Chaos 76 [COMPLETE]

Chapter 12

Alex P.O.V

I slumped at the table with Justin, who I'd become friends over the course of a day. Now we both sat dejected after our useless scavenging. I leaned forward and picked at the stale bread on my plate. Stellar was out in the chaos of... Chaos, and Madalyn was doing something clever with her phone.

Justin was clicking his pen over and over and over and over and over.

YES WE WERE BORED THANKS FOR ASKING.

Justin stretched and dropped the pen on the table. "Well, how are you doing?"

I laughed dryly and Madalyn looked up, clearly annoyed by the interruption.

"Alex," Justin asked. "So what's the chemistry between you and Madalyn?"

Madalyn snorted.

I leaned back. "Aww me and Mad's? Pshh we've been a thing since forever."

Justin leaned in, interested.

I grinned. "I'm kidding. She's with my buddy Jack."

He looked disappointed, and Madalyn sighed with relief.

"Why?" I asked. "You wanted me to set you up?"

Madalyn sneered at me.

"Nah bro. I have a girlfriend." Justin sighed.

I sat forward. "Wanna talk about her?"

"No... not really." He sighed.

An awkward silence ensued, and Justin got a sad look on his face. I cleared my throat and bit into the bread with renewed vigor and interest.

No, I'd never been into Madalyn, but I felt that it was my responsibility to keep her safe. Because we both had high hopes that Jack would come back. Of course that depended on a million coincidences. Is he alive, being the biggest one.

Suddenly Stellar creeped in and tried to make her way unnoticed to one of the smaller rooms. Justin cleared his threat and she cringed.

"Where have you been?" He accused.

She shuffled. "Scavenging."

Justin snorted. "Please. You always come back with something. And now you're empty handed? No."

She shrugged. "Supply and demand. There are people bigger than me with a bigger need."

"Sure..." Justin raised a sarcastic eyebrow.

She began walking again. "Don't worry about it okay?"

She drifted off, and a moment later, I stood and followed her. She slumped next to the back door and checked her phone. I leaned against the wall across from her. "You're a terrible liar, you know..."

She didn't even look up. "I know."

I sat next to her. "Where were you?"

"Oh now don't you start." She rolled her eyes.

"Hey, your brothers love you to death and they just want to make sure you're okay. The least you can do is reassure them you aren't in danger." I threw up one of my hands.

"What if I am?" She whispered.

I frowned. "Then tell them. They'll help you."

She laughed. "Are you kidding? The last time I introduced them to a guy, they spent the entire evening flicking peas at him across the table."

It took a minute to click in my brain. "Wait... this is all about a guy?"

She rolled her eyes. "Not just any guy. He's a recruiter."