The Dark Side

Chapter 17 - Heading North

"So, Jake, huh?" Drew tries to start a conversation. He waves a long stick around that he picked up a while ago, while we both walk side by side.

"Please, don't do this again." I grumble.

"Do what? I'm not doing anything." He says raising his voice until it starts to squeak at the last word he says. He throws the stick in the air and catches it.

"Yes you are." I state, glancing over at him before my gaze returns to the path ahead.

"What am I doing then?" He asks, yet I know he knows exactly what I'm talking about.

"You're just gonna tell me all the reasons I shouldn't be Jake's girlfriend." I say, rolling my eyes, "Actually, why do you keep doing that?" I turn to him and hold back my laughs as he begins to get a little flustered. He drops the stick and blushes.

"No- I- I'm not-"

"It's fine, Drew." I laugh.

He quickly looks away from me to hide the pink tint on his cheeks and sighs, "It's just," He begins, "You saw how Vincent reacted when you told him." He looks back in my direction as he speaks.

"I also saw how you reacted." I mumble beneath my breath.

"That's besides the point!" He exclaims, "Jake is planning something. I just know it."

"And?"

"And I think you just started whatever he's planning by saying yes to him." He says quieter.

I turn my gaze to the ground beneath my feet and sigh, "Drew,"

"It's true Jess-" He begins.

"No- It's not about that! I get it, okay? I was just wondering," I begin, before contemplating whether I should ask this question or not. Probably not...

"Yeah?" He urges me to finish my sentence, but I shake my head.

"Nevermind." I mutter.

~-*-~

Another zombie. I pull out my dagger and slash it's throat so deep, it's head hangs backwards as it collapses. I glance back at Drew, who seems to quickly look up so his dark brown eyes meet mine. I give him a quick, small smile and I turn back ahead. "Where exactly are we going?" Drew asks me, catching up a bit to walk beside me.

"I was thinking we could either go to Sector 1, or just keep moving forward until we find somewhere safe. Plus, Sector 1 is pretty far up North and the further North we go the less zombies we run into." I say, stepping over the I2's dead body.

Suddenly, I feel it get a hold on my leg as it begins to groan again. I almost yelp out of surprise and kick it, Drew jumps out of surprise, but quickly stomps on it's head. As soon as he does so I kick it's limp hand off of me and step back, "That was close."

"Just a little." Drew says, trying to flick the blood off of his boot. He almost falls over, but catches himself on a nearby tree and scrapes the blood off on it, "I am never doing that again." He mumbles.

"Well, at least you killed it before it could bite me." I shrug, turning to face him.

"This is disgusting." He scrapes the last bit off on the tree and steps away, "Now my boot is going to smell so bad. In fact, I can already smell it." He gives a face of disgust at his black leather boot. I giggle a bit.

"C'mon, we gotta keep moving." I wave him on to continue walking. He sighs.

"It's gonna be dark soon." He says.

"I know." I shrug and turn around, continuing to walk through the thick forest.

"There's gonna be more zombies out."

"Easy to take out."

"We're gonna need some sleep eventually."

I stop and turn to face him. Drew looks at me expectantly. "You are so irritating." I grumble. He smiles as if proud to be.

"I try my hardest." He says. I turn and continue walking. "But- Jess, wait!" I hear him rush back over to my side, and a small mischievous smile makes its way onto my face as I continue walking. He walks backwards to face me while speaking. "Can we please just rest for a bit?" He tries.

"As I said, the further North we get, the less zombies trying to murder us and eat us alive." I state.

"But, we have ages to keep going North." He sighs.

"Tree." I say. He gives me a confused look before his back hits a tree as he walks backwards a little ahead.

"Ow." He groans. I laugh. "Why didn't you tell me?" He whines.

"I did." I simply say.

"Yeah. A split second before I hit the tree."

"Hey! Don't abuse the trees!"

"I didn't- You are so annoying." He sighs.

I giggle, "Well, now you know how I feel."

~-*-~