Red Spider Lilies [TPN]

Chapter 18

What exactly was I expecting?

"I said no thanks." I refused some guy whose name I couldn't remember. "Actually I think I'd rather go home." I think it was something with an A. Andy, maybe?

"Come on, please." He blocked my path. "The world is ending might as well have fun."

I felt sick to my stomach, this didn't feel right. "I should find my friends."

He rolled his eyes and removed himself from my path. I rolled my eyes back and walked past him only to have something smack my bottom. This could not have gotten worse yet here we are.

"Don't be gross, weirdo." I kick at him before leaving.

—-

"What did I tell you? This was just a waste of time." Ray yawns.

Gilda pushes up her glasses. "Well I had fun. It was only you two who didn't have fun." She looks over at me. "Well at least it didn't end well for you, but you did have fun in the beginning. You were dancing around with so many different people."

I grimaced. "Mhm, the last 20 minutes were not fun though."

We didn't say much the rest of way home, quietly making our way to our rooms though I ended up going to Rays instead of going Gilda. I didn't want to hear about what happened with tonight. Tomorrow I would love to.

"You should go to bed, Emma. It's late, really late." Ray laid on his bed. "But what happened to you near the end? I didn't really see you. You did look mad though."

I sat at his desk and played with a pen he had laying around. "I kissed someone."

Ray shot up. "Explain."

I shrugged. "Not much to explain, Ray. I met some guy who looked fun, he led me somewhere else, and we kissed, then he tried to... anyway, I pushed him away and he smacked my ass so I kicked him. Moral of the story, don't kiss random people."

Ray sighed. "... sounds like as ass."

"Sure was fond of them." I giggled. "That was so gross, honestly. Sad that my first kiss belongs to someone I don't even remember the name of."

"Then just pretend it didn't happen. You have no obligation to act like it was your first, you just don't acknowledge it."

I chuckled and stood up and walked to Norman's old bed, and laid on it as I stared at Ray who stared back.

"Sounds like a good idea to me, Ray."

—-

"No, and I'll say it again. No." Ray stood in-between the Sandy, Zack and I. "You will not touch Emma, as I don't trust you yet."

I tried to push Ray but he did not move, he stood between us with all his strength.

"Come on, please." I groan.

"It's going to be fine, we won't hurt her." Said Zack stepping in closer. "You can come in to the room with us and watch. Does that sound good to you?"

Ray shoved me quick and looked at Zack, more like glared actually. Staring into his soul making him uncomfortable.

Ray clicked his tongue. "Fine. Emma, go on now." He looked me. "We have things to do with these people."

I huffed and walked ahead of him, going alongside Sandy and Zack, leaving Ray behind us. Why is he being so rude?

He's never one to be rude to strangers.

I look back at him, quickly.

At least he wasn't.

"It's right this way, Emma. You can take a seat on the bed right there." Sandy points for award. "And you can sit on that chair, Ray. Don't worry you can see just fine from there."

Ray, looking unamused, takes a seat on the old wooden chair. He and I both look around the room. It's clearly a makeshift hospital room, with how things are set up.

"Okay, we're good to go, Emma. Are you ready?" Zack smiled from the desk.

I looked over at Ray whose only response was a nod with an unamused face. I smiled and nodded at Zack. "All good to start, Zack."

—-

"So, how do you feel now, Ray? Knowing that you left bullet shards in my leg." I giggled. "Kidding, I don't blame you for the remaining shards. That was Norman's fault."

Ray huffed. "Yeah yeah, I left some bullet in your leg but now you're limping and using me as a crutch all over again so who's the real loser here." He chuckled.

I smiled and leaned onto him a bit more, it most likely didn't bother him (I'd like to believe so). This was such a peaceful moment, even though I was limping again and all but everything was quiet.

"So, about Norman."

And then it was very loud. And I was uncomfortable.

"What about him? Is it the whole him shooting me thing? Don't worry, Ray, that's all water under the bridge with me and him. We'll clear it up next time I see him." I slapped his shoulder.

Ray shifted uncomfortably from me, I'm pretty sure he wanted to say something back. When we made it to the living room Gillian was already there to show us to our room, which was a room in an attic with two old couches surrounded by boxes and such. They already had two thin blanket on them so it was just a matter of getting comfortable.

"Well, you can stay on this one and I'll take this one." Ray sorted us out, sitting me down on the coral couch that squeaked as I did. "You should get to sleep, it would be better if you could be of use for longer than a week and a half."

Ray feel onto the couch with an oomph of exhaust and moved around a bit, twisting and turning with his blanket trying to get comfortable.

"It's nice to sleep on something that somewhat resembles a bed, right?" He looked towards me. "The hay at the barn was not good for a long term sleeping situation, and the ground wasn't either."

I rested my head on my arms and hummed in agreement. "God, you don't realize that you're sleeping on rocks until you've felt a cushion for the first time in a month." I frown. "Has it really only been a month? It feels longer than that."

"Maybe a bit longer than that. But you're right, it feels like forever ago that everything was mostly together."

"Hmm..." I turn my back to Ray. "It feels like forever ago since I saw everyone. When was the last time everyone was together? Around May time."

"Sounds about right, Norman left us in the middle of May."

"Well he didn't leave us," I glance over at Ray. "He was taken away."

"Taken away for only a few months and is already out searching towns, shooting people who don't cooperate." Ray chuckles faintly. "Well, you have to do what you must to survive."

I itch my leg. "Exactly, that's why I don't take it personally at all."

I yawn and begin to drift to sleep. Though before I'm out for good, I hear Ray speak softy.

"May not take it personally but it still hurts."