This Is How We End It

Chapter Three

Night had fallen upon the camp. Mikaela was curled up to Rick as he had his arm around Lori. Ethan and Nick sat nearby. Brittany sat more in the darkness, not knowing anyone. Shane sat across from Rick and his family, Adam and Anthony by his side. Brittany watched Shane's dimly lit face glare at Rick. It made her uncomfortable, but she didn't want to do anything yet. She didn't know the situation. Rick spoke, but her mind was focused on Shane's nasty glare. Anthony looked over at Brittany and noticed her stare. Brittany then quickly looked back down at her dinner. Anthony kept his stare on her before looking back at Rick. 

"I'm grateful, Shane. I can never repay you." Rick said as he looked over at Shane, who quickly lost his dark glare. 

"You don't have to thank me." Shane said quietly over the sounds of the crackling fire.

"No. I do." Rick said. "You too. Anthony, Adam." He said in a quiet voice too. "I owe you all."

Adam looked at him and shook his head. "Just find me a pizza and we'll call it even."

Anthony and Shane chuckled a bit, and Brittany smiled a bit at him. It was sweet, she thought. Chance looked over to Adam.

"Yeah. Get me one too." Chance chuckled. 

Ethan looked over. 

"He said Adam, not you." Ethan tried to hold back a laugh. Chance rolled his eyes.

Later that night, everyone was getting ready to sleep. Shane looked at his sons.

"You get some shut eye." He said as he took his shotgun. "I'm gonna take watch. Don't leave the light on. It'll waste the batteries." 

Adam nodded as he started to walk toward the tent, and Anthony followed from behind. Shane watched them leave as he then turned around and saw Brittany walk down to the quarry. He didn't want to stop her, so he just let her go. He walked to the RV and climbed the latter before sitting in the chair above. He heard the faint sounds of thunder in the distance. 

In the tent, Anthony and Adam got settled for bed, each opening their own sleeping bags in the rather large tent. 

"You see that Brittany girl at the fire?" Anthony broke the silence.

Adam nodded a little. "Yeah, she seems okay."

"Okay? She was staring at dad." Anthony said as he put his knife beside his sleeping bag.

"And?" Adam rose an eyebrow.

"I don't know, it just seemed... creepy." Anthony sighed.

"Well. She probably just.. I don't know. I don't really care either. Maybe she just likes him." Adam rolled his eyes.

Anthony chuckled a bit. "I don't think I'd take it that far. She doesn't look like she's ten."

"Yeah you're right." Adam yawned a bit. "Are you ever gonna shut the fuck up so I can turn this light off, and actually sleep?"

Anthony shook his head. "No."

"Fuck you." Adam said as he turned the light off, and climbed into his own sleeping bag.

There was silence until Anthony broke it. "Would it be bad to say that I have some gas to let go, right now?"

Adam scoffed a bit. "Yeah. Get out of the tent if you're gonna do that."

In Rick's tent, Mikaela slept peacefully on the sleeping bag as Nick and Ethan slept around her. Rick wrapped Lori into his arms, and kissed her. Lori kissed him back and looked up into his eyes. She then pulled him into another kiss. He began to kiss her even more, getting rougher before pulling away.

"Mikaela.." Rick looked over to Mikaela and back to Lori.

"She won't wake up." Lori smiled before kissing him again. 

On the RV rooftop, Shane sat in the chair as it began to rain, seeing Rick's tent shake. He knew what was going on. He knew what was going on between Lori and Rick. Rain and thunder shook the ground a bit as there was the occasional lightning bolt. He sighed as he sat back in the chair, seeing Brittany walk up from the path. 

"Hey. You should get some sleep." Shane called over to her. 

She glanced at him. "Not tired."

"Will be. You got a place to sleep?" He said as he kept his watch on her, studying her. 

She shook her head a bit. He saw it and sighed.

"You can sleep in my tent. Got a couple boys in there.. but just tell 'em to move over. And if they try anything, just hit 'em. They're teenagers, y'know?" Shane said as he looked down at her. "My tent's the first one on the left."

Brittany nodded a little.

She reluctantly walked to the tent, and opened it. Anthony, still awake, watched and heard her open it.

"Hey.. this ain't the holiday inn." Anthony said as he turned on the light.

Adam woke up. "Shit Anthony, turn the fucking light--" He rose an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Your dad.. uhm.. told me to sleep in here. I don't have a tent." Brittany said quietly.

"No way, we don't even know you and--" Anthony started.

"Hey! You let her sleep in there. My bag." Shane shouted from the RV roof.

Anthony rolled his eyes. "Fine. Whatever. Just get the hell in here."

Brittany stepped in before walking over to Shane's sleeping bag and taking off her shoes. Adam watched her.

"What's your name? I don't think I got it." Adam asked, watching.

"Brittany." She said quietly still, getting into the bag. It smelled of cologne. The whole tent did. "Did you people spray enough cologne?"

"Yeah. It's to make up for that sweat smell. Unless you'd rather have that." Anthony eyed her. 

She shook her head. "Just go to sleep." She said as she was next to Anthony, now. Their bags were close.

Adam rolled his eyes. "Just shut the light off. Dad's gonna be pissed if we keep it on." 

Anthony nodded and shut off the light before going back under the covers.

The next morning, Anthony woke up with his arms wrapped around Brittany, as she was pretty close. She wasn't resisting either. His eyes widened as he moved his arms and looked at her. She woke up slowly, and looked at him.

"Oh." Anthony said before getting out of his sleeping bag.