The First Days (As the World Dies 1)

"I'm so gonna kick your ass. "

Juan laughed and stepped out of the shower, rinsed off and looking a little better. Jenni followed and looked down at herself. Her tank top was very wet and not much was left to the imagination. Suddenly she felt the sexual tension in the room explode. Looking up, she saw Juan staring at her and suddenly things felt very different between them. She had a good idea from the look in his eyes that she looked very tasty in that moment.

"Wanna fuck?" Jenni asked half-joking, looking him straight in the eye.

"Later. After the tequila," Juan answered softly, looking a little dazed.

"Okay. Meet you up there in twenty," Jenni answered with a smile and walked past him out of the room.

She felt Juan watching her, then heard the guy waiting for his turn in the shower say, "If I had been in there with her, I wouldn't be out already. "

"Was she always that hot?" Juan asked, confused.

"Pretty sure she was," was the answer.

Jenni grinned to herself and ran up to her room.

Chapter 20

1. Dead Man’s Party

Jenni changed into a pale green tank top and jeans and ran up the stairs to the roof. To her surprise, there were already quite a few people up there, including her son, who sat in a circle of teenagers.

There were only five of them, two boys and three girls, but for the first time in awhile, he was smiling. The ever faithful Jack was at his side, smiling a doggy grin, and the kids were drinking warm colas and listening to a CD player someone must have snagged on a supply run.

"Hey, Mom!" Jason smiled at her and got up to hug her. "Is it cool if I camp up here with the rest of the kids tonight?"

"Yeah, sure," she answered, and eyed the pretty new brunette she had saved earlier today. The girl's haunted eyes were less red and she seemed comforted by the companionship of other teenagers.

"We're trying to cheer up Shelley. Her Mom and little sis got killed today before she was rescued," Jason explained.

"I totally get it," Jenni assured him, smiling. She was slowly starting to panic over Juan arriving with Jason standing there beaming. He looked so happy; she didn't want his smile to disappear.

But then it abruptly did and Jenni turned around worriedly wondering how to make Juan recognize he needed to be low-key.

But it was Travis and Katie that were walking onto the roof, both talking softly, not touching, but looking somehow intertwined. Jenni felt a pang of jealousy and frowned a little. She didn't care if Travis was in love with Katie.

But Katie was close to her, not Travis.

Katie looked up and smiled at Jenni. Walking up, she hugged her tightly and kissed her cheek and Jenni clung to her and felt better. The world was so cruel right now; she did not want to lose anything dear to her.

Travis set a huge pack of beer down on the ground as Mike and a few other workers also appeared on the roof. Curtis came up last holding a bag of candles in one arm and some bags of chips in the other.

"It's turning into a party," Jenni said with a laugh.

"We need one after this day," Travis answered.

More people were arriving, including the Mayor and Bill. There was a flurry of activity as folding chairs were brought up and some tables. More people spilled onto the roof, talking animatedly, shaking off the fear of the earlier attack. In the distance, the moans of the zombies still clawing at the gate could be heard, but everyone seemed determined to ignore it.

Soon, candles were burning in little jars set up along the edges of the roof and people milled around, drinking beer and soda, talking and relaxing.

There was a sense of relief among the people that could not be easily denied.

Once more, disaster had been averted.

Jenni hung out with Katie for a few minutes, her arms around her waist, talking to her softly.

"You look sad," Jenni said.