I know a sound is still a sound around no one
Misty took the roll of medical tape from Julianna's hand, her fingers brushing against Julianna's for a moment. "Okay, so this is super important," Misty said, her voice brimming with energy. "Tape can do a lot more than just hold bandages in place. You can use it to secure splints, reinforce stitches if you have to, or even make a temporary sling."
Julianna raised an eyebrow. "Stitches? With a sewing kit?"
"Exactly!" Misty chirped, as if this were obvious. "If you don't have proper sutures, clean thread and a needle work in a pinch. But you've got to sanitize them first, obviously. And, you know, it's going to hurt like crazy."
"Great," Julianna said, her voice dripping with dry humor. "I'll add 'unlicensed surgeon' to my list of post-apocalypse skills."
Misty laughed, a little too loudly, and clapped her hands together. "You're funny! I mean, I always thought you looked like you were kind of funny, but you know."
Julianna ducked her head, not sure how to respond. She wasn't used to compliments, and even though Misty's enthusiasm was a little overwhelming, it was nice, in a way.
Misty didn't seem to notice Julianna's awkwardness. She picked up a pair of scissors from the supply pile and held them up. "Now, if you're going to tape something like a sprain, you've got to start with a solid wrap—tight, but not so tight you cut off circulation. Want me to show you?"
"Uh, sure," Julianna said, holding out her arm.
Misty's hands were quick and precise as she worked, explaining every step in detail. Julianna listened carefully, her eyes flicking between Misty's face and the tape as it looped around her wrist.
"There!" Misty said triumphantly, stepping back to admire her work. "Perfect support. You'd be good to go in no time."
Julianna flexed her fingers experimentally. "Not bad," she admitted. "You'd make a decent nurse."
Misty beamed. "Thanks! That means a lot."
For a moment, they just sat there in silence, the distant chatter of the others filling the space between them. Julianna thought about how easy it would've been to brush Misty off, to stay in her usual bubble of solitude. But instead, she'd stayed, and it felt like maybe, just maybe, she'd made a small connection.
"Thanks for teaching me," she said quietly.
Misty glanced at her, a rare softness in her eyes. "Thanks for listening."
Julianna and Misty joined the others near the far end of the gym, where the "weapons area" had devolved into something that looked more like a chaotic theater rehearsal than actual training. Van was laughing so hard she could barely stand, clutching her stomach as Taissa rolled her eyes and tried to wrestle a hockey stick away from Jeff.
"You're supposed to swing it like this," Taissa was saying, her voice laced with exasperation. "Not like you're playing golf."
"Golf's a sport!" Jeff argued, dodging her attempts to take the stick. "And I'm pretty sure my swing was flawless."
"Flawless is generous," Natalie deadpanned from where she was leaning against the wall, a chair leg balanced casually in one hand.
Julianna couldn't help but smile as she took in the scene. Even with everything going on, the horror of the infected, the lingering grief, the uncertainty of survival, there was something comforting about the way everyone still managed to be teenagers. Or immature ones, at least.
"Did we miss anything good?" Misty asked, as her and Julianna approached.
"Depends on your definition of good," Natalie replied, her lips twitching into a smirk. "Jeff just invented a whole new sport. We're calling it 'panic hockey.'"
"Catchy," Julianna said, sitting down on the edge of the nearest bleacher.
Jackie waved her over, holding up an oversized foam bat. "Jules! Come try this. It's, like, weirdly effective."
Julianna hesitated for a moment, startled when Jackie Taylor waved her over. Her heart skipped, a familiar flutter of uncertainty creeping in. Jackie was everything Julianna wasn't, and the sudden attention left her feeling exposed. But she quickly masked her nerves, forcing herself to reply.
"It's okay," Julianna said, her voice soft but steady, a small, polite smile tugging at her lips. She couldn't help the quiet laugh that escaped, a mix of self-consciousness and an attempt to ease the tension she felt.
Jeff, now armed with a tennis racket, was doing an overly dramatic reenactment of some zombie movie scene, complete with sound effects.
Why did he have to do things like this?
"Jeff, stop embarrassing yourself," Jackie called, her tone light but teasing.
"Never!" he shot back, spinning in a circle and nearly whacking Taissa in the shoulder.
"Okay, that's it," Taissa said, grabbing the tennis racket out of his hands. "You're officially banned from weapons."
Jeff frowned. "Wait wh-."
"Someone has to keep us alive," Taissa said dryly, tossing the racket aside.
As the group continued to bicker and laugh, Julianna found herself leaning back against the bleachers, her shoulders relaxing more. She glanced at Misty, who had taken a seat beside her, a faint smile still lingering on her face.
As the chaotic "weapons training" session dwindled into smaller groups of conversation and half-hearted practice swings, Julianna found herself scanning the gym, her thoughts naturally drifting. She'd always been the observer, the one who caught the little details other people missed.
Taissa was showing Van how to grip the handle of a bat correctly, their heads tilted toward each other in quiet focus. Across the room, Jackie and Shauna sat cross-legged, sorting through the canned food Natalie and Shauna had brought back earlier. Jeff had retreated to the bleachers, where he was fiddling with a deck of cards, likely plotting some way to rope people into a game later.
It was... normal, in a way that shouldn't feel normal. And that was the scariest part—how quickly you could adapt, even when the world had gone to hell.
"Hey."
Julianna snapped out of her thoughts to find Natalie standing in front of her, hands shoved in her jacket pockets.
"What's up?" Julianna asked, trying to sound casual, though her stomach twisted slightly. She hadn't talked to Natalie much since last night, and she wasn't sure what to expect now.
"You're not doing anything," Natalie said, her tone matter-of-fact. "Come with me."
"Where?"
"Just... outside the gym. I want to check something."
Julianna hesitated, glancing around. Most people seemed content to stay in their little groups, and she wasn't sure if wandering off with Natalie was a great idea. But there was something about the way Natalie stood, shoulders tense, her jaw set, that made it hard to say no.
"Okay," Julianna said finally, pushing herself to her feet. "Let me grab something first."
She walked over to the weapons pile and picked up a hockey stick, testing its weight in her hands. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing. When she returned to Natalie, the blonde raised an eyebrow but didn't comment.
"Let's go," Natalie said, already heading for the least blocked door.
The hallway outside the gym was eerily quiet, the faint hum of the school's emergency lighting the only sound. Julianna gripped the hockey stick a little tighter as they walked, her footsteps echoing alongside Natalie's.
"So, uh where are we going?" Julianna asked, her voice low, and glances skeptical.
Natalie glanced over her shoulder. "The cafeteria. I saw it on the way in yesterday. There's a vending machine by the entrance, and I want to see if there's anything left in it."
"Vending machine snacks? That's your big mission?"
"Hey, don't knock it," Natalie said, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. "Chips and candy are morale boosters. Plus, I'm starving."
Julianna couldn't argue with that. They hadn't eaten much since barricading themselves in the gym, and she wasn't exactly thrilled at the idea of rationing canned beans and peaches indefinitely.
When they reached the cafeteria doors, Natalie stopped and held up a hand, motioning for Julianna to stay quiet. Julianna followed her gaze to the faint shadows moving on the other side of the glass.
Infected.
Her chest tightened as she watched the figures shuffle aimlessly near the vending machine. There were three of them, a man in a janitor's uniform, an english teacher, and a teenage girl in what might've been a cheerleading outfit, though it was hard to tell through the tears.
"Great," Natalie muttered under her breath. "Figures they'd be in the way."
"What's the plan?" Julianna whispered, clutching the hockey stick like it was a lifeline.
Natalie chewed her lip, clearly weighing their options. Then she pulled out a chair leg she'd been carrying and tested its weight with a quick swing. "We take them out. Quietly."
Julianna's stomach churned. "We? As in, both of us?"
Natalie shot her a look. "Yeah, unless you want to stand here and watch me do it alone."
Julianna didn't. Not even a little. But it didn't mean she wanted to fight them. But she nodded anyway, because what else was she supposed to do? "Okay. Just tell me what to do."
Natalie smirked, though the slight tremble in her voice told me she was scared too, despite how good at masking it she was. "You're braver than you look, Sadecki."
"I think you mean stupider."
"Same difference."
The fight itself was a blur.
Natalie took the lead, her movements quick and brutal as she swung the chair leg into the janitor's head. Julianna followed her lead, jabbing the hockey stick into the cheerleader's stomach before slamming it down on her head in a multitude of swings.
Without hesitation, they both lunged at the teacher, their adrenaline overriding any lingering fear. Together, they struck again and again, their blows landing with a sickening finality. The teacher staggered, then crumpled to the ground, motionless.
It wasn't clean or graceful, and the noise was louder than they wanted, but by the time the infected hit the ground, Julianna's hands were trembling from the effort.
"You okay?" Natalie asked, breathing hard as she wiped blood off her face with her sleeve.
"It's good, I'm not bit," Julianna said, her voice calm but a little shaky as she leaned on the hockey stick for support. Her eyes flicked to Natalie, scanning her with a mix of concern and careful observation.
"Are you?" she asked, her tone kind but tinged with an underlying urgency, her quick mind already running through what to do next depending on the answer.
Natalie let out a small, airy laugh, the sound lighter than Julianna expected, paired with a faint grin. "Yeah, I'm clean," she said, her tone casual but carrying a flicker of relief.
Julianna didn't think she would get bit, but she didn't say that. Instead, she nodded toward the vending machine. "You better grab those snacks before more show up."
Natalie grinned, stepping over the bodies to inspect the machine. A few kicks later, the glass shattered, and she began pulling out bags of chips and candy bars, stuffing them into her backpack.
"Score," Natalie said, holding up a Snickers bar triumphantly. "Want one?"
Julianna hesitated, then shrugged. "Sure."
As they headed back to the gym, sharing the chocolate bar between them, Julianna felt a strange sense of accomplishment. It was small and fleeting, but it was there.
She knew surviving wasn't just about staying alive more than anyone. It was about finding the little victories, the moments that reminded you why you were trying in the first place.