Zombie survivor

[85] Rallying call

The makeshift cafeteria was filled with its usual mix of exhaustion and irritation, the teens sitting at their usual table with bowls of watery stew in front of them. The weak glow of a lantern overhead flickered as they ate in near silence, the weight of the day still heavy on their minds.

Jean stared at his bowl, his appetite long gone. He hadn't been able to think about anything else since his meeting with Garrett earlier that day. He knew what he had to do, but the thought of breaking the news to the group filled him with a strange mix of guilt and determination. Finally, he cleared his throat, setting his spoon down with a soft clink.

"Guys," he began, his voice steady but quiet. "I need to tell you something."

Jordan, who had been halfway through a joke about the stew's resemblance to sewage, paused mid-sentence. "Yo, serious voice. What's up?"

Jean looked around the table, meeting each of their gazes. "Starting tomorrow, I'm joining the scavenger team."

The words hung in the air for a moment, sinking in.

Jordan's jaw dropped, the spoon in his hand falling back into his bowl with a splash. "Wait, what? You're doing what?"

Tyler, who had been sipping from his tin cup, spat out his water in shock, spraying it directly into Brittany's face.

"OH MY GOD!" Brittany shrieked, jumping up and frantically wiping at her pink-dyed hair. "What the fuck, Tyler?!"

"Sorry! Sorry!" Tyler said, holding up his hands in mock surrender, though he was clearly more focused on Jean. "Dude, you're serious? Like, actually serious?"

Jean nodded, his expression resolute. "Yeah. I talked to the guy in charge today—Garrett. He's letting me join."

Akira's head snapped up from her bowl, her dark eyes wide. "If you're going, I'm going," she said firmly, her voice soft but filled with unwavering determination.

Jean blinked at her, surprised. "Akira, no. It's too dangerous—"

"I don't care," she interrupted, her gaze locking onto his. "I'm going."

"You're not dragging me into this," Chloe cut in, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder with a huff. "If you want to go on some suicidal mission, fine. But don't expect me to risk my life for whatever dumb hero complex you've got."

"It's not a hero complex," Jean said sharply. "It's about saving Morgan and Ms. Heather. They'll die without help."

Blake, who had been quiet until now, suddenly straightened up in his seat. "If it's for Ms. Heather, I'm going too," he declared, his tone resolute. "She's the kindest, most selfless person here. If I can help save her, then I'll do it."

Trev, sitting at the end of the table, nodded slowly. "Same here. Ms. Heather's... the only person who's ever treated me like I mattered. I'm not letting her die."

"Aw, dude, that's deep," Jordan said, smirking. "Alright, fine. If you're going, then I'm going too. Gotta back up my bro, y'know?"

"Same here," Tyler added quickly, grinning. "Ride or die, baby."

Jean felt a lump rising in his throat as he looked around the table. He hadn't expected this kind of support, and it caught him off guard. "You guys... you don't have to do this. I mean it."

"Shut up, Jean," Jordan said, waving him off. "You're not doing this alone. We're in this together."

"Yo, can we take a second to realize how fucking insane this is?" Chloe snapped, glaring at the group. "Do you even get what you're signing up for? You're gonna get yourselves killed!"

The table fell silent for a moment, Chloe's words hitting harder than anyone wanted to admit. Then, to everyone's surprise, Brad spoke up.

"I'm in," he said simply, leaning back in his chair.

All eyes turned to him, shocked.

"You?" Brittany asked, her voice dripping with disbelief. "You're actually volunteering for something that doesn't involve flexing or hitting on girls?"

"Shut up, Brittany," Brad snapped, his tone unusually serious. "I'm not doing this for you. Or for him." He jabbed a finger at Jean. "But I'll be damned if I sit back and do nothing while someone else has to clean up this mess. You need muscle? I'm your guy."

Jean stared at him, stunned. "Uh... thanks, Brad."

"Don't mention it," Brad muttered, crossing his arms.

Evan, who had been quiet this whole time, suddenly cleared his throat. "I'm coming too."

Chloe whipped her head toward him, her eyes narrowing. "No, you're not."

"Yes, I am," Evan said, his voice firmer than anyone had ever heard it. "I'm not just gonna sit here while everyone else goes. I can help."

"Evan, you don't even know how to fight," Chloe said, her tone icy. "You'll just get in the way."

"Maybe," Evan admitted, his face flushing. "But I'm still going."

Chloe's glare could've melted steel. "You're being stupid."

"For once, I don't care what you think," Evan shot back, his voice rising slightly. "I'm going. End of story."

The table fell into stunned silence, the tension between Chloe and Evan crackling like a live wire. Brittany finally broke the awkwardness with an exaggerated sigh.

"Well, if everyone else is going, I guess I'll go too," she said, flipping her hair dramatically. "Not like I wanna sit here by myself while you all go off and play hero."

"Great," Chloe said, throwing her hands in the air. "Now we've got the entire fucking squad signing up for a death march."

She slammed her hands down on the table, the sound echoing through the room. "Fine! You know what? Fine. I'll go too. But only because I'm not letting you idiots get yourselves killed without me."

Jean looked around the table, his chest tightening as he took in the determined faces of his friends. He hadn't expected this—any of this. But for the first time in a long time, he didn't feel alone.

"Thanks, guys," he said quietly, his voice thick with emotion. "Really. This means a lot."

"Don't get all sappy on us," Jordan said, smirking. "We've still gotta survive first."

"Yeah," Brad added, his usual cocky grin creeping back onto his face. "And if you slow me down, I'm leaving your ass behind."

Jean chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Noted."

Q: How would you unite a group of people?