The Last Ones Standing

Chapter 16

"Courtney, wake up" I say shaking her shoulder. Courtney has never been good at getting up, whether it's 8 am or 5 pm. 

"In a minute" Courtney mumbles. A know Courtney well enough to know 1 minute does not  mean one minute. I slap her face.

"OW!" Courtney yells, clasping her bright red face.

"Sorry, I needed you awake"

Courtney mutters something under her breath. 

"Are you hungry?" I ask. I haven't had anything to eat since the car accident, well, maybe not an accident.

"yeah, im starving"

I pull the car into an old gas station. It's windows are smashed in and not much is left on the shelves. 

"Maybe there are more people out here than we thought" I say

I park the car and get out. "Coming?" i ask

Courtney nods and jumps out. "I have a feeling we aren't going to need your credit card." I tell her

"Yeah, well, even if we did, I couldn't use it."

"Why?"I ask but before she answers I realize. "they took it off you"

"Yeah"

I remembered the note, they took from me.

"Come on" I say "Oh, and after the food we better find a new car."

We head into the shop through a broken window. "What should we get?" Courtney asks

I shrug "I guess we can get anything really"

"Good, cause those donuts over there look real good." Courtney bounds over to a shelf and pulls down the last packet. We then go around the shop piling an old box up with junk.

"We should probably get some drinks too." I say

Courtney nods in agreement. Together we hurry over to the refrigerated shelves. The drinks are warm in the summer heat. "I guess there is no electricity" god im gonna miss the good old days, it is likely I will never have WIFI again. We grab piles of fizzy, juice and water, even a few bottles of beer. Heading out of the shop we both carry the box. The weight strains my back. 

"Now it's time to choose a car. Preferably a big one." I say. There aren't many cars in the gas station so it doesn't take long to find the best one. A silver ford SUV. I smash open the car door. I almost have a heart attack when I find whats inside. A shaking kid, maybe about 13 is huddled in the corner. Her face is red and her eyes are puffy. 

"Courtney, you might wanna see this." I say stepping aside. Confused Courtney puts her head in the window. 

"OMG!" she exclaims

"Please don't hurt me." the girl cry's.

Courtney and I exchange glances. It's me who speaks first. "Don't worry, we wont hurt you."

"Yeah" Courtney says from behind my back. "We just need your car." I spin around and give her my dont-say-that-to-a-kid-trapped-in-a-car face. 

"Where are your parents?" I ask, already knowing they are dead. 

"I-I don't know, they left me in here to go get something in the shop, but- but" tears spill down her face. "They never came back." 

"It's okay, I don't have any parents, and neither does my friend here. My name's Kelly, and hers is Courtney." I say this to try and calm her down, but it does the opposite. Instead she bursts into tears. 

"I want to go home!" she sobs.

I reach through the window and unlock the car from the inside. "I know. I do too." I say opening the door and climbing  inside. I yelp and realize i'm sitting on a shard of glass. Using my already cut hand I brush the glass off the seat and onto the concrete ground of the car-park. I gesture to Courtney to come in. She climbs over my legs and into the back seat. 

"How long have they been gone?" i ask, not sure if i would get an answer.

"what's the day today?" She asks. 

"Um, Thursday, I think" 

The girl sighs, "That means they have been gone for four days." 

I am shocked. "You've been in this car for four days?"

"I got out once for a drink and some food." I sigh in relief and reach down to my feet, where I had loaded in the box of food and drink. I reach my hand into the box and pull out the contents until I find what Im looking for. 

"Not the donuts!" Courtney yells

I give her a look. And open the packet. I hand one to the girl who munches on it greedily, then one to Courtney. I then give another to the girl who has some how finished hers already. "Don't eat them all to fast, you might be sick." She doesn't care and instead reaches for another. She has started slowing down a little though. 

"Wha-" I start, but the girl burps in my face. 

"Sorry" she says sheepishly. 

Courtney cracks up and I throw a packet of popcorn at her face. The girl smiles slightly.

"As I was saying" I start again. " what's your name?" 

Her smile is wiped of her face. "Um, er, Rebecca." she stammers. I raise an eyebrow, I know this girl is lying. She looks down. 

"Okay then, Rebecca" I slightly emphasis her "name" "Can we use your car.?"

I expect her to say no, but she surprises me.  "Only If i can come with you." 

I nod. "Of course" Out of the corner of my eye i see Courtney's lips purse in a straight line. ever since she turned 14 she has never liked kids. 

"Um, do you know where the key is?" I ask the girl. She nods and pulls it out of her pocket. And hands it over. 

"Thanks" I say turning it in the key hole. the car reeves up and we start off down the road. I know this girl is hiding something from us, and im going to find out what.