When August Ends

The Truth Is...

***

"I hate sitting still." I complain from the passenger seat. Troy sighs in exsaasperation.

"Get over it." he mutters.

"Can't we stop and walk around? We've been driving for five hours! I didn't even get to stretch my legs when we stopped after Parker almost crashed!" I whine.

"Only Morgan and Parker got out when we stopped and that was just to switch seats!" Troy snaps back.

"I still wanted to get out!" I sigh.

"Man up." he smirks.

"If I was a man that'd make sense." I snap.

"That wasn't even remotely funny." he replies rolling his eyes.

"Neither are you, so." I reply.

"Just sit back and be quiet." he answers.

"Don't you tell me what to do." I argue.

"MAYA." Troy errupts and I glare at him. "We'll stop in an hour okay?" he says in his exsasperated voice.

"Fine." I reply sitting back, crossing my arms, and propping my feet up on the dash.

"This is a dash board not a foot stool." he remarks.

"Really? I hadn't noticed." I say closing my eyes and putting my feet further up on the board. Suddenly the car stops and I look at him.

"Do you want a ride or are you gonna follow on foot?" he asks with a raised eyebrow. I roll my eyes and take my feet off the dash. "Good choice." he says driving forward. I cross my arms and look out the window. I'm in no mood for rudeness. After a few minutes of silence I feel a sharp tug on my hair.

"Hey!" I snap looking at him in annoyance and he throws his head back in a laugh. "That's not funny!" I mutter.

"Neither was you putting your feet on my dash but I'm laughing," he chuckles. I try not to smile but a small one escapes. "You can't stay mad at me even if you try." he laughs.

"Shut up," I chuckle.

      We drive for two more long hours, long out off campus and all we see is wreckage. No bodies alive, dead, or infected. Just emptiness. It's odd how things deterriorated so quickly. I don't think we know where we're going or why but we don't stop moving. It's something to do, and if we see any people we'll gladly try to group or at least help. I don't know what else we can do I mean what's left? Our lives are going to be different from here on out. The truth is we haven't come very far even though we feel like we have. This is just the beginning and I'm not sure if we're ready for what's ahead. After two hours though we stop and all pile out of the cars. It's darkening and we make a quick meal out of sandwiches. Then we all pile back into our cars for the night. I climb in the passenger seat and Troy gets in his seat. I don't say anything, I just recline the chair. I have a fluffy grey blanket that I pull around myself and lie back. Troy does the same. I look through the side window up at the sky. Now that a lot of power has given out, the stars are more visible in the deep sky. "I wonder what's past the stars." I remark but more to myself.

"Space." Troy replies. I smirk. "I think you should talk to Andrew." he says suddenly and his words make my heart pang in my chest.

"I'm scared too." I sigh.

"I know but you're only going to get more and more scared of him until you talk." he replies.

"I don't know what to say to him. I've tried thinking of something, trust me I have. But I keep scrapping my ideas." I answer.

"Don't rehearse it, just do it." Troy comments.

"True..." I sigh. I run a hand down my face. "A month ago I was a weird girl with social anxiety that no one noticed and I was livining my life as best I could. Now I'm a killer and sick minded." I laugh hopelessly.

"Shut up." Troy says but not meanly and I smile. "Don't listen to those thoughts. None of us asked for this, but we got it. So we just have to make the best of it. Now go to sleep." he concludes and I roll my eyes.

"You always have a response for everything don't you?" I inquire sarcastically.

"Unfortunately I think you do too." he sighs. I laugh and close my eyes. Moments later I fall asleep.

***

     It's the next day and we've been driving a long time. We've made a stop now thugh and being around Andrew makes me nervous so I decide to walk through some of the wooded area we are near. It's still beautiful in this area of the woods. It's as if there is no peril in the world. This beauty is untouched, unsoiled. I sit on a fallen tree with a sandwich that I brought along. I look up at the sun through the green leaves as I take a bite of my turkey sandwich. I suddenly hear a twig snap and I whip my attention in it's direction. I see Andrew and my heart leaps into my throat makig me want to puke. He walks towards me slowly and stops infront of me. "You really shouldn't walk off by yourself." he says casually. I don't reply. "What are you all the way out here for?" he asks. I sigh.

"I was thinking." I reply quietly.

"About?" he asks.

"I don't know if I can get the words out." I mutter.

"About my brother?" he asks. I nod nervously. "What about him?" he presses.

"Just.. How..." I choke and look at the ground.

"About how you helped kill him?" he says in a suddenly cold tone. My heart is hammering in my chest and it hurts.

"I'm sorry..." I say weakly.

"No you're not." he snaps. I look at him in confusion with furrowed brows. "You're not sorry." He repeats. "And even if you were it wouldn't be enough." he says in an iron tone. A tear leaps onto my cheek.

"I am Andrew.. I'm so sorry..." I stutter.

"Is sorry gonna bring him back?" he snaps. "Is it gonna fix all this?"

"N-no..." I mutter and look back at the ground. After a moments pause I suddenly hear a click. I look up into the face of a pistol.

"Now we'll be even." he says and pulls the trigger.

        I sit up in Troys car with a scream. He leaps up and looks at me in alarm. I'm drenched in sweat and I am breathing as if I've been running. "What is wrong with you?" he asks in irritation realizing nothings happening.

"Sorry... I'm sorry... sorry..." I murmur shaking my head.

"What happened?" he asks more quietly.

"Nothing, nothing." I gasp.

"Nightmare?" he asks.

"Yeah..." I shudder adn hug myself.

"Talk to Andrew tomorrow Maya. You need too." he says gently. "It's not gonna kill you." he states calmly.

"The truth is," I say lying back down. "It could." Then I close my eyes and drift back into uneasy slumber.