A New Infection

Chapter 7

For someone of remarkable intellect, like Freddie, it amazed even him that someone like Bella could do half the things she did over the past few days. She had fixed the horrendously loud generator, made the secret entrance easier to use by upgrading the keypad on the hinges, created a near fully functional kitchen out of discarded baking pans, cardboard boxes and three old lighters, and made no less than three upgrades to both their Readers. Think of the devil, Freddie thought wryly as a beep reverberated around the room and the safe-door swung open on silent hinges, revealing a smirking girl toting a box as big as her torso. Freddie leaned back on the couch curiosity alighting his features.

"What did you find today?"

"Not much," Bella shrugged and then grinned. "Just a pot, dried pasta. And a paraffin burner." The smile stretched to her ears.

"A what?" Bella's face fell at Freddie's ignorant question.

"Honestly, does anyone read classic novels anymore?" she huffed. "it's an extremely old-fashioned portable stove like Miss Honey used." Freddie's face remained blank, much to Bella's dismay. He had never bothered with reading, especially not books that came before the turn of the century. The future had so much to offer why dwell on the past.

"Anyway," Bella continued, jolting Freddie back into the bunker. "This means we'll have faster, more even heating, and I'll have more parts for..." she trailed, the wheels of her mind already churning with a million ideas. Freddie cleared his throat.

"Uh, Bella?" He tried. He harrumphed. Whenever she got caught up in an epiphany or a memory, she could stay in one place visualizing for an absurdly long time. It was infuriating!

"Bella!" Still no response. He smirked mischievously, remembering loud noises usually worked, shaking out of her stupor and irking her sufficiently, and he craved revenge for being startled out of his daydream. He slammed his laptop shut. Bella jumped four feet in the air before glaring stonily at Freddie.

"Was that necessary?" she demanded. Freddie shrugged nonchalantly. He didn't care. "Do you need something, or were you annoying me for the fun of it?"

"Eh. A bit of both," Freddie smirked again at the look she gave him, unperturbed by the intensity of her stare. He hastily continued his answer, wanting to finish his thought before the smoldering girl stormed off. "I want to run an errand for you. I completed a leg of my project and I want to help out. You know, do something proactive, especially seeing as you've been the most active out of the two of us."

Bella hummed, turning over his request in her head. "Maybe later. I just came back, in case you didn't notice, so I picked up everything I thought I needed. But I'll think of something simple enough for you."

"Hey!"

Bella chuckled as she picked up the box again, breeding past him and ruffling his hair. Freddie groaned as he smoothed down the wayward tufts of his dark chocolate brown hair. Why is she so annoying? He grumbled to himself. She's like the older sister I never wished for. Knowing he wouldn't be able to continue his project with his mind scrambling, he picked up a book, going to his dog-eared page.

About a chapter into his book, Bella called out offer the sizzling onions, "I think I'll take you up on your offer."

"Yeah?" Freddie was a fun mix of anticipation, excitement, and annoyance. On the one hand, he would get to go out, but he didn't know what for, something harmless or fatal. On the other hand, the book, a graphic novel, one of his guilty pleasures, was in the middle of a battle. He sighed softly, half regretting his offer, and set his book down.

"If you don't want to go, it's fine." Drat. She'd heard him.

"No, no," he insisted. "I want to help out."