Survival of the Unfit

Chapter 20

Levi

I plopped into my usual study hall seat and turned to a blank page in my math notebook, all the way in the back. Taking out a pen, I separated it into three sections: Casey, April, Killer. I started with Casey.

She’s beautiful. She’s lovely. She’s hilarious. She’s adorable, and she’s short tempered. A touch selfish too. Lies every once in a while. The main reason I’m here is because of that last date of ours and the disaster it ended in though. And I guess the big question I’m wondering about is if I should talk to her about it. Should I take the initiative? We haven’t talked in a week. She hasn’t left me anything besides that note. She abandoned me, and that was a downright mean thing to do, man. She had drunkenly tweeted the other day. Who knows what she does when she’s drunk. Do I get her back? There had to be something I could do to fix this. Other question, do I want to? Yes. Quite simply, it’s my fault we’re all messed up, and now I should fix it.

April. I just get so worried about her. I worry about her safety now, ever since that call and facing that group of girls. She would’ve been dead if I didn’t show up, I was certain no matter how good of a fighter she is. She’s got pretty eyes and a sassy mouth and all, but I can’t forget seeing that fragile side of her. Question, are we friends? God, what do I even feel about her? She’s cool. I like talking to her. Girlfriend aside, I’d love to hang out with her sometime. Just casually, get to know what she’s really like, but I can’t, for the thousandth time the affair is strictly professional and I needed to start acting like it.

The killer. It’s a she, supposedly, which only makes her harder to kill once I find her. And no one’s left yet; two days later and no one’s fled the island. And she has four people’s best traits, yet no one’s exemplified anything spectacular. I mean, four traits? You’re basically a god. Whoever it is will be deathly smart and cunning. Whoever she is, she is very dangerous. Yet I don’t know if I could kill her. Could April? Nah, no way. She’s never killed someone before. I’m…I’m the most qualified for the job.

I stared at what I had written, letting it all soak and burn into my brain. My hand was rather cramped, but I felt that the waters were starting to clear. Finally, I might be able to have some peace and quiet around here. No anxiety or fear. And just maybe everyone’ll stop hunting each other and I can quit altogether.

Of course, I’m done after this year anyway. I’ll be moving off the island and moving into a college dorm, which I needed to sort out very soon. I’ll leave behind the damned place and never have to go back, never worry about dying, leaving it all for April. She could handle it, right? As long as I got the killer. And as long as this weird pattern of groups killing kids comes to a stop.

I didn’t ever see the girls around school that we had faced in the woods. I passed no one with injuries or bandages. They could be out for a day recuperating, but everyone around here is tough. There was just no way they were all South girls though, the chance was impossible. No one’s that ruthless down there, right? Not for spears and crossbows and medieval weapons, right? They’re sweet as sugar down South. North is where the bitter ones are.

The bell rang, and I went through the rest of the school day fairly comfortable and confident. We weren’t getting a lot of homework over the weekend, which was nice. On Saturday I headed to the bakery to finish up the some comprehension questions. Pick up a lemonade. Maybe a cookie or two. Relax before going out that night.

“Lemonade?” Hailey asked behind the counter.

“Lemonade, please.” 

She smiled politely and got the usual cup. The place was empty for the moment, since it was around 9:00 and not much ever happens at a bakery at 9:00 in the evening on a Saturday night. I looked around the place again while she got my lemonade. A minute later I was handing her my money and getting change.