Full Summary: "Yeah, this one chick, she would just not give up. I've never seen someone with so much fuckin' energy. It took a couple minutes to snuff everyone else and by the time I was getting ready to shoot again she was takin' down our guys left and right. Almost fifteen of us and we all just fell like a tower of playin' cards! I'm just fuckin' shocked I got outta there in time or else I'd be dead meat, y'know?"
After dealing with the new world, the constant cycle of life and death, it can take a toll on the way one acts. For Jayne, twenty years of this shit thrown her way has made her a resilient trooper in the fight for her life, so when she gets bombarded with the scene of the last of her family dying before her eyes, it might take more than the brush of a shoulder to get past it. When she runs into two people of her group with the addition of two others tagging along in the city, she might have been asking for more than she bargained for.
Warnings: Original Characters, Explicit Language, Explicit Violence, Explicit Sexual Content, Death, Torture, Suicidal Thoughts/Attempt, Implied Rape, Eventual Smut, Eventual Romance, Ass-Kicking, Bad Puns (Love You Ellie)
Sunlight streamed in through the cracks of blackout curtains, shining the light on an empty bed. The sheets were a dark black, the comforter a pale gray and bundled up in the middle of the full sized mattress. Next to the bed was a nightstand, a plain lamp atop it as well as a phone, the ringtone a persistent and constant reminder that Jayne needed to change it and soon.
There was no doubt she loved her friends dearly, but when the first tones of "Pop Pop Americano" rang throughout the peaceful silence, she always grumbled about needing change. Still, Jayne never once actually changed the ringtone, letting the man sing that stupid little phrase over and over again to wake herself up. It really was a nice alarm, letting her know her friends would be barging into her apartment soon, ready to drag her around on her study-free day.
Finals week was a drag, especially during the month of September when all the young adult wanted to do was curl up with a good book in her warm bed. But alas, that was an entirely different world she fantasized about, where her days were short and nights long and carefree. Her smartphone sounded off again, this time with a more mellow and chilled tone, the lyrics to Paul McCartney's "Band On The Run" flowing out and settling her frazzled nerves.
Jayne set down her hairbrush, getting a close look at her face to make sure it would be to Kristen liking. Lilac locks fell down past her shoulders, the ends slightly frayed from the dying process and naturally curled, settling in the middle of her back. Gray eyes looked back at her, tracing over the curve of her nose to the small cluster of moles next to it, skimming over her freckled and "chipmunk" cheeks, finally stopping at her eyebrows, spotting the zit she had been pursuing for the past hour. The acne was like a curse on her fair skin that wouldn't go away, the color always standing out with no help from those zit zapper kits everyone buys.
Sighing in frustration, she set down her tweezers, blinking away the blurriness as she reached over for her black-rimmed glasses, settling them sturdy on the bridge of her nose. Jayne sighed again, taking in the fact she forgot to put on actual clothes and assigning herself with the task before Kristen got her hands on some skimpy dresses. She retreated to her closet, flipping on the bedroom light and snatching her phone as she passed the threshold of her nightmares.
Paul McCartney was once again serenading her and the woman accepted the call, placing the phone so it was nestled in between her right ear and shoulder, head tilted to keep the pressure. For a moment, there was gentle breathing on the other line, Jayne's hands pilfering through the scarce amount of jeans and shirts. In the next moment, a screech passed through her ears, making her jump and yelp as the phone hit her foot, cursing at the man cackling through her speaker that had turned on.
"You fucking asshole! I'm so going to beat your ass when I see you today!" She was irritated and a little bit relieved, knowing that she wouldn't be alone today. The man on the other line cackled even harder if possible, his infectious laughter bringing a small chuckle to the surface.
"Don't worry sweetheart, I'll let you slap my ass all you want," Harriet exclaimed, trying to stifle his laugh but failing when he heard Jayne stumble and knock into something. She was just too innocent when it came to certain subjects.
"You know, I sometimes think you aren't really gay with the shit that tumbles out of your mouth," Jayne expressed, righting herself to be standing on two legs instead of on one knee while the other was sprawled awkwardly. With that, she yanked off her pajamas, the clothing leaving barely audible thumps when hitting the wooden floorboards. Faster than possible, she was in a pair of comfortable stretchy jeans, a loose-fitting olive green tank top with the bra straps underneath securely strapped and hidden, a military bomber jacket, and some comfortable black converse.
"Well, sometimes I think you aren't really a virgin and then I remember that you always trip over yourself when something as innocent as slapping an ass is mentioned." Jayne sighed in defeat, snatching up her phone and a black beanie before exiting her closet, switching off her bedroom light and traversing down the small hallway leading to the living room/kitchen. "Anyways, are you almost ready? I wanna get this show on the road and would like to be grinding up against some wonderful, athletic men with their bulgi-"
"Harry! I do not need to hear that right now! I was just about to eat and now I can't get that picture out of my head," She shrieked, phone still feeding her Harriet's gleeful peels and banana in hand. She looked at it for a second before dropping it back into the fruit bowl, grimace on her lips with a light dusting of red on her cheeks. "I fucking hate you."
"I love you too! Now you better be ready to meet us at that cafe you introduced us to or you'll regret it!" Harriet's tone was playful but laced with an underlying sense of a threat, Jayne shivering at the thought of going against his orders again. I do not want to deal with that shit again. God damn psycho is what he is, Jayne thought bitterly, trying to figure out how they were friends in the first place.
"Yeah yeah, don't get your balls in a twist," she muttered, hearing the telltale click of the call ending before she even replied. Eyes flitted over everything, double checking to make sure everything was where it was supposed to be before pocketing her phone. Moving over to the front door, she shouldered her sturdy backpack, weighed down by her precious 35mm camera, her journal, a wallet filled with useless receipts and change, a photo album filled with various pieces of photos from her study abroad programs, and an extra change of clothes.
Stepping out of her safe haven, she made sure all the lights were off before locking the door and walking down the apartment complex third-floor hallway. Soon enough she was outside, the breeze ruffling some of her beanie covered hair, bringing with it the scent of freshly cut grass. Jayne sighed in bliss, closing her eyes as she set off towards her car, keys lightly clinking with every step made towards her little piece of shit.
The car was an old, dull red lemon which she named Dorothy, loving the original Wizard of Oz movie since she was a little girl. When Jayne was in close approximation with the vehicle, she admires it, fingers skimming lightly along its dull and fading paint. To anyone else, she probably looked like a fucking lunatic but in the moment, she was the happiest woman alive. Snapping out of her weird transfixion, she unlocked the door, key twisting with applied force until it groaned to life. Her backpack was tossed in the passenger seat, doors firmly shut and secure while she strapped on her seatbelt.
"Okay pretty girl, you better move for me or else I'm leaving you for someone else," Jayne mumbled absentmindedly, hands rubbing the steering wheel. Every single time she was in this car, she would give it a loving compliment before threatening it, knowing for a fact that she was a little bit crazy talking to Dorothy. With another groan of protest, she shifted the gear shift out of park and into reverse, praising the car gods to let her car work another day.
With that she was off, being mindful of the rules of the road, still getting the hang of driving even after seven years. Wanting to know what was on the radio this sunny and gray-skied morning, she applied a hard pound to the top of the contraption. It roared to life, the time now actually visible while she fumbled with the radio dial, the setting on FM.
"... and we're seeing clear skies for the foreseeable future of this week. In other news, there have some strange sightings of people attacking others all over the country, possibly some sort of 'bath salt' spike again, especially in big cities like New York and Los Angeles. Reporters across the country have been saying they haven't seen a spike like this in years and that the results are a staggering amount. Crime has been spiking as well as multiple reports of victims being admitted for multiple, severe wounds received from said people. No other reports have been made, but we'll keep up with the details here on Hiya Hank! I'm Hank and I hope you all have a wonderful morning."
With that, the talk show was replaced with the startings of another, Jayne instead switching to a music station to drown out her nerves. It worked, a woman's obnoxious tone being replaced with the smooth sounds of jazz, relaxing Jayne to the point of level-headedness. The state of Oregon was such a beautiful sight to see, passing by the University of Oregon campus on her way to the cafe. She grew nervous again, palms sweating lightly with the dread of having to hang out for a whole entire day and night cycle with her two psychos. Yes, she loved Kristen and Harriet, but they could get on her nerves so fast it was like lightning bolt crashed down on the earth from Zeus himself.
It took another hour of traffic jams and busy college streets for her to be able to finally park Dorothy. The building was small and quaint, a rustic homey feel attached to the rough brick and wood edgings on the outside. Multiple garden tables were plopped before her, matching chairs and a multitude of different tropes of people around Jayne. Preparing herself with a nice deep breath, she yanked her bag into her lap, opening the car door before slamming it shut.
A body collided into her side before she could even get a good look of the interior, a squeeze so loud she thought it may have popped her eardrums. "Jesus H. Christ, Kristen! First Harry and now you, with all the loud noises and the screeching." Kristen ignored her, however, hugging the life out of Jayne as she tried to pry the woman of twenty-four off of her.
"I'm sorry! I'm just so excited that you are actually taking a day off because you never do and I freaked out and this is just amazing and-" Kristen babbled, words rushed and hurried like if she didn't talk now, her head would implode.
"Shh," Jayne substituted, placing a finger on the woman's lips to shut her up. When she stopped talking, Jayne continued, hesitating when removing her finger. "Here is how today is going to go. There will be no talks of boys or my brother, you are allowed to drag me with you to three stores, and you get to buy me lunch and dinner because I'm flat out broke. Do we have a deal?"
Kristen Wainwright, a pain in Jayne's ass since high school but a loving friend all the same. Healthy and luscious black locks were pulled into a ponytail, accentuating her sharp cheekbones and million watt smile. Eyes a vivid and captivating green with flecks of gold thrown into the mix, making sure to capture the attention of almost every guy at U of O. Kristen's skin was a wonderful and warm olive, the sunlight bouncing off it and almost creating a golden tint. Last but not least was the little accents of permanent henna wrapped around her exposed arms, flowers and paisleys clashing with the plain jeans and blouse that she was wearing in a good way.
The woman eagerly nodded, another squeal passing through her frame and shaking her to her core. Without another thought, Kristen yanked on her arm, dragging her from Jayne's beloved car and in through the glass doors of Ideal Cafe. An air conditioner was on, blasting cool air all around the various and eccentric tables, chairs, and display cases of art. Jayne felt like her arm was going to dislocate out of her shoulder, failing to get a grip on her feet and crashing into Kristen back when she suddenly stopped.
"I hate you guys so much," Jayne whined, her wrist finally being released from the death grip, hissing when tingles started forming in her fingertips. Just what kind of deal with the devil did she make to have a grip that fucking strong? She stepped out from behind Kristen, immediately sitting down across from Harriet who was as cool as a cucumber, thankfully not freaking out like the black haired beauty next to her.
"Shush, you love us and don't deny it J," Harriet teased, arms resting on the edge of the table while he grasped onto his bright yellow coffee mug, a smiley face plastered onto its surface. His own smile matched it, making her relax in the cushioned seat as she took in his features like a new painting was being placed in front of her.
Harriet Bennett, Jayne's best friend since preschool, was an eccentric and bubbly man who wore his heart on his sleeve. Skin tone the color of a cool and captivating mocha paired off with his even darker eyes made almost all the gay men swoon. Whenever he smiled, dimples would form along with it, a special treat to see every time Jayne's eyes settled on him. Today he was wearing gray skinny jeans, a casual black cotton tank top with a red and black flannel covering that, along with some silver necklaces and bracelets, as well as the light gray friendship bracelet standing out to her eyes.
"So, what exactly are we doing today? And don't tell me, 'getting you a boyfriend,' or, 'getting you laid.' Definitely, not 'replacing your eyes so you can finally see blue.' I just want to have a relaxing day before finals next week." Both of her closest friends took in her words, sending each other looks and completely ignoring Jayne. She waited patiently, knowing how they could get when making plans whenever they "gave her the time of day."
Jayne thought back to the radio talk show, about the nervous feeling she got along with the dread that coursed through her body. It was a shock to her system when she was suddenly startled out of the feelings reappearing, Kristen and Harriet giving her concerned looks when she visibly flinched. "You doing okay there J? It was like you were in a weird hippie trance or some shit."
Leave it up to Harriet to save the day with his words of wisdom, Jayne thought dryly, sighing when the persistent looks were drilling into the side of her head. Irritated, she faced Kristen, raising an acne riddled brow with a small grimace. Said woman raised her hands up innocently, choosing to ignore the glare aimed at her and instead start conversing with Harriet. The man's lips quirked up into a tiny smirk, taking a sip of his coffee to hide the full blown one appearing on his face. With that, Jayne took that as the go ahead to order some coffee, moving to stand up and chat with the barista standing bored behind the counter.
The world seemed like a peaceful place to exist in during that very moment; aligned as one with no end in sight. Except none of them had a clue of the impending danger lurking right around the corner or the extreme devastation that would follow in its wake. No one knew that for Jayne, it would be a whole new darkness, one in which she was the unknowing light for many people, good and evil alike. No one knew that the moment it seemed like the world would be as one, would actually be the last day on Earth.