⋆The Survivors [UNDER CONSTRUCTION]⋆

Chapter seven

It had been a week since I had my little blow-up in the tunnel and I had hidden in my room for most of that time. Even though no one had told me off or even given me a punishment, I felt like I didn't have the right to leave. Ollie would swing by every day and bring me food, most of which I didn't want to touch, a small stupid part of my brain thinking that the food had been tampered with. But every time Ollie came, he barely said a word to me. 

He was mad, Eli was even more mad but what made me more uncomfortable was whenever I would go into the communal bathrooms, no one would look at me. Some people would even leave the showers when they saw me while the others completely ignored my existence. It was a weird whiplash from everyone not being able to stop staring at me to then completely pretending I wasn't even there. Josh hadn't bothered me and I hadn't seen Katie either which wasn't a bad thing. 

It was weird, feeling alone but being surrounded by people. I knew I had probably wounded their pride but I stood by what I had said. I wasn't sure if it was because they felt a big need to want to do something, the point was that they hadn't done anything. 

"Sit still," I tutted at Hercules as I brushed out his damp air. Using the fact that I could clear a room, I had finally washed Hercules properly which he had hated. Brushing it seems to irritate him even more. "C'mon, just sit still kid," I muttered as I got a knot out of his mane as he whined at me pitifully. A small knock came on my door and I looked at the time, knowing it was too early for Ollie, but since no one else came into my room I huffed calling for them to come in. 

The door opened slowly and when the door closed, I glanced over my shoulder to see Eli creeping at the door. Sighing I turned away holding Hercules's collar as he huffed, the brush running through his hair. "What do you want Eli?" Our mother had always instilled in us that when speaking to someone eye contact was seen in some cases as a sign of respect. Giving my back to Eli said everything I didn't want to say. He may have been mad at me for saying what I did, but I was upset by the way he had treated me in front of others. 

"I'm sorry." He blurted out and I sighed putting the brush down and shaking my head, but he cut me off quickly. "Look, there are rules that are needed to be enforced for everyone's protection and when you disappeared, I acted-"

"Irrational? Idiotic? Like an asshole," I began listing off gritting my teeth as Hercules nuzzled against my hand. 

"You gonna make this easy for me or...?"

"Why would I? You treated me like I was a child in front of an entire group of people because I broke a rule that I didn't know about nor did I agree to. I will not be micromanaged by you, Ollie or that cow Katie!" I screamed standing up and turning on Eli who could only flinch at my words. "Pull something like that again and I'm out of here Eli, I swear to the gods. I'll take all my shit with me and just disappear."

Eli stepped forward with his hands up looking regretful and I felt my anger beginning to subside, "Okay, okay. I'm sorry Olive. Please... Don't- Don't leave. You just got here and I know it would devastate Ollie and I'd... I'd hate that." Frowning at me, I took a deep breath before nodding slowly. Eli smiled at me hopefully as he pulled me into a hug, pressing his lips to my forehead. I rested against him for a moment before he had to run it and added, "So... I'd like your help with something."

I rolled my eye smacking him in the chest and pushing him away shaking my head as I began to pick up the brush, cleaning it out of all of Hercules' hair. "Naturally you didn't apologise because you felt bad-"

"C'mon Olive I did-" But he stopped seeing my smile as I sat down on my bed. Leaning down to pet Hercules Eli continued, "So... I don't agree with how you said what you said. But what you said had some merit to it. We don't have a plan other than survival which isn't a bad thing. But I think we all felt like we were making a difference, which we aren't. So the last week we've been sending out scouts and the intel is that there is a lot of stuff happening around Salt Lake City."