Last Dawn of a Horde

Chapter Eleven: The Final Assault ~1 James

~James~

            Leaving John behind to watch over Sam was still bearable, but going with Jules outside left me wondering what I have done over hours ago.

            I know he's going in for tears, yet he wasn't into it yet. Pitiful Jules, I want to smack his head upside down and drag him back inside the house to make him sleep. Now I had been a little guilty I witnessed Sam getting weak from a shot.

            We sat on the porch near the front doors. Cold metal grasped my skin.

            I thought Jules was going to talk about issues of any kind, like what was Jimmy all up to, or what's the decision of the principal.

            "The transmitter," Jules muttered when I asked. "It worked. Just once."

            "And then?" I rub my eyes; I feel they were dropping.

            "Maybe we aren't safe here anymore," he answered.

            For a sudden I inched away from him. He suddenly reminded me of Jimmy. "Jules? I really think you need to sleep," I said.

            Jules scoots closer to me. "No, I think it's my entire fault. Sam... it's because of me."

            I pat his back. Suddenly I felt a horrific chill running across my shoulder. "No, Jules. Please. Stop it. You have nothing to do with it."

            "The transmitter—it might be broken!" Jules interjected. His eyes were eyeing straight on me: dark and deep.

            I push him slightly away, and I breathed shallow breaths. Thinking.

            Ridiculous, I thought. Then I had this quick synapse. I had decided that if love and attraction would lead to the deprivation of my sanity, I'll give it a 'no thanks'.

            Instead of getting angry, yell at him, or punch him hard on the face to make him fall fast asleep even just for a minute, I elbowed him.

            "You know," I began, clearing my throat as I let words sink in. "You could've done better if you're not acting like the way Jimmy was. You're important to us, Jules."

            "But—"

            "Sshh," I countered. "Sam would've been mad at you if she sees you like that. We've told you that zillion times already. You just need to keep calm, and—"

            "Kill zombies," Jules continued. "The hell with that meme."

            I found him uttering a smile, and I know I'm doing it good. I absolutely felt strange making someone miserable happy, yet satisfaction was there. I'm still hoping for coffee, though.

            "Look," I murmured as I point to his lips. "You were smiling."

            "Me? No," he defensively said, smirking the smile off his face. Even though he looked like a scary smiling corpse when he smiles with a stressed, sleepless face, I was satisfied. You should've seen him smile the normal days. He reminds me much of John.

            "That's what made Sam know you were worthy," I added, speaking in such a low voice he seems to be meditating on every word. Gladly, my voice didn't sound full of flattery. "I know, right."

            He smiles again. "'Know right' what?"

            "When John and I? At the base?" I say slowly. He quickly had the sense of what I was talking about. "I exactly know why you have left yourself behind."