Zombie survivor

[66] Into Washington

The RV rattled along the bumpy highway, passing by a sign that says, welcome to Washington state. its engine groaning as Ms. Heather navigated the deserted road. The inside was cramped as usual, with people jostling for space and the occasional annoyed grunt when someone's elbow or leg crossed invisible boundaries.

Evan, sitting near the window, had a goofy grin plastered across his face. His cheeks were faintly pink, and he kept fidgeting with his hands, tapping his knees or brushing imaginary lint off his pants. Every so often, he'd glance out the window, still grinning like a kid who'd just been handed his first video game console.

The other boys noticed immediately.

"Yo, what's with you?" Jordan asked, leaning over from his seat with a raised eyebrow. "You look like you just hit the jackpot or something."

Evan jumped, his grin faltering for a second before returning in full force. "W-what? Nothing! I'm fine. Totally fine."

"Bruh, that's sus as fuck," Tyler said, his sharp grin creeping across his face. "Nobody grins like that unless they just got laid or won the lottery."

"Tyler, not everything's about getting laid," Blake muttered, pushing up his glasses. "Maybe he's just in a good mood."

"Nah, nah," Jordan cut in, leaning back with a knowing smirk. "This is different. Look at him. He's got that 'I-just-did-something-and-don't-want-you-to-know-about-it' vibe."

Jean, sitting across from Evan, narrowed his eyes slightly, studying him. "You're acting weird," he said plainly. "What happened?"

"Nothing!" Evan blurted, sitting up straighter and waving his hands defensively. "I-I swear, nothing happened!"

"That's not convincing at all, bro," Brad said, rolling his eyes. "You're literally acting like someone caught you with your pants down."

"Or doing something you shouldn't be doing," Tyler added with a wicked grin.

Evan's face turned bright red. "I didn't do anything, okay?" he stammered, his voice cracking slightly. "You guys are just imagining stuff."

"Uh-huh," Jordan said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Sure we are."

Trev, sitting slouched in the corner, finally lifted his head, his tired eyes focusing on Evan. "You're too loud, dude. Whatever it is, just spill it so we can all shut up."

"Yeah," Tyler said, his grin widening. "Come on, spill the tea. What's got you looking like you just leveled up in real life?"

Evan squirmed in his seat, his hands clutching at the edges of his pants. "I-It's nothing, okay? I was just, um... thinking about... stuff."

"Thinking about stuff," Brad repeated flatly. "That's the best you've got?"

"Maybe he finally beat his high score in Simp Simulator 3000," Tyler joked, earning a few snickers.

"Shut up!" Evan snapped, his voice louder than he intended. He clamped his mouth shut immediately after, his face burning as the other boys stared at him.

Jordan let out a low whistle, leaning forward. "Okay, now I know something happened. What's got you so jumpy, huh?"

"Nothing!" Evan insisted, his voice cracking again. "Seriously, guys, can we just drop it?"

The boys exchanged glances, their smirks fading slightly as they realized Evan wasn't going to budge. Jean tilted his head, his gaze lingering on Evan for a moment longer before he leaned back in his seat.

"Alright," Jean said finally. "If you don't want to talk about it, fine. But you're acting weird as hell."

"Yeah, man," Jordan said with a shrug. "Whatever it is, you're gonna have to tell us eventually. We'll find out."

"Not if he keeps simping in secret," Tyler muttered under his breath, earning a glare from Evan.

"I'm not simping!" Evan protested, his fists clenched on his lap. "I don't even—ugh, forget it."

Blake sighed, adjusting his glasses. "Can we focus on something that actually matters? Like, I don't know, surviving?"

"Sure," Brad said with a smirk, crossing his arms. "Right after Evan explains why he's been smiling like he just got a text back from his anime waifu."

"Bro!" Evan snapped, his voice high-pitched with indignation. "I'm not—just leave me alone!"

The boys laughed, the tension easing slightly as they dropped the subject—at least for the moment. Evan turned back to the window, his face still red, and crossed his arms tightly over his chest.

Jean leaned toward him slightly, lowering his voice. "Seriously, though. If something's going on, you can tell us. We're all stuck in this shitshow together."

Evan didn't look at him but gave a small nod, his expression tight. "I know. Thanks, Jean."

Jean watched him for a moment longer before sitting back in his seat, deciding not to press further. Whatever it was, Evan clearly wasn't ready to talk about it.

Tyler leaned closer to Jordan, his voice just loud enough for a few others to hear. "Place your bets. My money's on him doing something cringe with Chloe."

Jordan snorted. "Big facts. Kid's a simp through and through."

Blake sighed loudly. "Can you two stop being immature for five seconds? Evan's clearly uncomfortable."

"Doesn't mean we're wrong," Tyler said with a smirk.

Jean shot them both a warning look, and they fell silent, though the amused grins didn't leave their faces.

As the RV rattled on, the boys let the subject drop, but the tension lingered in the air. Evan continued to stare out the window, his mind racing as he replayed the events of the previous night. His blush deepened, and he bit his lip to keep from smiling.

For now, his secret was safe. But he couldn't shake the feeling that the others weren't going to let it go forever.

Q: Have you ever been to Washington state before?