Through The Night

Chapter 2. Honey Buns

It had been a couple of miles since I took down the infected man, but I had to take down quite a few more farther along the road.

The sun was beginning to set and I knew I had to find shelter soon.

The nights nowadays included many dangers such as gangs, hordes of infected, and not to mention, the nights got cold here even though it was almost spring.

I almost cried when I saw the gas station ahead.

It was an old, rusty one that I would've steered clear of before, but now it looked like heaven on earth.

My back and feet ached badly and I had already drank what little water I had left about a mile back.

But, adrenaline coursed through my body upon the sight of the station.

It was for this reason that I sprinted towards it.

I noticed that two cars were parked at the pumps.

One had grass growing up through the cracks of the concrete and into the tires, meaning it had been there a while.

But, the other looked as if it had been drove recently. I stopped and began to look around.

I had not seen another uninflected human being for a long time, two months to be exact.

Not since everything had went down.

I pulled my Glock 19 out of my pack and held it up, before pushing the glass door open.

Someone had definitely sorted through the merchandise with chips and glass littering the floor. I listened for any types of sound, but heard nothing.

I stepped farther in and looked over towards the coolers in the back.

It was at this moment that I felt like someone was watching me.

We've all had those moments where you just know deep down that somehow, somewhere, someone is watching you.

It was the next moment that I caught sight of the stalker in my peripheral vision.

He lunged towards me, just as I turned to face him, my gun pointed right between his hazel eyes.

"Ronnie?"

I had not heard my name out loud in over two months. I never thought I hear it again, if we're being honest.

I especially did not think that it would be coming from this asshole's mouth. I rolled my eyes at the stupid nickname.

"Cory? Cory Andrews?"

"The one and only, Veronica Cross."

I stared at the tall, brown headed boy in front of me as he grinned down at me. His six foot frame towered of my five foot five one.

I noticed he had filled out a lot more since high school. Damn, he's still hot.

Focus, Veronica, focus.

I didn't drop my gun, as he still grinned down at me. I had learned not to trust anyone, even if I had known this particularly annoying boy since I was four.

You see, Cory and I go way back.

We had grown up across the street from one another, with our parents being the best of friends.

We were really close when we were little. But, he had always been a little shit and so when high school began, he dropped me. He and his friends found pleasure in torturing me.

After the infection began, his family had picked up and supposedly headed to Florida where they ha more relatives.

I have to say I was not sad to see him go and thought surely that I'd never see his annoying little self again, yet here he was, standing before me.

He had already lowered a baseball bat, covered in dried blood, to rest at his side.

I continued to stand my ground though.

"I can't believe it's you, Ronnie. I never would've pegged you as the survival type."

He laughed at my sour expression and stepped forward, his dimples on full display.

I backed away and maintained my composure.

"Oh come on, Ronnie. you wouldn't shoot me. You like looking at me too much."

The smirk was on his face instantly as he lunged forward and disarmed me.

I swear it wasn't that easy. I just wasn't prepared.

I huffed in anger, and yelled, "Give me my gun Andrews."

"Not till I get a hug Ronnie. I think I deserve one since you wanted to point a gun in my face for so long. Though, I wouldn't mind pointing something in your direction."

He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively at me.

I ground my teeth together at the shit eating grin that had yet to leave his face. He had not changed one bit.

I muttered to myself, "I was just hoping for a damn honey bun."