Maybe

Chapter 5

"You don't smile a lot do you?" Ethan asked

            After searching his makeshift camp in the store and coming up relatively empty-handed, I had decided that the best decision was to try to make it back to my camp in the woods before it got dark. We were on the several mile journey at the moment, and Ethan had felt compelled to fill every silence we experienced. Ultimately the silence would have protected us better, seeing as it would draw less attention to us, but I let Ethan talk, as he wanted.

"No reason to smile." I said

"Well, you are alive aren't you? I take that as a pretty good reason." He said

"And a bunch of people aren't alive to smile, I feel like it's asking too much." I said

"Asking too much?" He asked confused

"Never mind, it doesn't matter." I said dismissing it

"Ok, well, will you ever smile?" He asked

"Maybe." I said

"So not a yes or a no, mysterious." He said with a smirk

"Just be quiet, you are drawing attention to us." I said slightly irritated

            It was too quiet in these woods. No birds were singing. I took this as a sign that there was something wrong.

"No I'm not, there is no one here." Ethan said defensively

"Ethan, shut up!" I whispered

"What?" He asked

            I quickly clamped my hand over his mouth hard so that he wouldn't utter another word. He was much taller than me so I had to almost stand on my tippy toes to reach him. He got the message and removed my hand from his face. Then, I spotted them. The walkers. There were two of them, a man and a woman. They were disgusting. Covered with dirt and grime, dragging their limp limbs as they walked, moaning as if they were in pain. Ethan had caught on finally and was looking in their direction. I tugged on his shirt and pulled him down so I could reach his ear.

"You take the man, I'll get the woman. One shot is all we get so aim carefully." I whispered

            He nodded as he walked toward a large tree and took cover. I took the tree opposite of him and sighted the woman's head in my aim. I counted to three is a hushed whisper and both guns went off at the same time. We both had perfect aim and had killed them with one shot. There was no time to celebrate though; we had to make it back to camp before the gun had alerted other uninvited guests. Ethan stood behind his tree gaping at the walkers that now lay dead on the floor. He wasn't budging. I walked over, grabbed his hand, and dragged him in the direction of my camp. He didn't fill any more silences until we got back to my camp, safe and sound, right where I left it. I hadn't let go of his hand until we had made it safely here, scared that he would decide to just stop walking and have some walkers find him.

"Ok, so this is my camp." I said gesturing to the weak fort and sad pile of supplies

            Ethan only nodded. There was definitely something wrong with him.

"Um, ok, it's getting dark and I want to go find some water early in the morning so we should probably try to get some sleep." I said as I walked toward my fort and crawled inside.

            Although Ethan was still silent, he followed me into the fort. My shelter was just large enough to fit me comfortably, and now with a tall 18-year-old boy shoved in it, it was more than just a little tight. Even though neither of us really wanted to admit that in order for us to fit we would unintentionally be smashed together, I think we were both internally grateful for the warmth of another person. I lay down on the hard cover of pine needles and curled up on my side. Ethan did the same and after some shifting, we were both comfortable, and warm. I tried my best to fall asleep until Ethan interrupted me.

"Olivia?" He asked

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry for what happened back there, I haven't had to shoot anything since my brother died awhile ago and I think it just brought me back." He said

"It's ok Ethan, the first time is always the hardest." I said

"Yeah, I guess. Did you lose anyone to the walkers?"

            I didn't really feel like making depressing sleepover small talk, but I knew Ethan was genuinely curious and I just wanted to go to sleep.

"Um, not directly to the walkers. My sister was one of the first of the country to die; she lived right next to the white house. Then it was my mom, this whole thing turned her crazy and she left us in the middle of the night. Finally I lost my dad about a month ago. He had to leave to get us food, he told me that if he wasn't back in a day, I had to leave, I had to run away as far as I could, so that's what I did." I said

            I hadn't realized that I had started crying for the first time since my dad left until I felt Ethan roll over and place his arms around me. I rolled over too and pressed my face into his chest as he wrapped his arms around me tighter. I barely knew this boy, but the end of the world had forced us together, and that was a bond that was so intense, no one could break it.

            I cried like this for what seemed like forever, and Ethan continued to hold me, not asking any questions.

"I'm sorry." I said as I wiped my eyes dry

"It's ok, I lost a lot of people too." He said

"I made a promise to my dad before he left that I would stay alive for him." I said

"I made the same promise to my brother before he died." He said

"What was your brother's name?" I asked genuinely curious

"Grayson." He said

"That's a nice name." I said

"He was a nice person. Sometimes I ask myself why I'm alive and not him, he was a much better person than me." He said

"No, don't think that. Then we would have never met and become a team." I said

"Yeah, a team." He said

            After that I fell asleep in Ethan's arms. It was the safest I have ever felt and I was glad that I hadn't shot him back at the store, I was eternally grateful for him.