Zombies Happened

Chapter 9

As they made their way to the exit, they encountered only a few scattered zombies. Matt handed Sophie to Jesse, freeing his hands for any potential threats. When they reached the exit, Matt gave a low whistle, and moments later, two girls approached him.

One of them, a tall blonde with blue eyes and thin lips, threw her arms around Matt and kissed his cheek. Her short skirt and tight tank top left little to the imagination, and Stacy couldn’t help but feel a pang of annoyance. The blonde's dramatic pout and whiny voice did nothing to improve her impression. “Finally, you’re back, Matty! I was so scared. Why’d you leave us? I thought you weren’t coming back to protect me,” she said, her voice dripping with melodrama.

The other girl, shorter and strikingly similar to Matt, but with a prettier face, shook her head. “Amber, knock it off. We were fine. We knew he’d come back,” she said, extending her hand towards Stacy. “I’m Abigail, but you can call me Abby. So you’re the infamous Stacy, huh?” She made air quotes around “infamous,” a playful smile on her lips. “It’s great to finally meet you. Jesse’s been going on about you non-stop. It’s nice to know someone was actually prepared for this mess.”

Stacy looked at Abby, who seemed to switch from composed to frenetic in an instant. “Oh my God! Did you really bring a baby to Cosco? Are you insane? Wait, is she yours? Do you have a kid? Poor baby!” Abby’s questions tumbled out in rapid succession.

Matt interrupted, taking Sophie from Jesse and starting toward the outside. “Abby, we need to go. It’s not safe for her here. Stacy said we could come with her if we cooperated and helped around the house.”

Amber’s whine trailed after him. “Matty, wait for me!” She clung to Matt’s arm, and Stacy found herself inwardly cringing. She looked away, trying to ignore the gnawing irritation she felt. It was partly because Amber was as obnoxious as Matt was, and partly because she had never imagined dealing with such personalities while trying to survive a zombie apocalypse.

Stacy quickly sent a message to her mom, asking her to drive to the entrance. A realization hit her—there was no way they’d all fit in her Jeep, especially with the baby seat. “Hey Matt, do you have a car?” she asked, hoping for a solution.

“I do now,” Matt replied, grinning. He set Sophie down beside a truck that looked like a Tundra, though Stacy wasn’t very knowledgeable about trucks. She preferred her Jeep.

Matt opened the truck’s door, relieved to find it unlocked, and soon had the engine roaring to life. Jesse let out a triumphant fist pump, while Amber jumped into the front seat and locked the door.

Stacy noticed Abby’s eye-roll but ignored it. She opened the back door of the truck and gestured for Jesse to secure Sophie in the car seat. Just as they were finishing up, her mom pulled up behind them.

“Stay close behind me, okay? And no stopping for anything, Matt. Got it?” Stacy instructed, her tone firm.

“Lead the way, Stace,” Matt replied, closing his door as she walked toward her Jeep. She motioned for her mom to take the passenger seat and quickly hopped into the driver’s side.

“Don’t ask, Mom. I’ll explain later. For now, let’s just get home,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady as they set off.

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A/N: So there's that. Hope you guys like it. If you do, please remember to vote and comment. And maybe even share it. Thank you so much for reading.
xoxo -Cinttie