Defiance | Book 1 [EXTENDED]

CHAPTER 63

We all walked back into our rooms quietly. This had been an eye- opening day and everyone was trying to figure out things and sort through their relationships like I was. Will got the message... I think.

I grabbed my towel and my soap bar and walked barefooted across the hall to the bathroom, entering, and then locking the door. I hung the towel on the nail that jutted out of the wall and slipped out of my filthy clothes. My skin was bruised and dry, covered in dust and scratches. I tied my hair up with a hair- tie and stepped into the shower turning on the knob, as the water reacted by gushing out to meet me dirty face. I looked down at the water slipping through the drain, no longer clear, instead brown and muddy. I scrubbed my arms with my palms making sure all the grime was gone and then untied my hair and let the water run through it. I grabbed my bar of soap and rubbed it across my skin, making it foam and bubble. Showers always helped lift spirits. I felt clean and a little more relaxed as I wrapped the towel around myself. I stepped out of the shower only to realize that I had forgotten to bring new clothes. Damn, I had to put the filthy clothes back on? No, everyone was in their rooms, maybe I could just quickly run to my room in my towel. I picked up my clothes, took my soap and opened the door quickly and looked out, no one. I stepped out and walked quickly, not running, just in case I slipped,

"Alex, what the hell are you doing?" Max says from behind me,

"Close your eyes!" I screech, running the last bit before shutting my door. I hear his laugh as he heads back the other direction. I was only in a towel and it's not like he's never seem me half naked before, so it wasn't a big deal. I opened my backpack and my eyes immediately met with the red dress. I pulled it out and put it on the bed before continuing my search for fresh clothes.

After pulling on a pair of shorts and a hoodie, I fold up the dress and tuck it away separately in the top shelf of the closet.

I wasn't hungry for dinner, surprisingly, so I thought I'd skip it and get a few extra hours of sleep. I slipped into bed and pulled the covers up to my chin, making myself comfortable, even though the beds were stiff. I looked up at the ceiling, trying to remember the parts of my life I had forgotten besides the fact that I dated Will. But all I could think about were funerals. Death. Just more death. I remember going for my Aunt's funeral before moving to Oklahoma. My mom cried every night for a week and started drinking, but stopped when she realized that she had family to take care of. Dylan's girlfriend, Sara, died too, and that was the first time in a long time I had seen him cry like that. My dad lost his best friend from a collapsed building. I have lost...my entire family, and if this plan doesn't work I would have lost all the people I cared about. I turned onto my side and tried to think of something else. I thought of my dog, Sydney. Best creature that ever lived, she was alive for eight years and then got sick. Like a really bad sickness that killed most of the animals. It was a new type of rabies, more advanced, and lethal to humans. Once a human is bitten, instant death follows and if you're lucky you would have a couple of extra minutes before your body shuts down. That's why all the animals with early signs of sicknesses had to be put down. I loved Sydney, and she too was gone. Thinking of something else just brought me back to grief and death. I got up, knowing that if I stayed I would be forced to relive all the dark memories. I reconsidered going down for dinner and walked out leaving the negativity behind me.