~ 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓕𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓷 ~ (𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐎𝐧𝐞)

Chapter 5

Chapter 5 : falling

"Maddy?"

How is she even alive, last time I saw her, she was forced by her parents to leave camp, They had found a different one for her to stay at after they found out what happened

She stared at me teary-eyed while breathing heavily, her hand went up making gestures at me, fuck I still don't know what that means

Jade lost her hearing around twelve, she mostly relies on sign language and my dumbass still doesn't know how to do it

"Jade?" she signs

"Hey" I say out of breath, she smiles and crawls over to me wrapping her arms around my neck, " I missed You" she says quietly

After a few seconds she lets go and touches my face, "where we're you? I looked all over for you" i ask

she had dirt smudged on her face and dried blood on her clothes, what the fuck had happened, where has she been?

I sit up grabbing her arm standing her up, "will go back to where me and max are staying ok?" I ask, she just stares at my lips and nods her head in approval,

We walked for an hour before we got back, we came threw the door and max jumped grabbing his gun. he looked back and grabbed his chest sitting the gun back on the counter

"Jesus Christ you scare- maddy?" he says shocked

"Hey max" she signed, he got up and wrapped his arms around her smiling, he pulled back started signing to her about goats? Fuck I really gotta learn this shit

she just laughs at whatever he says and sits next to him, she looks different, more mature

She was seventeen when we met she always had this light about her, she was smart and funny and told the dumbest jokes

she glanced at me from the couch smiling, I know she remembers, I do

                 -  flashback - three years ago -

Look I love my brother, I do but he's not the brightest, not to long after are town closed of as a military safe zone all the middle school kids went back to school to continue studying, my brother of course failed most of his assignments

It wasn't entirely his fault

the military gave them advanced math and biology at fourteen hoping they could one day save us from the virus

So like any responsible parent my mother asked a friends daughter to help him study and occasionally help with homework

That's how we met

The first day she came over I was sitting on the counter eating cereal, they had greeted her at the door and invited her in, she had walked passed me with a smile while I looked her up and down, she was beautiful

She was in a short skirt with a sweater hugging her figure, my dad walked her to my brother's room so she could help him

My mother was staring at me and shook her head, "what?" I ask, she just smiles and swats my leg, "get off the counter there's chairs for a reason" she states

"Fine" I say, hoping off the counter and heading towards my room, they never invited anyone over, we were never allowed to have phones we couldn't make friends because we were homeschooled before the out break

And now they decide to let someone come over

After years of paranoia they let her come just to be a study buddy, if I knew tutors looked like that I would have failed more of my classes

She stayed for awhile and When dinner came around she was in the kitchen helping my mother cook, that was the other thing, we had to feed her while she was over here, which was fair, it's not like we're paying her anything

"Jade!" My mother called from the other room, "come set the table with your brother"

I get out of bed heading "straight" to the kitchen, max was already holding a tray of silverware placing each fork on a napkin smiling,

I glance at her again, watching her stir whatever food was she was cooking, how can someone be this beautiful?

"Alright everyone sit, dinners ready" my mother says from the kitchen, I take my seat by my brother while my dad walks in rubbing his head and taking his usual spot, "what for dinner hunny?" He asks

"Maddie here helped make homemade spaghetti and meatballs" he smiles while looking in the kitchen and staring at the girls body

Pervert

My father always had an inability to keep his eyes to himself, conveniently around teenage girls

Mother says that it's just a boy thing and I won't understand, but max has never acted like that, then again I practically raised him

I guess letting him get away with his predatory behavior makes sure there's no room for actual conversation that could result in well, divorce

I think deep down she knows he doesn't love her, I never did get why people got married to someone they hate

We all join hands praying over are food while the girl sat with her eyes open looking at the food and then back at me

I'm guessing she's not religious, or just hungry

She just smiles and closes her eyes, we speak over the food thanking god for a meal my mother made and finally started eating, my father compliments my mothers cooking as always, smiling at the young girl next to her making sure to thank her too

"So how was your day at school?" My mother asks while looking down at my brother, "it was ok" he was poking around his spaghetti with his fork clearly bored, I mean how good can school be when your stuck in your room all day with no friends

"Tell them about your grade max" the girl says

"Oh Maddie and me got a B on my science test" he said smiling, "just a B?" My father asks

"Honey a b is great I bet he tried his best" my mom says trying to get him to shut up

"you know back when I was in school my father wouldn't even feed us if we didn't get at least an A" he says chuckling

Why do old people say shit like this and laugh like that's actually normal, Jesus Christ

"I'll try harder next time dad" max says

"Stop max you did fine" i say while glaring at my father, max just smiles and Nods still picking at his food, "you tried your best right?"  I ask

"Of courses jade" he says, I smile proudly and we finish off dinner

I quickly get up before this conversation gets any weirder and place my plate in the sink

Maddie is washing the dishes while mom wipes off the table, she almost immediately noticed I was their and just smiles

I Walk to my room before she can say anything, I'm trying to avoid her the best I can so no unfortunate situation cost me my living space

I wouldn't put it past him to do it

A little while later I was getting ready for bed and I heard a knock, Maddie stood in front of me smiling leaning against the frame of the door, I stare at her waiting for her respond but she just walks in and sits on the bed

She puts her hands up by her face signing something,

"you know I don't understand that shit" I say rolling my eyes, she just stared at me with a blank expression almost offended,

"Jesus what?, can you not take a fucking hint I don't want to talk to you" i say, this time getting annoyed, she just nods getting up and storming out

fuck I'm an asshole

It's not her, its me

My father would kill me if he knew and I'm not taking any chances