RU in? - 1st novel in the Ruinsaga series

Chapter 32 .

Darren

Something shifted next to me causing me to wake up. I kept my eyes closed as my mom got up. The side of me that had been snuggled next to her was suddenly cold. Little Marcos whined. I opened my eyes just slightly and saw the small child shivering now that my mom was no longer next to him. Juan's arm was around him, but that wasn't helping at the moment. Both children remained asleep. I put on my glasses. I slid closer to them and threw an arm around both of them. Juan snuggled into me and relaxed. But my back was cold now. I looked over my shoulder to Richard. He blinked at me a moment before he stood up and went to help my mom get the fire going again. I pulled the sleeping bag up further on Marcos.

Maria got up from the other end of our huddled line and started to get cans of soup. I lifted my head up slightly so I could look at Lily. She was asleep, her arms wrapped around Mackenzie. Victory was next to Mackenzie. Her arm was hooked with Mackenzie's as they slept. Hunter was between Victory and Arthur. Molly was stretched out over Arthur and Hunter. Grant's dad was next to Arthur sound asleep. Grant slept next to him. Monica was up walking the perimeter of the camp as it had been her watch. I was pretty sure it was supposed to be Grant's watch too. We didn't do single watches and I remembered him saying last night that he would take watch with Monica.

Molly was awake and watching hungrily as Maria opened the cans of soup.

"Molly," I whispered. Her head swung my way and her tail started to gently thump against Arthur. I indicated for her to come to me. She carefully got off Arthur and made her way to me. I scooted out of the way and indicated for her to lie down in the spot I had just occupied. She did and put her head on Marcos's chest to keep him warm.

I got up and made my way to Richard. He was holding the pan while Maria poured the soup into it.

"Let's go to the bathroom," I whispered quietly to him.

He nodded. I waited for him as he put the soup over the fire and then we went off into the woods. I hadn't heard any zombie groaning that morning, but I listened carefully and was watchful. Even if zombies weren't around that didn't mean that those other men weren't. We separated a little and relieved ourselves.

I looked around just to be sure no one else followed us before I said, "You know how I have a crush on Lily?"

"Yeah. Did you confess? What did she say?"

"I didn't exactly confess, but she knows."

"So what did she say?"

We could have headed back, but I leaned back against a cold, leafless tree.

I sighed as the hollow spot in the bottom of my heart began to spread. "She has a crush on Hunter."

"Oh," Richard said. "But isn't he gay?"

"Yeah, but you can't always tell your heart who to love."

"That's true," Richard said. "I have a crush on Monica, but she's with Grant. I can't figure out why."

"Since when do you have a crush on Monica?"

"Since she shot that guy," Richard said. "But I think I also might have a crush on Maria."

"Really?"

He nodded. "When she threw the boiling soup in that other guy's face."

Thinking about Richard's favorite female characters in film, books and video games, he always did have a certain type.

"Hunter has a crush on me," I said.

"Why?" he said as if he couldn't believe it was possible for anyone to have a crush on me. "I mean, he's so cool and you're . . ." His voice trailed off.