The Virus

Fourteen

Stella's POV

We all sit around a table, eating oatmeal and syrup. These kids really were something. Somehow they'd banded together and stayed alive and civil. I don't know how long they've known each other but it seems as though a lifetime. They joke about their childhood and experiences. Although, there's obviously some tension between several people in the room. The Jayden guy distances himself from most conversation. And rarely makes eyes contact with most of them. He's done something and he's either incredibly embarrassed or angry. Either way I want to steer clear of him.

Ophelia and Noah have a control over the group that's amazing. There's a mutual respect for them. It's like the President and the First Lady. I know Noah is in charge, by default, maybe. But Ophelia seems to have some unsaid authority, she talks and they listen. She just seems that to have an air of confidence and strength, they respect that. They've known her for a while, maybe she did something. Overall, the other guys seem cool. Joking and laughing most of the time, but they always make sure Terry and Jason are included.

We finish up and everybody begins to leave to do chores and watches and cleaning. When there's only a few people left, they take up conversation again. Just passing words. Then Noah brushes his hand against Ophelia. She freezes after snatching away her hand. Noah withdraws defeated and hurt and the conversation quickly ends. Noah slinks out, disappointed.

I go to leave too. Ophelia holds her head in her hands, seemingly defeated as well. "You okay?" I asks. 

She jumps but then composes herself and nods almost business like. "Yeah, fine. Just tired." She replies. 

I shake my head. "You're an incredibly bad liar." I say walking up to her. "Which is weird. I've seen you lie before, you're usually very good at it." I continue. She gives me a questioning look but then shrugs off her questions. "Noah has feelings for you." I say. 

She nods sadly. "I know." She replies. Before letting out a sigh. "He has for a while." She continues. Oh. "It kills me to reject him. But that's dangerous territory. He means enough to me already. If we were to- to become us. If he died, I'd-" she stops sucking in a cautionary breath. "He's all I have left." She finishes, composed.

"Yeah I get what you mean. I'm lucky I have Jason and Terry. My parents died when I was young. Been me and Jason for a while. But we lost people. It hurts like Hell, kills you inside," I say trying to comfort her. 

She shakes her head. "No. That's not what I meant. It didn't take an apocalypse to ruin my life and my family. One man can do that easily enough." She chuckles. "It's really amazing what one man can do really." She says.

I look at her carefully. "What do you mean?" I ask, confused. 

She shakes her head once again. "Nothing." She replies brushing it off. "What's your story?" I ask, pressing the topic. 

She sighs and smiles at me. "I've had many chapters in my life but it's no story." She stops. 

"Even the most boring life is a story." I press again. 

"I never said it was boring, simply that it wasn't a story." She says. 

"Why not?" I ask. 

"Because no one in their right mind would read it." She replies. 

"I guess I'm slightly insane. Now tell me." I say. 

She pauses for a moment before shrugging. "Guess I could. It's nothing special." I nod, signalling for her to start. "Well the first years of my life weren't bad. My father was something of a drug dealer. When I was six my parents split. It was fine though. Then my dad got caught, to be quite honest I have no idea whether he died or went to prison. My family members had conflicting stories, My mother's being the worst. Around that time I got a step dad. A horrible man." She stops. "Well, at first, He was civil. This is what makes me believe my dad was alive at some point, because he seemed scared to do anything. I was nine when my half sister was born and ten when I went into foster care. My mum spoke to me, but I lived somewhere else." She finishes.

"Is that it?" I ask lightly. 

She chuckles. "No. A few months later, my grandparents fostered me. I lived with them for a while. With my brother. He was three years older than me and we were close as hell. We were happy there. I stayed at the same school, and I kept my friends. But it was short-lived, my grandmother became ill and they were declared unfit carers. There wasn't space in foster homes. We went back to my mum around my eleventh birthday. He was horrible. My brother left that June, He would visit me, But after a while he stopped. I think he left the country. Maybe he has a family now. At first, I hated him for it because I was now the only target. But, as time passed I came to forgive him and accept my brother saw an opportunity for a better life and he took it. I can't hate him for that." She stops for a moment.

"That's horrible. With me and Jason, we had it good." I say. 

She smiles. "I started secondary school a few months later. I met Noah then, but we got closer later. My mum put me in a foster home and I ran away. Stayed at my grandparents. Then my grandma died. My grandfather went a few weeks later and I left. Only days later, they found me and took me back. But once again I was out with my mum. I was surprisingly close to my now toddler sister. My step dad would hit me and hit me. And I remember thinking don't cry because that's what he wants. By that time I was thirteen. He got worse and worse. Finding every reason. Nobody at school knew what happened. I was good friends with Noah at this point and I began telling him everything that happened. I'd stay out after school as late as possible with him. Until six or seven. Course I'd have to go back. I felt sorry for my mum at points but I still hated her. Life was unbearable. I fought back a lot but he was stronger. I'm proud to say i never once let myself cry in front of him. I spent the next two years like that. I was nearly sixteen when I left. Only because my sister and mum were killed in a car crash. I couldn't take it. I had no one but my friends. I left and never came back. I was homeless but I got a job. Working weekdays and missing days of school every so often. I passed my exams's just fine. I stayed with Noah a few weeks, his mum was really nice. But I had to leave. I rented a house until well, this." She motions around her.