Apocalypsis 04 - Haven

over to the front gate.
    Once we were out of everyone’s earshot, I spoke again. “Listen, I know Trip was a total douchebag blowing you off like that. But you have to admire him for doing what he believed in, even though it was obviously tearing him up inside.”
    Peter snorted. “Yeah right. Tearing him up? I don’t think so.”
    “I talked to Rob. He said Trip was miserable after you left. It was obvious to everyone he was very upset about you leaving.”
    “It wasn’t about me.”
    I laughed. “What? You think he was upset to see me go?”
    Peter tried to keep frowning but he couldn’t totally pull it off. A tiny smile appeared. “No.”
    “Jamal? Ronald?”
    Peter’s smile got bigger. “No.”
    “Bodo?”
    “Definitely not.”
    “Buster?”
    “Maybe.”
    “Maybe he misses Buster, but he wasn’t standing out on the riverbank as we drifted by for the poodle, you dork, and you know it. He was glad to be rid of me. He was mad at Rob, Fohi, and Winky for leaving, but he knew he’d see them again. It was you he was upset about.” I shook Peter gently. “And you pretending that’s not the case is just stupid. You’re just bringing the drama.” I tickled his ribs a little. “Drama queen.”
    “Stop.” He pushed my hand away, still smiling but trying not to.
    “Drama queen.” I tickled him some more, using two hands now.
    “Stop. I’m serious!” He tried like heck to push me away, but I wasn’t having any of that nonsense.
    “Admit it!” I yelled playfully. “Admit you’re a drama queen!” I was getting him so good he was close to falling down.
    “No! Never! And you’d better watch out before I start defending myself!”
    I laughed with glee, so busy tickling him I wasn’t paying attention to the obvious signs of his impending revenge. “Go ahead, drama queen, give it your best shot.”
    I had expected him to try and eye gouge me or palm thrust me like I’d taught him, foolish girl that I am. The revenge he’d planned so sweetly didn’t hit me until the intense burning flashed out from my chest.
    “Titty twister! Ah ha!” he squealed, dancing out of my reach. “Take that, you smelly beast!”
    “Oh my god!” I yelled. “You just pinched my nipple!” My jaw dropped in shock.
    He held up two sets of pinching fingers in front of him. “Stay away or you’ll suffer the worst purple nurple of all time. I don’t play.”
    I put my hands over my breasts. “Dude, you so fight dirty. I had no idea you were that vicious.”
    He giggled. “That’s pretty rich coming from the girl who kicks testicles up into throats.”
    I shrugged. “A girl’s gotta do …”
    “… what a girl’s gotta do,” he finished, wiggling his pinchers around a little.
    I held up my hands in surrender. “Fine. You’ve got me. No more tickling, no more boobie pinching.”
    “You surrender to my superior power. Say it.”
    “I surrender to your dirty fighting tactics.”
    “Good enough.” He dropped his hands. “Were you telling the truth about Trip? About what Rob said?”
    “Yes, I was. I swear.”
    “And you said you’re going to go get him?”
    “I’m going to try. Rob says they’re planning on coming here. I need to help them if that’s what they want to do.”
    “It’s going to be dangerous.”
    “Yes.” I moved closer to stand in front of him.
    “I want to come.”
    “Absolutely not.” I put my arm around his shoulder and steered him towards the front door.
    “You can’t stop me.”
    “Probably not. But I have important reasons for not wanting you to go. The group needs you here. I’m going to come back with a buttload of kids, and they’re going to need homes, showers, food, clothes, and everything else. There’s no one I trust more to make that happen than you.”
    “That’s a lot of trust.”
    We reached the door and I turned to face him. “You’ve earned it.”
    “I trust you too, you know.” He looked at me with those adorable eyes of his, and the memory of his sister’s story made my heart spasm a little.
    “I hope I can keep deserving that,” I said.
    “I know you always will. It’s just who you are. Now tell me … what do I need to do to get you ready for your trip?”
    I grinned. “I thought you’d never ask.”
    ***
    I spent over an hour with Peter and his group discussing the plans that we’d need to put in motion to prepare for the mass influx of new settlers I expected to start arriving any day. We had to set up the logistics not only