Still Alive

CH7: Maggie & David

Maggie and David fall into a routine that makes their days go by a little easier.

They wake up, check on the doors and windows, eat two meals (on rare occasions three if their last run is fruitful), and check the radio for any transmission. When their supplies start to dip, they would go on a run around the neighborhood, but never too far from their home and never alone. Otherwise, they would find other ways to entertain themselves in the house.

They didn't make all that effort to survive this long just to die of boredom.

Their latest fascination is a chessboard (found during one of their luckier runs) with an assortment of buttons and small figurines to replace the missing pieces. They've taken to playing a few rounds on the floor of their room and to Maggie's surprise, David plays really well.

"Checkmate."

Maggie sighs in defeat and sets the pieces back into place for another round.

"You should have joined the chess team."

David only shrugs.

"Didn't you join any interest clubs?"

He shrugs again as he restarts their game. David used to enjoy playing basketball and he'd been asked to try out for the varsity team before (probably because of his height), but when he found out that Wayne Schwartzman and his goons were trying out too, he declined the invitation saying he'd rather chew off his own leg than be in the same team as them.

But all that feels like something from years ago now.

"You should've joined my club then."

David cracks a smile. "You mean the slacker's club?"

"The what?"

"The slacker's club. Where people went to watch movies and eat popcorn."

Maggie looks indignant. "We didn't just watch any movie, you know. Mostly foreign or independent films. And members were required to write critiques."

"And how many of them took their critiques seriously?"

Maggie flicks one of her button pieces at him, making him laugh a little. "Okay, fine, but some of them actually were serious about the club."

Like honor student Allie Summers for instance.

Maggie's smile falters as she feels a familiar twinge in her chest.

Allie had been one of the brightest and most hardworking students she had ever handled. Class president. Club president. Student council vice president. One of the heads for the school outreach programs. Member of the school choir. The girl got involved in almost everything she found worthwhile and always gave her 100%.

Allie had shared her plans of going to a prestigious university to pursue a medical program and had asked Maggie for a recommendation letter.

A lump forms in Maggie's throat when she thinks of the letter still sitting on her desk at school.

Silence settles between them for a while as David, too, finds himself deep in thought.

With some effort, Maggie eventually shakes away the thoughts that keep coming back to threaten what little peace she has (or strives to have) at the moment. It's something she's been working hard to do to keep herself together on particularly dark days.

Changing the subject is usually one effective way to go about it.

She's okay with talking about anything...except people.