Blue // Ben Parish // The Fifth Wave

Chapter 4

"It's five o'clock, wake up Maggots", A loud stomp on the floor.. Reznik. "I'll be back in ten minutes to see if your bunks are prepped as well was yourselves."

I groan and nearly fall out of bed, but the first thing I do is go to Jace's bed and shake him awake, "Sweetie, you need to wake up."

He eyes open softly, "I need you to get dressed quickly, and then I'll help you make your bed. Okay?"

"Okay," He smiles and sits up in the bed as I walk away.

"G'morning Blue," Zombie says as He takes off his shirt to get ready for the day ahead of us.

"Good morning," I say to Him and walk over to my bag and get out a clean jumpsuit.

I start to remove my shirt and I feel Flint's eyes on me but I didn't care, "I love waking up to this," He says as Teacup punches him in the gut. "Can you be even more disrespectful?" She spats, that's the toughest little girl I've met so far.

He scoffs as I remove my entire shirt hearing gasps, "Your torso."

"I'm fine," I laugh, I forgot about that.

"I really think you should see that nurse," Zombie says.

"I'll be fine," I said and removed my pants and slipped on my jumpsuit.

It was fine getting dressed in front of the squad, the only person I really worried about was Flint. Everyone knew boundaries, they wouldn't stare, but everyone excludes Flint.

I quickly make my bed, and then help Jace with his and brush my hair into a single braid that went above my lower back by about three inches.

"Can you do my hair like that?" Teacup asks.

"At breakfast," I smile grabbing her pinky with mine. "We don't have time now."

She nods and thanks me before Reznik returns, "Hmph," She says staring me up and down with her judgemental eyes.

I just ignore her, I could care less about her opinion.

"Now go run around the base twice, have fun," She says before leaving.

"Don't listen to her," Zombie says and grabs my shoulders. "That braid in your hair looks absolutely stunning on you."

"Thank you," I smile blushing lightly.

"Alright lovebirds let's get to running," Flint says.

I roll my eyes and grab hold of Jace, "Let's go."

Later on it's breakfast time, and for the first fifteen minutes, I did a nice long fishtail braid in Teacup's blonde hair, I also strung in flowers in it that I gathered after my run.

"You look beautiful," I say.

"So do you," Teacup grinned.

"I'm gonna go back to Zombie," I say. "I'll talk to you back at the bunks. Okay?"

"Alright," She says. "You like him don't you?"

"Huh?"

"You have a crush on Zombie."

"I may or I may not," I said. "I'm not sure, why do you ask Teacup?"

"Because both you and Zombie make it obvious you're into each other."

"Really?" I ask. "I never really looked at Zombie that way."

"Oh sure," Teacup rolled her eyes. "Now go sit with your knight in shining armor."

"Don't you mean my friend in a blue jumpsuit?" I laughed with Teacup and then made my way over to Zombie.

"Hey," He greeted me as I sat next to him. "I got you a little something," He passed me a mug, "It's hot chocolate."

"Thank you," I smile. "You didn't have to you know."

"Well, I wanted to," He smiled back at me.

I smile and take a sip, the warm beverage colliding with my cold chapped lips and mouth felt so good. I wasn't used to this feeling anymore.

"So," I say. "Why do they call you Zombie?"

"Well," He starts taking a deep breath. "I had the pestilence, and I survived. Since I survived, I have the bags under my eyes and I've become paler than usual, they called my Zombie back in quarantine."

"I'm so glad that you survived," I said caressing his cheek from across the table.

"Are you now?" He asked raising an eyebrow.

"Mhm," I nodded and removed my hand from his cheek and wrapped it around my mug.

We just stared at each other in silence for a moment, then Zombie decided to speak up, "You're eyes are mesmerizing."

"Thank you," I blushed looking down into my mug.

He just smiled as Jace leaned against me, "Are you guys like, dating?" He asked.

"No," I laughed.

"Yeah not now kiddo," Zombie laughed.

For the rest of breakfast, we engaged in a conversation with Tank about the girl named Dorothy who turned on her squad, on went that crazy.. Apparently she killed them, or tried at least. Nobody knows for sure, or that it even happened. Maybe it's just a rumor floating about the squads.

The morning went by rather quick and it was lunchtime, but Zombie and I snuck off to the bunks since we didn't like such loud noises that erupted from the eating hall.

I sat on the twin sized mattress that belonged to Zombie, my back against the headboard of the bunk. Meanwhile He lied with his head in my lap as I tangled my fingers in his hair. We both stared up at the ceiling.

"Ben Parish," He said.

"Huh?" I asked.

"My name," He said. "Ben Parish."

"Ben Parish," I whispered to myself softly as the words rolled sweetly off my tongue. "I like it."

He looked up at me and smiled, "What's your name?"

"Olivia Johnson."

"That's a beautiful name."

"Thank you," I smile as I ran my fingers through his soft hair.

"We should do this more often," Zombie said.

"How is it that I've only met you recently, but I feel like I've known you my entire life?" I asked looking down at him and rubbing my thumb against his cheek in a circular motion.

"Well the feeling is mutual."

For the last fifteen minutes of the lunchtime, we just glanced from the ceiling and than back at each other not being able to say anything else, we were just enjoying the comfort that was rarely felt anymore. And I was glad that I had met Ben Parish.