"Ruby, let's go. We don't need insensitive people like him." Christian said to Ruby,
turning around and grabbing her wrist dragging her back into the van.
Perry glanced at Nicole one last time, before turning around and quietly following behind Christian and Ruby.
Perry did miss Nicole. How could she not?— They were together technically every other day since middle school started.
Perry entered the van after Christian and Ruby. The silence was loud.
"....Where are we going next?" Waylen spoke, breaking the silence.
"...away from here. I'd like to leave audiences like this one." Maverick replied, leaning back in his seat with a huff, closing his eyes.
"...You mean the zombies?" Rexine replied, sighing.
"Yeah, the damn zombies." Maverick answered, eyes still shut.
Perry glanced at Ruby from the corner of her eye, seeing her bitter gaze and upset expression. She wasn't crying— not a first, but it was a bit surprising.
A love confession before leaving the love? Surely, It would've been more like Ruby if she was rambling on about how mean Nicole is.
"Ruby… I'm sure he'll come to his senses soon. I know Nicole. He isn't that type of person." Perry muttered to Ruby and Ruby only.
"I want to give him a piece of mind. You think you know him, but none of us thought he'd leave us to go back to Nathan, did we?"
Perry sighed. Ruby was right. No one would've thought that Nicole would leave, going over the thought again and again— Hell, even Christian would be more likely to.
"Ruby.. I'm sorry. I have to apologize sincerely on his behalf. Whether he comes back or not, he won't hear the end of me next time we meet. Seeing you like this really puts the energy off." Perry sighed, leaning back against her seat.
"Trust me, Blondie. For once, Shitty face here is right." Christian leaned forward, his chin resting on the backrest of Perry's seat, looking at Ruby. Perry stayed silent. She did shoot Christian a glare, but turned around afterwards.
For the next half an hour, Waylen drove. There was no fixed destination— Eli tried suggesting some places, but zombies were everywhere now.
They drove around, while most of them were starting to grow exhausted. Waylen stepped down from driving and switched with Christian. Occasionally, It'd be only Perry, Christian and Waylen driving.
•───────•°•𐦂𖨆𐀪𖠋•°•──────•
"I… The words got stuck inside my throat, alright? It's not like.. I wanted to leave like that." Nicole sighed, leaning against the wall glaring at Millie.
"Oh really? Well, great job newbie. Lost bait. Again." Millie leaned back in her chair, legs on the table, ankles crossed.
"Like I said before, why can't I just be the bait? I'm sure Perry would come after me, in fact, she probably is right now—"
"Look. I don't know much about you newbie, but I hate know-it-alls like you. I told you, if two people were caught it'd be more effective." Millie sighed, crossing her arms, watching Nicole like a goddamn hawk watching its prey.
"She's right, Nicole." Nathan's voice rang from the doorway.
"...Look, I already found out what I came here for. And it's true, I know for a fact you guys can't bring a human being back from the dead." Nicole argued, placing the glasses he was wearing on his hair, closing the book he was reading and lightly slammed it on the table.
"So?" Nathan coldly replied, his gaze stern.
"We made a deal. And, you haven't fulfilled your part yet." Nathan swiftly took a nearby crowbar, turning it to point at Nicole's chin, touching it lightly.
Nicole supressed to shiver a bit at the coldness of the metal, glancing at Millie, who was smirking, then back at Nathan.
"I told you— anyone but Ruby! She's off limits. It's not like she'd willingly come anyway." Nicole hissed, scowling now.
"But she's what we agreed on, Nicole. You can't break your promise now; not after we already fulfilled our part." Nathan pressed the metal harder against his chin, tilting his head a bit to the side.
"Yeah, if you hadn't tricked me! You said the brunette girl. Not blonde." Nicole corrected.
"Well forgive me, I forgot how she looked. And now that it's clear, you should probably just obey, instead of resisting more," Nathan slid his free hand into his pocket, glancing at Millie for a split second.
"What's your deal with her, huh? Just take from me what you will from her, it's not hard." Nicole suggested at last, now gripping the crowbar at his chin.
"I already told you why, boy. Now, do as I say or we'll take both. Maybe the blonde guy too." Nathan threatened. By 'blonde guy', he was implying at Christian.
"Am I not enough for you? What's wrong with you??" Nicole snapped.
"Sheesh. Someone's mad." Emily stood behind Nicole, hands behind her head, and her signature twisted smirk.
"Emily.." Nathan didn't sound the happiest, trying not to show it.
"Nathan~" Emily hummed, walking forward. "What's going on?" she asked, tilting her head to the side slightly, seeing the crowbar. She then proceeded to walk to the other side, behind the table.
"Well, we might've been deceived by our so-called truce." Nathan replied, keeping his eyes trained on Nicole.
"No— more like you tricked me. You can't just change the person like that. Do whatever you want, but take anyone but Ruby." Nicole defended, his patience hanging on by a thread.
"It was an honest mistake, dork. Accept the fact we make mistakes too and finish your darn end of the deal." Emily harshly slammed her fists onto the table, her gaze piercing straight through Nicole.
Gosh— her temper was like mood swings. Really, really unpredictable.
"I understand you made a mistake, but I'm telling you now that Ruby is off goddamn limits."
•───────•°•𐦂𖨆𐀪𖠋•°•──────•
"The radio? Seriously?" Maverick banged on it twice.
"Mate, you're going to break the bloody thing. Stop bangin' on it." Eli sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"Wait! It's picking up something." Rexine said, shooing Maverick's hand away and grabbing the radio.
"Turn the knob. Turn the damn knob." Waylen pointed, already irritated at Rexine's 'inefficiency'.
"No way. Is that— Perry!" Rexine called, making Perry turn her head.