Chapter Twelve:

Dead Center

*Elissa*

I stayed away from Nick as the memory of last night was still clear in my mind. Honestly I shouldn't have slapped him. I had sought comfort in his arms and it was my mistake that lead to him not understanding the feelings I had showed to him. Easing my own conscious, I told myself he was probably just trying to comfort me further.

I sighed; even if he wasn't trying to just comfort me, I owed him an apology.

"A gun and Ammo store is just up the road", said Coach. I knew the one he was talking about. My Pa used to take me there when I was a kid to get his rifle cleaned and restocked.

"Well let's get going then", Rochelle yelled happily as she started forward with a larger amount of vigor.

I trotted along contently behind them with Coach right beside me. Nick stayed in the back, I could tell he kept glancing at me, but I wasn't quite ready to face him yet. Not after I wrongly slapped him for trying to help me.

*Nick*

I kept glancing at Ellie. She seemed to be ignoring me and I couldn't blame her at all. I had kissed her in her moment of need and it was my fault. Still, I didn't know why this bothered me so much or why I had even kissed her in the first place?

Did I really feel attracted to her that much?

I shook my head, perplexed by my own emotions. Whatever I was feeling, I needed to kill it now, I couldn't be in love with a small town hick nor could I be in love with anyone period. Not after Robin…

I was just starting to walk faster to catch up to the others when I noticed a shadow on the roof above the gun store. A crouched figure was there, watching us as we got closer. Curious as to what it was, I watched it until I noticed the red blood coating its hooded sweatshirt.

"Above you!" I yelled out.

I had tried to shout a warning, but the thing jumped at the same time the words escaped my lips and it was going straight for Ellie. The thing pounced on her like a tiger having stalked a prey and began to claw at her chest and stomach.

Ellie screamed and kicked and fought like a wounded beast. Coach, Rochelle, and I aimed at the thing, being careful not to hit Ellie and fired. We had to have unloaded at least 15-30 shots each from our guns and only barely did it go down.

It stopped clawing her and stumbled a few feet before finally laying down and dying.

"Ellie!" yelled Rochelle rushing to her.

I watched from above as they pressed some bandages from the med kit against her bleeding wounds. I couldn't tell what the damage was, but there was quite a bit of blood. Luckily she was still conscious. She smiled when Coach said something to her, but it quickly turned into a grimace as Rochelle pressed down harder, trying to stem the blood flow.

"We should get her inside", I said quickly as I heard screeches coming from not too far away, no doubt the blood was drawing them.

Rochelle and Coach agreed.

"Nick, grab her left side. Coach grab her right, I got her head."

I nodded and quickly went to where Rochelle had wanted me. When I saw the pain she was in, I felt my heart tighten up.

"Hang on Ellie", I whispered.

She looked at me and my heart did a flip when she smiled.

*Elissa*

With Nick holding me, I felt safe. I don't know why I felt so comfortable around him, but there was just something about him that made me feel like he was a good guy to be with. As they carried me inside, my stomach feeling like it's on fire, Nick and Coach sat me down gently on the ground. Nick pulled me up onto his chest to set me up a bit as Rochelle grimaced at the blood caking my yellow badly damaged shirt.

"I need to take a look at it," she said waiting for my okay.

I just nodded, as breathing hurt. I didn't know how bad it would hurt if I tried to talk.

She pulled my shirt up all the way past my bra. I noticed Nick staring and I tried hard not to blush. It was pretty easy to do when Rochelle started smearing antibiotic cream onto the wounds. The pain was ferocious as I dug my nails into whatever I was clutching, which I noticed happened to be Nicks arm. I couldn't stop though as I grimaced as she had to adjust my bra to get to the other wounds.

Nick I noticed was still watching, although I could feel his other hand playing with a strand of my hair. I focused on that feeling while I waited for Rochelle to finish her first aid.

*Nick*

When Rochelle started up with her shirt, I meant to look away, but I found myself practically entranced as I watched it go further up until I saw her black sports bra. It would have been a sexy moment if it wasn't for the blood gushing out of five furrows along her stomach and chest and the sharp nails digging into my right arm.

I nearly screamed when she first began to clutch so tightly to me. It was almost more than I could stand.

Trying to help her relax, I found a stray piece of hair ticking my left hand. I began twirling it between my fingers and she seemed to calm down a bit as I did that. No doubt it gave her something to focus on besides the pain and probably the embarrassment of showing her chest to a man she just met who also happened to have kissed her last night.

I sighed.

Somehow this day just kept getting better and better.

*Elissa*

I must have passed out because next thing I knew, my head was lying on what I noticed to be Nick's jacket and my chest and stomach felt a little better. Around me, I could hear whispering and I sat up, trying not to moan as I made my way towards it.

"So what did he say?" asked Rochelle.

"Said he would blow up the road block if we got him soda from the store down yonder", answered Coach.

"Think you can do it?"

"I'm guessing the store has an alarm. I think we best be careful should we decide to do it."

"What about Ellie?" asked Nick, "We can't just leave her here alone."

"I will come with you guys", I said deciding to make my presence known.

They all seemed relieved to see I was awake.

"How you feeling Ellie girl?" asked Coach.

I smiled at his title of endearment.

"I'm better Coach, thank you", I said with a large smile and a wink.

Rochelle was smiling to as she looked me over.

"You do have more color, but this may be harder than you are up to right now."

I shook my head.

"Nah, even if I don't go down to the shop with you, I can scope them out from up here and help you guys out by picking them off."

"Sounds good", said Nick, "but while you're doing that, you're going to need someone to watch your back. I will stay with Ellie while you and coach go to the shop."

Rochelle nodded.

"Alright, sounds good", she said as she grabbed one of the new shotguns from the gun store wall.

Coach grabbed an AR15 and Nick grabbed another magnum so he could dual wield and slipped the machete he found, behind his back. He then grabbed a shotgun and glanced at me.

I grabbed a scoping rifle with a red laser to help me aim and started following the others towards the door. I stopped when I remember the jacket I had been laying on. I grabbed it quickly and then handed it to Nick.

Nick looked at it and then slipped it back on, following close to me as we headed outside.

"Alright Whitaker, we are going to get your soda, but you better keep your bargain", yelled Coach into the security camera that was watching us as we moved outside.

I took my spot across from the store while I watched Coach and Rochelle make their way towards the store.

Beside me, I felt Nick shuffle closer.

*Nick*

I got closer to her. I could feel the wind and didn't want her getting chilled with such serious injuries. I noticed her glance at me, but I made no move to talk to her. I knew she was probably still a little peeved at me from earlier.

Taking up a protective stance, I pulled my dual magnums out and got ready to take on the horde.

"Sorry about the slap" she said all at once.

I was surprised at her apology but quickly schooled my face not to show it.

"You didn't have to slap me", I barked back.

She nodded. "I know."

I didn't say anything, still shocked at how the tables had turned all at once.

The alarm went off and screams were heard as the horde starting running from the roof tops and doorways, trying to follow the alarm.

I pulled a pipe bomb from my pocket and tossed it down below. I knew they would follow the noise and hopefully stay away from Rochelle and Coach for a while.

They scrambled after the bomb and I watched as a large mushroom cloud of red appeared above where the large amount of zombies had been. I always loved those things.

I heard a screeching sound and saw the thing that had attacked Ellie before watching Coach and Rochelle. I was about to yell a warning when a shot pierced the air, killing the creature in a second flat as a bullet enter through its skull, giving it no time to react.

I glanced over at Ellie in shock. Seeing my face she smirked at my surprise and continued to scope out the zombies surrounding Rochelle and Coach.

Laughing, I fired at the little devils that even tried to come our way. Together, she and I were what I might even call, unstoppable.

*Elissa*

When Coach and Rochelle delivered the cola to the man burrowed down in his room, we headed out towards the area the large explosion had occurred at. Climbing past the debris, we kept a cautious eye open as we spotted the mall not too far away.

"There it is", I heard Coach mumble in appreciation. I smiled, thinking the same thing. Hopefully here we could find rescue.

When we reached the safe room door, I glanced back outside and frowned. Everything I had once known was gone. Would it ever be like it had been again?

As though in answer to my question, I felt a kind hand grasp my shoulder. I glanced back into Nicks deep green eyes and his slight smile.

"Come on kid", he said with a gentle pull, "We have to keep moving."

I just nodded and shut the door.