Chapter Text
There’s two types of people when the world comes to an end. Those that sob, Reject the new reality of what's to come. They cling to what little reminders of what was left in their old lives. They will sacrifice anything and anything to go back to what they took for granted and to be saved from the nightmarish reality they woke up on the day the world changed.
The other type of person is those who adapt. Those who decide to make the new world their bitch and make the new rules as they survive the barren wasteland. They leave what rules there were behind. Survival of the fittest or some dumb shit like that. They were the ones who would lose their humanity the fastest when it came to life or death situations. People who looked out only for themselves and just wanted the power to do as they please.
So, where did Nicole fall on that list? She wouldn’t lie and say she fell on the first. Being a sociopath with an extremely flexible moral compass meant she could do most things as she pleased. But it was hard to manipulate and leverage people when they weren’t around. So, she somehow ended up in the small percentage of people who fell in the middle: Those just trying to survive in the hopes things will get better.
“Come on bitch. We gotta go before more show up.”
When the end of the world came, no one expected for the dead to rise and start walking around. Sure, zombie movies and books were popular. It was every Call of Duty player’s wet dream. What no one really expected was how quickly it spread. They always talked about how, if a zombie apocalypse happened, no one could truly be prepared. Those small pockets of civilization would have to band together against hordes of the undead in order to rebuild society or some gay shit.
When the world ended, Nicole and Jecka found each other amongst the chaos. They waited out the first days at Jecka’s. The mass panic, the numerous news stories that came and went, the constant outcry for help. And, in true zombie flick fashion, things began to go. First, the power stopped working. News companies stopped broadcasting. Cities came to a standstill as survivors held up and the dead roamed the streets. Then water stopped flowing through the pipes.
After the first week, everything was silent. It felt less like the world ended and more like the world simply fell asleep. It forgot about humanity and its inhabitants and simply stopped.
“Where are we going now?”
Nicole’s mom never reached out to her to find out where her daughter was. Nicole assumed either her mom was one of the first people to go or that her mom assumed Nicole had already bit it and didn't try. Jecka’s parents did their best. They left during the first couple of days. Saying something about going to the store for supplies and never coming back. Jecka cried a lot that week.
After that, they simply were on their own.
“I’m hoping if we go to the mall, we can find some shit there.”
“Either a bunch of supplies or a whole lot of nothing. I don't think there's gonna be much there.”
“Well, we have to fucking try something , Nicole. I’m out of smokes and we’re almost out of food.”
“So why don’t we hit the gas station up the road then? They should have plenty of fucking smokes.”
“Because we tried that yesterday and they didn’t have shit for food!”
Nicole sighed. It had been a couple of months since the world came to a stand still. They were running out of places to go and look for supplies. They’d either need to leave town soon, or try riskier and riskier things in hopes that they could find enough supplies to keep going for a while longer. At least Jecka had been slightly more prepared for this shit then Nicole was.
Nicole’s strong suit was figuring people out. Manipulating and gaining whatever blackmail she needed so that she could use it to her advantage later. She wasn’t a good fighter. She wasn’t extremely fast and getting shot only made that more difficult after skipping numerous physical therapy appointments. So when everything died and then the dead started walking again, she focused what little natural talent she did have into being quiet and light on her feet.
Jecka, on the other hand, had been going to the gym prior to the world ending. She had more strength then Nicole, better reflexes, much faster on her feet. Jecka’s downfall was having too much of a conscience. Nicole desperately hoped she’d never lose that.
“Do you think the fountain still has water in it? I could use a bath or something.” Jecka murmured as they both grabbed the packs they carried with them on these runs.
“If we’re lucky, maybe. I think we’d have better luck hoping it’d rain on the way there and just showering in the street.”
“Gross, I’m not getting naked in the middle of the street.”
“Bitch, you wouldn’t get naked in the middle of the street but you would inside the mall? What’s the fucking difference?”
“Uh, we would know if people are inside the mall? I can’t tell if there’s anyone inside the fucking houses when I’m naked in the street!”
Slipping out Jecka’s front door was always easy. It was also one of the most anxiety inducing things ever. Neither one of them knew what would happen when they opened that door. If it would be their last time. Nicole always hoped there’d be another. Another for Jecka, at the very least.
What was always strange and hard to get used to was stepping outside. They always expected to see a car drive down the road. See people interacting and going about their daily lives. Instead, it was silence. It was a mind numbing quiet that’d drive any normal person insane. They used to take Jecka’s car for runs. That was until the last time, when they were surrounded on all sides and barely managed to escape. Since then, they agreed on no more cars. It was too loud, too easy to get trapped.
Nicole’s heart pounded in her ears as they walked down the street. Eyes constantly surveying the houses on each side. Each one could have supplies, something worth it inside. Or, they could contain the imminent death that Nicole had nightmares about.
“I hope they have some new clothes. I’m really tired of wearing these.”
“Jecka, it’s a fucking mall. They’ll have clothes.”
“Yea but shit that’ll fit!”
“I think you’re the only person still concerned with clothes after the world ends.”
“My fucking bad for still wanting to look hot?”
“Bitch, hot for who? Who do you possibly think we’re gonna run into that’s gonna be like ‘Damn Jecka, you’re so fucking hot, I wanna marry you even though the world ended’?”
“Maybe I just wanna look hot for myself bitch? Not all of us can be fucking emo like you and just wear pants and a jacket every fucking day.”
Nicole rolled her eyes slightly. Yeah, sure, maybe her style didn’t change. But she didn’t feel like making the trip back to her house. It was easier to just pretend it never existed and that she always lived with Jecka. She could treat her house as a place to lock away all her emotions and nightmares. A visual representation of a vault that she could throw the key away for and never deal with it again.
They were silent as they walked block after block, the constant edge of paranoia in Nicole’s brain. They’d hear a noise as they walked past an abandoned car and freeze in place. They’d stare at the location the noise came from until they were certain they could move again. They learned their lesson when Jecka was grabbed once about waiting until they were certain.
The way Jecka screamed that day still reverberates inside of Nicole’s mind sometimes. They were at some local store, trying to find any sort of food and water. Jecka managed to find a way into the back storeroom. They were walking past pallets and saw a section where the shelving had fallen over. Apparently, one of them was trapped under the wreckage. It reached out and grabbed Jecka’s leg. Nicole managed to get her free. Jecka didn’t leave the house for a week after that happened.
“Do you think anyone else from school is still alive?”
Jecka’s question pulled Nicole out of her hypervigilance. She glanced over at Jecka. The blonde’s hair was a mess. Dirt and grime streaked her face and arms. Her clothes were muddled with dried blood, dirt, and sweat. Even at the end of the world, even when Jecka was battered and filthy, she still was stunning in Nicole’s eyes.
“I mean, maybe. Why do you care? We haven’t talked to them or seen anyone since all this shit started.”
“Nicole, don’t tell me you haven’t even thought about anyone else since all this happened. Emily, Ari, fuck, even Kelly or Megan?”
“Knowing how fucked up and cruel the world is, I bet Jeffery is still alive and thriving.”
“He almost shot up the school. I’m sure he has or had guns to stay alive for a while.”
“Yeah, or he used it to blow his brains out like he should have.”
“Jesus, Nicole..”
“Don’t tell me you feel fucking pity for Jeffery .”
“I don’t! But fuck, it’s not like there’s a ton of people we can just talk to!”
Jecka was right, even if Nicole didn’t want to admit it. She could sit and talk to Jecka and only Jecka for the rest of her life. But what was there to do when you ran out of things to talk about?
“Maybe we’ll see someone at the mall?” Jecka sounded slightly hopeful.
Nicole wanted to dash that hope. She didn’t want Jecka to be let down. She wanted to deny her that blow by tearing down the hope herself. “Maybe. But then you won’t be able to take a bath in the fountain.”
“I totally could. I’d just charge them.”
“Charge them what? Money doesn’t mean shit now.”
“Cigs.”
“Addict.”
“Wonder if we can get lucky and find a pharmacy. I could really use a top off on what pills we still have left.”
“That’s the first time I’ve ever heard you come up with a good idea.”
“Fuck off, Jecka.”
The walk was tedious. It was long. They had left early in the day because they knew that it would be an all day thing. Stopping to eat what little rations they had, sipping off of water bottles that were nearly empty. Nicole wanted to kick herself in the ass for never thinking about planning ahead. Jecka had planned ahead, but everything was all about college. Neither were prepared for the world to end. Only insane and paranoid people were. How ironic would it be if those people died off first?
“How’s your leg?”
“I wish I had Xans so that I didn’t feel it. Or Oxy.”
“Do you need to stop?”
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Jecka, I’m fine. I wanna get there and get back before dark. Sleeping anywhere besides your house is practically impossible when we have to constantly keep watch and every fucking noise wakes us up.”
“Is it that you hate sleeping anywhere besides my house because you hate the noises? Or is it because you can’t be cuddled up to me when we’re not there?”
Nicole’s cheeks flushed light pink.
“I’m gonna feed you to the next herd we see.”
“Thought so.”
So what if they acted like a couple? The world ended. No one could use it against Nicole. The social stigmas of gay and straight were gone. No one could possibly care because there was no one to care. A girl has needs.
“There’s a gas station up ahead. Have we hit that one yet?”
“I don’t think so.”
Nicole nodded and moved up slightly ahead. She still stayed within a reasonable distance of Jecka. Just in case.
Cars sat abandoned in the lot, the pump handles dangling. If there was any gas left, it was left to sit in the tank. No electricity means no way of pumping it up and out. The windows of the small building were left shattered. Clearly someone looted the fuck out of the place.
She looked around through the windows and, once satisfied, climbed over the ledge. The crunch of broken glass echoed throughout the lifeless building. Wrappers littered the floor. Almost every shelf was emptied. The lights that once kept this place glowing in fluorescence were burnt or shattered.
“Anything?” Jecka whispered quietly as she slipped in next to Nicole.
“Nothing.”
Nicole moved slowly along the shelves, peeking around the corner. Jecka moved the other way towards the counters. Every step was placed carefully. Every breath was taken with caution. Dried blood splattered on the floor. More food wrappers. Bags destroyed in whatever happened before. Fridge doors left hanging open and empty. She slipped forward, seeing a door leading to what she assumed was the back room.
Jecka gasped. Nicole’s heart stopped. She moved forward as fast as she could, around a set of shelves and to the counters. Jecka was standing there, staring down.
“What?” Nicole hissed to her, fighting the rising panic in her chest.
“They have fucking smokes!” Jecka’s grin was wide.
Nicole sighed, rubbing her face. “You fucking bitch. I thought something was wrong.”
“There is. The fact I don’t have one of these filling my lungs with release.”
Jecka bent down, pulling out stacks of packages. Plenty to last the blonde for weeks. She started shoveling them into her pack like it was bottles of water, along with a couple of lighters. Nicole watched. God, Jecka was a bitch, but it at least made her feel something when she saw the blonde get this excited over little things.
Nicole made her way back to the door she had seen, cracking it open. Darkness greeted her, only a sliver of light filling the space from the crack of the door. She took a deep breath, pushed the door open fully. The smell of rot and stink greeted her. Bodies decaying off in the corner. The constant buzzing of flies. She covered her mouth and nose with her shirt, making her way into the small room. She searched what shelves had anything on it.
Bending down and checking the last shelf, she found a couple full bottles of water that were left behind. She snagged them, stuffing them into her pack, then did one last double check. Once she was satisfied that she found anything and everything she could, she slipped back into the main part of the building. Jecka had found and opened a package of gummy worms.
“Bitch, you better share those.”
“Did you find them?”
“Do you want some of the water I found? Cause you’re not getting shit if you don't share those with me.”
Jecka held out a worm, dangling it in front of Nicole.
“Sharing is caring, Nicole.”
“Fuck off.”
– –
The mall was a fucking wreck. It looked like numerous people had the same idea Nicole and Jecka had at one point. Cars littered the lots. Doors were left open. Everything was a fucking mess. Bodies were littered on the ground outside. It was enough for Jecka to gag. Even after seeing bodies for months, it was still overwhelming when it was in giant piles like this. A body here or there, they could walk past and ignore.
Getting inside the mall was easy. It was making sure no one else was here and could sneak up on them was the difficult part. They went through, walking along one of the many paths. Some stores were left wide open. Others had their gates slammed down or partially open.
“Fuck, this shit is fucking scary.”
“I know.”
Jecka was trembling slightly. Nicole could see it. That’s ok though. Fight or flight was great at keeping your senses sharp and helping you catch things that a relaxed state of mind wouldn’t even possibly dream about.
Making it to the central atrium was easy. The fountain had water in it. The foul smelling liquid tainted by the bodies floating in it. So much for cleaning up.
“Where do we start?”
“Spencers?”
“Of course you’d start there.”
“I want a MSI shirt if they have it.”
“Oh.”
“What, bitch?”
“I still forget you listen to non preppy shit.”
“Fuck off, Nicole.”
Climbing the stairs to the store was no issue for Jecka. For Nicole, her leg was throbbing by the time they had made it to the store. It had become apparent because Jecka kept looking at her. Each step hurts. She was limping slightly. Gritting her teeth not to make noise.
“We’ll take a break, ok?”
“No, it’s fine.”
“Nicole, you can barely fucking walk. Don’t start.”
Jecka walked into the store first. At least the mall had giant fucking skylights, otherwise this would be straight out of a horror movie scene. At least the store wasn’t completed fucked like the ones on the lower level.; Less people must have been up here when the shit hit the fan. Plus, there was plenty of clothes left. So finding something clean to wear wouldn’t be extremely hard.
Jecka was already scanning shirts. She had picked out a couple.
“At least we don’t have to try to steal them, now.”
“Not like you would have stolen them before the world went to shit.”
“Yeah, not after watching you get fucking shot over a twelve dollar CD.”
“I wouldn’t have gotten shot if they didn’t put a fucking insane guy in charge with a fucking gun.”
“You wouldn’t have gotten shot if you didn’t fucking run , either.”
She did have a point. Nicole wouldn’t admit it or agree to it, but. Running from a cop before never resulted in Nicole getting shot, so how the fuck was she supposed to know that would happen to her.
It was an enjoyable moment of peace, watching Jecka shift through clothes that normally she’d hear the other girl bitch about how much they cost and how it was bullshit to charge ten bucks for a shirt of a band that didn’t even tour anymore. Little moments of peace were important when the world had ended. It was the only time you had a chance to process the bullshit and remember you were still alive, still dealing with everything, still in the real world.
Peace also shattered really easily. Especially when it was shattered by the sound of a gun being cocked.
“Both of you. Drop your fucking shit. I swear, if either of you reach for anything, I won’t hesitate.”
Wait. Nicole knew that voice, somewhere. It was deep in her mind. It conjured images of blonde hair, blue eyes, cuts everywhere, remedial english…
Nicole turned her head, looking at the new person who was holding a pistol, aimed right at Nicole’s head.
“Emily?”