VIII - Catch Up
Lori gasped as she quickly opened her eyes. She lifted herself upright from the couch and looked around the living room, seeing bright light coming from the kitchen windows. It lit up the entire kitchen as well as the living room, allowing Lori to turn around and read the clock. It was almost ten o'clock. She sighed out of frustration and stood up, rubbing her eyes. She walked upstairs and past the closed doors as she moved towards the bathroom. She looked inside, finding her blue towel hanging from the rack next to the sink. She closed the door and locked it.
Water sprayed out of the showerhead. Steam rose from the splashing water in the tub, fogging up the mirror on the sink. Lori untied the blue shoelaces on her boots before removing them and placing them next to the door. She unzipped her pants and pulled them down before pulling up her shirt, leaving her feeling exposed and vulnerable. She then removed her underwear and stepped into the tub, sighing in relief as she felt the warm water trickling down her skin. She untied her bun and let loose her long hair, which went down to her waist. She grabbed the bottle of shampoo and opened it up, pouring some into her hands before lathering it across her head, causing her to sigh in relief. The water on the tub splashed against the dirt and blood that was being washed away into the drain.
After a few minutes, she placed her hands on the faucet and turned off the water. She opened up the curtains and grabbed her towel, patting it against her face before stepping out of the tub. She wrapped the towel over her chest, though the towel barely covered her hips. She rubbed the fog away from the mirror and saw herself clearly for the first time in a long time. The reflection of her blue eyes looked back at her, allowing her to see the pain that she's kept hidden inside of herself. Then, she opened the mirror cabinet and grabbed a shaving cream, a pair of scissors, and her razor.
Her razor glided across her skin as she shaved the hair off her legs and arm. She looked at the mirror as she cut off any hair hanging below her neck. She dabbed lotion on her face and applied blue eyeshadow on her eyelids. Finally, she rubbed some natural-color lipstick across her lips, making them appear healthier.
She stepped out of the bathroom and towards her room, where she lightly knocked on the door before entering. To her surprise, no one was inside. She opened her drawers and dropped her towel. She sighed softly out of defeat as she placed a bra around her chest, noticing how loose it was around her breasts. She placed her blue tank top, which was not able to cover her bellybutton, yet it was not tight at all. In fact, just like her cargo shorts, they felt loose. She slipped on a pair of sneakers, which to her relief still fit her. She walked out of the room and towards Lincoln's room. She knocked on his door, though she received no response, to which she decided to barge in. Upon opening the door, she found no one inside. She began to panic as she jogged towards the other rooms. Door by door, she looked inside the rooms, finding no one inside their rooms.
"Oh my god," she gasped. "Oh my god, oh my god. No, no, no."
She ran downstairs, grabbing the Python sitting on the table. She looked at the front door and noticed that it was unlocked. Then, a knock on the door startled her and caused her to raise her revolver as she looked in front of her, gripping her gun tightly. She approached the door, placing her right eye on the peephole. A sigh of relief came from her mouth as she lowered her revolver and opened the door.
"Good morning, babe..." said Bobby, before smiling. "Wow."
"What is it?" asked Lori.
"You look… amazing. I haven't seen you wear your classic eyeshadow in like, forever. It… it looks beautiful on you."
Lori smiled softly before moving out of the way, allowing Bobby to enter. However, he simply stood outside, looking at Lori as she paced around.
"Don't you wanna come inside?" asked Lori.
"No, not really. We're going out to eat breakfast with the rest of the group, remember?"
"Oh… okay. So, the town plaza. So that's where everyone is."
"Yup. Hungry?"
Lori nodded. She placed her revolver back into her holster and walked out of the house holding her husband's hand. After closing the door, she felt the fresh morning breeze brush against her skin and a sweet aroma enter her nose. She looked to her right at the gate, seeing a guard biting into a peach. The guard seemed to not be the same one she saw last night. His clothes were different. She turned to her left and saw people dressed in normal clothing while not carrying backpacks or weapons, as far as her blurry vision could tell her.
The couple walked away from the house and into the road, which was free of moving vehicles of any kind. As they got closer to the town plaza, more people were present, their conversations now breaking the silence that Lori experienced earlier.
"I got a little worried when I saw that the group was there but not you," said Bobby. "They told me you were sleeping in, so I thought I'd come by the house and see if you were up. And you were."
"Sorry about that, I…"
"You don't have to be sorry. I'm happy that someone slept well."
"Oh, you didn't get enough sleep?"
"I did, I was talking about my sister. I guess she couldn't stop thinking about our mom. She's still ticked off about it, so if you see her and she's cranky… you know why."
"Ah, gotcha."
The couple approached the town plaza, seeing the parking lot once having empty tables and chairs now filled with people in chairs and food on the tables. The tables had wide umbrellas that provided shade. Lori looked around, trying to find her group, but they seemed to be scattered as she could only see Luna and Sam sitting down with their friends, Sully and Mazzy. Their cheery excitement made it impossible for Lori to hold back her smile. She continued to look around until she found Carol and Becky, being able to identify them from their hair. Then, as Becky sat down at a table, she squinted at the table before gasping.
"Is that…?" gasped Lori as she jogged closer to the table. "Whitney?"
"Lori?" gasped Whitney. "O… M… G! Lori!"
Whitney stood up and squealed as she ran over to Lori, hugging her. Lori was astonished as she hugged Whitney back. Whitney then let Lori go as she grabbed her arm and tried to pull her to her table. Lori, however, resisted softly before looking at the table.
"I can't believe the three of you survived!"
"Oh my god… I can't believe you're here too…"
"Not just me," said Whitney.
Lori looked around the table, seeing Roger and another guy that she didn't recognize. Her face radiated with joy as she sat herself on the table. Bobby sat next to her while Whitney struggled to contain her happiness. Carol circled around the table.
"Is that Carol Pingrey?" whispered Whitney.
Lori nodded.
"She looks so different. Wow. Okay, to start off, you, Becky, and Bobby missed a lot," said Whitney. "First things first, what are you craving? We have ham, egg, and cheese sandwiches, we have omelettes, and we have— uh, what are you doing?"
Carol looked at Whitney as she sat herself down next to the young man that Lori didn't recognize. She appeared puzzled by the hostility in her voice.
"Sitting down…?" said Carol, her voice trailing off.
Whitney turned towards Lori.
"Do you want me to kick her out or…?"
"What? No!" said Lori.
"You've been out on the road too long. Seems like you forgot that she… tried to kiss your boyfriend. Unless that's forgiven?"
"Oh, yeah, big time. That's all in the past. She's one of my… closest friends."
"Oh… okay. Sorry about that, Carol. You can sit here."
"I already am," Carol chuckled forcefully.
"Also… Bobby's not my boyfriend," said Lori.
"Oh, man, that sucks to hear," said Roger. "I thought I saw you guys holding hands though. I mean, what's up with that?"
"What?" scoffed Lori.
"Come on," said Whitney. "She clearly doesn't want to talk about it."
"Uh, guys?"
Lori lifted her left hand and placed it on the table. Whitney, Roger, and the unnamed friend gasped as they looked at her hand.
"Is that a wedding ring?" gasped Roger.
"O… M… G!" squealed Whitney. "You guys got married?!"
Lori nodded, blushing slightly as she looked at Bobby, who looked back with a blush on his face too.
"Yeah. Bobby's my husband," said Lori as she placed her head on Bobby's shoulders. "Couldn't have asked for a better husband."
"That's so cute!" exclaimed Whitney.
"Congratulations, guys!" said Roger.
"Thanks, man," said Bobby.
"Yeah, can we get breakfast now? Boo-Boo Bear, what are you in the mood for?"
"I could go for a sandwich."
"So cute!" squealed Whitney. "And what about you, Becky? Still on-and-off with Tad? On? Off?"
"Um, Whitney…" mumbled Roger. "Tad's not here."
"So? That doesn't mean—"
"Yes, it does," said Becky, crossing her arms. "Tad's dead. He's been dead for almost three years."
Whitney began to blush out of embarrassment. Roger and the unnamed friend looked at each other as they immediately felt the squirm of the uncomfortable silence creep up their spine. Carol cleared her throat as she stood up.
"I'm going to get everyone sandwiches," said Carol. "Anyone want something different?"
"Yeah," said the young adult next to her. "I'd like another omelette. It's really tasty."
Carol looked at the young adult sitting next to her. He appeared slightly chubby, emphasized by his lime-colored short-sleeved shirt. He had dark skater hair that covered his ears, which along with his small black watch gave off a cool vibe. His voice was gentle too.
"Name's Will, by the way. I was the guy who opened the gates yesterday."
"Okay, Will… I'll get you… another omelette."
Will scratched the back of his neck as he looked around the table, now feeling the extent of the uncomfortable silence.
"On second thought… I'll come with you, Carol."
"Okay."
Carol and Will stood up and walked away from the table and towards the food truck that stood at the center of the plaza, where two lines were formed on opposite sides. In front of the line was Lincoln, who grabbed a tray with a sandwich, a plastic cup with water, and a napkin. He walked out of the line and joined Ronnie Anne and Clyde who were waiting for him while they each held their own tray of food.
"Man, it's kinda packed in here, don't you think?" said Lincoln.
"Indeed," said Clyde. "I don't know where we're going to find a seat in this mess."
"What about there?" asked Ronnie Anne. "Some girl seems to be waving at you."
Lincoln looked over at a table in the distance, indeed seeing a Filipina girl waving at him. His eyes lit up and he smiled, now headed in that direction.
"That's Stella!" said Lincoln.
"The new girl?" asked Clyde.
"Who's Stella?" asked Ronnie Anne.
Lincoln, Clyde, and Ronnie Anne walked over to Stella's table. Sitting in Stella's table was Girl Jordan, Mollie, Chloe, Chandler, Trent, and Richie. The trio began to squeeze themselves in between Girl Jordan and Chloe.
"Hey, guys!" smiled Girl Jordan. "Ronnie Anne! Haven't seen you in a while."
"Feels good to be back," sighed Ronnie Anne.
"Hi, Clyde," greeted Chloe, patting the empty seat next to her.
"Hey, Chloe," smiled Clyde.
"Man, it's packed in here, isn't it?" commented Lincoln.
"It's okay," said Stella. "I know it's not as free as the lunch tables back in school, but it's nice— all of us hanging out together."
"I can think of a way to clear up some space," smirked Chandler. "Thing is, it requires you to leave."
Lincoln rolled his eyes.
"Be nice!" said Stella. "Last thing we want to do is come off as unfriendly to our friends."
"He's not my friend, babe."
Stella sighed as Lincoln raised his eyebrows. Chandler grinned as he placed his arm around Stella, keeping a glare at Lincoln.
"Woah, so you guys are together?" asked Lincoln.
"Shocked?" said Chandler. "Kinda expected you to be. You and her were starting to get… close, right?"
"Huh? Wait, hold on," said Ronnie Anne as she faced Stella. "Hi, Stella. I'm Ronnie Anne."
"Hey, Ronnie Anne," greeted Stella. "Lincoln told me things about you."
"Lincoln never mentioned you."
"I— well," stammered Lincoln. "I didn't think it'd be appropriate to…"
"It's okay," said Stella. "It's… fine. So, what's going on with you guys? Long time out on the road?"
"Yeah. It was… difficult. But some people… made it easier."
"He's talking about me," said Ronnie Anne, bringing Lincoln close to her. "I made it easier."
"No way, I knew it," said Girl Jordan. "You two like each other!"
"They do?" gasped Trent.
"Duh, it was so obvious," said Mollie. "I wouldn't be surprised if they're a couple now."
"We… are," said Ronnie Anne. "He's mine. And I'm his."
"Really?" scoffed Chandler. "Dude, Ronnie, you could've done better."
"Me and Chloe. Mollie and Trent. Chandler and Stella. Lincoln and Ronnie Anne. I guess we all got dates!" smiled Richie, as he kissed Chloe on the cheek, surprising Clyde. "Except… Girl Jordan, you know. And maybe Clyde."
"I'll have you know there's a disproportionate amount of girls and boys in here," said Girl Jordan. "There aren't enough boys, okay?"
"That's okay," said Mollie. "Clyde's here."
"I… uh… I kinda have someone already," said Clyde as he looked around. "Someone who isn't here. Lincoln, where's Lynn?"
"Probably sleeping in."
"No way," said Chandler. "You're with Lincoln's jock sister? Now, I'd have to see that to believe that."
"Later, you'll see," said Clyde before turning towards Girl Jordan. "Sorry for not being available. You seem like a nice girl. I'm sure you'll find someone."
"Whatever," said Girl Jordan. "Boys are overrated."
Luna stuffed a piece of the omelette inside her mouth, closing her eyes in relief as she tasted the sweet and buttery taste of the egg, tomatoes, cheese, and pepper in her mouth. Sam licked her lips in satisfaction before taking a sip of her orange juice. Lily simply bit into her sandwich quietly.
"It's just kinda crazy to believe that the band's really back together," chuckled Sully.
"Maybe now we can convince Oscar to let us play in the town plaza," said Mazzy. "We may actually have a chance to get an actual concert going!"
"Nuh uh, he's way too uptight and conservative for that. Unless… Luna goes acoustic."
"Sure thing, dudes," said Luna. "Any of you got one?"
"What happened to yours?"
"Gone, whew."
"Damn. Well, we could always go perform at other communities. Maybe the RenCen?"
"We're gonna need a roadie for that," said Mazzy. "Hey, Lunes. You don't happen to know where Chunk has been the past three years, right?"
Luna swallowed her food quickly, though she remained speechless.
"Chunk's gone," revealed Sam.
"Oh. I'm sorry, guys. Must be hard for you two."
"It's fine," said Luna. "It happened so long ago, Lily doesn't even remember it. No need to get stuck on the past."
Luna turned around upon hearing her crutches fall to the ground. She saw Lana placing a tray on her table before picking up the crutches. Simon took a step back as he allowed Lana to place the crutches against the seats.
"Sorry, Luna," apologized Lana.
"It's okay, Lans. What's up?"
"Do you mind if… Simon and I sit here?" she asked. "We don't really know anybody here. I… can't find my friends."
"I don't mind. You and Sam's lil' bro can sit here."
"You don't even have to ask," reassured Sam. "Come here, Simon. There's some space next to me."
Simon sat next to Sam as she stared at his body. He looked back with a nervous expression.
"You got really skinny too," said Simon.
"Yeah. Mom and Dad would've freaked if they saw us like this."
"If they saw you like this. They would've been happy to see me now."
"Aw, dude. Not if they found out why."
"Must've been tough to find food out there, huh?" remarked Sully. "I know it's kinda weird hearing this, considering you got food on your plate… but don't take food for granted here."
"What do you mean?" asked Luna.
"We're not really supposed to be saying this to the newcomers, but… sometimes there's time where we run low on food," said Mazzy. "Rationing is common around here."
"Why wouldn't you guys be saying that to newcomers?" asked Sam.
"Not us in particular," said Sully. "We mean anyone in Royal Woods. Oscar doesn't like it when we say negative stuff about this place. I'm pretty sure his goal is to get people to stay here. I don't know exactly why, but if there's some benefit to it… it's not exactly clear to me."
Simon bit into his sandwich quietly as he continued to listen to Sully and Mazzy talk. His eyes were attentive as they followed their lips.
Lynn looked at Clyde as he chattered with his friends. He noticed Lincoln and Ronnie Anne at the same table, though the table was full. No space for her. She then looked at Vonda, who was standing outside the parking lot chatting with her father. She sighed in disappointment as she continued to look around. Then, she saw a group of girls and boys walking by her.
"Paula?"
"Lynn? W-When'd you get here?"
"Yesterday. Wow, your leg seems to be walking nicely now!"
"Of course, it couldn't stay broken forever."
"Haha, I guess not! Where's the rest of the roller derby team?"
"They're in the skatepark hanging out with their boyfriends and Amy. Me, Mara, and Diane are headed there too. Wanna come with?"
"Uh, duh! Can I bring my breakfast with me?"
"Yeah, just leave the tray behind."
"Alright!"
Lynn tossed a tray onto a table seated with people. They gasped in offense as the tray clattered around their food, sending crumbs flying everywhere.
Luan and Benny continued to walk around, looking for their friends. However, they couldn't find them anywhere in the plaza.
"I guess we'll just sit alone," said Benny.
"Eh, it's enough when it's with you," said Luan, sitting down by the empty table.
"Of course. I make enough jokes to entertain a circus."
Luan giggled as she stuck the fork into the omelette.
"You're on an egg roll," said Luan. "Get it? Because—"
"Woah!" exclaimed a voice, frightening Luan and Benny. "If it isn't Romeo and Juliet!"
"Rex?" gasped Luan.
Rex, Ruby, and Shannon approached the table, sitting themselves next to them while each of them held a cup of water.
"That's funny because I was actually going to try out for the play—" said Benny.
"So, was I," said Ruby. "I was gonna be Juliet. And I bet you would have gotten, like, the part of Romeo. Ain't that right, Romeo?"
"Umm…"
"Part or not, he's always going to be my Romeo," said Luan. "It's royally nice to see you all doing well!"
"You too, Luan," said Shannon. "It's nice to see you and Benny finally together. You know, Benny used to ask me if his jokes were funny before he told them to you."
"Really?"
"The guy's, like, funny," said Ruby.
"Funny like me?"
"Uh… sure?"
Luan frowned at the unenthusiastic answer. Rex then leaned close to her.
"Don't mind her. I think you're a very funny person," said Rex.
"Heh… how's your girlfriend doing?" asked Luan.
"Amy? She's doing fine, except she ain't my girlfriend no more. She's dating some girl on that roller derby group or something. Says I make other girls too happy. Look at what she's doing now."
"Awkward."
"Maybe. Before we start talking about how much life sucks… i just wanna tell you how great your teeth look. Braces paid off, didn't they?"
"Yeah, thank you," said Luan, blushing. "I— no one has really noticed. Thank you, truly."
Benny lowered an eyebrow as he continued biting into his omelette.
Tim and Vonda bit into their sandwich at the same time as they leaned against the fence that kept the City Hall building and the town plaza separated.
"Not kidding— she thought Lynn was my step-sister or half-sister or something. She didn't know shit."
"Can't blame her," said Tim. "I wasn't exactly open about my private life. Not that she cared but…"
"That's still weird to me," said Vonda. "You guys stayed in contact. Why?"
"She had connections to KHAN. Things I wanted to know more about. I had knowledge on things she wanted to know about. Plus, she didn't want to stop sending money to us."
"I didn't want her money. I just wanted her to be around."
"I know. It's what I told her. But that life… she was just so accustomed to it… I swear to God, going to her was the last thing I wanted to do… but she had it all. Food, water, security. Tons and tons of security. People that were so loyal to her, they'd never do anything to you— 'less they suffer her wrath or some B.S."
"You recognize my vest, right?"
"Yeah. It was your mother's. I'm not exactly sure why you're wearing it. Must be a good reason."
"It was a gift from you to her. It was the only thing I had that reminded me of you."
Tim lowered his eyes, and placed an arm around Vonda's neck, bringing her closer to him as he embraced her.
"Hey, Tim!" exclaimed a voice.
Tim and Vonda turned towards the City Hall building, finding a tall bald man— around his 50s— wearing a gray horseshoe beard and circular glasses. He wore a T-shirt with a buttoned collar and wide khaki pants with dress shoes and sported a black and silver Rolex watch on his left wrist. He exerted a sense of charisma.
"Good morning, Oscar," greeted Tim.
"Good morning to you, Tim. Beautiful day isn't it? I was talking to my wife earlier. She told me some stuff about the newcomers. Do you know where Lori is?"
"Yeah."
"Walk me over to her."
"All right."
Tim led Oscar inside the town plaza. Oscar looked at Vonda, squinting his eyes.
"This is your daughter isn't it?"
"Yeah, this is Vonda. Vonda, this is Oscar, the man in charge of Royal Woods."
"'Sup, Oscar," greeted Vonda. "You're… larger than I thought."
"Nice to meet you too, Vonda. Not afraid to express your thoughts, I see. You definitely got that from your father."
As Tim walked over to Whitney's table, he noticed Tucker, Ms. Carmichael's son, running over to the table.
"Becky!" shouted Tucker.
Becky turned around, reaching for the dagger in her belt, though she quickly stopped upon seeing her little brother leap into her arms. She gasped softly as she opened up her arms in surprise, looking down at Tucker with a shocked expression in her face. Hesitantly, she wrapped her arms around Tucker's head, hugging him back before looking up at Ms. Carmichael— her mother— who was tearing up behind her glasses.
"It's really you!" Tucker said in his overjoyed voice. "You're really back!"
"Yeah… you got a lot taller, Tucker," said Becky.
"Yeah, I'm not five anymore," smiled Tucker.
Becky looked up at her mother, who walked over to her before quickly moving in to hug her. Whitney covered her mouth in joy as she whispered to Roger and Will. Lori and Carol looked at each with delightful smiles while Becky was stuck speechless. A man with red hair styled in a crew cut along with a beard trimmed close to his face walked towards Becky, making eye contact with her. He was rubbing his hands nervously as the two of them continued to stare at each other. Ms. Carmichael and Tucker released Becky from their hug, giving her space to approach the man. The man then let out a small laugh before hugging Becky tightly.
"Dad…" whispered Becky as she was finally unable to hold back her tears.
"It's a miracle…" Mr. Rhonda said tearfully. "You're alive. You're here."
Becky sniffled as she hugged her father back tightly. Everyone in the town plaza watched them in silence before breaking into applause. Everyone in the plaza was clapping, with the exception of Lori and Carol, who simply smiled at Becky. However, their smile faded as they noticed Becky opening her eyes, her jaws clenching as she looked around. Her face could not show it, but her eyes expressed ire. The applause was bothering her.
"Oscar!" exclaimed Mr. Rhonda as he wiped his tears. "This is who I was talking about— my daughter. My wonderful daughter— Rebecca."
Oscar chuckled as he walked over to Becky, reaching out his hand.
"Nice to meet you, Rebecca. I'm Oscar. Welcome to Royal Woods."
Becky reached out her hand to give Oscar a handshake, though reluctantly.
"Just call me Becky."
"Becky Rhonda. Has a nice ring to it."
"Just Becky is fine."
"Don't be afraid to take pride in your last name," said Oscar. "Your father, Mr. Rhonda, is a great man. Hilarious and outgoing."
"Yeah… I know."
"Well… I'll leave you two to it. I'm going to talk to Lori. You stay here and spend time with your family."
Oscar patted Becky in the shoulder before walking away. Becky looked at him as he approached Lori's table, seeing Lori stand up and shake his hands. The two of them began to walk away, but before she could follow them with her eyes, her father hugged her again, obstructing her view of the leader.
"I'm sorry for not being able to bring you home," said Mr. Rhonda. "I went all the way to Ann Arbor and I— I honestly…"
"It's fine, Dad. I don't want you to apologize. I just want you to be happy I'm back."
"I'm happy. I'm more than happy. Your mother, your brother… they're happy."
"We are!" sniffled Ms. Carmichael. "I knew it all this time… I knew you were alive."
"I… I didn't. I thought you were all dead…" murmured Becky.
"Oh, that must've been so horrible. I'm so sorry for everything you went through."
"I'm not. It's… made me who I am now. Strong."
"I'll say," said Mr. Rhonda. "You were out there for three years among the dead? You got some tough skin on you— just like your old man. But uh… what happened to your voice, if you don't mind me asking? Sounds like you're sick, but you don't look sick."
"Umm… I didn't think you'd notice."
"Maybe it has something to do with that big scar in your throat," said Tucker. "What happened there?"
Becky moved her right hand towards her throat, hovering it over her neck to cover the scar. Tucker's eyes then moved down towards the scars below her right shoulder.
"And your arm— what happened there?"
"I… umm…"
Becky stammered until she couldn't speak anymore. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply before opening her eyes, but no words could come out of her mouth. Yet, Tucker's eyes remained curious.
"It's okay," said Ms. Carmichael. "You don't have to talk about it. We understand."
Becky's mother once again hugged her as she lowered her eyes, the memories of her past racing around her head again.
Lori, Bobby, and Carol sat down next to Oscar by an empty table that seemed to be reserved for him. Lincoln, Clyde, and Ronnie Anne also sat down by the table, along with Luna, Sam, Lily, Simon, Lana, Luan, and Benny.
"Hello, everyone. How are y'all enjoying Royal Woods so far?"
"Enjoying it a lot," said Luna.
"Feels homely," said Luan. "Probably because it is— hehe."
"Right. From what I've been told, this is the hometown of everyone here, right?"
"Yeah," said Lincoln.
"I'm sorry. I didn't properly introduce myself. My name's Oscar Breckenridge. I'm sure either Tim or my wife told you guys already but if they hadn't then one thing to know about me— I run things around here. Kinda like you used to with this group, Miss Loud."
"Mrs. Loud," said Lori. "Bobby here is my husband."
"Wow, but you're so young! You must be like nineteen years old!"
"So close! I'm actually twenty, almost twenty-one, I believe."
"Good genetics, I must say. So, Mr. Loud…"
"Actually, it's Mr. Santiago," said Bobby. "Loud's her last name. Her family."
"Y-Your name is Bobby Santiago? And yours is Lori Loud? You didn't take your husband's last name?"
Lori shrugged.
"Interesting. Very… non-traditional."
"Does it bother you? You can just call me Lori if it bothers you."
"No, it doesn't even affect me one bit. So, everyone is enjoying this place, right? I like to believe that the reason this place is so great is because everyone does their part. No dead weight as I like to call it. Being here means you have to contribute in some way."
"Of course, I understand," said Lori.
Oscar then turned towards Bobby, who just kept playing with his thumbs. He then looked up, getting caught off-guard by his intense stare.
"Oh, umm, I understand too," said Bobby. "Actually, before the outbreak, I used to work like about a dozen jobs here in Royal Woods. I know all about work ethic and stuff."
"Perfect. But for those who can't carry their weight…" said Oscar as he motioned his head towards Lily, "...you guys will be going to school."
"There's school?" gasped Lori.
"I mean, technically, they're just classes taught by Ms. Johnson right inside the church. Don't want you to get the wrong idea that we have access to any of the schools inside the community."
"I see, as long as you can pull your own weight, you don't have to go, right?" commented Lana.
"Wanna drop out? Wait until you're sixteen. Then you can drop out. But you're staying in school until then."
"I'm already useful with vehicles! I can fix 'em!"
"She can," said Lincoln.
"I mean, what do I need school for?"
"We're trying to build a future here," explained Oscar. "Soon, there won't be a use for cars. We'll be on horses and carriages. And if you want to work on projects here in the community? Need some math for that. Want to become a doctor someday— help Maria out with her patients— you'll need some science for that. If you just want to sit back and read a Shakespearian play, you'll need some English for that."
"I know English."
"High-level English."
"Just go to school, Lana," said Lori. "You literally suck at math. Wouldn't hurt to know how to do simple multiplication."
"Fine," mumbled Lana.
"Umm," said Lincoln, grabbing Oscar's attention. "Earlier, you said this community doesn't include any of the schools, right?"
"Yes, I remember saying that."
"What about the farmlands? Do you guys farm there?"
"No. No one farms there."
Oscar stood up from the table, grabbing a water bottle that was sitting on the table.
"I'll assign jobs later after talking with Lori and Bobby. If you have any questions, stop by my office. Walk around, enjoy this place. Go to church if you want to. It's Sunday after all."
He walked away from the table, leaving the group together again, though not for long. The group members stood up, chattering among each other as they discussed their plans for the day. Lori remained silent, looking at Oscar as he continued to walk away.
"Where's Lynn?" asked Clyde.