Zombie survivor

[40] Smooth moves

After speeding through the desert and putting a solid 10 kilometers between them and the horde, Ms. Heather finally eased the bus to a stop on the side of a dusty, empty road. The engine rumbled as it settled, and the group sat in silence, catching their breaths, the adrenaline slowly fading.

Morgan pulled up on her motorcycle beside the bus, dust kicking up as she parked. She got off, stretching her neck and rolling her shoulders. "Alright, everyone out. Let's get this tire fixed before anything else shows up."

The group filed out of the bus, still looking around nervously as if expecting more zombies to emerge from the shadows. Jean and Evan pulled out the tools they'd managed to grab at the auto shop, laying them out next to the flat tire. Brad, for once, helped without a word, his face still grim from their near-escape.

Ms. Heather stood by, wiping her forehead. "Thank you, Morgan. I don't know how we would've managed without you drawing part of that horde away," she said with a shaky but genuine smile.

Morgan gave her a brief nod. "No big deal. Let's just hope this fix lasts." She glanced at the others, her gaze sharp. "Alright, I don't want this taking all day. Luca, you know how to change a tire, right?"

Luca straightened up, grinning and nodding with maybe a little too much enthusiasm. "Uh, yeah, totally. I mean, how hard can it be?"

Morgan raised an eyebrow, but she gestured for him to step up. "Alright, let's see what you got. We're counting on you."

Luca shot a quick look toward the girls, his expression slipping into what he clearly thought was cool and collected. "Watch and learn, ladies," he said, puffing up his chest as he grabbed the jack.

Chloe exchanged a look with Brittney, rolling her eyes. "Oh God, here we go," she muttered.

Brittney smirked, crossing her arms as she watched Luca struggle with the jack. He managed to get it under the bus but seemed a little confused about how to start lifting it. His fingers fumbled over the handle, and he glanced around, his grin faltering as he realized everyone was watching him.

"Uh... it's, like... got some resistance," he muttered, giving the jack handle a harder push. The bus shifted slightly, but not nearly enough to lift it properly.

Jean stepped in, raising an eyebrow. "You gotta turn it clockwise, dude."

Luca flushed, glancing at Jean. "Yeah, I know that, man. I was just, uh... testing it."

Jordan snorted, leaning against the side of the bus. "Testing it? Bro, it's a jack, not some, like, high-tech gadget. You just twist and lift."

Luca's face turned a little redder, but he kept his grin plastered on. "Whatever. Like, I'm totally handling it. Don't distract me."

He turned the jack handle, this time in the right direction, and the bus finally started to lift. He shot a quick look at Chloe and Brittney, clearly fishing for approval, but they just looked at each other and tried not to laugh.

Chloe raised an eyebrow, giving him a mockingly impressed look. "Wow, Luca. You're, like, a total mechanic. Real 'alpha' energy over here."

Luca grinned, apparently missing the sarcasm. "Yeah, you know, just a natural. I'd be like, a pro at this in another life." He reached for the wrench, fumbling with the lug nuts on the wheel. His hand slipped, and he dropped the wrench with a loud clang that echoed in the desert silence.

Brittney snickered, covering her mouth as she whispered to Chloe, "Dude's out here trying to flex and can't even hold onto a wrench."

Luca's face turned beet red, but he tried to play it off, flashing a grin. "Guess the wrench's, like, slippery. Sand, you know?"

Jean crouched down next to him, picking up the wrench and giving him a skeptical look. "Here, let me help. You're gonna strip the lug nuts if you keep messing with it like that."

Luca grumbled but let Jean help, his face set in a forced look of calm as he muttered, "Nah, nah, I got it, man. I just need to... you know, get in the rhythm."

Morgan folded her arms, watching with a raised eyebrow. "Luca, if you mess this up, it's not just your ego at stake. Let Jean take the lead if he knows what he's doing."

Luca hesitated, but he reluctantly handed the wrench to Jean, glancing nervously at the girls to see if they'd noticed his fumbling. Brittney was openly smirking, and Chloe looked like she was barely holding in a laugh.

Luca tried to save face, shrugging like it didn't matter. "Just, like, letting him practice, you know? Gotta give the rookies a shot, too."

Jordan couldn't hold back a snort. "Rookies? Bro, you're the one who didn't even know how to use the jack."

Luca glared at him, but Jordan just rolled his eyes and went back to watching Jean and Morgan work on the tire.

Akira leaned over, giving Jean an encouraging smile. "You're doing great, Jean. Just keep turning it like that."

Jean smiled back, a bit flustered. "Uh, yeah, thanks, Akira. Just trying not to mess this up for all of us."

Luca rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath, "Everyone's, like, a critic today."

Brittney heard him and snorted. "Well, when you come in acting like you're Mr. Tough Guy and then fumble like that... yeah, we're gonna have opinions."

Chloe crossed her arms, smirking at him. "Maybe less talking, more fixing? Or do you need Jean to finish it up for you?"

Luca sighed, clearly frustrated but unable to come up with a response that didn't make him look worse. He settled back, muttering, "Whatever. Let the nerds do it."

As Jean tightened the last lug nut, he looked up at Morgan, who gave him a nod of approval. "Good job, Jean. That's how it's done. Looks like you saved us some time."

Jean flushed with pride, giving a small, awkward smile. "Thanks, Morgan. Just... trying to help."

Morgan looked over at Luca, her expression unreadable. "See, Luca? Sometimes it's better to just focus on getting it done right instead of trying to impress everyone."

Luca forced a grin, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, yeah. Next time, I got this."

Brittney chuckled, shaking her head. "Sure you do, tough guy."

As they finished tightening the tire, the group fell into a more focused silence, each of them helping in small ways to make sure the bus was ready to go. Luca stayed back, quietly grumbling to himself, his earlier confidence all but deflated.

Chloe shot Brittney a smirk, her voice low. "Maybe next time he'll, like, leave the 'alpha' act at the door."

Brittney stifled a laugh, nodding. "One can only hope."

Luca, overhearing them, tried to play it off with a chuckle. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. Just wait 'til we're back out there—I'll show you all what I'm made of."

But the others just shared knowing looks as they finished up, more focused on getting back on the road than on Luca's failed attempts at impressing them.

Q: How many times did you cringe?