Page 32 of No Take Backs
“That’s it.” Ryder claps his hand on the table. “It’s just too easy. Like taking candy from a baby. I can’t.” He starts cracking up. “I can’t just let it go. You’re joking, right?”
“I’m dead serious.” Gino shrugs. “You don’t have to believe me. But when the zombie apocalypse happens, just know that I’ve got the equipment we need and a plan to get someplace safe.”
Ryder locks eyes with me, and all I can do is shake my head. “He’s not hurting anyone. He’s not on drugs. It could be a lot worse. He could be a hoarder or something like that.”
Gino gets up from the table and walks out without saying anything else to us, and honestly, I can’t blame him. It is either leave or settle in and prepare to be given shit for the rest of the night.
Ryder makes a call to his sister or his mom or some other female in his life right after Gino leaves. And they brought out a giant thing of makeup when we were gone on a fire call that lasted until two in the morning.
When we roll into the bay, I work with Will and Gino to get everything put away and cleaned.
“I’m gonna try and crash for a few.” Gino waves over his shoulder.
Ten minutes later, he is in his bunk snoring, and we are putting makeup on ourselves like teenagers.
“What the hell?” Nia and Gem pull up in the ambulance an hour later. “What are you doing?”
“Gonna scare the piss outta Gino,” Ryder informs them while he puts green makeup mixed with fake blood on his cheeks.
“Keep an eye out for Cap?” Will asks Gem with an unrepentant smile.
Gem and Nia both nod and stand at the door laughing while we finish getting ready.
“I’m gonna videotape this.” I look up just as Nia takes a picture. “You know, for scientific proof that zombies are real.”
“Okay,” Will interrupts the quiet moment. “We’re ready. Let’s do this.”
The three of us walk as quietly as possible through the bunkroom, with Gem watching the door and Nia following with her phone recording.
Ryder somehow ropes Charlie into helping us, even though he never wants any part in our games. And he walks out of the bathroom with his face wet and his hair slicked back.
“Had to get into the role.” He lightly slaps his cheeks and jumps up and down, shaking out his arms. “Okay,” he huffs. “Let’s do this.”
Ryder, Will, and I all hold up our hands from the opposite side of the room and start groaning. Charlie starts shouting, and all the guys wake up with a start. The lights flicker on and off, and then Charlie is grabbing Gino by the shoulders, shaking him.
“Gino,” Charlie yells his name. “Gino, wake up. You were right. Oh, you were right! They’re here.”
He falls under the bed right as Gino wakes up with wild eyes, swinging at Ryder.
“Stay back, zombie scum.”
He stumbles back over his bunk and slumps to the ground, right as Will completely loses it and collapses into a pile of laughter.
“Oh, you guys suck,” Gino snaps. “Assholes. Every one of you. I’ll get my revenge when you least expect it.”
When I turn around and see the smile on Nia’s face and the laughter in her eyes, I don’t give a shit what Gino does as payback.
“Let me help you get that off,” she offers, holding out her hand. “And to answer your text, my place is fine.”
My momma didn’t raise an idiot. I know I’ll take every single thing Nia offers me. And I’ll do it with a smile on my face.
Because at the end of the day, she’s mine… she just doesn’t know it yet.
13
NIA
Ella and Lyla leave five minutes before Josh knocks on my front door for our date.