I get a hold of myself and Alex detaches himself from me. As his arms leave, I finally realize the stinging pain in my shoulders from when that thing jumped on me and clawed me. I hiss in pain and Alex looks at me with concern.

"You okay?" he asks.

"I think so, that thing just scratched me up when it jumped on me." I say, rolling my shoulders and grimacing.

"Here let me see." I turn my back to Alex and hear him whistle lowly. "Damn, that thing tore right through your clothes." I feel him run a hand over my back and I breathe in sharply. "Sorry, it's just kinda messy. It needs to be cleaned up."

I nod and take off my jacket, examining the bloody rips in the fabric with a frown. "Anyone here know how to treat a wound?" I ask him quietly.

He nods and gestures to Flyzik, getting his attention, making him walk over to us. "One of those things scratched her up pretty good, think you could patch her up?" Alex asks him.

I look up at Flyzik and he gives me a soft smile. "Yea of course. Come to the back lounge so you can have some sense of privacy."

Despite the word privacy, Alex follows us to the back of the bus. I sit on another one of the couches while Matt digs around for a first-aid kit. Alex sits across from me and watches Matt scurry about, finally finding the kit and bringing it over to me.

"Could you lay down for me?" He asks, trying to sound semi-professional.

"Oh, yea sure." I get down on my stomach and situate myself.

Matt looks troubled. "I don't want to make you take your shirt off, so is it okay if I just cut your shirt? It's already pretty shredded."

"Yea, I'll let you wear one of mine. That alright?" Alex offers.

"Yea, that's fine." I feel myself blushing and I bury my face in my arm. Under different circumstances, I definitely would be fangirling big time. I just didn't have it in me anymore, his offer still makes me smile though.

Matt opens up the kit and hands a pair of medical scissors to Alex. "Cut her shirt while I get this stuff ready."

Alex nods and looks down at me with an apologetic smile. "It pains me to destroy a Ramones shirt." He says, then he positions himself over me and starts to cut. His hands brush my newly exposed, tender skin as he works the fabric, making me shiver and blush more. What an impossible situation, Alex Gaskarth cutting my shirt off in the back of the tour bus.

"I'm just gonna try ripping it from here, the scissors aren't really working." He explains. I feel him take the material in his hands and pull. I guess he pulls too hard because I feel the shirt tear away way past where the scratches are, exposing my back to the cold bus air.

"Oops.." I hear him mumble.

"Nice job Alex." Matt notes. "Hold on, sorry. Gotta move these.." I feel my bra straps slide off my shoulders, making me squirm a little. "Sorry.." He says again. "Okay, this is going to sting, a lot.."

I bite down hard on my lip to keep from crying out as my wounds are swabbed down, but a small whimper still escapes me. Tears brim in my eyes and I take a deep breath. Then Flyzik runs some kind of ointment over the cuts which thankfully doesn't sting. I sigh in relief at the soothing feeling of the ointment. Finally, he bandages me up carefully and clears his throat. "You can sit up now. Alex go find her a shirt."

As I sit up, my hair falls around my face in dark cascades and my ruined shirt hanging off my shoulders, leaving them exposed. I glance up at Alex and see him eying me intently, his lips parted slightly. I feel myself blushing and I quirk an eyebrow at him.

"Oh, yea, shirt. Right." He stutters, and darts off to the bunk area.

"He's not always this awkward I promise." Matt laughs lightheartedly.

I smile and run my fingers through my hair. "I'm sure he's not." I pause and look up at him. "Thank you for being my nurse Matt."

He smirks and runs a hand through his hair as well. "No problem, wasn't too hard. When you're around a bunch of rowdy guys like them you pick up a thing or two about patching stuff up." He says, gesturing back to the front of the bus.

Alex comes back holding a light gray shirt and hands it to me. "It's kinda small on me, so it should fit you alright. Might be a little big, but hey, at least it's clean." I hear Flyzik mumble, "That's a miracle."

I gaze up at him. "Thank you Alex, for everything. I don't I ever thanked you for saving my life, twice now.." My voice trails off his face softens with understanding.

He gives me a sad smile and hugs me gently, avoiding my bandages. "Alright, we'll give you some actual privacy now." He and Matt step out and close a door, and I peel the nasty, ruined shirt off my body. I slip on Alex's shirt, which is loose-fitting and I see that it's a v-neck, and it smells like him. I hug my torso and take a deep breath. When I come back out, the guys are all staring at the TV. Rian has the remote and it seems like he's looking for a certain channel.

"Hey is anybody else's phone not working? Or is it just mine." Danny asks, looking around the room. Everyone looks at their phones and I hear several groans.

"No service at all." Evan replies.

"I bet all the connections from cell towers went out or something." Jeff says.

I hear someone mumble, "Great."

Everyone redirects their attention to the TV where Rian is still flipping through channels. Finally he finds a working news broadcast and we all perk up and listen to the woman doing a live report, her eyes wide and anxious.

"Turn it up." Zack says quietly.

The woman's voice gets louder and clearer. "This random string of events is not secluded to the state of Ohio. Sources confirm outbreaks of this epidemic are occurring throughout the country, with reported cases in many places like the UK, South America, and other countries around the world. So far it seems the source of the disease or virus causing this to happen cannot be traced. It also seems that it is transferred though the saliva, or through bites. It's been observed that once bitten by someone who is infected, the victim starts to change, dying shortly after. The body then reanimates shortly after death. So many have started calling this a zombie apocalypse. It seems to be a proper label to put on this awful event." There is a gunshot in the background and the woman and the camera focus on the scene behind her. There's a police officer attempting to gun down one of the zombies, a man I think, but it isn't going down. From the looks of it, the zombie has been shot several times. Finally, the cop aims for the head and shoots, killing it before being swarmed by a group of them. Then the camera is back on the lady, her face drained of color. She speaks calmly though. "It seems like a shot to the head is what kills these things. These are no longer people. Do not engage these things unless necessary, but do not hold back if faced with one. Find a shelter to hide out in as quickly as possible." The camera suddenly falls on the ground and there are screams, and we are able to see the group of zombies running towards the reporter. We don't see anything else, but we don't need to see to know what happens to the woman. The screen switches back to the anchors, both with horrified expressions. The female anchor seems unable to speak, but the man clears his throat slightly and attempts to salvage the situation. Everyone is on the edge of their seat.

"It appears a countrywide state of emergency has just been issued." His voice shakes and he attempts to clear his throat. "Try to stay in your homes unless it is absolutely necessary to leave. Find a place to hide and stock up on supplies. These people, these things, are dangerous. Avoid them at all costs."

The female anchor screams in terror and points past the camera view and the news camera is bumped violently. The anchors try to run from their desk, but a small group of zombies rushes in, knocking them over and tearing at their exposed skin. One of them rips the mans throat open, blood gushes from the wound and onto the floor, some even managed to splash on the camera lens. The news studio is full of screams and then the screen goes fuzzy. Rian flips through the channels again but every channel is the same.

We all stare at the screen open mouthed. I grab Alex's hand and he squeezes mine back gently. I look away from the TV, to the window and see that we're on the highway finally.

"Why is this happening?" I ask softly. "How is this happening?"

Jack shakes his head and laughs without humor. "I can't believe this. We always joked about zombies, but now it's actually happening."

"Where are we supposed to go?" Zack asks quietly, running his hands through his hair anxiously.

"What we need to do is stock up on stuff, who knows how long this thing is gonna last." Jeff says.

"Where should we go though? Walmart? Gun store?" Danny suggests. Everyone starts talking and discussing at once, Alex is silent and brooding.

I clear my throat and try to speak with a strong voice. "Um, excuse me. Is there any chance we could stop by my house?" My soft voice carries through the man-filled bus. I keep my eyes down, but I can feel most of them looking at me. Colussy is the one to answer me though.

"How far is it?" He asks, trying to sound friendly.

I look up this time, and try to sound confident. "Not too far, about 30 minutes from here, it's a town called Cedar Point."
Colussy's face is considerate. "Well since we don't have a well thought out plan yet, I guess we could make a pit stop. Come up here and help me navigate, if you don't mind."

"Thank you." I answer quietly, and walk up to the front of the bus, letting go of Alex's warm hand.

Jack gets up and walks with me. He looks at me with big brown eyes, his hair falling in his face. "I'm sorry about your friend. I wish we could've helped her." I look up at him and mumble thank you again, and then I laugh once softly.

"I don't think Becca would've been very happy if she had to deal with a zombie apocalypse. She couldn't hurt a fly." I barely notice the silent tears that escape my eyes. I wipe them away and try to smile. "I'm glad she doesn't have to live through this hell though."

His expression is sad but thoughtful. "That's a good way to think about it." It's so bizarre seeing Jack so serious about something.

I make it to the front of the bus and Colussy does his best to smile at me, his bald head glistening in the dim light. "Sorry about earlier," he says. "I just had to be sure you were safe to bring on the bus."

"No it's fine, I get that." I answer shyly. While we navigate back to Cedar Point, the boys are all discussing on what our plan should be.

"Hey, Lucy right? Is there a gun store in your town by chance? Perhaps a Walmart too?" Flyzik asks.

"Well there's a Walmart a few miles outside of town, but I'm pretty sure there's a gun store downtown." My voice feels stronger. I'm trying to put my grief and fear aside for now and concentrating on the task at hand.

As we near the town, Alex migrates up to the front and sits on the floor next to me. "Do you want some of us to come with you to your house?" He asks. "I'll do it." His eyes search my newly composed face.

I give him a small smile. "I'd like that. You guys can help find anything in my house we might need too."

He returns the smile. "Sounds good."

When we pull onto my street, I look out the window to see if there's anyone, or anything, around. Colussy slows the bus and I point out my somewhat large house. As the bus crawls to a halt, I start to get nervous.

Alex stands and faces the guys. "Alright, I'm going in with her, who else is coming?" To no surprise, Jack steps forward, face determined and guitar in hand. Rian, Zack, and Flyzik step forward too, weapons ready. Alex grabs his guitar and takes a deep breath. "Alright, let's go."

"Hold on." Colussy searches around the seat and digs through a compartment, fishing out two flashlights. "Take these."

As we step quietly off the bus, the engine cuts and the lights dim. Good idea, best not to make too much noise or attract attention. My parents' cars are still parked in the driveway, which makes me wonder. Yes I'm 21 and still live with my parents. But then I remember; they're out of town tonight with friends and didn't take their cars. I wonder where they are now, if they're okay. If they're alive. I grab my key out of my backpack, which I had forgotten I had on, and unlock the door, but I find that the door is already unlocked.

"What the hell? This should've been locked.." I look down at the door mat and see that it's covered in blood. My heart starts to race. I open the door and step inside. "Mom? Dad..?" No answer. Maybe I just forgot to lock the door...But then, what's with the blood on the doorstep?

The house is dark so I turn a flashlight on, not wanting to light up the whole house. Alex turns the other flashlight and finds a lamp, flicking it on. I look around the lifeless house with a far away feeling.

"The kitchen is through there," I point down a hall, and then to a different hall. "The garage is down there. I'm sure there might be something useful in there. Rian and Jack head for the kitchen and Zack and Matt to the garage. Alex follows me slowly, examining the walls somberly.

"This is a nice house." He states quietly as we make it to the staircase that leads to my room. "Where are your parents?"

The carpet beneath my feet feels alien to me for some reason, not the carpet I've always tread on. I close my eyes. "Out of town with friends. Hopefully they're alive." My voice doesn't sound very hopeful, due to the scene outside my front door.

I open my door and I'm greeted by the familiar warmth that my room has always held. I turn on my lamp and I look around at my poster-covered walls, smiling sadly. I probably won't come back here for a long time, if ever. I turn to look at Alex, who is frowning at a poster picturing his own face, and those of his three best friends smiling back at him.

"Feeling nostalgic?" I ask him. He just looks at me and smiles, then goes back to examining my room.

I find a large suitcase in my closet and start packing as many good clothes as I can fit. I grab most of my jeans, sweaters, and jackets since it's mid October and it'll start getting really cold soon. I also pack some normal shirts, almost my whole underwear drawer- bras, underwear, and socks- and my black hiking boots. I find another bag and head to the bathroom, throwing in as many toiletries I can get my hands on, including shampoo and tampons. I even stuff a few rolls of toilet paper in there.

I walk back to my room and find Alex laying on my bed. He sees me and sits up, his cheeks slightly red. "Sorry, it's just been a while since I've layed on an actual bed."

I smile at him and flick my hand. "No no it's okay, don't let me disturb you." I can't help but think, holy shit, Alex Gaskarth is laying on my bed. How I'd love to just join him there. My mind flicks through the various graphic fanfictions I used to read about Alex and I start to blush violently. I turn around and keep my face hidden as I pack last minute tidbits of things. Then I think of something else. I turn back to my bed and reach over Alex to grab my small purple quilt, hugging it to my chest discreetly before packing it. Alex looks at me and smiles but doesn't say anything.

I hear footsteps on the stairs and turn to see Jack hovering in my doorway.

"Nice room." He says. "You guys ready?"

"Oh, one more thing." I get on my knees and reach under my bed until I feel cold metal brush my fingers, and I pull out a sturdy metal baseball bat. The boys raise an eyebrow. "What? I used to play softball in high school."

Alex continues to look surprised. "How old are you?"

I laugh and put a hand behind my head. "I just turned 21 last Sunday.."

Alex and Jack's eyebrows raise a little. "You don't say?" Jack asks curiously. Alex elbows him in the ribs. I laugh at them and turn away to pick up my bags, which I find to be difficult so Alex grabs one of them.

The boys leave the room and head for the stairs, I hang back though. I take one more look around my room and turn my lamp off. Then I head for my parents room and open the door slowly, feeling a lump in my throat. I swallow my sadness and enter the room, heading for my mom's jewelry box. I release the latch and look around until I find what I'm looking for; a simple silver chain with a single diamond dangling from it. I think back to a conversation my mom and I had once, years ago, about this necklace that had been passed down several generations.

"One day, this is going to be yours. If something were to ever happen to me, take this and save it for your own daughter one day." she had said, a wistful sparkle in her eyes. I'd just nodded then, too young to understand fully what she was saying, too intrigued by the shimmery gem.

Now I look down at it with sadness, a stray tear escaping my eye. I clutch the necklace to my chest and put it on before leaving the room and shutting the door with finality. The guys are all at the bottom of the stairs, waiting patiently for me, surrounded by bags filled with all sorts of things. We start carrying our load out to the bus and putting the bags in the floor storage. I pick up the last bag and take a final look around my home before closing the front door and locking it behind me. Alex takes the bag from me and pulls me by the hand, onto the awaiting bus. As the boys finishing packing away the bags, Colussy gets the bus to a slow roll.

"Oh shit." I hear him say. A bunch of us crowd around the front of the bus to look out the windshield, not expecting to see a group of about ten of the zombie things wandering around in the road. The streetlamps make them look even more discolored than they already are. The group notices the bus and starts toward it slowly. Colussy's face tightens with indecision.

"Just run those things over, they'll be better off." Grieco says curtly. Colussy grips the wheel tighter and pushes down on the gas.

I look out at the creatures, noticing two that remained under a streetlamp. These two look different. Not as gross, their clothes fresher and faces not as blotchy, and the majority of their hair is still on their heads. I squint my eyes to get a closer look out of curiosity, and as the bus looms closer, I get a decent look at their faces.

"NO!" I scream as the bus runs over the whole group, including my parents.

Notes

If there's anyone reading this, comment please :)