"I thought you told me he couldn't talk!" Startled, Yuri and Erica turned to see Tex's enraged face staring at them.
"I...was afraid you'd hear his accent and think he was one of them," Erica stammered.
"Well, how do I know he ain't?"
"He's an exchange student from West Germany. He's...was...in my class at school. His name is really Franz."
Tex's face turned red with fury. "I'll not have two people of the opposite sex that ain't related sharin' a room in my house!" he roared. "There'll be absolutely no fornicatin' under my roof! Y'understand?"
"Yes, sir," Erica said meekly.
"Now you take your West German and get outta here before I shoot you both! Ya got that?"
"Yes, sir." Erica and Yuri hurried to obey him.
"So, where we go now?" asked Yuri as they plodded through the weeds and underbrush in the dark, hoping to avoid snakes.
"Let's just go back to our old hide-out," Erica suggested. "Maybe the..." She started to say 'Commies' but thought better of it, "enemy soldiers have given up and decided to look for us somewhere else."
It was much harder finding her way after dark, but Erica eventually reached the place where they had been before. To her surprise, she saw that Jed and the others had returned there as well.
"Erica!" Jed exclaimed. "I was worried to death about you!"
"We were taken in by a couple named Tex and Wilma Jean," Erica explained. "I told them Yuri was my brother. Then Tex found out that he's not my brother after all and kicked us out."
Jed grimaced. "He's still around?"
"He's hurt, and he has nowhere else to go."
Jed grunted and turned away. Erica and Yuri settled down and went to sleep with their bodies almost, but not quite, touching.
The following day, Erica and Yuri were up early with the others to search for food and supplies.
"Does your head feel any better now?" Erica asked Yuri.
"Still hurts little bit. Not as bad as before," Yuri said with a friendly smile. Erica smiled back. She felt a warm glow inside, one that was fairly new to her but that she decided was very nice.
"Quit swooning and get back to work, Commie lover," Matt snapped at her. She glared at him and went back to digging for edible roots.
Suddenly Erica heard a whizzing noise and felt a tremendous jolt. The next thing she knew, she was lying flat on the ground with Yuri's body covering her own. A few feet away she heard a tremendous explosion.
"What happened?" she cried, terrified.
"One of them hurled a grenade at you," Jed solemnly told her. "If Yuri hadn't knocked you out of the way right when he did, it would have hit you."
Yuri was slowly standing up now and helping Erica to her feet as well. "You are all right, Erica? I am very sorry to scare you."
"You saved my life, Yuri." Erica had to actually say the words to make herself believe them.
"Well, what do you know? Turns out maybe Commies are good for something, after all," sneered Matt.
"You jerk!" Erica attacked Matt, scratching at his face.
"Hey, cut it out, you two!" Jed grabbed Erica by one arm and Matt by the other. "We're never going to survive if we fight amongst ourselves!"
Erica glared at Matt. "Then make him apologize."
Jed wouldn't. Erica looked forlornly from Jed to Yuri, then took a few steps in Yuri's direction.
"Thank you for saving me, Yuri," she told him.
"You save my life, now I save yours. We are even, yes?" Yuri grinned.
"Yeah, I guess so." Erica laughed, and Yuri joined in.
"I like you, Erica. You are good friend." As Yuri gazed into Erica's eyes, his lips began to move closer and closer to hers. They had almost touched when Jed shouted a warning.
"Everybody, get down!"