Game theory: A Zombie Apocalypse

chapter nine part 1: Nicole?

It has been a week since Kylie's death. Everyone of the guys was dealing with it in a different way. They moved back to Stephanie's house, none of them was able to be at the same place where she died. Before they left they buried her in the back yard. Steph was spending most of the time in her gallery, feeling devastated and heart broken. She wasn't ready to face the world yet. Matt was the strongest among them. He was quiet most if the time, the sight of Kylie lying in a pile of blood with a hole on the side of her head, was haunting him. Mark was dealing with this the hardest. The first two days he was waking up Matt and steph with his screams and cries. Nightmares we're haunting him in his sleep. He had to move to Stephanie's room, so he won't wake them up again. On the third night without her, he woke up sweating and crying from another tiring nightmare. He looked around, remembering where he is. When they decided to move back to Stephanie's place, he was sure that he wanted to do it. Being in the place where she died would make his condition even worse, but now that he think about it, he needs her. Alive or dead, it didn't matter, but he knew that she will always be in his heart. He put on his hoodie, took one of matt's guns, and went out of the house. He walked in the chilli air to kylie's house in silence, thinking about what he would do when he will be reunited with her yet again. When he finally got there, he went straight away to the back yard, where she was buried. He sat in front of it, trying to stop the tears from falling but failing miserably. "Hey. It's me mark, in case you don't recognize..." He said. "You can't imagine how much I miss you. You we're missed by all of us, and... I just wanted to... Be next to you, you know. I felt like I'm going crazy back at steph's place. I won't talk anymore. I'll just try to... Be near you." He said, and he did. For the rest if the night, he just sat near her grave, telling her everything that happened since she died. He didn't expected for any replies, of course. He just had to feel her presence. It happened every night ever since. He would go to her grave, tell her what's on his heart, and then leave in the early hours of the morning. It was a routine for him. Something that he did daily, and the weirdest thing is, that it actually helped him. He felt better after every night like this. Matt and steph didn't knew about it at all, but they did noticed that he was looking better, and that made them both feel better. It's now the eight day since kylie's death, and mark was by her grave, telling her everything about what happened today. But then he heard a noise. He quickly got up, picking up his gun and looking around. He could see someone moving by the bushes. It wasn't a zombie, according to the normal phase of walking, but he kept the gun up, just for sure. Then from the shadows came the most unexpected person that he could've think of.
"Nicole?"
Mark asked the mysterious figure. When it finally came out of it's hiding place, he was shocked. "It is you." He thought to him self.
"Aren't you that nerd... Marge?" She asked as she came face to face with him. "No, I'm Mark. But it doesn't matter now. What are you doing here"? He asked. "I'm just wandering around, getting away from zombies, nothing much. What are you doing next to kylie's place?" She asked him. "Umm... I came here because of her grave. She got bitten by a zombie and then she shot herself so she won't become one of them." He said, looking at her grave with a sad expression. "Yeah, yeah, so heart breaking. Anyway, are you alone?" She asked him. With an emotionless expression. Mark was a little taken aback by the heartless comment, but quickly shoved it to the back off his mind. "No, I'm actually in a team with Matthew and Stephanie." He replied. "Stephanie? Stephanie cordato? My steph?" She asked excitedly. "Yup that stephanie. Actually, I was planning on coming back later, but if you're so eager to see her, I can take you to where we're staying." Mark said, gesturing with his hand forward. "Really? Oh that would be fantastic." She replied, with a smile the seemed evil in some freakish way. "OK..." He said weirded out. They walked to Stephanie's place, in total silence. Mark was glancing at her every once in a while. He used to hate her so much. Some times, when he looked at stephanie, Kylie and her from afar, she looked more sinister then the others two. So much more that it was almost scary to cross by her at school. She still looked like before, still scary and the emotionless expression was still on her face. But if Kylie ever taught him something, it's not to judge a book by it's cover. He didn't knew her well enough to tell if she is a cold hearted snake or not. After ten minutes, by the brake of dawn they entered the house. The house was still a mess, with all the green blood on the walls and furniture. The same disgusting smell was all over the place, but somehow, it didn't bothered to mark anymore. Nicole on the other hand, was gagging and cursing under her breath. "This place smells like shit." She said as she put a hand on her nose, trying to stop the horrible smell from reaching her nostrils. Mark looked at her and smirked. They went to the living room, expecting to see Matt and steph sleeping peacefully, considering the fact that it's only 6am right now. They went to the kitchen only to find them making out aggressively with stephanie sitting on the counter and Matt between her legs. Nicole fake coughed to draw their attention, which didn't help at all to make them stop. Nicole looked at mark, her face we're saying " seriously?!". He looked at her back and did a "wait and you shall see" gesture with his hand. He looked to his left and saw an empty jar and the word "cookies" was written on it. He took the jar and dropped it on the floor, making it brake to many small shards of glass. Matt and steph backed away in fright.  Stephanie looked at the broken jar, then at mark. And that's when she noticed Nicole. "Nicole? Omg your alive!" She said in happiness. She took her into a warm hug, which on surface she gladly excepted. Matt looked at the two, smiling, until he he noticed the expression that nicole made once she was out of stephs sight. He frowned at that. That face... Isn't she happy to see stephanie? She seemed like she did a second ago." He thought. They broke the hug with smiles on both of their faces. Matt secretly knew to say which one was fake.
One hour past by. They told her how they got into a group and how things has changed between them all. They showed her what they did when they practiced. When they asked her to show what she know, she was shy at first, but the thing is, that she is shooting with a gun like no one's business.