The Apocalyptic World | Rilaya

Bittersweet

The two figures had just informed me about everything. Their names were Lucas and Zay, and we were in a zombie apocalypse. My dad was somewhere in the city, we were separated. My mom and brother were in Philadelphia. Farkle was with my dad and so was this girl named Maya.

I'm still wary of Lucas and Zay, not completely trusting them. But then again, they had to be friends of mine if they knew so much about me. I only remember my dad and Farkle. Apparently I have amnesia.

"Okay wait, so who's Maya?" I ask, scrunching my eyebrows in confusion. Lucas and Zay share another one of their looks. "She's your... girlfriend." Lucas says slowly. My eyes widen in surprise. "I have a girlfriend?"

"Yeah." Lucas answers again. "There's gotta be some way we can jog your memory." Zay says.

"Maybe she just needs to see Maya again. I mean, love usually fixes everything." Lucas says hesitantly. Zay scoffs. "You sound like such a sap."

Lucas shrugs. "I say we follow the trail of blood." His voice cracks. "Whose blood is it anyways?" I ask.

"Farkle's." Lucas's voice cracks again. His eyes were clouded with pain. "What? My best friend lost all this blood!?" I exclaim.

"Well that's a start. You know who Farkle is." Zay says, trying to sound optimistic. "Come on, let's just follow the blood." Lucas says, his voice barely audible.

After grabbing some more supplies, the three of us followed Farkle's blood down the street. When we were in the middle of the street, the blood suddenly stopped. "Great! There's no indication of where they went after!" Lucas exclaims throwing his hands up in exasperation.

I look around the street, eyeing the environment hoping to spot my best friend or my dad. I don't even know what Maya looks like, so that's out of the question. "Wait, did you guys see that movement behind the bushes?" Zay asks, pointing to the said bush.

"Come on!" Lucas whispers, hope in his voice. We crept to the bush, slowly moving to the other side. Lucas's eyes light up. "Farkle!" He shouts relief in his voice. His happiness fades when he sees the bandage around Farkle's shoulder. He immediately bends down next to him and starts obsessing over the injury.

"Dad!" I shout, running into his arms. In my peripheral vision, I see Zay hug a girl with blonde hair, probably Maya.

"Riley! I was so worried!" My dad says. I pull away from him, worry in his eyes again. "Is Farkle okay?" I ask.

"I think he'll be just fine, now that Lucas is here." My dad says gently. "Also Riley, I want to apologize for my behavior from before. Maya's a great girl."

I throw him a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"You mean you already forgot our whole conversation before we got separated?" My dad asks in disbelief.

"Uh, Mr. Matthews, there's something you need to know." Lucas says. "What?" My dad asks. Before Lucas can tell him anything, the blonde girl crushes me in a hug. "Riley! You're okay! I was so worried." She sighs in relief. I freeze, not hugging her back.

"Um Maya, you should listen to Lucas, you'll need to know this." Zay says.

"Riley has amnesia." Lucas breaks the news to everyone. "What?" My dad, Farkle, and Maya all say at the same time.

"She only remembers her dad and Farkle. Anything that happened during the apocalypse, she doesn't remember. It took us forever to get her to trust us." Zay says, giving a sad smile to Maya.

Maya turns back to me with a crushed look on her face. "Riley, you mean you don't know who I am?" Maya asks me, sadness clouding her eyes. "Er, I know your name is Maya and apparently you're my girlfriend." I say uncomfortably, pulling away from her hug.

A look of pure heartbreak enters her face, making me feel terrible. I rack my brain, trying to remember something about her. I want to remember her, I really do. But my mind was blank. "I'm sorry." I apologize to Maya. "I'm trying to remember you, I really am."

I study every detail of her face, trying to jog my memory. My eyes move past her lips and to her eyes. Those sparkling, bright blue eyes that currently had tears shining in them. One memory hits me like a truck. I remember I was standing at my locker, back at school. I was watching her make out with a boy. She was Maya Hart, the heartbreaker of Abigail Adams. And Lucas was Farkle's bully.

I turn away from her and grab Lucas by the shirt. "You! You were the guy that always bullied Farkle!" I shout.

"Woah Riley! It's okay!" Farkle slowly stands up, wincing slightly at his injury. He gently pulls Lucas out of my grasp. "It is not okay Farkle! He's been bullying you for years!"

Lucas winces at the mention of the bullying. "Riley, we worked things out. You just don't remember it." Farkle says. "Just calm down, okay Riley?"

"Calm down!? Farkle, don't you remember? This is your bully! He made your life miserable!" I exclaim. How is this possible? Why was Farkle defending this guy? And I had trusted him too!

"He's changed." Farkle says. "Riley, just trust me. He's changed."

I ignore his words and turn back to Maya. "And you!"

Maya flinches and takes a step back at my hostility and hatred in my eyes.

"How could I be dating you!? You're the heartbreaker of the school!" I shout at her.