Princess; b.parish (EDITING)

Chapter Nine

Princess had been the head of the varsity cheer squad back when she was Lola. Lola had also been arguably one of the most popular girls at her school. She had always been the leader, the one in charge. But now she had to compete for the spot that she always gained so easily.

After P&D she headed back to the barrack with the rest of the squad. The boys entered the shower room first as there were no dividers between shower heads. Princess and Teacup waited on their bunk for them to finish. Princess had not forgotten about the ring in her pocket, there was no way she could. The ring was what tied her life to the life people lived before the waves. She slipped it into the underside of her pillow case and lay down on her bed. It was silent except for the sound of the showers until she heard a creak above her. Teacup swung her head over the edge of her bunk and was looking down at Princess.

"Did Zombie tell you what we have to do tomorrow"

"No"

She reposition herself to have a better grip on the bed.

"Reznik wants to find a leader for our squad so we have to battle for it"

Princess nodded softly and even though Teacup waited for another response she stayed silent. Princess had become a lot harder and colder of a person ever since the waves hit. Before the waves she would have continued to talk to Teacup because she liked people. She also would have been excited for the leadership competition because she liked to think of herself as a competitive person.

But she wasn't that person anymore.

When the boys finished their showers Princess and Teacup slipped in, showered, and went back to their beds. But Princess couldn't sleep. As it seemed neither could Nugget or Zombie because they had been talking. Princess' bunk being right beside Zombie and Nuggets made it easier for her to hear what they were saying, not that she wanted to though.

She could hear Nugget talking softly about how scared he was. She couldn't blame him. For a 5 year old it had to be terrifying, prepping for battle. Hell, he doesn't even know how to multiply but he's expected to know how to load a gun and take down a creature that he knows nothing of.

"Zombie" he whispered. "Me and my sister used to pray every night before bed. Would you mind praying with me?"

Princess could practically hear the cogs spinning in Zombies head. She assumed he really wanted to do it as he felt for the poor guy but risking a private being out of bed if Reznik payed a visit was risky.

Zombie whisper a soft 'sure' and Nugget climbed down the ladder, taking his time and trying by to make too much noise. Nugget knelt against the edge of the bed and Zombie quickly realized that he should be to.

Princess wasn't sure if they knew she was watching but she didn't care. If they knew she wouldn't have stopped. Seeing the interaction made her feel human, and like her life wasn't a dream she couldn't wait to wake up from. In this case dream being synonymous to nightmare.

She didn't know how long it was before the two of them climbed back into their beds and her falling asleep. But she's glad it happened.

Princess awoke the next morning to the usual bugle and began her morning routine. She completed the morning laps and workout regime and was sure to stay on Rezniks good side. Today was the leadership competition and Princess wanted to try for the spot.

After their normally quiet lunch the squad head out to the back field over by the track to find Reznik waiting for them. They were greeted by not only Reznik but another squad who had been more punctual than them.

This was the moment when the kids and adults were to be separated. The weak from the strong. The followers from the leaders, and Princess sure as hell hoped she would end up on the side that would save her.

754 words
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Sorry this was sort of a filler chapter, I wanted to get one in after being away for 2 weeks. I have a the rest of the 'wave chapters' drafted, but I'm still figuring out when's the right time to put them in the story. A better more exciting update is coming soon!!