The Killer In Me / Troy Otto

Chapter Three: Part Eight

A single finger traced the top of the clothing racks as the group lingered in the department store. Emmy couldn't help but mindlessly finger through clothing items it was actually quite a luxury item to find new clothing but everything in the world now was a luxury. The sound of a giggle quickly caught her attention, the dark eyes searching in the direction it came from it wasn't hard to find though as her gaze landed on the only other girl that had accompanied them on the trip. Daisy, she was standing in front of a mannequin oddly amused by it.

"What are you doing?" Emmy couldn't help but ask the older woman. Daisy was quick to turn in Emmy's direction her red wavy locks bouncing around her delicate featured face.

"It just reminds me of somethin' I would of wore in the old world" she answered her accent was always pleasant to Emmy's ears. The same southern twang as her own mothers gave a sort of comfort to the girl.

"I don't exactly imagine you like the floral dress type" Emmy replied eyeing the floor-length dress before turning back to Daisy who always wore her leather jacket, ripped jeans and a pair of heavy army boots.

"Believe it or not Em... Back when everything was well normal I was a belle" a smile lingered on her lips as only her eyes turned to see Emmy who seemed curious.

"But you're such an amazing shot and great with a knife" Emmy couldn't help herself but dig deeper into the redheads past.

"Em, my mama and daddy had four daughters and daddy always said 'you need to learn to be ladies but you also need to learn not to take shit from anybody'" Daisy seemed to chuckle to herself at the thought "so daddy would take us hunting every year. Made sure we all knew how to handle ourselves and by the time we were thirteen we all knew how to hunt, kill, gut, skin and make it up into a damn tasty meal."

"How did you end up all the way near Arizona?" Emmy's eyebrows furrowed as she questioned the woman but Daisy seemed to grow nervous at the subject.

"I was.. Well..." she released a somewhat nervous breath "I was on my honeymoon. We didn't have much money so we decided to drive to Las Vegas but while we were there the outbreak happened and.. Vegas is such a busy place it wasn't long before it was overrun..." her eyes saddened and face seemed to fall at the memory "Brent, my husband he got food poisoning... Idiot loved his all you can eats" she chuckled quietly "but he didn't make it out of the hospital once it was overrun.."

"Daisy..." Emmy gently placed a hand on the woman's shoulder in an attempt of some comfort which seemed to work when Daisy responded with a smile.

"Am I interrupting? Cause if this is gonna end with you guys making out please continue" Kai laughed to himself as he stood at the end of the aisle.

"Kaison!" Daisy quickly exclaimed. She wasn't much older than either of them but her tone was quick to hold that of a mother scolding her son.

"What?"

"We were just talking about family stuff" Emmy simply explained.

"Oh..."

"Did you hear anything from yours before all this?" Emmy questioned the tall, skinny blonde who began wandering closer to them.

"Only my brother. They were heading down from the coast. I mean Australia is on its own down there so maybe..." he gave a shrug as though trying to dismiss bad thoughts on the matter "Maybe it isn't all that bad."

"Maybe..." Emmy replied giving the man a sympathetic smile. She knew what it was like to try and be hopeful.

"Anyway enough of that shit" he ripped a flared atrocious looking skirt from the rack and held it against his slender waist "how does this look?" The girls laughed at his usual antics.

"We should actually grab some clothes... I mean it's rare we are able to get to them and at this point, they are another luxury" Emmy explained her thought to the pair.

"You definitely need a new jacket" Daisy tugged at the sleeve hanging off of Emmy's shoulder.

"Unless you're suddenly into extremely ripped clothes" Kai shot her a playful wink to which she responded by punching his arm.

"Ow," he grumbled rubbing at the part of his she had struck. Emmy rolled her eyes dropping her backpack onto the ground then slipping off her jacket looking over the worn denim. She sighed tossing it onto the rack.

"Don't worry Em we will get you a new one" Daisy commented noticing Emmy's annoyance.

"That's one of the last pieces of clothes I have from my old life... It's hard to keep sentimental things anymore" carelessly Emmy grabbed a replacement. It wasn't exactly a fashion show anymore just a means for cover and warmth but she was still an eighteen-year-old girl at the end of the day and she couldn't help get something she at least liked.

"Em.." the voice caught her by surprise as she turned her gaze to meet the blue ones staring at her from across the aisle. As soon as he gained her attention he nudged his head for her to follow.

"Oh, Emmy is in trouble with the principal" Kai joked.

"Shut up. I will be back" Emmy shook her head at the both of them with Daisy giggling at Kai's comment while the brunette made her way out of the section of clothes and following the ash blonde. He leads her from the majority of the group until the two were alone.

"What is it?" She asked in confusion as they came to a stop. Troy turned his eyes they seemed to wander for a moment as though thinking of what to say before his focus finally turned to her. Always sitting under an intense gaze from the baby blue eyes.

"You alright?" He suddenly asked his brow ticked to furrow. The question seemed to make his eyes falter and turn away just for a moment.

A smirk couldn't help but form on Emmy's lips at the question in itself. Her dark eyes taking in the tall figure in front of her "You checking up on me Troy?"

He turned away once again. It was definitely a conversation the ash-blonde struggled with as he seemed to carefully think of what he was saying "I mean we are friends right. Need to check-in after all" he replied as casually as he could.

"I'm fine" her smile was sincere it was the first time she had seen it on Troy. Despite his cold demeanour, his eyes were always expressive on how he was feeling and this was something she had never seen from him. A look of genuine concern. Emmy reached out a small gesture her hand just for a single moment met his unsurprising calloused and dry skin but no less giving it a single squeeze of acknowledgement of the concern but her touch was always responded to in the same way of surprise and somewhat curiosity but as quick as she was to touch him she was as quick to draw back and giving a gracious smile "thank you for asking."

He was just as fast to change his demeanour with a simple adjustment of his shoulders and a straightening stance "right. Ten more minutes and we head out then" she had more of an understanding of Troy now after so many months so she simply gave a nod in response before heading back to the others to prepare to leave.