Perhaps We'll Meet Another Day

Part of the Group

It was easy to forget that the world had ended when you were deep into the countryside. The eastern states had huge forests and miles of wilderness in between cities. It was easy to get lost if you weren't paying attention. Or, if you had no destination in mind and were just wandering aimlessly as you went.

Lexi didn't mind all that much. Eyes traveling along the river that flowed at the end of the valley, she took in the warmth of midmorning and breathed deeply. Hunger pains were a constant, almost forgettable if you were used to them like she was. You were always hungry, no matter what.

The sounds of chirping birds caught her attention and she followed the path of one as it flittering across the sky above them. When it was out of sight, she lowered her gaze back to the long, empty highway they'd been traveling. Every so often a rusted car was parked along the side or sideways in the middle of the road. They searched those they passed and continue on. The road had been cutting through the meadows for several miles now, the forest long behind them.

Shachi and Penguin had been conversing in hushed tones while they traveled, just loud enough for them to hear, but not so loud as to catch every word. Lexi shook her head with a tiny smile. She'd never met someone who could carry on discussions for as long as they could, days at a time, all day long. Back before society collapsed, she was sure there were a few people she could name who could, but now? Finding things to talk about became a bit more difficult. She commended their ability to do so.

Their voices were right at the edge of her hearing, the both of them walking in front of her. Leading directly in front of them was Law who'd been quiet most of the morning. Lexi hung at the back, as usual, observing and listening for any directions from her companions. Plus, making up the back end had some benefits. It gave her time to think about things and what not without being asked if anything was wrong.

She'd been traveling with the boys for a little over a week now, and Lexi found it surprisingly difficult to fit in with the group's dynamic. Not that there were any strict rules they had created, but simply because of her social awkwardness that had been present since she were little. In fact, each of them had been as welcoming and polite as possible to help her feel comfortable. Only Lexi's inability to really gauge where she fit into a group had come up to bite her in the ass again, and she wondered not for the first time if she'd truly made the right decision joining them.

Sighing to herself, she admitted that yes, it probably was the right decision. She was just terrible at fitting in. Her fear of becoming more trouble than she was worth had quickly taken the reigns on most of her decisions. Still, there wasn't anything she could do about it.

Something Shachi and Penguin said caught her eye. Some shift in their voice tone, perhaps, and she noticed them both looking at her when she finally glanced up.

"Hmm? What?" Lexi asked, confused.

"I asked how old you were?" Shachi waited expectantly.

"Oh, I'm 23...I think. Maybe 24 depending on what the date is." She replied with a smile. "It's kind of impossible to keep track of time."

"Well, when's your birthday?"

"July 5th."

Penguin scratched his head, eyes far away in thought. "Hmm, not sure. I don't know what month it is either."

Unexpectedly, Law joined in on the conversation. "Best guess is sometime in April. Maybe May."

"Have you been keeping track?" Penguin looked back towards their leader, watching as he pulled out a notebook from his pack and held it up. It contained dozens and dozens of tally marks separated by boxes.