CHAPTER SEVEN

Mombie Dearest

_____________

     FRIDAY. THE day of the Saltzman twins' Sweet Sixteen. The school had been shoved into controlled disorder with the preparation for the party later that night. Students of all ages moved throughout the Grand Hall, setting up decorations and shoving the tables and chairs aside for more room.

     Ryan wanted as far away from party planning as possible. The constant chatter in the halls began to give him a headache. He already had to attend the party. A mandatory event for the older half of the student body. And even if it wasn't, he would be there to support Josie.

     His conversation with Penelope did not go through one ear and out the other. Despite his apprehension when it came to the Park girl, Ryan intended to make sure Josie got her chance to be happy. Although Lizzie meant nothing by it, she had a tendency to steal the spotlight and keep it away from her sister. Their birthday would be no different, if not worse.

     Ryan shoved his hands into the depths of his jacket, which displayed the Salvatore school emblem on the left side of his chest. He did not have a certain destination in mind, more so that he needed distance from the ruckus of party preparation. He debated on whether or not to start wearing earplug when he entered a room that housed more than a dozen people. But, he figured they would not work much anyway.

     The front office appeared on Ryan's left as headed for the exit. Before he could make it to the double doors, a figured intercepted his path. Ryan sighed heavily when he recognized the short, dark hair. "Is this going to become a regular thing?" he asked.

     Penelope grinned at the taller boy. "I love how you act like you don't enjoy my company."

     Ryan rolled his eyes. "If I enjoyed your company, I'd actively spend more time with you."

     "Ooh, grumpy," Penelope quipped with her arms crossed over her chest.

     Neither one of them got the chance to reply when a voice sounded through the front office's open door. "Yes, I need to cancel Caroline Forbes-Salvatore's pickup for this morning," the receptionist said.

     Ryan's attention snapped toward the office and then turned back to a smiling Penelope in front of him. "Don't do it," he told her.

     A seemingly innocent expression formed on the girl's features. "Do what?"

     "You know what," Ryan voiced, narrowing his stare. "I see it all over your face."

     Penelope continued to grin. "I don't know what you're talking about, Mikaelson," she quipped, backing away from the boy. "See you at the party."

     "Penelope..." Ryan called out to the girl, but she was already gone. He sighed. "Oh, my God, I hate her."

     _______

     The decision to go after Penelope when Hope approached her brother before he made it a few feet outside. Ryan did not know what forces were working against him, but he wished they would go away for at least an hour or two. The last thing he wanted to do was listen to his sister go on and on and on about the crush she had on Landon Kirby.

     To make matters worse, Hope discovered the little thing Ryan had between himself and Josie. Not that it was a thing. Ryan did not have things.

     "You know, I think the two of you would be cute together," Hope voiced as they made their way into the Grand Hall. "Honestly, you both are similar in personality. Caring, selfless, hyper focused on your interests..."

     "How about you and emo boy?" Ryan interrupted her. "Super loners, temperamental, totally one sighted when it come to your interests..."

     "Okay, okay. I get it," Hope exclaimed and gave her brother a flat stare. "I'm just trying to help."

     Ryan exhaled. "I know, and thank you. Really."

     The siblings ceased their conversation at the sight of the room around them. Wolves were scattered all over the place, carrying the everyday furniture away for what would most likely become a makeshift dancefloor. Ryan looked to the bottom of the large staircase to find Rafael. The recently appointed Alpha pointed in various directions as he ordered his new pack members around.

     "Let's go. Let's go," Rafael clapped his hands together to get his wolves into action.

     They immediately moved, grabbing the remaining tables and chairs to haul them out.

     Ryan pressed his lips into a fine line and voiced, "must be great having your own pack now, huh?"

     Rafael turned to face the Mikaelson boy with a placid expression, which only dropped further when he noticed his sister. He kept moving through the room without acknowledging the siblings.

     "Perks of being an Alpha. A bunch of people you get to boss around," Hope added.

     Rafael grabbed the end of a table and began to carry it. "More like a bunch of shadows waiting to be told what to do."

     Ryan eyed the Waithe boy. "Why are you on party duty?"

     "I volunteered," Rafael answered, glancing over his shoulder as he moved the piece of furniture to the other side of the room. "What do you want? I'm busy."

     "Touchy, I see," Ryan countered back.

     Hope simply stared at the werewolf and sighed, "listen, Raf. I know you're mad at me for sending Landon away, but..." Rafael dropped the table to the ground with a thud and whirled to face the Mikaelson girl. "I promise you it was for his own good. And, don't take it out on my brother. No matter how mad you are at me."

     Rafael stepped toward the siblings and said, "you've known him for two minutes and you know what's good for him?"

     "I know that I want him to be safe," Hope stated. "I just came here to apologize. And I thought that maybe," she released a breath, "I don't know. If you needed someone to talk to – whatever." She stepped around him to walk away.

     Ryan stayed there for a little longer. "You know, you might want to hear people out before you jump to conclusions. Getting pissy may be an overpowering werewolf trait, but allowing it to take over is all you," he said and then followed after his sister.

     The two Mikaelsons did not get far.

     "Actually," Rafael spoke, forcing the siblings to turn back. "Um – I do kinda need help with something." He grabbed at his fingers and walked over to them. "There's no fancy parties and grand ballrooms where I come from, so I need to know what to expect for tonight. I don't want to let Lizzie down."

     Hope scoffed. "Who cares what Lizzie Saltzman thinks?"

     "Raf, does," Ryan quipped, drawing his sister's attention to him. "He's her date."

     Hope's expression fell at his words and rendered her too shocked to reply.

     Ryan set his gaze on the Waithe boy and said, "come on. We'll show you a thing or two. Fancy parties kind of runs in our blood."

     _______

     The three of them moved into the vacant gym for a quick lesson in Party Etiquette 101. Ryan stood in the center of the ball court, while Hope and Rafael were perched on the top of the stairs that led to the raised stands.

     "So, the MC will then announce Lizzie and her escort," Hope explained, gesturing to the werewolf.

     Rafael stared at her as if she had grown a second head. "Her what?"

     "Kind of like a debutant ball," Hope clarified.

     Rafael gave her a flat look. "I grew up in foster care."

     Ryan shook his head. They had gotten nowhere in the last ten minutes. He understood how hard the concept could be for someone who did not attend extravagant events throughout their childhood. Although, he wished Rafael could pick up on it a bit faster.

     Hope nodded. "Okay, well, they had stairs, didn't they? So, you're gonna be halfway down," she instructed the Waithe boy.

     Rafael sighed, but he did as he was told. "And how do you two know all this stuff?"

     Ryan made a pffted noise and said, "we have an aunt who's been around for over a thousand years."

     "And this kind of thing is her jam," Hope added, raising a hand to flick her long hair over her shoulder as she descended the staircase.

     "So what, I just stand here?" Rafael questioned in slight irritation.

     Hope made it to the bottom and held out her right arm. "Then you take her arm." When Rafael did not move, she reached out and grabbed his left to place it around hers. "Sort of like you're putting yours on top. And then you descend together," she said as they walk out onto the court. Once they stopped next Ryan, Hope curtsied. "And then you bow."

     Rafael scoffed. "Now you're just messing with me."

     Ryan shook his head. "Yeah, no she's not."

     "You think this is bad. You know it's only gonna get worse, right?" Hope exclaimed. "Lizzie Saltzman has been planning her Sweet Sixteen since she was five. You probably should've thought twice before asking to be her date."

     "Well, I didn't ask her," Rafael corrected.

     Ryan nodded when he noticed his sister's skeptical look. "It's true. She ambushed him the other day. Black-tying, I think is what she called it."

     Rafael sighed, glancing toward the Mikaelson boy. "All I know is – I can't let her down now."

     "Why?" Hope asked.

     "Because I slept with her."

     Ryan stared at the werewolf with raised brows. He did not see that coming.

     _______

     Hope and Rafael proceeded to the waltz portion of their lesson. Ryan watched from the sidelines, calling out corrections for the werewolf if they were needed. And most of the time, they were.

     Silence encased the gym after Rafael's bombshell. No one wanted to mention how Rafael slept with Lizzie. Ryan could not even imagine what went through the boy's head at the time. Unless, it was spontaneous hookup. That seemed like a more plausible option. Ryan noticed just how much Rafael did not like Lizzie, or at least not in the romantic sense.

     "Can't believe you slept with Lizzie Saltzman," Hope exclaimed after a while.

     Ryan nodded. "Same here."

     "Look, I was mad, and she was there," Rafael explained to them. Hope shook her head, so he continued. "And I wasn't proud of it." They kept dancing, but Hope began to push the werewolf around the floor. "You're leading."

     Hope twirled away from Rafael, before she moved back to his chest. "You're officially a chick."

     Rafael dropped her hands. "Thanks for this." His shook his head with a bitter laugh and headed toward the door. "I guess I'll – see you guys at the party."

     "No – you won't," Hope voiced. "At least, not me." She shot her brother a glance, receiving a shrug in return.

     "So what? You're just gonna – stay in your room alone, while everyone else is out having fun? Even Ryan?" Rafael asked her.

     "Yep, works for me," Hope answered with her arms crossed.

     Ryan stood from where he had taken to sitting on the stairs. "Hope's not much of a party person. Never has been."

     Rafael scoffed. "Bullcrap. Everybody needs a crew."

     "Kinda ironic coming from the reluctant Alpha," Hope countered back.

     Ryan rolled his eyes. He really did not want to listen to the two of them fight. He often wondered why Hope made it her mission to alienate people. Yes, she had some hardships in the past. Her mother died, their uncle died, they killed someone. And like Ryan, she had a right to grieve her own way. He just did not think it would last over two years.

     "Okay, well, the pack is one thing, but a crew is a crew. You know what? I had that – in Landon, until you sent him away," Rafael retorted.

     Hope pressed her lips together. "We're back to that?"

     "I'm just saying. It's one thing to be cool with being alone, and it's another to want to be the lonely girl on purpose."

     Hope's expression hardened as she strode forward. "As opposed to Mister Good Guy who's taking a girl you don't even like to her own party."

     Ryan toed his way toward the exit, failing to miss the last few shots fired. Maybe if he were quiet enough, neither of them would notice his absence. He moved back, step after step, until he made it across the threshold of the room. But as soon as he did, he felt an influx of power surge around the opening.

     "Oh, crap," Ryan voiced, drawing Rafael and Hope's attention.

     Rafael had already begun to head for the exit, but he bounced back due to an unseen force. "What the hell?"

     Hope followed after him, lifting her hand to test it herself. Her palm rebounded the same way. "A barrier spell. Fantastic," she stated and set her gaze on her brother. "Ryan, what did you do?"

     Ryan stared at her in offense. "Nothing, but glad to know I'm the first one to blame."

     "Sorry, kids," Penelope voiced as she rounded the corner to stand next to the Mikaelson boy. "Nothing personal."

     "Let us out of here, Penelope," Hope demanded.

     "You'll be free in an hour," Penelope said with a shrug. "Plenty of time to practice that waltz. Come on, Ryan. You're coming with me." She reached out and looped her arm with the tribrid's before he could decline, pulling him away from the gym and the two arguing teens.

     As soon as they were out of earshot, Ryan ripped his arm from the Park girl's grip and turned to face her. "Alright, what're you planning this time?"

     Penelope sighed, actually sighed. "Like I said. Nothing personal. I'm helping MG with his ruse to win Lizzie Saltzman's heart."

     Ryan's brows furrowed. "You're helping him? What'd he do? Sell his soul to the devil?"

     Penelope stared at him flatly. "I do have friends, you know. Unlike some of us."

     Ryan ground his teeth together. "Kind of hard to do that when everyone here is only out for themselves," he said, giving the girl a sharp look.

     "I'm doing this not just for MG, but for you and Josie, too," Penelope voiced, bringing a confused gaze to the Mikaelson boy's features. "While MG is busy with Lizzie, you can make sure Josie has a good time at her party."

     Ryan's eyes narrowed. "Most people wouldn't want to make their exes' lives better after they break up."

     Penelope grinned. "Well, I'm not most people."

     _______

     For the next several hours, Ryan debated on whether or not he should trust Penelope Park. He did not know the girl that well, but he heard a lot about her over the past two years. She played people. She manipulated them for her own agenda in mind. Lizzie and Josie were not the only ones in the school to call her Satan.

     Ryan forced himself to push their judgement aside. He had never been one to go by the word of others. He needed to experience it, or in that case get to know, firsthand. And if that meant trusting Penelope until he learned otherwise, then he would have to risk it.

     Before Ryan got ready for the party later that night, he promised to deliver something for Hope. The girl could not do it for herself, considering she was still trapped in the gym with Rafael. And since Ryan had to do the same, he agreed to run the errand for his sister. Luckily, Josie was not in her room when he decided to drop them off.

     Ryan adjusted the front of his tux jacket as he entered the Grand Hall. Balloons of blues and silvers were strung around the room, including massive inflatable sixteens, along with streamers and drapes of equal color. Music boomed throughout the crowded space, urging the entire student body to dance. Ryan had to hand it to Lizzie. She sure knew how to throw a party.

     Speak of the devil, Ryan's gaze immediately landed on the blonde Saltzman twin. She and MG were in the center of the dancefloor, jumping and swaying to the beat. He finally understood why Penelope trapped Rafael in the gym. Her plan to get MG and Lizzie together worked. At least, until the barrier spell dropped.

     Ryan scanned the entire room, searching for any sign of Josie. She should have been there. The party was for her, too. Lizzie should not be the only Saltzman twin to celebrate her birthday. Ryan looked toward the highest level of the room to where more students swarmed the balconies and found Penelope Park among them. But no Josie.

     He backed out of the room the same way he entered. Ryan needed to find Josie. Something obviously prevented her from attending her own party. He decided to take the long way around, cutting out of the school to reenter at a different point, so he did not run into straggling partygoers. Night had already fallen over the campus, making it hard for him to ignore the urge to run off through the woods in his wolf form. It was not the time.

     "Somebody help!"

     Ryan recognized that voice anywhere. He raced across the grounds to where a path lit by hanging lanterns emerged. In the middle of the worn trail, Josie crouched next to the body of a woman around his mother's age. Ryan raced forward, alerting the girl to his presence. "What happened?" he questioned as he met her halfway.

     Josie shook her head, while her pale pink dress swished around her feet. "I don't know. She just collapsed."

     Ryan glanced over at the woman, who remained on the ground, and then back to the Josie. "Okay. We need to find your dad."

     "No," Josie exclaimed, reaching out to grab ahold of his arm when he turned to leave. "She's not supposed to be out of his office."

     Ryan's brows furrowed. That was not like Josie. "What? Who even is she?"

     "She's – uh – she's my resurrected, biological mother," Josie stated.

     Ryan blinked in response. "Huh."

     "Yeah, so maybe if we..." Josie trailed off when she heard movement.

     Ryan looked around the girl to find the strange woman back on her feet. Instead of the smooth features he expected, the woman's face appeared to be covered in grotesque and rotting flesh. Neither one of them got the chance to run, before the woman, or creature, took off in the sprint. Ryan felt something smash into his head, forcing his conscious to leave his body as he fell to the ground.

     _______

     It only seemed like seconds later when Ryan jolted awake. He gasped, launching forward to sit up from the dirt beneath him. He breathed deeply, drawing in quick breaths to regain his bearings. His gaze fell upon a figure in front of him, which made him jump back.

     "Hey, it's me. It's me," Hope called out in a soothing voice, reaching out to set a hand on her brother's shoulder. "Calm down."

     Ryan's chest heaved at the sudden scare. He looked over his sister, finding that she was now in a long red dress. "What happened? I was with..." His eyes widened. "Josie," he exclaimed and looked around to find the dark haired girl nowhere in sight. "Where is she?"

     Hope offered her brother a hand and helped him from the ground. "Dr. Saltzman said her bio mom attacked you two and buried her in the cemetery."

     Ryan's shock grew more and more. "Well, what're we waiting for? Let's go save her."

     _______

     The two siblings took off in the direction of the forgotten cemetery. Along the way, Ryan and Hope grabbed a discarded shovel and a flashlight to free Josie from her shallow grave. They powered across the grounds and around the Old Mill to find the lost girl. Ryan maintained a determined expression as they passed two people not at the party. Penelope and MG.

     "You two are gonna howl at the moon wearing that?" Penelope voiced to the Mikaelson from the front steps of the hallowed out structure.

     Hope rolled her eyes and exclaimed back, "sorry, no time for bitchy banter."

     "Yeah, P. We're on a mission, so can't fight with you right now," Ryan added.

     Before he could get further away, Hope reached out and grabbed his arm. He turned to his sister to find a conflicted look. With a sigh, she dragged the boy over to the others. "Actually, we could use your help finding Josie."

     Penelope's features fell at the mention of her ex-girlfriend. "What happened?" she asked, stepping toward the siblings.

     Ryan sighed. "Apparently, her biological mother attacked us and buried Josie alive in the cemetery while I was knocked unconscious."

     As soon as the words left his lips, Penelope moved over to where a shovel was imbedded in the ground and ripped it from its holding. She then joined the Mikaelsons, along with MG, on their quest to save Josie.

     _______

     Ryan gripped the handle of his shovel tightly as they strode into the cemetery. Eroded gravestones stuck out of the ground throughout the area, long overgrown with trees and other kinds of foliage. He listened intently for the sound of Josie struggling beneath the earth, but he could not hear well over the bugs and critters throughout the forest. His hearing may be above the average human, but it paled in comparison to that of a vampire.

     "MG, listen for Josie's breathing," Ryan told the young vampire.

     "Hold on," MG said as they came to a stop. "I hear something. Shovel." He took the tool from Penelope's hands and moved over to the nearest grave. He shoved the metal end into the dirt and dug.

     After a few scoops, a hand shot out of the ground and grabbed ahold of MG's leg. The boy fell backward, struggling to get free of the creature's grasp. Ryan had to stare long and hard to realize a full-fledged zombie burst from the grave. Penelope rushed forward with her shovel, before she hit the tool over the zombie's head. It did not seem to care as he continued to grab for MG.

     "That won't work," MG exclaimed, snatching Penelope's fallen shovel from the ground and drove the sharpest point into the zombie's head. The thing stilled and then dropped to the ground, dead again.

     Ryan gapped at the sight. "Have we stepped into The Walking Dead?"

     MG pushed himself to his feet and said, "to kill a walker you have to gotta go for the brain. Everybody knows that." He turned to Ryan with his fist raised. "You got me."

     Ryan released a huff and bumped his fist with MG's. "Definitely."

     "Yeah, every nerd, maybe. Just call it a zombie," Penelope stated.

     The sound of earth moving and moaning alerted Ryan to more of the undead.

     "Zombies," Hope corrected as she shone the beam of her flashlight onto more arms shooting up from the dirt. "Plural."

     The rotting corpses stood on their wobbling feet and stalked toward the four teenagers on all sides. Ryan held up his shovel, backing up to where the others did the same. The zombies closed in on all sides, boxing them in like a cat to a mouse. Ryan could handle a few zombies. He watched enough of The Walking Dead to be certified in ways to kill the undead.

     The Mikaelson boy took a deep breath and said, "alright, okay. We just have to channel our inner Rick Grimes. Piece of cake."

     MG made a pffed sound. "You can be Rick Grimes, and I'll be Daryl Dixon."

     Ryan shrugged and stared down the closest zombie. "Works for me." He swung in an arch toward the creature, slicing into its head with the shovel's head. Blood splattered as its skin ripped open and left a gaping wound behind. Once its body hit the ground, he turned back to see MG's zombie fall without its head.

     "Whoa!" MG exclaimed, raising his shovel over his shoulder. "Two for two, baby."

     "Penelope and I can handle the rest, Ryan, you and MG find Josie," Hope said with her should held in front of her chest.

     Ryan nodded. "Got it." With a quick glance at each other, he and MG sped forward through the cemetery to find Josie. He stopped near a grave where scratching could be heard below the earth. He went to shove his shovel into the dirt until a shout caught his attention. Ryan looked over his shoulder to watch MG unleash a zombie from a wooden casket.

     A moment later, Hope appeared and shoved the blunt end of the shovel through the zombie's head. "MG, Ryan, we're running out of time."

     Ryan faced his sister, shouting at the sight behind her. "Hope, watch out!"

     Hope spun around to come face to face with a zombie. She raised her hands, dropping the shovel to hold the creature at bay. "Penelope, axe," she called out to the Park girl.

     Penelope, after successfully killing her zombie, tossing the axe through the air.

     Without missing a beat, Hope caught it and decapitated her zombie.

     Ryan turned to find another of the undead next to him. He twirled the shovel in his hands, before he raised it up and launched it away from him. The dull end of the handle pierced the zombie through the eye, sending it to the ground with a thud.

     "Damn it, MG. Get up and find her," Hope shouted to the vampire.

     "There's too much noise," MG replied, pushing himself up from the ground.

     "Well listen harder. Pretend you're at a beach or something."

     Ryan was about to speak up until a blue light emitted from his left hand. He looked down to see the bracelet he wrapped around his wrist earlier in the day to be glowing. Not only that, but the arrow attached spun to face away from him. Ryan stole the idea from Hope when she did the same for Landon. He had a feeling that it would be good gift idea for Josie, just in case she needed it someday. He never thought she would have to use it so soon.

     "Hey!" Ryan shouted to grab the others attention. "Here." He moved over to show them the bracelet. "That way."

     Hope gave her brother a look and said, "did you steal that from me?"

     Ryan pressed his lips together. "What? No," he exclaimed and then shrugged when his sister's look sharpened. "Yes, but that doesn't matter right now." He faced MG. "Listen closely and follow me."

     Ryan took off in a sprint as allowed the glowing arrow to lead the way. He stopped when MG shouted that he heard her, speeding off to the grave. Ryan was hot on the vampire's heals, dropping next to him to dig at the dirt. They ripped away at the ground, before a hand shot up in front of them. Ryan did not pay Hope and Penelope any mind as MG grabbed the hand and pulled the person up.

     Josie whimpered, rising through the dirt to gasp for air. She sucked in the cool breeze and grabbed for her chest, while tears streamed down her cheeks.

     Ryan released a breath of relief at the sight of her alive. "Oh, thank God."

     Hope did the same. "The bracelet and talisman. They worked."

     Josie gasped, again, looking down at her own glowing wrist and then at the necklace around her throat. She reached up and oval piece of jewelry, already knowing how the bracelet worked from the note Ryan left her. "What's it supposed to do?"

     "Make quiet things heard," Hope said in a light tone.

     _______

     A calm fell over the school once Josie had been found. Alaric moved Jo, the twins biological mother, into his office so she could not hurt anyone else, while Josie departed to the bathroom to rid herself of the horrible night. The resurrected woman seemed to be the latest monster in a line who wanted the knife. Apparently, they decided to take a different approach that time around. One with more psychological impact.

     Ryan stood in the hallway outside the girl's bathroom with Penelope and MG. The three of them wanted to know how Josie was before they turned in for the night. Hope left a little while before then, having had her fill of friendly fun. Although, Ryan knew she actually enjoyed herself for the first time in a long while.

     MG proceeded to tell Ryan and Penelope about his newfound lease on life as they waited for Josie. "I'm serious, guys, something clicked while I was taking out those zombies," he said. "I – it felt right inside, like the real me."

     Ryan pressed his lips together and asked, "which means?"

     "I'm a superhero," MG stated. Penelope burst into laughter, while Ryan tried to hold back his smile. "Like, from the comics." Penelope continued to laugh, which only brought Ryan to do the same. "'Cause heroes don't just get thegirl, they get all the girls."

     "Totally," Penelope quipped, after she calmed down a bit. "Superman is such a slut."

     Ryan could not help the snort that escaped his lips. MG and Penelope cackled together, until the bathroom door opened Josie emerged.

     The Saltzman girl moved out of the room in her robe with a towel and utilities in hand. Josie moved passed them and said, "thanks for tonight, Ryan and MG."

     "First hero, thank you? Accepted. Up, up, and away," MG exclaimed, spinning on his heal to leave round the corner and leave the hallway.

     Ryan remained silent as Penelope turned to address Josie.

     "What about me? I helped," she stated.

     Josie whirled around with a flat stare. "You're the reason I got buried alive on my birthday." Penelope huffed, but the girl proceeded. "I took your advice. I wanted something, and I went for it. I made the selfish move, and I ended up finding a zombie. There's room for people in this world that just care about other people. Not everybody has to be a showboat."

     Ryan took a step back as Josie moved toward Penelope. He wanted nothing to do with the conversation between them. He knew that there was still bad blood between the two, especially on Josie's end. After all, Penelope did dump her for no known reason.

     The Park girl stood there for a moment and then replied, "you're right. This world –needs the selfless and the selfish to keep spinning. I happen to be the latter." Penelope turned to where Ryan stopped in the middle of the hallway. "Mikaelson, here, happens to be the former," she said, stepping over to the boy to shove him in Josie's direction.

     Ryan stumbled forward, glancing at Penelope, who sent him a wink before she disappeared around the corner. He turned back to Josie and found her still in front of him. "Uh, I'm glad you're okay."

     "I almost hadn't been if it weren't for yours and Hope's gifts," Josie voiced, shifting the items in her arms. "Thank you, again."

     Ryan nodded. "It was no problem, really. Besides, I got to kill some zombies, so it wasn't all bad," he quipped with a light grin.

     Josie cracked a smile of her own. "Well, I have to go find Lizzie. Salvage the rest of our birthday," she said and then turned to leave. "See you later, Ryan."

     "You, too, Josie," Ryan called after her as she disappeared down the hallway and out of view. 

<December 18, 2018>

Sorry this chapter is so long. I got a little carried away.

Anyway, I think a few BROTPs are on the rise. My favorite being Ryan and Penelope. An unexpected friendship that I did not know would happen until I started writing them. Ryan and MG are my little nerds. They can totally bond over The Walking Dead and Marvel. I see it now.

And don't be too disappointed about no kiss in this chapter. Between Ryan and Josie, or even Josie and Penelope. I don't want this story to just be a double of the show. Things will change the way I see fit, just like with every other story I write. 

I also really hope you guys don't think I'm trying to take away from Josie being pansexual in this story. She still is, wholeheartedly, even if she possibly gets with Ryan down the road. I just want to be clear on that.

Don't forget to vote and comment.

-Jordan

P.S. Unedited chapter.