this flesh of anger. All he knew is that he could have gone without seeing the dumb look of concern written all over Tyler's face.

Xavier stood there waiting to see how Rose would react. To his surprise, Rose didn't even register Tyler. She paid no attention to his old friend instead her eyes were trained on another target, David.

Rose marched toward David ignoring the rest of the people slowly beginning to gather, their curiosity getting the best of them again.

She threw the net to the ground showing the corpse of an alien. Gasps were heard throughout the camp when it came to their realization of what it was. People heard the rumors of David's insane threat but no one thought she would do it. 

"I kept my promise." Rose was the first one to speak. Even David stood there his face pale white, clearly, he wasn't expecting her to return alive and with an alien in hand. 

"How do I know this isn't a trap? Maybe you are working with the aliens." Getting himself back into the composure of the camp's leader. He closed the space between him and her. 

The color of Rose's eyes took a darker shade of brown, looking almost black. It happens whenever she felt she was being threatened, and Xavier noticed. 

"I was there! I watched her kill it." Xavier stole the blade from Rose's back. "With this." He held the blade that was still covered in the aliens dried blood. Everyone gasped. The silence returning. People were horrified not only that this young girl killed an alien but the blade meaning she had to be terrifying close. No one in our camp had ever even killed an alien before, it was similar to a myth until Rose came along.

"You expect me to believe you killed an alien with a blade, and you appear uninjured. Not a spot of blood anywhere." David walked circling Rose.

"It's easy when they don't know you are coming. Especially when you attack where they think it's safe and no human would dare. I went to their base. Just like a burglar in a secured home." David stopped moving. His third time being shocked by the girl Xavier had found himself falling in love for. 

"Now, I am tired and I am gonna take advantage of that lovely kitchen you have." Rose patted David on the back walking away from the man who stood speechless. Powerless again against the teenager who kept threatening his authority and there was nothing he could do about it.

—----

In the center of the town was an elementary school. It was where they recreated school for the young children growing up in the apocalypse. Rose sat at a lunch table next to Xavier and his four other friends. The kitchen was serving mostaccilli, a basic pasta that had long short noodles with white sauce. It was Rose's favorite. She savored each bite not having such a good meal in a long time.

"So you really did kill an alien?" A girl across from Rose asked in a hush voice. Her hair was blonde and obnoxiously curly. She could tell by the look in her eyes that curiosity was burning inside of her. Eyes could tell you a lot. Rose could tell this girl still had a look of innocence, Rose reminiscing the way she used to look before everything. Xavier later said her name was Olive.

"Yes."

"Wasn't it terrifying?" Olive continued pestering her with questions. The look of curiosity never left the poor girl's face.

"Not when I think about all the innocent people the crawlers killed. Then it's easy to slice through its head." Olive made a sour face at Rose's description. For a second Rose was taken back to her old days when she had a lot of friends always gossiping about boys and parties. She went cold, bringing back to her new self. Feelings would only get you killed she reminded her self. 

Xavier noticed the dramatic change in Rose but he didn't say anything.

"Crawlers?" He asked instead.

"They have six legs, and skid along like spiders you got a better name?" She countered.

"Crawlers, Awesome!" The boy sitting next to Olive exclaimed clearing loving the name crawlers. His name was Drake, he had the same level of innocent look in his face. Rose knew Xavier and his friends haven't witnessed the same thing she had and part of her hoped they never would. But she worried how long can innocent people survive? 

—-----------------

The sun dissipated leaving the night sky to cover the entire camp evolving with a thick cold breeze.

"There you are." Xavier climbed the tallest tree in their camp. It was a perfect spot to look at the outside world. He never came here, too afraid of what he may see. He felt contempt living in his happy bubble pretending everything was perfect until he met Rose.

"How did you find me?"

Rose kept her attention on the wilderness. Thousands of trees for miles, a sense of home lingering in her eyes. 

"I noticed you like trees." Xavier inched his body toward her. He placed his hand on her thigh without thinking about it. The slight touch brought her eyes to his. The look in Rose's eyes looks like she summons chaos. He could tell she was lost deep in her thoughts. He wanted her to open up to him, but he didn't want to question her. He was too afraid it would do the opposite and she would run instead.

"Apple?" Xavier asked holding a bright red apple in his hand. She missed dinner, and he barely ate anything worried about the girl hiding in the tree. 

"Thanks." Her face lighting up at its bright color. She took a big bite. Her legs swung off the branch feeling each cold breeze against her legs.

"Are you going to run?" He asked the question he didn't think he wanted the answer. Would it better for her to tell him or to just wake up to find her gone.

"You mean like you did?" Rose stone cold expression broke. A grin emerging from her lips. She nudged his shoulder with her arm.

"I ran to you." They stared into each other eyes. Never looking anyway for a second.

"And now?" Rose asked.

"I want you to stay." Xavier gently pressed his hand against her cheek. His whole body was warm. He felt a spark between them. All he wanted to do was bring her lips to his. 

"I will stay as long as you want Doctor Xavier." Her face broke into the brightest beautiful smile he had ever seen.

"I am not really a Doctor." He let his hand drop. A piece of his blonde hair fell into his eyes. 

"Who knows one day maybe you will have to save me." The bright smile never left her face. Without warning she jumped off the tree, landing on the ground. Xavier thought it was the most graceful landing he had ever seen. 

"Be careful!" Xavier starred down at the ground that seemed like an infinity away but really was only eight feet. 

"See you tomorrow, Xavier!" Rose waved running into the darkness her long dark hair swaying. He watched until she disappeared leaving Xavier sitting on the tree thinking about what would have happened if he kissed the girl he was falling for.