Survival of the Unfit

Chapter 14

Levi

I woke up the next day, wide eyed and like I had seen the second coming of Christ. I threatened to kill that girl.

I don’t know. I don’t know what happened. I was tired and aggravated already in the moment, but I’d never, I didn’t mean to, god I threatened to kill her. I threatened to kill her for simply doing the same thing as me. Trying to, at the very least. Oh who am I kidding—she was damn good.

I didn’t start to fully realize how mean I was to her until climbing back into bed. She was just so bullheaded. It was going fine until she demanded that I stay out of her hair, because, because, I don’t even know! Stopping murders and muggings and robberies was my job. My responsibility, and I wasn’t 1) having this girl take away my title, as selfish as it sounds, and 2) letting her get killed. I had been doing a fine job of not making close friends. Not getting attached to people I could lose. Yes, I knew people (like Hailey), but I didn’t know anyone I’d want to invite over for dinner or out for a movie. I knew this girl’s name, and I knew her motive, and that was too much. I knew if she came up in the newspaper under the obituaries, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself.

And yet when I tried to tell her to stop, she spits fire back at me. There was no winning with her. She was just deathly determined, and almost killed me. I couldn’t be so lackadaisical either. Maybe it was time to turn down my mouth a little. But…my one-liners were my thing. Gah. There’s no winning anywhere in this situation.

Although I was right about having April’s skills. I’d be practically unstoppable with how swift she was, whipping those knives out in record time. If machetes were making a comeback, it’d make relearning easier. It’d be like having the skills I already have, multiplied. Faster, maybe not stronger, but I could take her weapons too…what am I telling myself.

No. I just had to avoid her. Just stay out of her way, focus on the matter at hand that three people were dead and the killer’s still around, not kill her for god’s sake. I’d just mind my own business.

Casey said she’d call sometime the rest of this week, but no call came and I continued my patrol, as far from her as I could get while still staying in the hot zones. A small quarrel on Friday night, but nothing serious. No run in with April Swanson, thank the lord.

It was February, meaning Valentine’s Day was coming up, which also meant I had a date to plan for next Saturday or risk having my head torn off. In all honesty I didn’t want to do it. I didn’t want to bother finding somewhere to eat and flowers, and the whole thing is stupid hassle. I wished she’d be content with video games and ice cream from the container and simple cuddling (that may or may not lead to sex nowadays). But, I’d do something nice for her, because I’m a great boyfriend. Except she called the Sunday before our date, and it didn’t go so rosy.

“Hey.”

“What? Oh, hey, hey. What’s up?” It was ten and I had planned on getting to bed early, but I turned on the lamp and rubbed my eyes awake, phone up to my ear.

“You went out last week.”

“Huh?” I asked again.

“You went out!” she suddenly yelled, really waking me up then. “You went out, and I specifically told you not to!”

I got up out of bed and started to pace. “Calm down.”

“No, I will not fucking calm down! You promised you were done!”

“For fuck’s sake Casey, I can’t just stop.” I ran a hand through my hair.

“Yeah, you can. The rumor mill’s been running and there’s someone from South taking up the job.” April? How did news about April get to her?  The line was silent on both ends for a brief moment before her fragile voice came through the speaker. “Why don’t you ever listen to me?”