Zombie survivor

[32] Cringe watch

The desert night was silent, save for the occasional crackle from the dying campfire. The others lay scattered around, curled up on the ground, their makeshift beds barely doing anything to cushion them against the rough sand. Brittney sat on an overturned crate near the edge of the camp, her eyes scanning the endless stretch of darkness around them, fingers tapping rhythmically against her knee. She pulled her jacket tighter around her shoulders, shivering as the desert cold seeped in.

Beside her, Trevor—better known to everyone as "Trev"—sat hunched over, glancing around like a hawk. His fingers twitched every few seconds, as if he were still in his mom's basement, moderating some chaotic Discord server. He adjusted his fedora, the black brim shading his face as he smirked to himself.

"So, uh, Brittney," he said, clearing his throat. "Didn't think you'd volunteer for night watch, but hey, it's cool to have some company out here. Y'know, especially company as... aesthetically pleasing as yourself." His tone tried to sound smooth, but it landed somewhere between awkward and painfully creepy.

Brittney's eyes snapped over to him, her expression somewhere between irritation and disbelief. "Ew, Trev, can you, like, not?" she said, scooting a little farther away. "I'm out here to keep zombies from eating us, not to, like, entertain your cringe-ass 'aesthetic' comments."

Trev chuckled, leaning back as he pushed up his glasses. "Come on, no need to be hostile. I'm just saying, if we're out here all alone, y'know... we could make the most of it." He waggled his eyebrows, grinning as if he'd just said something brilliant.

Brittney shuddered, crossing her arms tightly over her chest and looking pointedly away from him. "I'd rather get eaten by zombies than let you within ten feet of me, dude."

Trev let out a huff, undeterred. "Oh, come on, don't be like that. I get it—you're used to all these jocks fawning over you, right? But they don't really see you. Not like I do." He leaned a little closer, lowering his voice as he added, "I'm the type that can appreciate, like, your real depth. Not just... superficial looks, y'know?"

Brittney shot him a look that could've frozen the desert over. "Oh, really?" she said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "So, my 'depth' is why you're, like, ogling me like a total perv right now?"

Trev's face flushed a little, but he quickly masked it with a cocky grin. "Hey, I'm just saying, I'm not like those other guys. I actually respect women." He leaned back, adjusting his fedora, clearly thinking he was coming across as suave.

Brittney snorted. "Dude, the last time you said that, you, like, got banned from two servers for creeping on the mods. Respecting women my ass."

Trev's smirk faltered, and he coughed awkwardly, scratching his neck. "Hey, that was just a misunderstanding, alright? Some people can't handle a little... admiration."

"Right, because asking for feet pics is totally 'admiration,'" Brittney shot back, rolling her eyes so hard it looked like they might disappear into her head.

Trev cleared his throat, his face a bit red. "Anyway, look, we're out here in the middle of the apocalypse. Maybe it's time to drop the whole 'I'm too good for everyone' act and... y'know, consider some different options." He gestured to himself with a cocky grin, as if he actually thought she'd consider him for more than half a second.

Brittney glared at him, her face full of disgust. "Oh my God, the delusion. I'd rather get eaten alive by zombies than date you. Seriously, you're, like, the textbook definition of 'cringe.'"

Trev shrugged, undeterred, his smirk firmly back in place. "You say that now, but if it comes down to just you and me, you might change your tune. Trust me, I know how to treat a girl right." He attempted a wink, but it came off more like he had something in his eye.

Brittney physically recoiled, throwing her hands up. "Dude, what part of 'hell no' don't you get? Stop being weird, or I'll just wake Morgan and tell her you're, like, trying to make a move in the middle of the apocalypse."

Trev held up his hands in a mock display of innocence. "Hey, I'm just being friendly. No harm in a little friendly banter, right?"

"Banter? Oh my God," Brittney groaned, rolling her eyes again. "This isn't banter, Trev. This is me telling you to back the hell off. You're, like, two seconds away from getting smacked."

He chuckled again, but this time, there was a slight edge of frustration in his eyes. "Whatever, you'll come around. You'll see I'm different from those douchebags you waste your time on."

"Yeah, different, as in, like, the kind of 'different' that makes me wanna puke," Brittney muttered, settling her gaze back on the horizon, hoping he'd take the hint and just shut up. She focused her eyes on the stars, trying to tune him out, but Trev's voice crept up again a moment later.

"You know, Brittney," he continued, undeterred, "this whole 'bad girl' act of yours is, like, kinda hot. I can tell you're probably just, y'know, protecting yourself from getting hurt. But you don't have to act tough with me. I'm, like, a safe guy. I'd take care of you."

Brittney's jaw clenched, and she resisted the urge to hurl her flashlight at him. "Trev, if you say one more thing, I swear, I'm gonna throw you to the zombies myself. I don't need anyone to 'take care' of me, least of all some creepy-ass 'Discord mod' wannabe."

Trev laughed nervously, shifting back a bit as he finally caught onto her rising anger. "Alright, alright, I get it. You're just playing hard to get. No problem."

"I'm not playing anything," Brittney hissed, her voice sharp. "I'm telling you to back off, period. Can you not take a freakin' hint?"

Trev looked at her, his face finally showing a hint of annoyance, but he gave a forced shrug. "Whatever. I'm just trying to be nice. No need to be such a... you know... bitch about it."

Brittney's eyes flashed, and she clenched her fists, fully prepared to give Trev a piece of her mind, when a sudden rustling sound caught their attention. They both turned, hearts pounding, hands instinctively reaching for their makeshift weapons.

But after a moment of tense silence, they realized it was just the wind stirring up the sand, blowing through the nearby shrubs in soft, eerie whispers. Brittney relaxed, though her scowl didn't fade.

Trev chuckled awkwardly, trying to break the tension. "See? Even the desert wants to keep us on our toes. Just me and you out here, watchin' each other's backs."

Brittney shot him a glare, folding her arms tightly over her chest. "Yeah, well, I'd feel a lot better if I was watching someone else's back," she muttered, turning her attention back to the horizon. She kept her gaze fixed forward, her mind racing with the hope that he'd finally take the hint and back off.

Trev stayed silent for a minute, seemingly considering her words. But as the silence stretched, he leaned forward again, his voice low. "Look, Brittney, I'm just saying, if you ever get tired of the meatheads around here... I'm right here. I'm, like, the only guy who gets you, y'know?"

Brittney closed her eyes, letting out a slow, exasperated breath before looking back at him, her patience gone. "Trev, the only thing you 'get' is on my nerves," she snapped. "Take the hint already. I'm here to make sure zombies don't, like, eat us, not to put up with your 'nice guy' crap. So just... quit it."

For once, Trev didn't have a comeback. He shifted back, grumbling to himself, finally dropping the pretense. "Fine," he muttered, sounding more irritated than wounded. "Didn't think girls liked guys who actually tried to talk to them, but whatever."

Brittney rolled her eyes, facing the desert once more, her body relaxing slightly. The silence that settled over them now was thick, but it was at least free from Trev's rambling. She let herself get lost in the vast darkness of the desert, her relief settling in.

Q: How many times did you cringe there?