All This Madness
Cracking the Code.
"Riot, Ri-"
I managed to get the towel spread wide enough to cover the front side of my exposed body. Alex, on the other hand, was still very openly nude and was currently extending his arm to hand me my clothes. The man who had burst into the room screaming my name averted his gaze, his fingers instantly going to his lip ring as a deep blush came to his cheek. A very flustered Matt Flyzik cleared his throat and turned his back to the two of us so we could freely get dressed.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to impose on anything."
Now I was the one who was blushing, not only from Matt's words, but from the fact that Alex was watching me slip on my underwear and hook my bra. We both managed to slip on some fresh clothes before Matt attempted to turn around again, a sigh of relief falling from his lips when he noticed we were fully dressed. Normally I would be more concerned as to way he came searching for me, but honestly, I was in a state of blissfulness. My body was sore and I knew I'd be suffering from a dull ache for a few days, but sharing what I just had with Alex, it was intoxicating. We would never be a couple, but we'd always be friends, so if you ask me, I just lost my virginity in the best possible way.
"Did you two.. ?" Matt let his eyes flicker from me, to Alex, a stern look in plastered on his face. "You know what? Nevermind that. Riot, I need you to come with me."
"What's wrong?"
"We'll talk about it in private."
"But-"
"It's okay, Ri, go on. I'll see you at meal time."
Alex flashed me a soft smile, though I didn't get to stare at it long because Matt grabbed my arm and pulled me away from him. I felt like a child, being tugged through the bland hallways until we reached our room, the one we'd agreed to share during our stay here. Matt pulled me inside and gently closed the door behind him, only to yank me onto the bed with a heavy sigh. That's when my heart started to beat fast. He'd been with Tori all day, so whatever the news was, it was about her.
"Is Tori okay? Matt, you're scaring me."
"They've been busting ass all day. They think they've found something in her blood that can block the virus, but since it was naturally formed in Tor, it isn't reacting with her body the way they want it to."
"D-Does that mean she can't be cured?"
"No, not exactly. They wouldn't tell me much but I think they've cracked some kind of code. Despite how much I argued, they took her to another hall and exposed her to the infected and-"
"They did what to her?!"
Now.. Now I was pissed. I didn't bring Tori here so she could be shoved in a room with a bunch of flesh-eating undead. I brought her here so they could fix her. My blood was boiling as I went to stand from the bed, ready to give any person in sight a piece of my mind, but Matt refused to let me go. The grip he hand on my arm was painful, but the anger swelling in my gut and the tears in my eyes told me I needed to be there for Tori. If that meant I had to take on some of the most powerful people I'd ever met, so be it. She was not a toy, she couldn't be tossed around for someone else's amusement.
"Riot, calm down."
"No! They're going to kill her, Matt!"
"No, they're not. Would you just listen to me?"
"I have to get to Tori!"
"Riot!" Matt's other arm came crashing down on my frame, slinging me onto the bed. Matt climbed on top of me, his body weight pressed down on my hips so I was forced to stay in the position I was in. "Listen to me. The infected had no reaction to her. They didn't even know she was there. Don't you get it? They may have found two solutions in one."
"What?"
"I overheard them talking and they think if they can figure out exactly what's keeping Tori from getting sick, they re-create it in the lab, or something. It would serve as a cure for those of us who aren't infected.. And also keep the infected from tracking us."
"But what does that say for Tori? She gets to stay here and get poked at all day? Matt, that's not fair." I bit my lip to fight a sob. I felt like the worst sister in the world for letting these men use Tori for their own needs, but on the other hand, it was a great discovery for anyone left alive. "They're not even going to try to cure her until they can protect themselves, are they?"
Matt frowned, shaking his head to avoid my question. This scared me a bit. Matt had been so hellbent on keeping Tori safe, constantly being there to protect her, that now it seemed he'd been brainwashed by these people. Why wasn't he fighting them on this? Why wasn't he more concerned about her health?
A single tear rolled down my cheek as Matt slid up to the top of the bed, his arm tugging me along with him. Without even being given a choice, I was curled up by his side, gripping his shirt to wash away some of my anger.
"Tori agreed to let them run more tests on her, Riot. She's been getting enough to eat to keep her from acting like the infected. They said they need about another week to get some work done, then all their focus is going to be on fixing Tori."
"I just need you to swear to me that she's going to be okay, Matt."
"Ri, I'd give my last breath to protect that child and you know it."
Though I didn't feel anymore at ease, I was comfortable. The steady beating of Matt's heart calmed my nerves and the grip he had around my shoulders made me feel safe. It even brought me a little more joy that he smelled like Alex, since the guys shared the same bodywash in the time we were here. Had it not been for the known fact that Tori was miserable, the moment would have been perfect. I just had to keep reminding myself that this was for the greater good of everything, my baby sister included. My heart was completely shattered by the fact that she'd gotten sick in the first place. I should have done more to prevent it, it was my fault. But maybe there was a reason Tori became infected. She was our only hope.
A small sigh fell from my lips and I curled up closer to Matt's chest. His thumb was now drawing circles on my lower back, a small reminder that I was loved, even through all of the destruction around us.
"You know Alex has a girlfriend, right?" Matt broke the silence, his voice rough and hoarse, the exhaustion from today finally catching up with him. "That's not to say she's still, you know, alive. I just thought maybe you'd want to know."
"What happened between Alex and I wasn't meant to be romantic, Matt. Of course, I never would have done it had I known.. But it was more than that."
"How so?"
My fingers released their grip on his shirt so I could simply pull at it and twirl it around. It was strange to talk about what happened with someone, I always thought those things were supposed to be kept secret, but I didn't have another girl to turn to, to gush about the events. I would settle for pouring my heart out at to Matt, after all, he was always there to listen.
"I don't know. I mean, the world is literally falling apart around us. How many chances does a girl have to find love in a place like this? Even if it's not real love, like the kind you see in the movies.. It was something."
"Sex isn't love. Someone should have told you that growing up."
A small laugh escaped my lips as my hand playfull smacked at his chest. This was one of my favorite things about the small family I'd gathered in these terrible times - I could tell any of them anything and they wouldn't give me shit for it. They were my true safe haven.
"I know that. Maybe I just didn't want to die a virgin. Plus, losing something so special to such a close friend.. That's something I'm going to remember and treasure forever. Alex is a good guy, even if I'm not romantically attracted to him."
"So you were a virgin, huh?" I felt Matt sigh, my head sinking further into his body. "You really should have waited for love, Riot. You never know where it might be hiding."
"Maybe. But whatever light I can collect in the darkness around us, I'll savor."
I managed to get the towel spread wide enough to cover the front side of my exposed body. Alex, on the other hand, was still very openly nude and was currently extending his arm to hand me my clothes. The man who had burst into the room screaming my name averted his gaze, his fingers instantly going to his lip ring as a deep blush came to his cheek. A very flustered Matt Flyzik cleared his throat and turned his back to the two of us so we could freely get dressed.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to impose on anything."
Now I was the one who was blushing, not only from Matt's words, but from the fact that Alex was watching me slip on my underwear and hook my bra. We both managed to slip on some fresh clothes before Matt attempted to turn around again, a sigh of relief falling from his lips when he noticed we were fully dressed. Normally I would be more concerned as to way he came searching for me, but honestly, I was in a state of blissfulness. My body was sore and I knew I'd be suffering from a dull ache for a few days, but sharing what I just had with Alex, it was intoxicating. We would never be a couple, but we'd always be friends, so if you ask me, I just lost my virginity in the best possible way.
"Did you two.. ?" Matt let his eyes flicker from me, to Alex, a stern look in plastered on his face. "You know what? Nevermind that. Riot, I need you to come with me."
"What's wrong?"
"We'll talk about it in private."
"But-"
"It's okay, Ri, go on. I'll see you at meal time."
Alex flashed me a soft smile, though I didn't get to stare at it long because Matt grabbed my arm and pulled me away from him. I felt like a child, being tugged through the bland hallways until we reached our room, the one we'd agreed to share during our stay here. Matt pulled me inside and gently closed the door behind him, only to yank me onto the bed with a heavy sigh. That's when my heart started to beat fast. He'd been with Tori all day, so whatever the news was, it was about her.
"Is Tori okay? Matt, you're scaring me."
"They've been busting ass all day. They think they've found something in her blood that can block the virus, but since it was naturally formed in Tor, it isn't reacting with her body the way they want it to."
"D-Does that mean she can't be cured?"
"No, not exactly. They wouldn't tell me much but I think they've cracked some kind of code. Despite how much I argued, they took her to another hall and exposed her to the infected and-"
"They did what to her?!"
Now.. Now I was pissed. I didn't bring Tori here so she could be shoved in a room with a bunch of flesh-eating undead. I brought her here so they could fix her. My blood was boiling as I went to stand from the bed, ready to give any person in sight a piece of my mind, but Matt refused to let me go. The grip he hand on my arm was painful, but the anger swelling in my gut and the tears in my eyes told me I needed to be there for Tori. If that meant I had to take on some of the most powerful people I'd ever met, so be it. She was not a toy, she couldn't be tossed around for someone else's amusement.
"Riot, calm down."
"No! They're going to kill her, Matt!"
"No, they're not. Would you just listen to me?"
"I have to get to Tori!"
"Riot!" Matt's other arm came crashing down on my frame, slinging me onto the bed. Matt climbed on top of me, his body weight pressed down on my hips so I was forced to stay in the position I was in. "Listen to me. The infected had no reaction to her. They didn't even know she was there. Don't you get it? They may have found two solutions in one."
"What?"
"I overheard them talking and they think if they can figure out exactly what's keeping Tori from getting sick, they re-create it in the lab, or something. It would serve as a cure for those of us who aren't infected.. And also keep the infected from tracking us."
"But what does that say for Tori? She gets to stay here and get poked at all day? Matt, that's not fair." I bit my lip to fight a sob. I felt like the worst sister in the world for letting these men use Tori for their own needs, but on the other hand, it was a great discovery for anyone left alive. "They're not even going to try to cure her until they can protect themselves, are they?"
Matt frowned, shaking his head to avoid my question. This scared me a bit. Matt had been so hellbent on keeping Tori safe, constantly being there to protect her, that now it seemed he'd been brainwashed by these people. Why wasn't he fighting them on this? Why wasn't he more concerned about her health?
A single tear rolled down my cheek as Matt slid up to the top of the bed, his arm tugging me along with him. Without even being given a choice, I was curled up by his side, gripping his shirt to wash away some of my anger.
"Tori agreed to let them run more tests on her, Riot. She's been getting enough to eat to keep her from acting like the infected. They said they need about another week to get some work done, then all their focus is going to be on fixing Tori."
"I just need you to swear to me that she's going to be okay, Matt."
"Ri, I'd give my last breath to protect that child and you know it."
Though I didn't feel anymore at ease, I was comfortable. The steady beating of Matt's heart calmed my nerves and the grip he had around my shoulders made me feel safe. It even brought me a little more joy that he smelled like Alex, since the guys shared the same bodywash in the time we were here. Had it not been for the known fact that Tori was miserable, the moment would have been perfect. I just had to keep reminding myself that this was for the greater good of everything, my baby sister included. My heart was completely shattered by the fact that she'd gotten sick in the first place. I should have done more to prevent it, it was my fault. But maybe there was a reason Tori became infected. She was our only hope.
A small sigh fell from my lips and I curled up closer to Matt's chest. His thumb was now drawing circles on my lower back, a small reminder that I was loved, even through all of the destruction around us.
"You know Alex has a girlfriend, right?" Matt broke the silence, his voice rough and hoarse, the exhaustion from today finally catching up with him. "That's not to say she's still, you know, alive. I just thought maybe you'd want to know."
"What happened between Alex and I wasn't meant to be romantic, Matt. Of course, I never would have done it had I known.. But it was more than that."
"How so?"
My fingers released their grip on his shirt so I could simply pull at it and twirl it around. It was strange to talk about what happened with someone, I always thought those things were supposed to be kept secret, but I didn't have another girl to turn to, to gush about the events. I would settle for pouring my heart out at to Matt, after all, he was always there to listen.
"I don't know. I mean, the world is literally falling apart around us. How many chances does a girl have to find love in a place like this? Even if it's not real love, like the kind you see in the movies.. It was something."
"Sex isn't love. Someone should have told you that growing up."
A small laugh escaped my lips as my hand playfull smacked at his chest. This was one of my favorite things about the small family I'd gathered in these terrible times - I could tell any of them anything and they wouldn't give me shit for it. They were my true safe haven.
"I know that. Maybe I just didn't want to die a virgin. Plus, losing something so special to such a close friend.. That's something I'm going to remember and treasure forever. Alex is a good guy, even if I'm not romantically attracted to him."
"So you were a virgin, huh?" I felt Matt sigh, my head sinking further into his body. "You really should have waited for love, Riot. You never know where it might be hiding."
"Maybe. But whatever light I can collect in the darkness around us, I'll savor."
@BreakingJessie_x
Hell yeah!
1/16/14