Zoey and the Zombies (A Mondamin Court Adventure)

Chapter Thirteen #3

Zoey watched Caleb out of the corner of her eye while they walked. It was hard to believe she'd only known him a couple weeks. Two week ago, she'd been a geeky, transgender virgin. Now she practically had a live-in lover. She like the term "live-in lover." It was more poetic than boyfriend.

Or leach. Which he also was. She sighed. She was feeling very conflicted about this whole relationship. He had, she reminded herself, left essentially his entire share of the last shopping trip at her house. She couldn't decide how much of that was generosity, guilt that he'd been eating their food for almost a week, or tacit admission that he planned to continue to eat their food.

Was he really so different than Brian? He was a man, and he had a gun; therefore, he was protecting them and deserved to be compensated. Then again, he was protecting them from Brian at least. David's new gang had shaken down half the neighborhood, demanding food, money, and other valuables in return for keeping the neighborhood safe.

The bullies had left Lydia alone for now, mostly because of Caleb and Kyle's nearly constant presence around the house.

Caleb froze. Zoey ran into him and then followed his gaze.

Kyle was standing on Shawntae's front step, talking. He spied them coming, and his face flushed a crimson. He turned and bolted toward their apartment.

"Well, I'll be," Caleb crowed and started to hurry.

Zoey grabbed the back of his shirt. "No," she said.

"What?"

"You did this," she said. "You planted the seeds, set this up."

"I never thought he'd actually—"

"I don't care," she insisted. "You are not going to go down there to tease the poor boy."

"Aww, come on."

"No." Her eyes flashed. He paused. She dragged him back toward her house.

"Where are we going?"

"My place. And we are staying for the entire morning, giving him the privacy and dignity he deserves."

"He just came from a whore's house. How much dignity does he have?"

She glared at him, and he relented.

######

Darren wouldn't meet her eyes when Shawntae closed the door and looked at him. "Just go cook it," she shot at him.

He went to the table and tore open the case. He stomped into the kitchen. Shawntae sat on the coach, her face burning. None of her usual johns would brave the checkpoints, not for her. And there was no way pizza delivery would cut the mustard for essential travel. Neither of them had brought in any money in a week, and they were on the edge of starvation.

Misshasha had her little play table out in the middle of the room. She was serving up imaginary food to her dolls, who were complaining of hunger.

Shawntae pulled out her iPhone. The network was up for a change. She opened the Craigslist app. She stomped into the kitchen and shoved it under Darren's nose. "One case of ramen," she said. "Look at the price."

"So?"

"So, I wouldn't have gotten that much cash from any of my regulars."

He shrugged but didn't answer.

"Careful, little doll, it's hot," Darren said as he set a steaming bowl on the play table in front of Misshasha. He sat on the couch next to Shawntae and handed her a bowl as well. He still didn't look at her.

"Look," Misshasha told her dolls, pointing at the bowl of ramen. "It's Christmas." She pulled it close to her and started sucking the end of the noodle noisily into her mouth.

Shawntae set her bowl aside to cool and watched the girl eat. Darren's hand found hers, and she laid her head on his shoulder.

######

"Don't you dare say a word," Kyle hissed when he finally reappeared at Lydia's that evening. "Not a word."

Caleb made a motion to zip his lips.

"You were right," Kyle went on, "you were. She won't take charity. And that little girl is starving. I'd like to think if I had a daughter—"

"Fuck!" Caleb spat. "Seriously? You nailed a smoking hot chick but got a boner for being a dad?"

Both Kyle and Zoey shot him dirty looks.

"Not a word," he said and made the zipper motion again.