Chemicals

5

The sun hadn't risen yet, but we couldn't afford to wait any longer. "Anything yet?" I call out to Carmen, who's rummaging through the back shelves for any leftover cans of food.

"A few, maybe—" she hesitates, her eyes scanning the dusty shelves before Frank cuts in, his voice steady and precise.

"Four cans of corn, five of beans, and two of corned beef," he lists in his usual matter-of-fact tone. I nod, glancing at the small pile. My mind starts calculating how to stretch it, dividing the meager supply between the four of us.

"We'll need to ration this carefully," I say, mostly to myself, but Carmen hears me and sighs, wiping her hands on her jeans. "This isn't going to last us a week," she mutters under her breath, frustration creeping into her voice.

"I know," I reply quietly, staring at the cans. Before anyone can say more, the deep, rumbling sound of a car engine roars outside, cutting through the tense silence. All of us freeze, exchanging confused glances. We were the only ones here—or so we thought.

I rush toward the front, crouching down beside Ethan, who's already peering out the window. His face hardens when a monster truck rolls into the parking lot, its tires kicking up dust as it screeches to a halt. The engine growls for a moment longer before cutting off. "What the hell..." Carmen whispers, joining us at the window. The driver's door swings open, and out steps a girl with short blonde hair, wearing a slim black jumper, her movements quick and purposeful. A gun is tucked into the back of her waistband. Three guys follow her out of the passenger seat, each of them armed, scanning the area like they're expecting trouble.

"Ivy?" Ethan murmurs, sounding shocked.

"You know her?" I ask, still watching the scene unfold. "We went to the same high school," he says, his voice tightening with something I can't quite place. "Haven't seen her in years."

Before I can respond, Ivy's eyes catch on Ethan as she approaches the store entrance. She pauses, staring at him for a moment, then a smirk tugs at the corner of her lips. "Well, well. Ethan Connor. Long time, no see." Ethan stands up, crossing his arms as if trying to maintain some distance. "Ivy. Didn't expect to see you out here."

"Didn't expect to find you playing house in a supermarket," she shoots back, glancing around the store. "Still fixing things, I see?" 

"Still breaking things?" Ethan counters, his voice guarded. Carmen steps forward, her brows furrowed. "Who are they?"

"Ivy," she replies casually, nodding to the guys behind her. "And these are my crew. We're just passing through. Heard this place had some supplies left." I tense, not liking the sound of that. "Well, it doesn't," I say, stepping closer to Ethan. "We've already scoured the place." Ivy's sharp eyes land on me, sizing me up. "And who's this?"

"Kiya," I answer flatly. Something about her rubs me the wrong way. "What do you want, Ivy?"

She raises her hands, feigning innocence. "Relax. We're not here to cause trouble. Just looking for a place to stay for the night. Thought maybe we could catch up. Share some stories. Maybe a few supplies." I don't trust her, not for a second. "And why should we let you stay?" Ivy shrugs. "Because there's strength in numbers. And the way things are out there? We could all use a little backup."

Ethan looks at me, then back at Ivy. His expression is unreadable, but I can feel the tension between them. Old history, old memories. I shake my head, keeping my voice low but firm. "I don't like this, Ethan. We don't know them." Ivy overhears, her smirk widening. "You don't have to trust me, Kiya. But it might be better for all of us if you did."