Tomorrow Land Part 15

"It'll only take a minute. It's important."

"I can clean up here," Starr a.s.sured her, grabbing the spoon from her hand. "Go ahead."

Peyton reluctantly followed Chase to the other end of the camp, arms folded across her chest. "What?" she asked when they were alone.

"I wanted to apologize," he said. "I screwed up and I know it. I was irresponsible. It won't happen again."

"You're right. It won't. Because I'm taking the watch from now on." She'd stayed up the rest of last night and it showed on her face, he realized. Dark circles haunted her eyes and her face looked gaunt.

"Peyton, that's ridiculous. You have to sleep sometime," he protested.

He could see her struggling to keep her face even. "I'll figure something out."

"You don't have to. I can help," he cried. "I won't take more pills. I promise. I'll just take aspirin if my face hurts from now on."

She ran a hand through her hair, staring off into the distance, looking this close to breaking-to totally falling apart. She was trying so desperately to be strong. But he could see the cracks around the edges. She was scared. And it was his fault. The thought crushed him.

"I want to be able to believe you," she said at last, her voice choked. "But it's not just me I have to be think about. It's the kids, too. They depend on you. I know you were forced into this when Tank died-that it wasn't what you wanted-but-"

"It is what I want," he cried, feeling anguished, desperate to have her believe him. "I love the kids with all my heart. I would gladly die for them if I had to." He would, too, he realized. He'd die for any one of them. And for her, too, if need be. He loved them all. From loud-mouth Red to sweet little Sunshine. And he'd do anything to keep them safe. Even giving up the drugs.

He realized, suddenly, what he had to do. Reaching into his pocket with trembling hands, he pulled out his precious prescription bottle. It took everything inside of him, but he managed to drop it into her hands.

"Get rid of them," he told her, his voice hoa.r.s.e. "Throw them away and never let me see them again. I'm done with them forever. From here on out I only have one priority. Getting you and the children to Disney World."

Peyton looked down at the bottle, then up at him. "Are you sure about this?" she asked.

He wasn't sure. He wasn't sure at all. Half of him wanted to grab the bottle and take it all back. Figure out another way to get back in her good graces. One that didn't involve sleepless, agonizing nights filled with pain. The cut on his cheek stung just thinking about it.

But it was the only way and he knew it. And Peyton and the children were worth it.

"I'm sure," he said, firming his resolve. "No more drugs. No more letting you down. You can rely on me from here on out; I swear it." He gave her a hopeful smile.

She didn't smile back. "I hope so," she said, stuffing the bottle in her pocket and turning to walk away. "I really hope so."

Chapter Twenty-five.

Peyton ran down the street, tears blinding her. She knew she should go to the market, should stand in line as her mother had asked her to and collect the food they needed to stay in good health. But she couldn't bring herself to go. Not yet.

She didn't know where she was running and surprised herself when she ended up at Chris Parker's house. It was weird to think the boy she'd barely tolerated for so many years had become her number one source of comfort.

Banging on the door, she prayed he was home. Home and- A crazy thought struck her. What if he was sick, too? What if everyone was sick? Everyone but her. She tried to decide which would be worse: dying, or being the only one left alive. Both options seemed beyond awful.

The door swung open. A six-year-old, dark-skinned girl peered out with huge almond-shaped eyes. She was dressed in a pair of cut-off jeans, as was the fashion, and a beaded silver top.

"Um, hi," Peyton said. "Is Chris here?"

"Chris!" the girl called loudly, not bothering to turn around.

"Yeah?" a voice in the distance called back. Peyton let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. He was okay. He was alive.

"Some girl at the door."

"Who?"

The little girl looked up at Peyton with a mixture of boredom and inquiry.

"Peyton," she said.

"Peyton!" the girl repeated loudly for Chris's benefit.

"Be right there."

The child snapped her gum. "He'll be right here," she said unnecessarily, not unblocking the door to let Peyton inside. The whole scene was just so normal that she found herself relaxing. The entire world wasn't crazy. At least not yet.

"Um, yeah. Thanks."

A moment later, Chris appeared. He ruffled the little sentry's hair. "You can let her in, you know, Tara," he told her. Then he turned to Peyton. "Don't mind her," he said fondly. "She's just overprotective." He shuffled her away from the door and beckoned for Peyton to enter.

She followed him down into a finished bas.e.m.e.nt packed with sim decks and other electronic equipment. He invited her to sit down on the red plaid sofa and asked if she wanted a drink.

She shook her head. "No, thank you."

"Are you sure?" He looked down at her, concerned. "You look pale. Maybe some water?"

She nodded. "Okay."

He pressed a b.u.t.ton on the refrigeration unit at the far end of the room. A bottle of water popped out of the slot below. He handed it to her.

"How have you been?" he asked, sitting down beside her. "Still thinking about Mt. Holyoke?"

She shrugged, pulling her legs up under her. Taking a sip of the water, she tried to decide how best to answer the question. She hadn't forgotten the monster, of course. But now it seemed almost irrelevant, given the news she'd received a few minutes before. "I went by Avery's today," she told him, her voice shaking. "And she's... she's sick."

"Oh, Peyton, I'm sorry." Chris leaned over and pulled her into a huge hug. That was all it took for her to lose her last semblance of control. Tears flowed from her eyes, soaking his t-shirt. Feeling embarra.s.sed, she tried to pull away, but he held her tight, stroking her back with gentle fingers.

"She's my best friend," Peyton sobbed. "What if she dies? What if everyone dies? If kids are now getting it, then what hope do the rest of us have?"

"Can I ask you a personal question?"

"Sure," she said, wondering what on Earth he was going to say.

"Have you gotten your AIDS vaccine?"

What? What did he just say? She jerked away, angry. "What are you asking?" she demanded. "I'm trying to tell you my best friend is probably dying and you're interested in whether or not I have my LTF?" She glared at him. What a mistake she'd made coming here. And to think she'd thought he was different. But no, he was just like Drew and the rest of mankind, thinking with his d.i.c.k. Maybe it was better the plague wiped them all out. They were truly pathetic as a species.

Chris held up his hands in protest. "Relax!" he cried. "Jeez, it's not like I'm asking to get in your pants."

She glowered at him, not sure what to say.

"Wow, you really think I'd try something like that when you're crying? What do you take me for?" He shook his head. "I'm asking 'cause I've been doing some more forum trolling and from what some scientists have gathered, it seems the flu may be some kind of reaction to the AIDS vaccine. They claim that all the victims so far have been vaccinated."

"Oh." She felt her face flame as she realized what he was saying. How stupid of her to think he wanted s.e.x. He was Chris, not Drew. "Sorry. I didn't mean to imply..." She trailed off, realizing the implications of his words. "So you're saying the plague only affects those with their LTFs?" It made perfect sense. Avery had just gotten hers. Now she was sick. Peyton hadn't, and she felt fine. And her dad insisted she'd be okay. He'd probably read the same research. "Are you sure? I haven't heard anything like that on the news."

"Yeah, that's 'cause the government controls the media still, and they don't want any people taking revenge. After all, they're the ones who made it a requirement to get inoculated."

"I guess that makes sense." Peyton thought for a moment. "G.o.d, that's so terrible. More than three-quarters of our population has gotten the shot. All that's going to be left is a bunch of kids."

Chris nodded. "That's what it looks like. Unless other adults are immune."

She felt cold. Scared. She buried her head back in his chest, wanting his warmth. He wrapped his arms around her again, nuzzling her head with his chin. "I know it's scary," he whispered. "But I promise, we'll get through. We'll figure out a way."

She nodded against him, enjoying the sensation of his hands rubbing up and down her back. He felt warm and solid and safe. Unlike the rest of the world.

"I won't let anything happen to you," he swore. "I'll keep you safe."

She looked up at him, knowing her face was blotchy and her cheeks tearstained. "Do you really mean that?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper. Sensations she hadn't been aware existed were now coursing down her spine, tickling and tingling. He was so sweet. So brave. So caring. What had she been thinking all these years? Calling him a tech-head and valuing losers like Drew instead. He was a lot like a diamond himself. And she had treated him as a shard of broken gla.s.s.

"Of course," he replied, gravely serious. He reached up and brushed a tear from her cheek. The sensation gave her chills and warmed her belly. "I'd do anything for you, Peyton."

Suddenly she knew what she wanted.

"Anything?"

"Anything in the world."

"Kiss me," she whispered.

And so he did. Pressing his mouth against her lips with a feathery lightness-a wisp of b.u.t.terfly wings-that at first seemed more caress then kiss. She drank in the sweetness of his tender, worshipful touch, but soon found she wanted more. Needed more. With a soft moan, she parted her lips, coaxing his kiss deeper, more fervent, and they clung to one another, as if their very lives depended on their embrace. The chills started coming, harder and faster, 'til she found it difficult to breathe.

She'd been kissed before. Plenty of times, in fact. But it had never felt like this. So pa.s.sionate, so sweet. Maybe it was because of the situation, knowing that the end of the world as they knew it was likely near. Or maybe it was more than that. Maybe they'd been meant to be together. Whatever it was, it felt good. And for the first time since this whole thing began, Peyton felt a tiny bit of peace.

"I love you, Peyton," Chris whispered, his lips brushing against her mouth as he spoke. And she knew right then and there, crazy as the idea might be, she loved him, too.

If the world was going to end, at the very least they had each other. And that was something.

In fact, that was a lot.

Chapter Twenty-six.

The sun beat down as the group continued to follow the highway's path on the sixth day of their journey. By Chase's estimation, they had reached about the two-hundred-mile point, which seemed like excellent progress until he realized that left two hundred miles to go.

Thanks to the storm, they were nearly out of food, which meant a trip to town very soon. They'd so far done their best to avoid the once heavily populated areas, only stopping at roadside motels or highway rest stops. If it were up to Chase, he'd stay far away from all former civilization for good. That way he could almost pretend that just off the next exit wrinkly grandmothers still sat on front-porch rocking chairs, sipping mint juleps and gossiping about their crazy neighbors. He could imagine that each morning businessmen in stuffy suits were shuffling into their Smart SUVs and heading to the offices where they'd be greeted by their secretaries. Soccer moms were pushing babies in strollers, and children were screaming as they played tag in the park.

He wanted to imagine that life had gone on and the whole plague thing was just a really long, really bad joke that someone had been playing on them. Heading into a real town would shatter that fantasy quick.

But towns were the best place to find food if they couldn't hunt game, and they hadn't seen any animals along this stretch of road. So when that afternoon they came across a sign for the town of Paradise, he'd made his offer. It was safer if he went in alone, just in case something was down there, he reasoned. He also imagined himself returning victorious, the conquering hero with his collected supplies. Peyton would realize she could trust him after all-that he was worthy of being part of her team.

He'd find a bottle of wine and cook her a gourmet meal, which they'd eat, just the two of them, after the kids had gone to bed. Heck, he'd even find some candles, maybe, to make it extra romantic. That idea alone was worth facing the horror of the suburbs.

"I don't like it," Peyton said, surveying the town below from her vantage point on the highway's edge. "Something seems off here. Maybe we should keep going. Find another place down the road."

"We don't have enough to eat tonight," he reminded her. "Just a few cans of SPAM and a couple of packets of stale crackers."

"Well, I don't have to eat..." she hedged.

"Yes, you do," he said firmly. "You're nothing but skin and bones these days." It was true; as the nanos broke down, it was as if her body was being eaten from the inside out. She tried to keep a brave face in front of the kids, but he could see the cracks in her facade. "You need all the nourishment you can get to make it down to Disney. We've come this far. We've kicked zombie a.s.s, survived a hurricane. You don't want to succ.u.mb to something as silly as malnutrition, do you?"

"You're right." She sighed and ran a hand through her thinning hair. "I know you're right."

"Look, it's going to be okay," he a.s.sured her. "I'll go down, find us some food, then come right back up. You guys can wait for me at that Motel 6 off the exit. I'll be back in a flash." He threw her his most c.o.c.ky smile, wanting desperately for her to trust him. Needing for her to believe in him. "Tonight, we'll eat like kings!"

She gave him a wan smile and he knew he'd won. Even if it was just because these days she was too tired to argue much. "Be careful, Chase," she said, meeting his eyes with her silver lenses. "I'm serious."

He felt a warm wave wash over at him at her concern. Was she really starting to come around? To admit she cared about him after all? "I will. I promise."

He glanced down at the town below, a shiver working its way up his spine, though he didn't know why. It was just a town, he told himself. Like any other.

"All right, kids, I'm out," he informed the group. "When I come back we'll have a feast."

He said his goodbyes and headed down the exit ramp toward the town. The horses had been worn out from the day's journey, so he'd decided to go on foot. Looking around, he realized Paradise was a bigger city than he'd expected-much larger than Monroeville back home. Not a Manhattan, obviously, but it did have its share of tall buildings. And he could see some kind of stadium off in the distance. He remembered watching his beloved Carolina Panthers win the Superbowl in 2025. Sad, there'd never be another game like that.

He walked out onto the main road, wishing he had Peyton's ocular implants. She'd been able to access quite a few maps as they traveled, not to mention that neat-o trick of seeing the heat signals of trouble from far away. He'd have to depend on his old-fashioned eyes to do the dirty work.

After turning a corner he came across a small curio shop, the only building on the street with a gla.s.s window that hadn't been shattered. The window held photos of elegant jewelry being presented by dashing men to their beautiful girlfriends. The girls gazed adoringly at the gift givers, radiant smiles on their faces, and Chase thought of Peyton, always fingering that piece of gla.s.s in her pocket when she thought he wasn't looking, as if she truly believed it was a diamond. He was embarra.s.sed that this was the only thing he'd ever given her. She deserved so much more than some busted piece of a beer bottle.

A thought occurred to him. Maybe he could get her something, some small token to show her what she meant to him. An apology for letting her down. A thank-you gift for not giving up on him. He didn't think he'd be able to find any real jewelry that hadn't been looted, but perhaps there was something else that could adequately demonstrate how he felt.

Entering the store, he scanned the gla.s.s cases looking for just the right thing. A lot had been taken, but a few offerings remained. He wanted something strong, but delicate, just like her.

And then he saw it: a small music box, covered in layers of dust and sitting on a shelf. He opened it and turned the k.n.o.b. To his surprise, a hologram of a princess appeared-it kind of looked like a Disney princess, actually-twirling in a pirouette while the box played its little tune. Was that "It's a Small World After All"?

It was perfect. After all, where were they headed but the Magic Kingdom? And Peyton was certainly the princess of his fairy tale-even if things hadn't worked out quite right just yet. But maybe this gift would convince her that there was still time for a happily ever after.