End of the Living

Chapter Seven

"I see..." I momentarily trailed off as I dropped the cigarette onto the tiles and stomped it, twisting my foot as I put the cigarette with my thick boots. "So things are turning a bit sour eh?" I had the baggy sleeves of my coat rolled up my arms, my hands being dug into the large pockets as I looked down at Hunter who was nearly done with his butt. 
"Pretty much, since this whole thing has started she's been treating me like some puppy she has to protect and if she lets go for a single second I'll be hit by some assholes truck.  It's stifling, y'know?" 

I nodded, looking away at the ravaged empty shelves of the store, they were as bare as skeleton bones, even the ones with barely anything on them. I heard Hunter puff one last time with a sigh, tossing the cigarette to the floor and stomping it out. "I suppose, my mom was like that and worried her head over little things. The thing is, Becky just needs to learn to loosen the reins on you a bit, especially in these conditions we're muddling our way through." I said bluntly, "If she keeps clinging to you like you'll die it'll get worse, and eventually she'll be the one who kills you."

I felt Hunter's ashen eyes drill into my shoulders as I finished speaking, he then sighed again before I felt a weighted hand on my shoulder. "You're right, maybe it's time for me and her to take a break for a while anyway, this kind of turmoil won't be good for survival."

"Do you think you ever get back together with her?"

"No clue, we'll just see how things play out."

I nodded, walking between the isles with him behind me, we stepped out into the main area to see everyone had gathered there. I took a quick glance at Hunter, his expression was stone-faced and devoid of emotion, but his eyes gave it all away that he was nervous as hell on the inside. I raised my hand up and gave his arm a reassuring squeeze, I made sure to give him a small grin to comfort him before releasing him and making my way towards the group. Moments after, he followed and stood between me and Becky, who immediately weaved her fingers with his but he shook her hand off, not giving her a glance as he looked at Ben.

"Alright everybody, time to pick teams." Pick teams? I know this is supposed to be for supply runs and such, but I couldn't but feel like I was in gym class and we were picking teams for a game. "North team will be...Rose and Hunter South team will be Becky, myself, and Cleo. We'll leave in ten minutes, be ready." I guess Danny felt sick or something because he wasn't even in the group of people.

After that, the group disbanded, Hunter seemed like a weight has lifted from him when he heard Becky wasn't on his team. But then he snatched her hand and lead her towards the shelves, a private place and a place for them to talk so no one else was involved and no one could interject their business. I headed over to the tents, I had left my Desert Eagle and hunting knife on a table with the other weapons before I had gone to sleep last night.

That would've sucked, wouldn't it? Tossing and turning in your sleep, peacefully prancing around dreamland, then suddenly you accidentally stab yourself with your knife or your gun cocks and shoots your tent partner, or yourself.

I placed the magnum into my huge pocket, it disappeared like it had swallowed the weapon before I grabbed my hunting knife and attached it to my thigh before I heard the sounds of muffled yells. I looked in the direction of the shelves, the way Hunter had somewhat dragged Becky to talk...I guess things got sour. I felt myself worry, however, I worried if she'd get violent at him, two people I have never met until the day before I found myself worrying about and even helping.
But I can't stay, I know I can't stay. I'll do this run with them, and then I'll leave. Done and done, plain and simple, that's it...But I can't leave things in such a sour way after I had told him to discuss with her. I slowly crept my way towards their direction, hiding behind the shelves of the aisle across from them and listened in. 

"Why do you want to break up suddenly? We've been together for five years, Hunter, five years!" I heard Becky's voice strain like she was choking herself or she was being choked, but the evident anger and hurt shone through her voice and was aimed like a dagger at Hunter's heart. 
I heard Hunter sigh deeply before replying. 
"B, you know I loved you, I really did...But ever since this undead thing started you've been clinging to me like I'll die any second,  I was a cop before this, I know how to handle myself. I said we should take a break, not break up." 
I heard a loud smack resonate from the aisle, the sound acoustically bouncing off the metal shelves, it sounded like a hand slapping skin. 
"Everyone knows that "take a break" means "we should break up" you jerk!" She shouted. "If you want to break up with me so badly, then fine!" I heard Hunter try to calm her down or stop her, but her shouting would cut him off until the sounds of her shoes stomping away along the dirty tiles as I heard him sigh once again in exasperation. It was time to come out.
I stepped out from the aisle once she was far enough and pretended to have just started to walk over and stepped into the aisle, looking in to see Hunter leaning against the shelves with his hands rubbing his temples in annoyance.

"Hunter?" I called out to him, he looked up with clear annoyance written on his face. "I thought I heard yelling so I came over...I saw Becky, she looked pretty upset." 
He sighed, sitting down against the shelves as I walked over and sat across from him against the shelves, my legs crossed as I leaned forward on my elbows to look at his expression. "She didn't take it so well as you just saw, I told her how I've been feeling but she didn't take it too lightly. " He said, running a hand through his hair. "I don't think we'll be getting back together when this thing is over."

"...Hunter." I quietly spoke to him like he was a small child I didn't want to frighten. "If she truly loves you, she'll forgive you and you two will be able to move forward...If not then, you'll have to learn to let go and move on." 

Things like this was a painful truth everyone had to learn, some things that people can't let go but they'll have to once they're thrown off. It's not easy, but it's possible, and it's better for him and everyone to let go now than never. 
In these conditions, worrying about an ex and romantic drama is the last thing we need to survive.

His eyes were shifted to the side in thought, his eyes focused on nothing in particular before he deeply breathed in and heaved the air back out. "I guess you're right, I shouldn't be thinking about this in this situation. Come on, I'm sure the others are waiting for us." He stood up as he spoke and held his hand out towards me with a small grin, pain still dancing behind his ashen eyes as I grabbed his hand and I could now clearly see a faint, red, handprint on his cheek. 
We left the aisle together, we saw Becky, still distraught readying a pack for herself with Cleo impatiently waiting for her,  and Ben standing to the side with car keys in hand. Behind him 
Cat was holding both Mitchy and Nina's hands in hers as she looked worriedly at Becky wordlessly, she must've known something was up. 
We walked over, Becky and Hunter keeping distance from one another as they got ready. I was waiting for him until Ben placed a hand on my shoulder to grab my attention. 
"Here." He handed a pack to me, having a mini first-aid kit, some magnum rounds, and a bit of water and energy bars. "You'll need it since we're going to be out the whole day."
I nodded thanks, swinging the weighted pack onto my back and walked over to Hunter to see if he's ready to go.

He nodded, stealing a small hurt glance at Becky before leading me from the store. I couldn't help but notice the feeling of daggers being drilled into my head and I knew it was Cleo. She must have thought I did something because she's been glaring at me since I've walked out from the aisles with Hunter. I shrugged it off, slowly becoming accustomed to her murderous glare, and followed Hunter out to the black truck he had whisked me away in the day before. 

It was time for my first scavenge with a team, hopefully I won't be double-crossed.