A World Together

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

Stella

We debate for ten minutes on what our next move should be. Or, Logan and I debate at least. Gale offers little more than a quiet "Yes" or "No" and Rocket is more focused on chastising Logan and his driving abilities.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner that we were almost out of gas?" she asks.

"I didn't think it mattered," Logan shrugs, "we needed to stop soon for food anyway, I figured we could get gas at the same time."

Somehow, I don't think finding either will be as easy as he makes it sound. But eventually we decide that scavenging is the only option we have. It's still morning so that gives us plenty of time to look while the sun is out. Even if Las Vegas is free from the infected – and I'm beginning to believe that it really is – I have a feeling that there are other things in the dark that we should be cautious of. Like the bandits from the hotel. We're easy prey to them as it is, at least in daylight we'll be able to see them coming. The sun is our only advantage, so when night falls, I don't plan to be caught under it.

Gale takes some goading, he wants to stay in the car and I think he should. He won't be of any help anyway. But Logan insists that he comes with us, maybe because he thinks the bandits will come looking as well, and he doesn't want Gale to be on his own when they do. If that's the case, I don't know why Logan doesn't just say this. Eventually though, even without scare tactics, he manages to convince Gale, and we all get out of the car.

The street we're on is lined with stores, mostly selling clothes and souvenirs. Just one glance and I know we won't find any food here. I turn back to the others. Gale stays huddled close to the Jeep while Logan strays further out to the other cars parked on the side of the road. Rocket has made a beeline for the jewelry store in front of where we've stopped. It's only when she picks out a ring from the display case that I realize the entire front window is missing. She holds up the ring she picked out.

"I always wanted one with a ridiculously ginormous diamond," she says. "I knew I was destined to have one!"

It's a shame destiny had to destroy the world to give it to her, I think. The ring gleams brightly in her hand, light bouncing off of it. But my attention has been drawn to her feet and the spotless pavement she stands on. If the front window is missing then it must have been shattered at some point in time, but there's no evidence that anything like that happened. Either the wind blew away all the glass, or someone has swept it up. . .

Now I'm being ridiculous. I'm overthinking things, surely. But just to make sure, I join Rocket by the display and look down at the twinkling jewels, sizzling like stars in the sunlight. It's beside a bracelet that I find what I'm looking for. Small, it hides with the other gems and could easily be mistaken as a piece that's fallen loose from the bracelet itself. When I pick it up and hold it in the light though, I can tell that it's glass.

Rocket's been watching me since I came over and finally she says, "Out of all these diamonds, you pick out that?" She smiles, but my attention is too focused on the shard in my hand to smile back.

"Why isn't there more glass?" I ask. She misinterprets what I mean completely.

"There are diamonds in front of us, and you're asking for glass?" she mocks, before muttering something about priorities under her breath.