them but ultimately decided we needed allies.
“I haven’t asked.”
“Because she would say it’s a bad idea.”
“I want to go to my house. I couldn’t before. I want to see for myself. What if my mom’s there, waiting?”
“What if she’s dead?”
“It gonna be rough. Gotta be able to deal with you find,” Tanya said.
“At least I’ll know.”
“How about this? Discuss it with Maddie and Rachel first. I’ll go along with what they say.” Her eyes lit up, but I hoped I hadn’t deceived her. I gave the decision to Rachel and Maddie because I knew they would say no.
“Fair enough,” she said. “If I can go, will you teach me how to drive?”
I laughed but I didn’t think she was joking.
Maddie remained calm when Aisha told her. We gathered near the food court, just those who were going plus Maddie and Rachel. Jake and Ashley sat on lounge chairs nearby and looked like they wanted to vanish. Dave paced slightly. Annemarie was on the roof so she got spared the discussion.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked Aisha. Her face gave away she was upset but she kept her voice steady.
“Yes.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Rachel said. “It’s dangerous out there.”
“No more dangerous than a year ago.”
After a long pause, Maddie burst out crying, pulled Aisha into a tight hug, then said: “Girl, if you got to go, you go, but you promise me you either go with your folks if you find them or you come back to me. You don’t die, right?”
“Right.” Aisha said, and then untangled herself. Rachel looked upset but didn’t say anything.
“Come on,” Dave said, his voice raised. “This is ridiculous. We can’t bring her. She’s a child. Rachel, you know this.”
“Don’t matter,” Aisha said. “I’ve decided to leave any way. Either you take me to my mom’s house or I go on my own. None of you have legal right over me.”
“Sounds like the girl made up her mind,” Tanya said.
“You keep out of this,” Dave said. He took a deep breath in and snorted it out.
“No—“ Tanya replied and I could feel the anger from her which was never good. “The girl’s made up her mind. You ain’t her father.”
“Enough!” this came from Rachel. “Dave, you have no responsibility towards Aisha, okay. I want you and Tanya to get along. You’ll be on this trip together, worry about zombies not each other,” Rachel looked back at Aisha. “The world is overrun by things that want to kill you. Your family may be dead in the house or one of them. Can you handle it?”
“Will I go crazy and panic? Therefore get everyone killed, no. Will it upset me? Sure, but adults would get upset too.”
“This is crazy,” Dave said. “She’s a child.”
“The discussion is over. Dave, if you don’t like it, you know where the door is.”
“Fuck you, Rachel,” he said and I knew Dave was mad because he usually stepped down. “Stop trying to show me the door because I have an opinion. Sending a kid out there is stupid,” he said, and stomped off. For a change, I didn’t disagree with him. I didn’t think this was good idea. I promised I would go along with Rachel and Maddie but I had to say one
“I haven’t asked.”
“Because she would say it’s a bad idea.”
“I want to go to my house. I couldn’t before. I want to see for myself. What if my mom’s there, waiting?”
“What if she’s dead?”
“It gonna be rough. Gotta be able to deal with you find,” Tanya said.
“At least I’ll know.”
“How about this? Discuss it with Maddie and Rachel first. I’ll go along with what they say.” Her eyes lit up, but I hoped I hadn’t deceived her. I gave the decision to Rachel and Maddie because I knew they would say no.
“Fair enough,” she said. “If I can go, will you teach me how to drive?”
I laughed but I didn’t think she was joking.
Maddie remained calm when Aisha told her. We gathered near the food court, just those who were going plus Maddie and Rachel. Jake and Ashley sat on lounge chairs nearby and looked like they wanted to vanish. Dave paced slightly. Annemarie was on the roof so she got spared the discussion.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked Aisha. Her face gave away she was upset but she kept her voice steady.
“Yes.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Rachel said. “It’s dangerous out there.”
“No more dangerous than a year ago.”
After a long pause, Maddie burst out crying, pulled Aisha into a tight hug, then said: “Girl, if you got to go, you go, but you promise me you either go with your folks if you find them or you come back to me. You don’t die, right?”
“Right.” Aisha said, and then untangled herself. Rachel looked upset but didn’t say anything.
“Come on,” Dave said, his voice raised. “This is ridiculous. We can’t bring her. She’s a child. Rachel, you know this.”
“Don’t matter,” Aisha said. “I’ve decided to leave any way. Either you take me to my mom’s house or I go on my own. None of you have legal right over me.”
“Sounds like the girl made up her mind,” Tanya said.
“You keep out of this,” Dave said. He took a deep breath in and snorted it out.
“No—“ Tanya replied and I could feel the anger from her which was never good. “The girl’s made up her mind. You ain’t her father.”
“Enough!” this came from Rachel. “Dave, you have no responsibility towards Aisha, okay. I want you and Tanya to get along. You’ll be on this trip together, worry about zombies not each other,” Rachel looked back at Aisha. “The world is overrun by things that want to kill you. Your family may be dead in the house or one of them. Can you handle it?”
“Will I go crazy and panic? Therefore get everyone killed, no. Will it upset me? Sure, but adults would get upset too.”
“This is crazy,” Dave said. “She’s a child.”
“The discussion is over. Dave, if you don’t like it, you know where the door is.”
“Fuck you, Rachel,” he said and I knew Dave was mad because he usually stepped down. “Stop trying to show me the door because I have an opinion. Sending a kid out there is stupid,” he said, and stomped off. For a change, I didn’t disagree with him. I didn’t think this was good idea. I promised I would go along with Rachel and Maddie but I had to say one
Similar Books
