Bookies and Kate

[Dancin' Kate]

Soooo, yeah. Like I said in the PM, I gotta know if you want flirty or typical Emma 'cause I need to know how to portray her. xD

[Lost_In_LaLa_Land]

Typical Emma is more fun... Who do you want? I dunno if you remember any of my people, but just state any random name and I'll make up a charrie... xD What are we even doing? O_e

[Dancin' Kate]

x3 I've toned down her bitchiness levels so she's more fun- for me, at least. I'm not sure if that's how other people see it. :P Annyways, the only character I honestly remember you having was Devon. xD So, yeah. If you don't want to use him, I don't know, just make up some random-ass character. As to what we are doing, I have a few ideas, but they're very vague and simplified. Plan a.) Escaped convicts cuffed together and running from the law; plan b.) something similar to what I'm doing with Rise (a friends-with-benefits situation); and plan c.) a viral out-break of sorts. Or just mash all three together in some sick, twisted fashion. xD Whatever tickles your fancy.

[Lost_In_LaLa_Land]

I'll roleplay Devon... and yeah, let's do a plague. people think it's an apocalypse and like everyone's going crazy. devon and emma are friends and their family and friends have disappeared. maybe that can have something to do with it. a few of their family members have been taken victim of the plague. they decide to go to (insert state here) because apparently it is safe and controlled. typical zombie kind of thing, but no zombies? or zombies... xD your choice. but simple zombies, no Left 4 Dead

[Dancin' Kate]

Sounds good to me. Maybe Colorado can be the safe-state?

[Lost_In_LaLa_Land]

Sounds good to me. Maybe Colorado can be the safe-state?

Of course, lol. You would know it, then. Alright. Post first? It can be when they're already running, saying bye to their friends, watching the news of the zombie/plain apocalypse.

[Dancin' Kate]

M'kay. This is mostly gonna' be background for us to work with later on and info about what's going on. Feel free to add more stuff in your post. ;) Oh, and this may be my last post for the next two weeks... so, yeah. FEEL SPECIAL!
Also, for the plague I'm gonna do a spin-off of 'The Crazies'. So, hyper-aggressive schizophrenics with rabies. xD This'll be interesting.

[Dancin' Kate]

There's gonna' be a bit of power-play in my post, but it's mostly for background. I hope you don't mind.

January 17, 2000
The frigid morning air lashed at the little girls cheeks as she ran across the playground, her breath coming out ragged and desperate. Behind her, she could hear the taunts and laughter of the two boys chasing her with the intent of beating her up. The little girl wasn't quite sure why the two older boys were so angry at her for what she had done to them- they did it to her all the time. It was winter time and snow fell from the sky in big, fluffy flakes, but on the ground, slick ice covered the playground. Of course, the little girl didn't know that the ice was slippery enough to cause her to fall and so she continued to run. 

Just as she turned, her feet slipped on the ice and she cried out as she fell and hit her head on one of the playground structures. For a moment, she was dizzy and didn't know where she was as she rubbed her and looked up to see the two boys grinning. Right then, her memory came back and she scrambled up before falling back down with a yelp. 
"Little-bitty baby Emma can't stand up?" the boy wearing the red jacket sniggered, bending down to grab a handful of ice. Forming a ball in his hand with the ice, he got ready to throw it as he said darkly, "You're gonna' pay for what you pulled earlier." 
Shutting her eyes, Emma prepared herself for the coming pain of the hard ice-ball with a cringe. Suddenly, a ball of snow came out of no where and hit the boy on the side of the head. Shocked for only a second, the two boys looked around before running off in the direction the snowball came from. Sitting there, Emma watched the boys run off in confusion until a boy around her age called her over from underneath the structure. Crawling over, she breathlessly thanked the boy and smiled softly. 

"I'm Emma," she introduced, brushing a strand of auburn hair from her face and offering a hand. Looking at the boy, he had dark brown hair and dark brown eyes with a fair complexion and a slight tan. He had a nice-looking face and a half-smirk half-smile was planted on his mouth as he glanced down at her hand and shook it. 
"Devon," he said, inspecting the girl as well. She had dark red hair and grayish-violet eyes with an olive skin tone that was sprinkled with a few freckles along her nose. She looked scared and breathless but happy to make his acquaintance. 
"Did you throw that snowball?" she asked, still curious from earlier as she looked outside at the playground where kids ran around screaming and playing. 
"Yup," he said with a smirk, popping the 'p' at the end and chuckling slightly. Smiling, Emma dropped her gaze and fumbled with her fingers before looking back up.
"Thanks. If you hadn't thrown it..." she trailed off and looked out back to where she had been only moments ago, about to get bruised. 

Nodding his head, the boy smiled back and sat back against the structure, content with his actions. 
"No problem," he remarked, "Why were they after you anyways?" Blushing deeply, Emma looked down at her lap and messing with the woodchips she was sitting on with a devilish smile. 
"I tripped them into a puddle of mud earlier," she confessed, getting a good laugh of the two kids underneath the playground structure. "I don't see why they got so angry though," she added, "They do it to me all the time." 
"Really?"  Devon asked, a frown settling onto his mouth as he watched her nod sadly and drop her gaze to the ground. A moment of silence then developed between them for a while until Devon asked hesitantly,
"Hey, um, maybe after school we could hang out at the park on Olson Street?" Pausing for a moment, Emma nodded her head and grinned as she looked up from the ground. 
"That'd be awesome!"

***

September 3, 2006
Rain fell from the gray sky lifelessly, drenching the young teenage girl who refused to put up her black umbrella despite her mothers suggestions. Everyone attending the service wore all black and held various colors of roses close to their chests. The day was dedicated to the burial of the girls father who had died in a car crash only three days ago. Family and friends attended the funeral and paid their respects to her father one by one as the priest babbled some verses from the Bible. Staring at the black casket where her dead father lay, Emma didn't notice she was crying until she felt the hot tears on her cheek. Biting her lip, she stepped forward and gently tossed her rose down with the casket, sobs swelling up in her chest. Turning back to walk to her seat, she locked eyes with the boy standing in front of her with a solemn expression on his face. 

"I'm so sorry, Emma," he said softly, his voice barely over a whisper as he searched her eyes which were welling up with fresh tears. Nodding her head silently, she tried to suppress her sobs but failed as she threw herself into his arms and cried. 
"I want him back, Devon. I want him back!" she blubbered into his shoulder, her breath coming out disjointed as sobs robbed her lungs of air. Gripping the fabric of his suit, she buried her face in his chest and cried for what seemed like forever. All the while, Devon gently cooed in her ear and stroked her wet hair calmly. Pushing her away for a moment, he wiped the tears from under her eyes with his thumb and tipped her chin up so she would look at him. 
"I will always be here for you. Always," he stated, his voice firm and serious as he pulled her back into a hug, promising to be there for her. 

***

(Time gap for whatever you'd like to add)

***

Present Day
Emma sat inside Devon's house on the couch with her phone resting on her stomach and a granola bar stuck between her teeth as she sent a text to one of her friends, a smile on her face. The television was on some random news channel she wasn't really paying attention to and Devon had gone off somewhere in the house. The two of them had known each other since second grade back when he had saved her from a couple of bullies. Since then, they had hung out and grown to be close friends throughout the years growing up together. Today had been like any other day for Emma. She woke up that morning, got dressed and ready for school before catching her bus and riding to school where she socialized and hung out with her friends. The school day had gone pretty smoothly except for a few minor drama issues with her friend that she was trying to clear up now via text. Following her routine, once the day was over, she had walked with Devon over to his house to hang out and attempt to finish her homework. 

Sitting there on his couch, wearing distressed gray jeans with a pair of sea-foam green converse and a band tee, she felt right at home. She was actually sitting upside down  with her feet propped up on the back of the couch and her head hanging down. Her long auburn hair was able to touch the floor and while she waited for a text in reply, she played with the strands by twisting them together. The buzz from her phone pulled her out of her bored daze as she strained to look up and flipped her phone open to read the message. Cursing under her breath, she frowned deeply as she furiously texted something back and sighed heavily as she fixed her sitting position so she was upright. Pouting, she threw her phone angrily at a pillow she had moved onto the ground and crossed her arms over her chest as she sat cross-legged on the couch. 

"I give up with reasoning! No one listens anyways," she exclaimed in distress, leaning her head back against the couch and groaning. Shutting her eyes, she lifted her hand to rub the bridge of her nose and yawned tiredly before looking back up. As she did, her eyes drifted over to the television which flashed with gruesome images of people killing other people. Staring at it for a moment, she knitted her eyebrows together and frowned as she narrowed her eyes at the T.V. "The hell? What kind of horror movie is this?" she questioned in bewilderment, looking around for the remote and checking to see what channel it was on. After realizing it was the local news channel, she felt her blood run cold and a feverish chill travel up her spine, goosebumps forming on her arms. Concerned, she immediately found the volume control and turned it up to hear what the new people were saying. After a few minutes of listening and watching the images flash on the screen, Emma's eyes widened and she felt a look of horror cross her face. 

"Devon! Get in here right now!" she screamed, turning up the volume even more to get his attention and hear better. Placing a hand over her mouth as she watched, she shook her head gently as she lifted her knees close to her chest. 
The woman on the news struggled to explain the graphic videos of people going crazy and violently attacking other people and beating them, biting them, and even killing. "Oh my God..." she whispered in horrified shock, tremors going through her body as she shook uncontrollably. The woman on the screen vaguely explained the images as a viral outbreak that was spreading quickly. At this point, Emma's mind was going into protective mode as she just stared at the screen with a terrified expression but didn't process anything being said.

[Lost_In_LaLa_Land]

I'm not sure how I feel about October 22. ._.

[Dancin' Kate]

What's wrong with it? :/ I'll change it, but I'm just wondering.

[Lost_In_LaLa_Land]

What's wrong with it? :/ I'll change it, but I'm just wondering.

I hate it. I hate it. I hate it. I'm sorry but I absolutely hate it.

[Dancin' Kate]

It's changed. :)

[Lost_In_LaLa_Land]

January 17, 2002 -

Devon chewed on the inside of his left cheek, rather nervous. His mother and father were fighting again, even though it was too early in the morning for Devon to even bother changing out of his pajamas. Devon closed his eyes, trying to lay in bed as still as he possibly could. His midnight blue covers were over his small body and he was trying his best to pretend he was anywhere but in his house. He was six years old, but rather mature for his age. He wasn’t going to cry because his parents were fighting, but he still didn’t understand why they couldn’t get along. If they loved each other enough to create three children (Devon had always been told kids were made with love and a certain position, the part about positions courtesy of Travis), why were they fighting so much?

After half an hour of trying to drift back to sleep despite the noise, Devon gave up. The boy quickly changed into a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and a jacket. He would be freezing in the crisp, cold morning air soon enough but Devon preferred the cold more than anything. Even at such a young age, he felt more alive. Besides, he refused to look like an idiot in front of all the neighborhood kids just for the sake and comfort of warmth. Devon slowly walked down the hallway, passing his parent’s bedroom door which was surprisingly quiet to walk past. He slowly opened the door right next to it, which was the rarely entered entrance to his brother’s room. Both parents didn’t like bothering the moody ten year old who acted out in school more than what was acceptable to most families. “Travis, will you take me to the park?” Devon’s voice was barely above a whisper, but Travis still heard him and nodded.

The two siblings walked to the playground and Travis took his place on the abandoned swings, while Devon went to play with two other boys on the playground. Yet soon enough, he grew bored with his old friends and wandered away. His pretty dark brown eyes flickered around the place until they landed on the little scene not too far ahead of him. He looked behind him and waved his arms around until he caught Travis’s attention. Devon then threw a snowball to catch the attention of the two older boys bothering the little girl his age. The two boys were closer and could see Travis in the background whereas the little girl probably could only get a slight view of Devon. The two boys ran away, knowing Travis was a year older than them. Age was powerful when you were really young and Travis knew a whole lot more in that one year he had over the bullies. Travis walked away without a word, only having to glare at the two bullies while Devon got their attention.

Devon introduced himself and the pair quickly became friends. He played with Emma every day after that Saturday morning, and soon enough Emma was familiar with his entire family. She made somewhat friends with Mercy, who was a year younger than them and remained jealous of Emma for at least two years. Emma was okay with Travis, though they didn’t talk much. Travis remained as antisocial as he usually was, quiet around the house and especially like a ghost when Emma was around. Devon never understood Travis’s weariness around Emma. She may be four years younger than him, but Devon was a few months younger than her and Travis still remained his friend. It made no sense. But Devon would soon understand.

xxx

September 3, 2008 -

Devon didn’t like this moment. He most certainly wasn’t comfortable and tried his best to stay emotionless, knowing he would just be awkward with this sort of situation. He kept his face solemn, void of anything that may reveal his true feelings. His features remained blank, portraying nothing but perhaps indifference. He didn’t want to care. He just wanted this to be one other person he never knew who died in the car accidents that were briefly reviewed for a few seconds in the news he never watched. That would be better. There would be some one missing him more, some one in much more pain, and some one who gave took care of his little girl a lot better. Emma’s father had been an amazing father figure to himself, considering his own father was never around. Still, Devon cared so much. He cared more than he wanted to. He wanted to be cruel and cold-hearted, he wanted to be able to not feel.. so much grief. It overwhelmed him as Devon wasn’t exactly experienced in this kind of feeling. He looked at the roses, at how vibrant they looked against the black cloth covered mourners. Mourning. Devon was mourning, silent.

He refused to look at Emma, at least not then. He stayed tense and still in his seat, eyes glued to the casket. Death. He was dead. He was gone. He was never coming back. Fuck cars, fuck the world. Why did he have to go? Of all people, all the fathers worth dying. Really, no one deserved to die. How could some one feel so sad? It felt like he was swimming in despair, especially considering the umbrella Travis was holding for the both of him, letting half of his side get drenched and the other half of his body remain somewhat dry. He elbowed Travis in the face, but Travis was even more like a statue than Devon. Travis wasn’t good with funerals, he never was. Not since... everything happened. Why did anyone have to suffer this kind of pain??? Devon felt a movement on his right side and watched as Emma walked up to the large hole the casket was being placed in. He stood up, taking a step towards her as she threw a rose inside what felt like the entrance to hell. Even Devon wasn’t comfortable with the fact his best friend’s father was being buried six feet under and never coming out.

“I’m so sorry, Emma.” Devon muttered, staring straight in her eyes. He couldn’t look away right now, especially when he meant every word. He could easily see the pain in her eyes and he was trying to find some spark of any other emotion. There had to be something other than this pain and sorrow. But, what else were you supposed to feel at funerals? He stumbled a bit, but wrapped his arms around her when she threw herself to him. There was barely any space between them, and he could feel every shake and tremble. Still, he kept his arms firmly place around her, trying not to look at anyone else. Still, this was different. No one was going to judge him for comforting a girl at a funeral of all places. Except this wasn’t just any girl, this was Emma. She definitely didn’t deserve this. No one did, but he didn’t like the thought of her feeling something a hundred times worse than what he was feeling. He held her a bit more tightly, needing her just as much as she needed him right then.

He didn’t say a word as she cried to him, trying his best to stay the rock. He looked completely indifferent to an outsider. But from the movement he felt on his left side, he knew Travis knew. Travis could see how his arms tightened around her, how he looked in her eyes and not at the ground, how he didn’t say anything for fear he would tremble. Emma’s fingers dug into his suit and Devon couldn’t help but grimace. First break at emotion. He murmured a few things in her ear, his lips almost touching them. He didn’t want Travis overhearing anything. Devon was trying to comfort her as best as he could but it was hard. He buried a hand in her soaking hair, holding her close. Stay stable, stay calm, don’t break. He pulled back to look at her again, even though he was the one who had kept her so close. “I will always be here for you. Always.” Devon said, trying to put as much emotion as he could through those simple words. He wanted her to understand this. This wasn’t something he would run away from. His voice came out normal, a lot more quiet than usual but stable and solemn. He would be the stable thing in Emma’s life. He wouldn’t let her cry by herself. A tear rolled down his cheek. He held her close before anyone could see, the priest already looking at them in a pitying way. He may not be able to comfort her so well. Yet, Devon would always be there to cry with her.

xxx

April 5, 2011 -

Devon stared blankly at the wall. This was how he dealt with pain. This was how he dealt with finding out the fact his mother had been cheating on his father. He wasn’t going to say anything, he was the only one who knew - other than his father, of course. Devon’s father was far too smart. He would obviously be the one to find out. Devon’s father was... brilliant. Except, there was the problem considering he was more like an evil genius more than anything. He was sitting on the couch in Emma’s empty house, Emma by his side. He was breathing slowly, trying to focus on inhaling and exhaling. Both his parents were aware of his mother’s disloyalty, that had been going on for at least a few months. They may have stayed together, even with the fighting. And they would definitely stay together even with her cheating. And he hated it. He hated his mother for being so... awful. He hated the fact she cheated, he hated his father for allowing it to happen. He hated his father for not making her happy enough for her not to cheat. He hated the fact they would both remain miserable for their kids. He hated it all. He hated how fake they were being.

Emma’s hand reached for his shoulder and clasped it. Devon broke. He didn’t know what to hit. He couldn’t hit anything really. So he hit himself. It wasn’t his fault, was it? Or maybe he was the cause of all this. He stood up and rose a hand, shaking. There was a clear look of pain on his face, and he was clenching his teeth. He felt like he was going insane. How could no one feel anything? How could his father not feel betrayed? How could his mother be so cold? How was he the only one who cared? He was crazy. He punched himself in the face, trying to convince himself this wasn’t a dream. He had to be dreaming. Devon was actually throwing a tantrum. He kept hitting his face, clocking himself and boxing his own ears - stupid, stupid, stupid. He fell to his knees, leaning back and sitting down, wrapping his arms around himself. He wanted something sharp. He wanted something to make him feel. He couldn’t be alive. His fingers dug into his skin, although his nails were short. He didn’t even care that Emma was here. He was in his own little world now.

Insane, insane, insane. He was having a break down. He was hyperventilating, he was weak. Emma watched it all. Devon wasn’t even sure what went on through those few minutes he was out of it. Devon didn’t cry. That was all that mattered and all that he remembered. He punched a whole in her wall when he came out of it, and screamed. He yelled everything to her, even though his anger wasn’t directed towards Emma. He was just pissed. An emotion, fury, something. “She cheated. She cheated. M-my father. She cheated on him.” He shouted, leaning against the wall for support. “SHE HAS KIDS! She has a life... She still did it.” He muttered the last phrase quietly, feeling like a little kid. But this wasn’t the worst part, no there was more to come. ”And now there’s one more fucking kid coming out of that-” Devon stopped, realizing he was speaking calmly. He shook his head, ready to clock himself in the forehead again. He looked up at Emma. He wasn’t sure whether she was terrified or pitying. He was just glad they were alone and she was the only one to ever see him truly freak out.

xxx

Present Day -

Devon was outside, smoking a cigarette. He wasn’t in the best of moods but had tried his best to cheer up for Emma, who had honored him with her presence for the evening. She had mumbled something about finishing homework as she walked towards the living room, plopping down on his family’s couch with her eyes glued to the screen of her phone. Sometimes Devon thought Emma came to his house for no reason other than to escape the emptiness of her own. Devon’s was just the same, except for the fact it was probably twice as large and filled with a lot more entertaining items. Mercy, his younger sister by one year, was somewhere out with friends most likely handing out fake numbers to hopeful guys. Travis was upstairs, isolated as usual with just his music as company. Devon had heard him before, when he plugged his electric guitar in a normally useless amp and started going crazy when he thought he was alone in the house. Travis did it one more time, except with everyone in the house, in the middle of the afternoon. The amp was immediately taken from his room and Travis didn’t show up for four dinners consecutively. Devon only saw Travis during dinner, and that was when he was more... normal. He was a completely different person when he was in the house. Outside, he acted normal, but it seemed he died whenever he entered the house. Devon thought it was the opposite for Emma. She acted a whole lot more comfortable on his couch than in her own. It was interesting.

He was a bit nervous for dinner, considering it would just be his siblings and Emma. Emma obviously knew and was familiar with Travis and Mercy. That didn’t make a difference, as Devon did his best to keep the people separate. His father was gone, in some other country that Devon couldn’t be bothered to remember. His mother was on a separate trip with her husband and their daughter, Devon’s half sister named Quinn. Devon coughed, never used to the sensation of smoking. He didn’t really like it, but it calmed him somewhat and helped him focus. Sometimes he was just too out of it and life was too much work. A cancer stick helped, somewhat, despite the fact it was slowly killing him. Devon had been smoking for quite a while. One entire year. It was funny, considering Quinn was born last year. Devon wasn’t entirely sure whether or not he was addicted to the cigarettes. It was an odd situation that he never really gave much thought to. It wasn’t like he did it on a regular basis. That was something Devon never got into, even with the availability thanks to Travis. Travis had gone through multiple phases in his teenage years. He had no problem with letting Devon experience the joys and pains of life. Even if it was illegal. Devon sighed, annoyed with the fact Travis was twenty-one years old and still refused to leave the house. He had a job, was a student in some college nearby, and made decent money. He still never left. Devon liked to think it was because he didn’t want to leave his little brother stranded with such a family as theirs.

Devon had escaped to the front porch when Emma started channel-surfing. He was sure that she wasn’t even paying attention to whatever was playing, but didn’t feel like fighting for the remote. Regardless of the situation, Emma wouldn’t let him have the remote so easily. It was never possible to just lean past her and grab the remote with that girl. So, instead, he called an old friend and they talked for a while before soon enough that old friend had to go and Devon was left with silence. He ran a hand through his dark brown hair that looked black to most people, chewing on the inside of his cheek. It was a habit he did... all the time. He could be nervous, or guilty, or trying not to scream or cry. He could also be fighting a smile. At the moment, he was just bored and wanted to do something. He stuck his hands in the front pockets of his black jeans to stop from fiddling with his fingers. Devon bent his head slightly, staring at his black sneakers. This wasn’t interesting. He got rid of the cigarette and was about to turn around to enter the house again when Emma started screaming for him to come over. This wasn’t good. He could tell she wasn’t screaming because there was good news. She wasn’t excited. A bad feeling was nipping at him, pestering him as he ran into the house. She was horrified.

Devon stopped as he walked into the living room slowly, finally registering what the news anchor was reporting. Zombies. What the fuck. Emma didn’t really... prank him. Besides, she didn’t have the capability to perform something of this... level. Devon believed it. He immediately believed everything that was being broadcasted. The videos, the interviews, the pictures and every single word spoken he believed. This couldn’t be a joke. He wasn’t exactly sure what made him believe, but he did. This wasn’t a trailer for a movie, this wasn’t a movie, it was nothing but the truth. He’d seen this... news lady before. Channel surfing, a simple glimpse, but he recognized her. She was nowhere near a good actress. She was having difficulty even simply keeping her cool. Devon would know if she was faking it.

Devon rose a hand. His fingers curled into fists and the fist connected with his forehead. He was about to break-down once more. That’s when a scream pierced his ears and a hand clasped his shoulder. He turned his head slowly to look who had grabbed him. Travis. A sigh of relief escaped his lips and he returned once more to the regular world. ”We’re leaving, come on.” Travis said. Devon then noticed that beyond Travis, by the door, were five large duffel bags. That explained the heavy footsteps. Travis was pretty strong though, and Devon wondered what exactly was in those bags. Devon looked rather similar to Travis, and it had gotten Devon in trouble many times. Except for the fact Travis had an eyebrow ring and stud earrings, along with tattoos near his wrist.

"Well, come on then!" Travis rolled his eyes. He was acting surprisingly calm, but seemed to only be talking to Devon. Devon bent his head down in a slow nod and stood, shaking a bit. He walked over to the door and slung a bag over one shoulder while holding the other in his right hand. Devon licked his lips as he looked over his shoulder to look at Emma. Travis walked past her and went to the door as well, doing the same as Devon with one bag over his shoulder. He had two bags in his hands though. "Hurry up before the frenzy really begins. The 'plague'," Travis began, with a sneer at the word 'plague, both hands up and two fingers held together bending into quotation marks around the word. "is up in the North. I hear the safety zones are out in the Midwest. Come on, sweetheart, we'll drop you off safe with your mum but after that - Devon - we're picking Mercy up and we're out of here." Devon's eyebrows furrowed and he frowned. Travis wasn't planning on helping Emma out. People were already beginning to split.

[Dancin' Kate]

April 5, 2011

Emma sat on her couch in her empty house, chewing on her lower lip and fiddling with her hands as she watched her best friend struggle with his newfound knowledge. What could she possibly do to comfort him in a time like this? When he needed a friend to be there for him? She had no clue what to do or say to help Devon, and so she remained silent after opening her mouth a few times to say something before thinking better of it. Watching him go through this, knowing there was no real way she could help except for being by his side, it pained her. Earlier that day when he came over with the tight-lipped expression on his face, she had figured it was just another disappointment with Travis or simply a bad day. Never had she expected something of this magnitude. Devon's parents had always seemed a little off and disjointed, but she hadn't expected something like cheating to be the cause. Obviously, Devon hadn't been expecting it either. 

The complete and utter blank expression on his face disturbed Emma quite a bit. She knew it was difficult for him to deal with situations like this, but the fact that it put him into a state of whatever he was feeling so horrendous that he couldn't express it made worry pull at her lips in a frown. A part of her worried that this might throw him off the deep end. A part of her worried that she wouldn't be able to help him. A part of her worried that because of this betrayal, Devon would think it was his own fault. Fighting against her better judgement, Emma hesitantly placed her hand on his stiff shoulder, squeezing it lightly as she opened her mouth to say something. Anything to break the painful silence between them. But just as she did, he hit himself. The action was so abrupt, so sudden that she jumped back a little with a soft squeak of surprise, her hand leaving his shoulder. Tears gathered in her eyes as she watched him suffer and beat himself up for something that he had no control over, words lodged in her throat. For what seemed liked forever, she watched helplessly as he struggled, unable to do or say anything to help him before he grew still. That moment dragged on for longer that reality would normally allow before that dreadful silence was broken by a loud scream and the sound of drywall breaking. Muffling her own cry by slapping a hand over her mouth, Emma felt the tears she'd been fighting back slip out and drag down along her cheeks. 

Helpless. 

Useless. 

The feeling of knowing that there is absolutely nothing she could do to make Devon understand that it wasn't his fault clenched her heart as her lower lip trembled beneath her hand. Slowly, her hand fell from her mouth into her lap as he screamed everything that he'd been trying so desperately to hide from her. In some way, she knew that he wasn't actually yelling at her so much as he was yelling to her. Remaining silent during his outburst, she felt her gaze fill with sorrow, pity, and love as she hopefully sent a silent message to him with her eyes. She wanted him to understand and know that she felt his pain in some ways and that he wasn't alone. Towards the end of his rant, she felt a flicker of fear pass over her face as she watched his features twist and contort into an expression of hatred and disgust. The look scared her as did the intensity of his voice and the venom of which it held. She had seen him angry plenty of times before, but never like this. This side was...frightening. It wasn't normal. Curled up on the couch in the empty house, something told Emma that she was the first and only person to ever see this side to him. And something told her that it was a good thing.

***

Present Day || 16 hours after outbreak

Emma stood there as a childlike expression of fear of the unknown took control of her features, her eyes flashing with uncertainty as she looked to Devon for help. Thoughts were whizzing through her brain, each one scrambling for attention but one brought words to her lips, something she had been too stunned to manage for a moment. "Travis," she began in a shaky voice, her hands quivering, "you know my mom works late out in down-town and she takes the bus from there home." Swallowing as she stuttered and stumbled over her words, she wrapped an arm around her middle and bent over slightly as her stomach churned. Though her back was faced to the screen where the news still audible, the screams and noises made her nauseous. Horrible images flashed in her head of what had been broadcasted on the television, making her suddenly feel lightheaded and woozy. At a sharp lurch in her gut, she placed a hand over her mouth and rushed outside to gag and divulge the contents of her stomach which was mostly acid. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, Emma felt her legs wobble and grow weak before they gave out and she gripped the rails on the porch to keep her from falling over completely. 

There was only so much she could take in at once, and coming to grips with the fact that a viral outbreak with flesh-eating zombies was about to ravage the world was definitely not easy. Throwing up and loosing control of her motor functions was how she dealt with overwhelming situations of stress, shock, and horror. Laying there with only her weak grip on the rail holding her up, Emma let loose a string of slurred curses under her breath. It took a moment, but she soon managed to get back on her feet with a bit of help from Devon. Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind as she remembered her fathers old handgun that was hidden in the safe in her moms room. Looking at Travis, she regained some of her composure and gave him a firm stare as she spoke. 
"I can't stay at my house, but I need some things from there," she said vaguely,  still leaning on the rail somewhat for support, "I need you to drop me off so I can get them and pack for my mom and I." When she saw the twenty-one year old narrow his eyes in disagreement, she quickly added with an almost desperate edge to her voice, "Travis, please. You and Devon can go get Mercy while I pack and then just come back to pick me up real quick. Please..." Swallowing as she still struggled with standing up straight and coming to grips with everything, she felt her lower lip tremble slightly as terrified tears glistened in her eyes, just barely forming. She was scared that he would say no and tell her to find her own way. She was terrified that her mother might be in danger of this plague. Hell, she was just plain scared. It showed clearly on her face and in her violet eyes, it was impossible not to pick it up on her. As a last resort, she turned her fearful gaze to Devon in hopes that he would back her up. 

[Lost_In_LaLa_Land]

Devon looked between the two. He knew Travis had never been particularly fond of Emma, but he couldn’t understand how his older brother could be so cold in a time like this. Devon almost had a break-down himself, and his head still throbbed from where he had hit his own forehead with as much force as possible. The idea of zombies was surreal and something that could only exist in a fiction. Yet, it was true and here they all were standing in the living room. Perhaps, they weren’t exactly like most people imagined and portrayed in movies, books, and video games; but maybe this was the realistic equivalent of one. Devon’s stomach twisted at the thought of all those... poor people. It sounded like a horrific way to die. Since these weren’t real zombies, a bite wouldn’t transform anyone. Yet, what they had was highly contagious towards certain people and Devon wondered how the disease had spread towards so many people. Travis was acting so casual, and it freaked Devon out quite a bit. He unzipped one of the bags and peeked inside. His eyes widened and he looked back up, eyes flickering towards Emma. Her eyes were pleading, but he wasn’t sure what to say. How could he help? Emma began to speak, and although everything she said was true, Devon didan’t understand why she looked so freaked out. Well, other than the fact this plague was wiping out most of North America and a war was about to start as other countries began to cut themselves off from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.


Devon flinched as she ran past him, hand over her mouth as her face turned green. He stood awkwardly, considering following her. When she returned, it was obvious she had not been well. Devon grimaced and looked over at Travis pleadingly. "You know people are going to be going crazy. Emma has been with us for years now, how are we going to leave her?" Devon said slowly, trying to convince Travis. If anything, he was the leader here. He had been prepared, for some odd reason, and despite the fact Devon most definitely wasn't a follower, Devon couldn't fight back against his older brother. Devon even feared for Emma's mother. His father was safe out of the country but... his mother and step-father, along with their child and Devon's little half-sister Quinn - they were in NYC. Up north, who knows what could happen to them... Devon swallowed and paled, looking over at Travis once more. He barely cared for his step-father, Quinn was slowly growing on him, and he had to forgive his mother at some point. He decided to do that now. As Travis sighed and gave in, Devon squeezed his eyes closed and thought about his mother, who had never really been a maternal figure. When he was younger, she was lovely. That was when Devon was only at age five when the fights begin.

Devon walked over to Emma's side, slinging an arm loosely around her shoulders. "Are you going to puke again? 'Cause if not, then you have to carry something..."Devon grinned and leaned forward, snatching a bag from Travis's hand with one swift movement, despite the fact Travis had an iron grip. He held the bag in front of her loosely, but at a nice difference where if she did feel sick again, she wouldn't be splashing all over the fabric holding together some of the more important things in their life at the moment. He wasn't exactly squeamish around people vomiting, but he'd never really seen Emma do it. It was a hell lot different when a chick was doing it. By now, he was just acting so cautious around her to tease the girl. He wanted her to lighten up a bit, even though that was more what Devon did. He laughed in the face of danger even if he was scared shitless. Devon never admitted weakness. He wasn't sure whether Emma would be laughing or crying. He tightened his grip around her.


ooc; a whole lot happened. it took me a while to reply. i'm not using the excuse of writers' block, but it was a bit difficult to put my ideas in words. xP i promise i'll reply more soon( ? ) next time.

[Dancin' Kate]

Present Day

Emma wobbled slightly when Devon slung his arm loosely around her shoulders, her knees still weak and trembling from everything. This was it- the end. As disturbing as it sounded, all her life she had wondered how the world would end and if she would be around to see it. For a split second, a memory flashed in her mind from years ago when she had been only a few years old.

November 13, 2003 
10:49 P.M.

It was late at night when the little auburn haired girl snuck into her parents bedroom, sweat beading around her face from her fright. How late it was, she didn't know. She just knew that her nightmare was the scariest she had ever encountered and she needed to feel safe. Something about her parents bedroom made her feel safe and protected from the evils her still-developing mind would produce. Maybe it was the simple fact that burned in her little brain; they would always protect her. She knew this because her mother and father had said it to her countless times, and each time they said it, a part of her believed it a little more. In the darkness, it was difficult for her gray-violet eyes to focus on anything and quickly she felt panic built up inside her chest. What if she couldn't find the door? What if she was still dreaming? What if those... things were still sulking around trying to steal her away? Steadily growing more scared, she felt along the wall rapidly, searching for the familiar knob that would lead her to the safety of her parents arms. All the while, the hairs along her arms and on the back of her neck stood on end as each and ever sound send paranoid fears through her head. What if the monster was right behind her? What if at any second it's razor-sharp claws wrapped around her small form and- the knob! Letting out a soft sigh of relief, the little girl stiffed and dared to turn around and glance back. Slowly, she twisted her head and bit her lip until it bled she was so scared, but saw nothing down the hallway. Nothing was there. Nothing had been trying to grab her. Gradually, she slowed her beating-a-million-miles-a-nanosecond heart and worked up the courage to open the door. 

Stepping into the room, she tip-toed silently over to her fathers side of the bed and licked the small amount of blood away from her lip. Now came the hardest part of her quest for safety and solace. Waking up her knight in shining amour. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her: What if they didn't believe her? What if, when she woke them up, they simply told her to go back to bed? With a small gasp of fright, she thought of something even worse and shut her eyes tightly as if it would go away when she did. What if the monsters had hurt her parents? At the frightful thought, she threw her hand out to her fathers shoulder and shook it roughly- something she immediately felt bad for as he groaned softly. 

"Daddy!" she whispered desperately, feeling the familiar sting of tears in the corners of her eyes, "Daddy, please wake up..." Towards the end of her plea, her voice cracked and she felt the tears blur her vision, not that she could see much anyway. Seeing her father stir and reach around for the thingy that would turn on his bedside lamp. When he found it and pulled down sharply, the small area was suddenly lit up and the little girl could now see the warm features of her father she had grown to cherish so. His short, cropped hair was a dishwater blond with a few dark areas she knew were a light brown. His eyes that were always gentle and kind were a soft green flecked with blue and had always seemed rather large to her. Despite his efforts, her father had never been able to grow a beard or a mustache so his face always had that just-shaven look to it for weeks before he would need to do it again. Therefore, his face never bristly and actually quite smooth. After asking one night, the little girl had learned that the reason the bridge of her fathers nose was crooked was because it had been broken so many times as a teenager. She found this quite humorous. Pictures showed that when he was younger, most of his facial features had been very sharp and had a chiseled look to them. But, now in his late twenties, most of that had been rounded out except for his high cheek bones that were still pretty prominent. He had two scars on his face: One on his chin from a childhood accident, and one above his left eyebrow from dropping a heavy can on his head when he was younger. 

Opening his eyes, her father slowly sat up and struggled to focus on his daughter who was nibbling on her fingernails as she watched him. 
"What's wrong, sweetie?" he asked groggily but his eyes shone with concern for his little girl as her lower lip trembled. Looking at her father, the girl stepped closer to the bedside and crawled up to squeeze her small form next to him, laying her head on his chest. Thump-thump... thump-thump, went his slow heartbeat. As she listened, she shut her eyes gently and felt her body tense up as she spoke.
"I had a bad dream," she said softly, her eyes beginning to glisten. As her father took in a deep breath and stroked her hair, she felt his chest expand greatly, heard the air whoosh into his lungs. 
"What happened?" his deep voice asked, rocking her slightly and squeezing her shoulders gently. His tone sound genuinely concerned for his little girl and she was already beginning to feel better. Swallowing, she hesitated for a long moment before speaking in a shaky voice as she replayed the images of her nightmare. 
"Fire, there was lots of fire. People were crying and I couldn't find you or Mommy. And-" her voice broke off as she saw a flash of the monsters face again. "And I saw a monster. It tried to take me away..." she said that last part very softly, barely over a whisper and she felt tears drag along her cheeks. For a long time after she told her father, he stayed silent but continued to stroke her hair and hold her tightly, making her feel better each minute that went by. After what seemed like forever, he finally spoke and tipped her chin up so she could see his face. 
"You know I would never let anything bad happen to you, Emma. You are my daughter and it's my job to protect you," he said in a warm voice, his eyes searching her face as a small smile pulled at his lips. "But, the most important thing to remember is that it was only a dream. Do you know why?" 

Knitting her eyebrows together, the little girl frowned and cocked her head to the side a little, confused at his strange question. Why had it been a dream? Well, because... She couldn't think of an answer to that question. Why had it been a dream? Was her father implying that it could've been real? No, that couldn't be right. 
"Why?" she asked in a curious voice, starting to fear her dream less and less as she grew more curious about the question. Smiling gently, her father brushed a stray strand of hair from her face and kissed her forehead, tapping her nose as he leaned back. 
"Because dreams can't hurt you. They can scare you, but they can never, ever, ever, ever hurt you. Do you know why?" All the while her father explained this to her, a cheeky grin was spreading onto his face as he saw the light go on in her eyes. She was starting to understand what he was trying to tell her and it made a smile appear on her face as well. 
"Because they're not real," she said, starting to wonder why she had even been scared of the dream at all. It was so silly! The monster had only tried to take her, it hadn't actually grabbed her yet. She still could've fought the monster and gotten away!
"That's right. Now, are you feeling better?" 
"Yeah, I guess so..."

Picking up the little girl, he carried her back to her room and tucked her in, explaining more about dreams and where they came from. After kissing her head and saying goodnight, a question suddenly popped into her head. 
"Daddy, will I be alive when the world ends?" Looking at his daughter in confusion, he walked back over and sat on her bedside and held her hand in his. At first, he was curious to know what had brought up such a question. But after seeing the expression on her face, he began to understand. 
"No, I don't think you will. When the world ends, however it does, you will be long gone and living in Heaven. Now, get some sleep," he said gently, choosing his words carefully before getting up and walking to the doorway. There, he said goodnight once more and blew a kiss before walking back to his room. The last thought the little girl had before drifting off to sleep was this: I wonder what Heaven is like?

Present Day

Emma looked at the bag and caught Devon's gaze as he cracked a smile and she could tell that he was trying to help her feel better. At her fragile mental state, that small gesture tipped her emotions and she felt tears sting in her eyes. Nodding, she let out an awkward laugh and took the bag with her hand that had stopped shaking so much, a slight smile twitching onto her mouth. Wiping her teary eyes with a sniff and a flustered sigh, she shook her head slowly and flashed a more sane expression towards him. "Yeah, I got this. That whole... thing back there, I just couldn't-" she broke off as she felt her words get lodged in her throat and the taste bile rose in her mouth. Casting a quick glance at Devon, she saw the understanding look on his face and shook her head with a pained smile.

"I'm fine now," she said quickly, reassuring him as she followed Travis out the door. Hauling the heavy bag across the yard to his car, she carefully placed it in the back of the vehicle and pushed her bangs away from her face. Once all the bags were inside the car, the three loaded up and quickly made the drive down to Emma's house. The ride there was mostly quiet, everyone still struggling with the reality of it all. Zombies... this was how the world ended? A plague? The Bible did mention a plague as part of the  apocalypse, but Emma was quite sure flesh-eating schizophrenics wasn't anywhere in there. Staring out the window, she shut her eyes and shook her head as she swallowed softly. "I can't believe this is actually happening," she remarked with a bitter laugh, dropping her gaze to the floor and chewing on her lower lip. For a moment, she stayed silent as she thought of that memory again, her fathers words ringing in her ears as her bangs fell over her face. "My father always said I would be up in Heaven when this happened..." she said softly, more to herself than anyone. She wished she could snap out of her disattached state of mind, but something just wouldn't let her. She wanted to be strong like she knew she was capable of being, but her fear and shock was like a giant, gaping hole in her vat of courage. She just couldn't do it. 

Looking over at Devon, she recovered some of her composure and place her hand on his shoulder, her eyes clouded over with concern. It was time to return the favor. "How are you holding up? Obviously better than me," she joked, an awkward smile working onto her mouth as she joined his effort of trying to lighten up. "But seriously, are you okay?" Emma felt kind of stupid asking a question like that in a time like this. For fucks sake, it was the end of the world and she was asking if he was okay? Que the headdesk, please! she scolded herself harshly, pinching her wrist and flinching slightly at the stinging pain that registered. Well, now she knew she wasn't dreaming at least. That was a start.

[Lost_In_LaLa_Land]

I AM NOT READING THAT FLASHBACK. I AM NOT READING THAT FLASHBACK. also what the fuck man, long posts. Dx now i have raise my bar, and go to your expectations. :u lol, it's okay you inspire me to write more. except i'm not going to do any flashbacks >:3 i'll just delete this when you see it...

[Dancin' Kate]

Sorry. xP My first post was super tiny and I hated so I had to redo it and then that whole scene I literally pulled out of no where. I have no idea why I was able to get so in-depth with it though. O.o As for the flash back, hehe, I'm doin it mostly for me rather than you so I some sort of information to play with later on. And for this version of Emma to help with her character. xD And, ten bucks says my next post will suck ASS. That's how it is with me. -.-

[Lost_In_LaLa_Land]

Devon closed his eyes for a moment. With his arm around her shoulders, he could definitely feel her shaking like a Chihuahua. It was obvious she was still freaking out. Devon wasn’t entirely sure what this all meant for the world himself. He wasn’t sure if this illness - this plague - would advance humankind or end it. Right now, his future was darker than ever. He couldn’t see himself being happy, he wouldn’t really be living. He would be surviving this all, that was one thing he would make secure. He wasn’t sure what would happen to Emma or Travis or any of his family, but he wanted one thing certain. No matter what it took, Devon would be alive. It sounded selfish, but Devon wanted to be the one to take care of someone when they were in need. He didn’t know what to think anymore, so he stopped thinking about that before his thoughts grew too complicated and they made him feel almost guilty. He sat in the backseat with one bag on his lap and the other at his feet. Travis had his own bag in the front passenger seat, and it seemed to hold the most important things as the entire time he drove he had one hand resting on it. Devon spread one arm out around the top of the car seats so he was touching Emma's right shoulder. He kicked his feet up on the back of Travis's seat and leaned back a bit.

Devon nodded, not saying anything as Emma spoke. "Well, sweetheart, you have to go through hell first before going to Heaven." Travis said, looking back at her. He didn't look away, and it was then Devon turned around and realized someone was following their car. "Shit," Travis mumbled, closing his eyes for a moment and turning back to the wheel. He began to speed up. Devon's hand clasped over Emma's shoulder and he sat up, scooting closer to her. He was trying to remember whether or not Emma got car sick. Devon looked back at Emma and smiled at her reassuringly. He leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek, and it was actually sweet. He wasn't teasing or messing around with her, this time.

"I'm fine." Devon murmured, turning his head every now and then to check on the car that now joined the one already following them. He shook his head. "People are already getting crazy." He groaned, now in the middle seat. He held Emma a bit tighter, moving the bags to his former seat. Travis suddenly stopped the car and got out, something shiny in his hands. Devon swore and leaned forward, reaching into the bag and grabbing a gun. He passed it to Emma before grabbing his own and sticking it in his pocket. He zipped the bag up and pushed it on the floor where it wasn't as noticeable. "I'm not going to tell you to stay in here, but I'm not sure if you want to risk your life for Travis's stupidity." He said, shooting her a serious look and getting out of the car, slamming the door behind him. He joined Travis, who was walking towards the car looking incredibly tough and stubborn. Two people exited one car and three another - two girls and three boys. Devon's eyes trailed towards the girls for a moment. They looked scary as hell, although both were pretty enough.

"Hey there..." Travis started, taking a few steps ahead of Devon. Devon kept a straight face, eyebrows furrowed slightly. "What the fuck were you doing following us." He asked, sounding pissed as hell. His voice didn't raise in question by the end of his sentence, he was pretty much demanding. One of the guys in the group stuck his tongue out at Devon childishly and Devon raised his eyebrows. Shit, they were just kids. Travis looked like a real man in comparison. The prettier of the pair of girls looked to be his age, whereas the younger looked like a freshman in high school. The oldest of the three guys looked to be Travis's age, one the age of the youngest girl, and the other his age. This was interesting. Devon smirked, his almost identical to the leader of the group who was a blonde boy with tanned skin.

ooc; who would you like to roleplay. >:3 i plan on them joining the other group, only to be separated. short post, long wait, sorry. computer problems.

[Dancin' Kate]

ARHG! Now you force me to spontaneously create three characters (plus my one makes four, the leftover two added with yours making four; even stevens!) and think up a detailed post. Not my forte's at all, mind you. -.- But, after six hours of writing, erasing, crossing out, highlighting, re-writing, and eating an entire platter of vegetables, I have come up with three semi-developed characters. I'll post a link to their forms as I plan on using them with others once I get it up. :P
Don't be expecting a finished post until late tomorrow. ;) 'Cause I gotta' find shit and take into account that sleep is an important part of functioning the human body. Sooo, that being said... I need kind of an insight as to where these two (Devon and Emma) friendship status stands. Best friends I got, but should one want to be a little more? Thicken the plot? xD

Oh, and don't worry 'bout it. ;) School starts in a week and some change so I've actually been quite busy. But fuuuck, when school DOES start for me though... My schedule will be all kinds of crazy, literally. My mom wants to get me involved with an orchestra down the street so my violin doesn't just sit and collect dust in my room, geometry, Shakespeare classes, volleyball, HOLY SHIT MY DAD COMES HOME IN A MONTH. O.o
Damnnn, is it just me or did this summer 'effing FLY by? I feel like it was my eighth grade graduation yesterday. And I'm rambling. *headdesk* Sorry you had to witness this little... Moment. I need to have a little chat with my DARLING Claudia for several hours over approximately three cups of hot chocolate, two cups of honey vanilla chamomile tea, and a bar of Hershey's.


Yeeeaaah... My sanity is probably questionable by now....

[Lost_In_LaLa_Land]

I live for making characters, some are decent and realistic but some just completely take on the definition of a certain stereo-type. I never expect detailed posts from you. lmao No offense, but this is a private roleplay. We don't need to do SHIT for this. o3o But I am always honored when you do write something beautiful, like you almost always do. I don't think it's necessary yet for Emma or Devon to develop feelings for each other. I kind of want Devon to like the older girl in the group that was following them o3o only for her to die off or something like that, or maybe Emma just starts liking him while they're... together. I mean, it's pretty much the end of the world for them. Shit gets real and people start not... caring... At the moment, I think they're relationship is platonic. Don't worry, I'm kind of busy myself. I'll be going on another vacation, school starts in about a week. I'll be going for nine days and I'll be missing days of school. I still have a math packet to do for Algebra, reading The Alchemist, read The Last of the Mohicans and do a book report on that, rewrite my confirmation saint essay, finish my eight hours of community service and read some other books. It doesn't sound like much but I'm a huge procrastinator and I'm terrified. D; I have Shakespeare this year, too. I have band and my mother wants me to do some extracurricular activity when I'm completely... unhealthy and lazy and un-athletic. I'm kind of overweight, but I haven't lost my shape to it so people still think I look skinny. SMH. I know it doesn't seem like much, but summer flew by for me too. It just yelled Holla! and ran away. :c I was never aware of your sweetheart... so have fun. xD I speak the language you're currently rambling, so it's alright. lol I'm sorry for weighing three new characters on you, as I figured we may as well add people only for them to die... Is that too morbid? Sorry. D:

[Dancin' Kate]

I live for making characters, some are decent and realistic but some just completely take on the definition of a certain stereo-type. I never expect detailed posts from you. lmao No offense, but this is a private roleplay. We don't need to do SHIT for this. o3o But I am always honored when you do write something beautiful, like you almost always do. I don't think it's necessary yet for Emma or Devon to develop feelings for each other. I kind of want Devon to like the older girl in the group that was following them o3o only for her to die off or something like that, or maybe Emma just starts liking him while they're... together. I mean, it's pretty much the end of the world for them. Shit gets real and people start not... caring... At the moment, I think they're relationship is platonic. Don't worry, I'm kind of busy myself. I'll be going on another vacation, school starts in about a week. I'll be going for nine days and I'll be missing days of school. I still have a math packet to do for Algebra, reading The Alchemist, read The Last of the Mohicans and do a book report on that, rewrite my confirmation saint essay, finish my eight hours of community service and read some other books. It doesn't sound like much but I'm a huge procrastinator and I'm terrified. D; I have Shakespeare this year, too. I have band and my mother wants me to do some extracurricular activity when I'm completely... unhealthy and lazy and un-athletic. I'm kind of overweight, but I haven't lost my shape to it so people still think I look skinny. SMH. I know it doesn't seem like much, but summer flew by for me too. It just yelled Holla! and ran away. :c I was never aware of your sweetheart... so have fun. xD I speak the language you're currently rambling, so it's alright. lol I'm sorry for weighing three new characters on you, as I figured we may as well add people only for them to die... Is that too morbid? Sorry. D:

M'kay. I had to do some massive editing for the girl who'll be the older one, Thandy. xD It was all good, and I got the chance to play with BBC text formats. Speaking of which, I still gotta' talk with Bailey and see if she can teach me any her cool text formats or offer some sites where I can learn. I've got the material in my posts down (as you once said it's about the content of the post ;]), so now I can focus on the presentation. Which is why I'm doing the picture above the post thingy. xD It's a work in progress.
And dude, don't feel bad. I am in the top five of World's Worst Procrastinators. O.o No shit. I once waited three weeks to do a science project that was do the next day… It was a clay model of the inside of a cell. -.- I regret nothing, though. Because, hey, I got it done, didn't I? And that's all that matters in my book. Mwahaha.
I wouldn't say that I'm overweight, but I could definitely afford to loose a few pounds. ;) I don't want to be like rail-skinny though, unlike half of my friends. -.- No offense, but it really bothers me when my twig of a friend complains that she's fat when she weighs 92 pounds. By the way, what does SMH mean? xD I've been trying to figure that out for a while now. *points to self* CONTEMPORARILY RETARDED. Can't help it.
Oh, and I was just joking around with my bitching about the three characters. I don't mind it all, it's just hard to relay humor through text on a webpage, if you catch my drift. xD SMILEY's TO DA RESCUE! I just spent the page three hours writing a gorgeous post for Queen-Cat, so I'm a little off my wagon. o.e Heh. Annnyways, I'm work my ASS off to try and get my post for you at least half way done, and then try and post something for Wolves, and work on my story and do whatever else comes to mind at one o'clock this morning. HAHA.

[Lost_In_LaLa_Land]

This is my GIRLLLL, fuck da police moment. I can't do HTML. I just look up 'bbcode to html generator' and take up the first option and then just convert it. cx Although, I can observe from before and after and I get an idea of how to do that... YEAH. You don't need *waves hands around* all of that. Take the short cut. ;) I have somewhat mastered BBCode, to the point where I'm comfortable. And thank you. <3 IDK for what, but at some point I think I need to thank you. Also, I saw what you did with Taylor and your's (improper grammar or...?) roleplay. Don't fuck with me, 'kay? D: I don't need to be all excited over a post to only see it's you posting the format and then editing it. Use preview. v_v Use something, just don't mess with my mind like that! Cause then I start getting like 'shit, is this ever going to be done...' and i start doubting and it doesn't not turn out well. i'm not saying like 'bitch, don't fuck with me, i'll cut you' i'm saying DONT MESS WITH MY HEART. oh my gosh, taking summer reading on a vacation =_= shoot me. this is just me rambling and being awkward... congratz on three hours. DAMN how much did you write? it takes me around half an hour to write one thousand words for a post and by then the other charries I need to reply to just get pushed aside and... yeah. ._.

[Dancin' Kate]

Yeah, that post is probably one of my best and I'm really proud of it. I don't use a word counter so much as a paragraph counter. Soo, yeah. XD It was about fifteen good paragraphs of detail, which I'm amazed I was able to pull off. O.o Seriously, that damn thing is going in my hall of fame. Oh, and don't worry. I'm writing your post on my phone's note-pad thingy and then Imma load it into the editor and make it all prettified. :P Also, I'm sorry this is taking me so long. I'll admit, I've been procrastinating and a smidge busy. I'm really going to try and get it done by today though, so wish me luck! ;D

[Dancin' Kate]

Since I took the older girl, the freshman boy, and the oldest guy, I'm leaving you in control of the younger girl and the second-oldest guy. ;) BTW, this is gonna be a long post… xD Took me two days to write and make all the little photo-icons.

Emma shot a look of confusion at Devon when he kissed her cheek, a flash of curiosity in her eyes as she felt her racing heart slow and a small smile twitch onto her mouth. She wasn't normally this easily affected by such small, minute things like a kiss on the cheek from a friend, but everything that had once meant so little now felt more important. All the simple gestures and words he had said to her all reminded her of just how lucky she was to have him as her best friend. Even when they had been kids, Devon was always the strong foundation in her life when everything else fell apart. When she got into a fight, he was always there to back her up. When she had a bad break-up, he was always there to remind that there was something better just around the corner. Every hardship and struggle in her life, she'd always had someone to rely on. The realization of just how lucky she was to have him made her heart ache as she of where she might be without his guidance and help.

Lost in her thoughts, Emma nearly dropped the gun when Devon passed it back to her, staring at the metal object in her hand with wide eyes. She had never quite gotten used to the feeling of holding such a dangerous weapon in her own two hands, let alone the thought of needing to use it. Swallowing gently, she forced herself to look up when he spoke and crack a smile at his comment. "I suppose I'll let the 'men' work this one out," she added with a wider smile, a soft giggle slipping out as she shifted her position and sat on her knees. Twisting her neck to look out through the back window, she chewed on her lower lip and shot Devon a worried glance as a frown replaced her smile. Opening her mouth to say something as he opened the door to step out, she hesitated to long and before she could say anything, he was out and walking over to Travis. "Be careful..." she murmured under her breath, shutting her eyes and sending a quick prayer before watching through the back window.

The two girls that jumped out of one car seemed scared shitless like herself but more in control of themselves as they eased a casual front. The oldest of the pair was quite pretty and looked around the same age as herself, somewhere between seventeen. The girl beside her was definitely a few years younger, probably in her first year of high school. Taking a wild guess, the freshman probably met these people for the first time today. The three guys that appeared out of the other car put Emma more on edge as the oldest was close to Travis' age and almost as big. The other two were similar to the pair of girls as one looked to be around seventeen and the other probably a hair over fifteen.

Inside the car, Emma couldn't hear any of the conversation going on and could only hope that people were being civil. Frowning as she saw the youngest boy stick out his tongue at Devon and Travis, she rolled her eyes and muttered a curse. After that sweet little stunt, she had to force herself to stay in the car and not tear that kid a new tomorrow for being to childish. Seriously? A viral plague of flesh-eating schizophrenics is ravaging the United States as we speak and you're going to do THAT? Huffing under her breath, she switched her gaze over to the bags next to her in the seat and pursed her lips. Did all of these bags have guns and dangerous weapons inside of them? Speaking of which, where the fuck had Travis bought these things? Inspecting her own handgun, she could see it was some sort of model of an H&K but she couldn't tell which. A newer one, that was for sure.

Turning her attention back to the bags, she hesitated before unzipping the one closest to her and letting out a breath of relief when she saw it was just clothes. Pushing it aside, she checked the other one on the floor and confirmed that the only bag with weapons in it was the one in the front seat. Sighing as she sat back, she shut her eyes slowly and listened to the quiet sound of her breathing in the silence of the car. For a moment in that blissful silence, she was able to forget about the plague and could hear her heartbeat. The sound of rising voices and shouting snapped her out of her moment of peace as she cursed and snatched her gun, stuffing it in the waistband of her gray jeans.

Stepping out of the car, she slammed the door loudly to get everyone's attention and felt her eyes narrow at the boy who looked around her age and also appeared to be the instigator as his finger was still pointing at Travis. Walking over, Emma could feel a small flame ignite in her eyes as she scolded the group with her violet gaze. "The fuck is wrong with you people?" she asked with a disappointed expression written on her face as she shook her head and laughed to herself darkly. "We are about to be attacked by ravenous, flesh-eating freaks! I mean, for fucks sake, don't we have enough problems already? Must we add 'get into a fight with everyone I see' to that list?" she added with an incredulous tone, shooting a glare at the seventeen year-old boy who raised an eyebrow at her outburst.

The way he looked at her with that cocky 'are-you-missing-a-few-screws?' expression on his face was just enough to snap Emma out of her unstable mode of shock and bring out her bad side. Narrowing her eyes sharply, she felt her lips twist into a scowl as she gave the boy a stern glare. "You give me that look again and I'll show you crazy," she snapped with a growl illuminating her words. All the while, she had a different stream of words dancing on her tongue and raging in her mind. You give me that look again and I'll rip your fucking eyes out! With out thinking, her jaw clenched tightly and she balled up her hands into fists as that small spark of anger flowed through her bloodstream. Initially, she could tell that this guy was going to get on her nerves with his cocky 'the-worlds-ending-so-what?' attitude.

Thandy let out a slow breath as she turned off the ignition of her car, turning her head and looking at the fifteen year-old girl in her car and flashing a reassuring smile and brushing a strand of hair away from her face. She had picked up the freshman while driving through her neighborhood twenty minutes ago, knowing what had been broadcasted on the news and fully aware that people were going to burning bridges in friendships. But, because of her heart and the way it had lurched when she saw the girl walking all by herself, she couldn't be that person who would just drive by. So, she had rolled down the window and offered a ride in a shaky voice as she was still struggling with processing everything.

This was the way the world ended? Thandy wasn't overtly religious or anything, but something about this apocalyptic plague seemed manufactured and a self-inflicted wound. Like people had intended for this to happen with no plan to stop it and just let it ravage everything and everyone. But mankind wouldn't honestly create a virus that had the power to wipe out their entire civilization, would they? It was suicidal, and humans were instinctive creatures; we wanted to survive and endure. It was part of our subconscious drive to live, something humans never gave much thought about until years later when they realized that the reason they were still alive after a near-death experience wasn't by some stroke of luck. It was that subconscious drive to live, provoking them to take every available exit to live to see another day.

"It's nothing," she said after a moment of silence and flashed another smile as she sighed and let a small laugh slip out. "Probably just some paranoid parent worried about their kids," she added with a roll of her pale green eyes as she switched her gaze to the windshield and taking a better look at the people stepping out of the car in front of them. Looking over at the other vehicle, she saw that the boys were getting out and she decided to do the same as she unlocked the doors and hopped out of the truck. The hardy leather material her jacket was made of bunched up and she placed a hand on her hip and inspected the two guys approaching them, her eyes catching sight of a bright flash of light in what appeared to be the oldest's hands. A gun? Why does he have a gun? she thought to herself, fear flashing in her eyes as she glanced over at Brandon, the leader of their rag-tag group, and sent him a warning signal with her hand by her side.

The guy who had the gun looked to be no older than Brandon himself and so she assumed he must've had his younger siblings in the car with him. That still didn't explain the gun he had, but then again, a plague of zombies was about to wipe across the whole United States, possibly the world. So, it was somewhat logical but still unnessicary as none of them were infected. At the sound of a car door being shut, her eyes moved over to the other side of car where the guy had come from and fell upon another boy, closer to her age, walking over. He seemed more laid back and casual out of the two. Taking a closer look, she suddenly saw a resemblance between to the two boys and realized they were related- probably brothers.

When his eyes traveled over to her and her new freshman friend, she cracked a slight smile to show she didn't want to cause any trouble or make a fuss over something when they both probably had something better to do. "What the fuck were you doing following us," the older boy demanded, his tone sharp and laced with a growl and snapping Thandy's attention away from his younger brother. Already this guy was making her uncomfortable with his nasty, ordering-around attitude. The fact that he had a gun in his hand wasn't helping, either. Narrowing her green eyes, she shot a steady but subtle glare at him as she snapped back, "A simple 'hello' would be nice. You'll catch more bees with honey than you will with vinegar, you know." Surprised at her bold words and her sudden burst of confidence, she widened her eyes slightly and stepped back, a pinch of regret stinging her.

Thandy was never an out-going person or the type of girl who would do something reckless and crazy. That just wasn't her. She was the type of girl who you'd see eating her lunch in the library reading a book because she didn't like the loud clatter of the lunch room. The girl in the back of the classroom who begged not to be called upon when the teacher asked for a volunteer and nobody offered and the teacher decided to pick. In other words, she was shy. Sure, every now and then a spark of courage and bravery would rise up in her and she would speak out, but that was rare. So the fact that she had just snapped at an on-edge twenty year-old with a gun made her stomach twist painfully as worry racked her system.

Cameron sat in the backseat of the car his new buddy Brandon was driving, sitting close to the window and staring out at the passing landscape with a black expression on his face, an unnatural emptiness to his hazel gaze. Were this any other day, he might be cracking a joke or talking to his current girlfriend, but today wasn't any other day. Today was the beginning of the end to his once normal life. A life where he had no worries and only cared about the next girl he could claim for a week as his. Now, all of that was lost. A promising social status for the rest of his four years in high school- gone. His hopes of one day going to college and getting a degree in historic literature- devastated.

All of this and he was only fifteen. It made him wonder if there really was a God out there and if he enjoyed playing sick games like this on young people like himself. It was a nasty thought, but this was the kind of person Cameron was. He had trouble looking at the brighter side of things, especially a plague of zombies. Zombies? That was how the world was going to end? A science-fiction monster to eat the face off of every living human being? It just didn't seemed right. Maybe this was a test; a test to weed out the weakness in todays society. But that thought was just so… evil. Cameron wasn't that big on religion or God, but something told him that it was wrong for humans to decide who lives or died to see another day. Because, honestly? In the end, we had control of our own fates and we should be the one to make that decision- not someone else.

Sighing, he looked up in the direction of the front seat when the car came to a sudden stop, confusion written on his face. Why are we stopping? he thought to himself quietly, sitting up and peering out the window to see another car in front of them that had stopped. As everyone else in the vehicle stepped out, Cameron followed and watched as a guy around Brandon's age approached them. He definitely looked on edge and very sketchy. At something the seventeen year-old guy in their group said, he scowled and stuck his tongue out before noticing that he facing the direction of the other boy walking towards them. Clenching his jaw, he shot a glare at the guy next to him and grumbled to himself, "Great…" He'd just made himself look like an ass in front of some stranger who's partner had a gun. Fantastic.

Then again, what did he care? Chances were, he'd never see these people again. At the thought, a slight smirk pulled over his face and he crossed his arms over his chest. Make an impression he thought to himself with a chuckle, leaning to one side and glancing between the two boy standing in front of them like it was stand off.

Brandon stood in front of his car and cursed when he picked up Thandy's silent hand message warning him that the older of the two guys walking over had a gun in his hand. Great, just what he needed. To talk to a overtly-defensive or aggressive prick who was probably freaking out. Sighing, he nodded his head curtly but discretely at the girl and pulled a tight smile at the oldest stopped a few meters in front of them. At his demanding tone, Brandon blinked a few times and chuckled softly, trying to lighten the mood.

"Look, buddy," he started, careful to be thoughtful of his word choice as he didn't want to get a hole put through him, "I'm sorry if we freaked you out, but we weren't following you. I'm just trying to get these kids out of town before it moves down here." He assumed the other guy who looked about his age knew what he meant by 'it'. If the whole world wasn't aware of the plague violently and rapidly spreading through the U.S., then he would be surely surprised. This kind of thing would be made global news and all the other continents would be cutting themselves off until this whole thing died down a bit or was taken care of.

When Thandy's voice to his right snapped a sharp remark back at the guy, Brandon cursed under his breath and discretely edged over in case the guy blew his lid. He didn't want to get the girl hurt because some guy couldn't keep his temper in check or was trigger-happy. Then again, she did have a point. What was this guys problem? Did he have proof that they'd been following him? No, they were just trying to get to the highway and this was fastest route he knew of. That didn't mean he was stalking or pursuing anyone. Let alone this guy or his brother as he noticed the other boy standing next to him. There was a definite resemblance, no matter how small.

"Just take it easy everyone, okay? We don't want any trouble," Brandon said slowly, raising his hands and lowering them in a calming gesture for everyone to take a breather. At a snicker to his left as he had moved to Thandy's right side, he shot a glare at the seventeen year-old with him and mouthed something quickly, but too late as he spit out his next sentence. "Yeah, well that doesn't seem to be tickling this guys fancy, Brandon. He's got a fucking gun! Both of them do!"

Brandon opened his mouth to say something but was cut off as the older brother of the two growled a loud reply and before long, the younger brother stepped in and joined the argument. He was about to step in himself when a loud slam of a car door got his attention and he lifted his eyes to see a young girl around seventeen walk towards them with an angry expression on her face. Something told him not to say anything from this point on as she looked like she was about to bite everyone's head off- and that she did. During her rant, Brandon couldn't help but blink in surprise and turn his head to see how the others were taking her scolding. Thandy was trying to hold back and smirk and so was her little freshman friend by her side. Cameron almost lost it at her threat and had to lower his head and bit his lower lip to keep it together.

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