Walking Amongst Them (Among Us, Book 2)

Divide and Conquer

In the end, Ben and Beck decided to join Trish in looking for weapons. Clarke secured one of the cars from the parking lot for them. She was showing Ben how to hotwire in case they turned off the car and needed to start it up again.

Beck leaned against the trunk as he looked at me, a strange expression on his face.

"No biting people while I'm gone," he said, a hint of a smile on his face.

I grinned, "no promises. You know how I can be."

"Just take care of yourself, Kodi. I know this isn't really a high risk area, but I worry about you. I'd feel a lot better if you just stayed holed up in the church with Abby."

Something about his words warmed me. But they also made me want to recoil. It was nice that he cared, but something about it felt wrong. And I couldn't determine exactly why that was.

"I'm going to be going to different houses. To look for clothes and stuff like that," I said.

He frowned, "can't Clarke or Michael or someone else do that?"

"They could, but they aren't."

He pursed his lips.

"Come on, lover boy, we got to go," Ben called out as he climbed into the driver's side.

Beck gave me another look and leaned forward, kissing my cheek, "please, Kodi. Be safe."

Then he got inside of the car. I watched Adam lean down to tell Ben something, and then join me and Clarke as we watched them all drive away.

"So," Adam said, "You think the hot water is back yet?"

I shrugged, "I dunno, but I want to find some clean clothes to change into before I take a shower."

He pointed at me, "good idea."

"Should we go inside and figure out who has to stay at the church and who should raid houses?" Clarke asked.

I waited for Adam to answer, but realized quickly that she had been talking to me. It made me pause a moment. I was used to the boys asking my opinion and treating me like my thoughts mattered, but I wasn't sure when I'd become one of the leaders of this group. Why Clarke would ask me over asking Adam.

"Good idea," I said, echoing Adam's earlier comment.

Inside the church we found Michael and Sam talking in a corner while Abby played with the toys we'd found in an area that had at one time been used for a daycare center of sorts. Leo was laying next to her, and I remembered Sam telling me he would protect the most vulnerable.

Clarke quickly explained that while adults were in the main hall listening to the sermon, some churches offered a toddler and baby watching service, which was likely where they had gotten the toys.

Adam walked off as soon as we came inside, and I figured he was checking the shower to see if the water had replenished yet. Which left me standing next to Clarke. She cleared her throat but didn't say anything.

At first, I also didn't say anything. But when I realized Michael and Sam weren't going to be done talking anytime soon, and Adam had probably found hot water, I realized that now wasn't the time we'd be searching the houses. Not yet.

I looked over at Clarke, trying to find any similarities between us. I'd often done this with Mabel when I was younger and didn't understand how siblings could look so different. Of course that was before I knew we had different mothers, but I found myself doing it with Clarke now. Wondering how she would have liked Mabel, if Mabel would have liked her more than she liked me. Not out of jealousy, but mere curiosity.

"Why did you choose to come with us?"

I hadn't intended to ask the question, but as soon as it was out, I realized it was the only thing I could think of to start a conversation. She looked at me for a second before answering. It was hard to envision her as my sister. She had dimples on either cheek and hair that I wasn't sure if I should call blonde or brown.