Chapter 7

Suddenly, Amanda tripped in her drunken stupor, and she heard laughter from behind her.

Damn it! she scolded herself, as she pushed herself back to her feet.

She knew that DJ and Megan had placed their bets on her. They always seemed to do that when she was drunk, and she scowled.

“Whoever bet against me, will not be participating in the festivities,” she called, as she continued to walk toward her truck.

Suddenly, everyone’s laughter had stopped and Megan made a dramatic ooh sound, and everyone started snickering. Amanda shook her head and then she quickly made it to her truck. She grabbed the smokes and the joints out of the middle console, and then she made her way back to the campfire. She smiled at everyone as she sat back down in between DJ and Joe, and crossed her legs Indian style.

Surprised, Megan and DJ looked at Amanda with wide eyes, as she held both packs in her hand. Megan and DJ knew how sacred the cigarettes and the joints were to their friend, and the odd thing was that Amanda only told DJ and Megan she had them. DJ looked at her with a questioning look on his face.

“What are you doing?”

Amanda looked at her sergeant in her drunken stupor and then she heavily sighed.

“It’s time,” she said uneasily as she rolled the two packs in her hands and looked at them.

“To new beginnings, right?” She asked, as she looked up at DJ, and he subtly nodded.

Amanda smiled a sad smile as she stopped twirling the packs and then she looked up at the others.

“I have been hanging onto these ever since the apocalypse started and they are a part of my past that I think it is time to let go. Knowing my boyfriend, he would be proud of me for sharing these,” Amanda said, and then she looked at the ground sadly.

She didn’t want to let her boyfriend go, she still loved him so much, but she knew that it was time.

Joe looked at her in question, and DJ and Megan exchanged looks, as Josh, John, and Faith also looked at Amanda in question.

“Eddy used to smoke these, and after he died, I began smoking every once in a while when I missed him. It was like I could feel him again. However, I think it is time to let him go,” she said, as she nervously laughed, and then she opened the pack of joints.

Slowly, she pulled one out and then she passed the pack around to everyone.

“Let’s smoke to our loved ones and let them rest in peace,” Amanda added, and DJ gently touched her arm.

“Are you sure?” he asked sincerely, and she nodded.

“Okay, but when we are done, I am stealing one of those cancer sticks,” he added, and she laughed, as she nodded.

“Of course,” she said, and they all passed the lighter around and lit their joints.

“To Eddy,” said Amanda, as she lifted her joint in the air, and then she took a puff.

“To Sarah,” DJ said with a heavy sigh, and he did the same with his joint.

“To Roxy, Julia, and Sasha,” John said sadly, and Faith looked at the ground.

“To Naomi,” said Josh.

“To Andrew,” said Mega, as she looked sadly at the ground. Heavily, Joe sighed.

“To Michelle,” he finally said.

At that moment, everyone began to cough in fits and Amanda laughed. John whispered something in Josh’s ear and they both looked at Joe as they busted out laughing. He gave them a questioning look and then Josh clapped his hands together.

“Bro, it took the apocalypse to get you to smoke pot, or was it the pretty girl handing it to you?” he laughed, and Joe glanced at Amanda and then back at his cousin.

Evidently, Joe busted out laughing.

“Oh, is that what this stuff is?” he asked, as he looked at his joint, and they all laughed.

Amanda took a swig out of her bottle and then she grinned at him as she put her joint out half way. Then she pulled a cigarette out of the pack and passed that pack around. Immediately, Josh, Joe, and John put their cigarettes out after the first drag.

“No, I think that we are good on that,” said John, and Josh and Joe nodded in agreement.

********************

Soon the fire died down and everyone looked at each other. John and Faith had already turned in for the night and that left Megan, Josh, Amanda, Joe, and DJ left sitting around the fire.

“Well, I think it is time for all of us to get some well-deserved shut eye,” suggested DJ, and Amanda nodded, as she yawned.

“Sure, if we can make it up the ladder,” Amanda slurred, and DJ laughed at her.

At that moment, DJ looked at his cousins, and he gave them a knowing look.

“Make sure the girls make it to their rooms in one piece,” he said, and they nodded.

Amanda’s head swung towards Joe and she smirked at him.

“So, you are going to be my knight in shining armor? Megan has clearly found hers,” she said, and DJ laughed, as he stood and stretched.

“Good night,” he said, and then he walked away from them.

Megan looked at Amanda and stuck her tongue out at her. Seemingly, Josh and Joe laughed at them and Amanda and Megan stuck their tongues out at them.

“I got this one,” said Josh, as he pointed to Megan and Joe nodded as he got to his feet.

He then held his hands out to Amanda and she looked up at him.

“So, I am going to take that as a yes to the answer to my question,” she said, as she took his hands and he laughed.

Josh had gotten Megan up on her feet and she stumbled as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

“Where are we going?” she slurred, and Josh chuckled.

“I am taking you to your bed,” he said, as he held her steady.

“Oh, okay,” she mumbled, and then she looked up at Amanda.

“I love you, behave with, uh, you know,” Megan said, as she waved her hand at Joe, and they all chuckled.

“Get some rest. Love you, too,” Amanda said, and Megan and Josh then turned and headed for the ladder.

Suddenly, Amanda stumbled and Joe caught her.

“Hey, are you going to make it?” he asked, and Amanda looked up at him and shook her head.

“Come on,” she slurred, and she grabbed his hand.

Noticeably, Joe must have been feeling the intensity of the alcohol, because he stumbled as well.

“Where are we going?” he asked, as he let her pull him.

“Here,” Amanda said, as they reached the bed of her truck and Joe looked at her in disbelief.

“Really? I have a nice comfortable bed in the sleeping quarters,” he said, and Amanda gave him an ‘oh please’ look and then she smiled.

“Suit yourself,” she said, as she pushed a button on her key ring.

Amazed, Joe watched as the truck bed top rolled back and a thin mattress rolled out onto the bed.

“Have fun climbing that ladder, but you are more than welcome to hang out,” Amanda said, as she opened the back door and pulled a couple of pillows and a blanket out from a compartment under the seat.

At that moment, Joe looked at her and he raised an eyebrow, as he put his hand to his chin.

“Hmm. Climbing a ladder that I will probably fall off of, anyway, considering how much alcohol I have consumed, or hanging out with this brave, beautiful girl that has intrigued me beyond belief,” he said, and Amanda looked at him, as she blushed.

“Well, when you decide, let me…”

Amanda started to say as she started to hike herself up onto the truck bed, but she missed the edge and Joe caught her before she fell.

“I think I may have to stick around for a while. My cousin told me to make sure that you are safe,” he said softly, as he looked into her eyes, and Amanda grinned shyly.

Evidently, Joe helped her up onto the tailgate and then he sat next to her.

“So, have you ever slept under the stars before?” she asked, as she pulled her boots off and let them hit the ground.

“You mean like, camping?” he asked, sarcastically, as she lit her half of a joint and scooted back to the cab of the truck.

Comfortably, she laid her head on one of the pillows. Joe slid his boots off and scooted back next to her. She looked at him as she handed him the joint.

“No, it’s like going to the spa,” she teased, and he gave her a thoughtful look.

“I have been to one of those too!” he said, as he pulled off of the joint, and then handed it back to her.

“I bet you have,” she said, and he looked at her in surprise, as he started coughing.

“What?” he exclaimed through his coughs.

Buzzed, Amanda looked at him and grinned.

“What gave me away?” he asked, as he dramatically put his hand to his chest.

“Your soft skin and silky long hair,” she teased, and then she blushed.

He laughed and she laughed with him. Suddenly, they heard a screech come through the air and they both quickly sat up as they looked at the sky.

“No!” Amanda exclaimed, as she scooted to the edge of the tailgate and jumped off.

“What was that?” Joe asked, as she jumped off of the tailgate.

“I don’t know,” she said, as she slipped her boots on.

“Get in,” she said, as she ran to the driver's side and jumped in.

Joe jumped in the passenger seat and shut the door. Quickly, Amanda grabbed her hand held radio and she clicked the mic button three times.

“What are you doing?” asked Joe, as they both looked up at the sky.

“Delta 1, do you copy?” she whispered over the radio, and then she looked at him seriously.

“We have to warn everyone,” she said, as they heard the screech again, but this time it was closer, and they both looked out of the windshield at the sky.

“What is that?” he asked, as he swallowed hard and she looked at him.

“I think the mutants have mutated into something else,” she said, and he looked at her with wide eyes.

“Into what?”

“I am not sure,” she said, as she swallowed and clicked the radio again.

“Why isn’t anyone responding?” she said under her breath, and clicked the radio again.

“Megan!” Amanda whispered loudly, and they waited silently.

Suddenly, Amanda sighed a frustrated sigh, and she put the radio to her mouth.

“Megan, if you don’t get your ass up and answer this mic, I am going…”

“Going to do what?”

Megan’s voice came over the radio, and Amanda sighed in relief.

“Megan, we have a problem,” Ashta whispered.

“What’s wrong? Did Mr. Handsome leave you?” she slurred, and Amanda quickly glanced at Joe, as he chuckled.

“No, he is here with me. I think our friends may have evolved again.”

“What?”

“We heard screeches in the sky,” Amanda said urgently.

“You’re kidding?” blurted Megan, and Amanda gave Joe a frustrated look.

At that moment, Joe grabbed the radio out of her hand and then held it up to his mouth as he pressed the talk button down.

“No, we are not kidding!” he whispered, nervously.

“Okay, let me think for a minute,” said Megan.

Suddenly, a loud thudding noise came from one of the walls, and Amanda and Joe looked at each other in fear.

“No time. They are here,” whispered Joe.

At that moment, the guards on the walls began shooting at something and DJ came running up to the truck and jumped into the backseat.

“What is it?” he asked nervously, and Amanda and Joe looked at him.

“Something big,” stated Joe, and DJ looked at him with wide eyes.

“Okay, we need to find Megan, Josh, John and Faith,” said DJ, as he rubbed his face.

Immediately, Amanda grabbed the radio from Joe.

“Megan, get Josh, John, and Faith and get your asses to the truck!” she said urgently.

“On our way,” Megan said back.

A few moments later, Megan and the others got inside the truck. Quickly, Amanda started the vehicle and she backed up to the kitchen.

“What are you doing?” asked DJ, and Amanda looked at him seriously.

“We need to get inside,” she said, as she backed the truck up to the kitchen as close as she could possibly get.