SurvivorZ: Grave Harbor

63

DANIELLE

Feeling the warmth of Richard's hand in hers, Danielle strolled down the university's hallowed halls without a care in the world. Unlike the overcrowded camp they recently fled, Harvard – busy though it was – provided enough breathing room for everyone to find some measure of peace. She knew the extra space was due to everyone now spanning multiple floors and buildings rather than congregating in a single area. It was an illusion, but one she gladly embraced.

A squad of soldiers marched past them. They didn't bat an eye at the couple. Danielle returned the favor and lowered her gaze to the floor. After helping to smuggle medicine out of Hanscom, she still felt a pang of guilt for sheltering under the army's roof. Thankfully, the doctors here were more willing to supply medical treatments for people like Richard's sister. Between her mom and the camp's army medics, Laurie was in good hands. They all were.

She glanced over to find Richard staring at her and flashed him a smile. "What?"

He beamed back. "How do you feel?"

She gave his question some consideration before responding. "Content?" she mused. "Yes, happily content. You?"

"I feel at peace, for the first time in weeks."

"This place is great. I'm glad now that we ran into the Lieutenant and decided to come here. It may not be as pretty as an autumn drive to Maine, but for the first time I don't feel the urge to constantly check over my shoulder."

"Harvard's okay." Still smiling, Richard leaned closer and added, "But you're the one who's making me feel this way."

She blinked at him, her cheeks heating into a blush. The way he stared at her was so intense that she had to look away before her face exploded. She did so with a bashful grin.

"Danielle, there's something I've been meaning to tell you for a while now," he said hesitantly. "It's something that my sister said. About Charlie—"

"What about him? Are they hitting it off?"

"Well, actually, she... Uh..."

Before he could finish, a familiar face down the hall distracted her. Danielle's features opened excitedly.

"Oh, hey!" She tightened her grip on his hand and pulled him down the corridor towards the two girls standing at the other end. "Come with me. There's someone I want you to meet."

As she approached the teenagers speaking by one of the boarded up windows facing the inner courtyard, Danielle raised her hand and called out, "Paige!"

Caught in mid-conversation, Paige was slower to react to the distraction than her companion did. The older girl, a raven-haired beauty with a conceited air about her, took in the approaching couple with a haughty sneer.

"Hey. Danielle, right?" Paige replied with a nervous wave. She eyed Richard for a quick second, as if trying to place him from somewhere, and settled on a tight smile when she realized she couldn't.

"I was hoping to run into you again." She gestured to the slightly perplexed guy standing next to her. "This is Richard. Richard, Paige."

Richard smiled and nodded. "A pleasure."

Paige pointed to her friend and took a breath to introduce her. Before she could utter a word, the strange girl shot a hand out to Richard in greetings.

"Hi, I'm Erica. Erica DiMarco," she said. "Welcome to the neighborhood."

Richard shook her hand. Rather than offering Danielle the same courtesy, Erica dropped it back to her side after apparently introducing herself to the only newcomer who caught her eye.