"So...how does this look?" I turn around in a circle, modeling a pair of pants and a tee shirt with the logo of one of my favorite bands printed on the front.

"You look hot. As usual." Domnik shrugs and shifts in his seat to reach his phone, checking a notification.

Okay...so basically what happened was, today was my day to run some errands. Getting new clothes, school supplies, food for my grandparents' house while they're gone, stuff like that.

But, since Domnik insisted on spending the day with me, he gets to go around with me, and I get his lovely commentary on everything.

I roll my eyes at his latest opinion and go back into the dressing room, changing into my original clothes and gathering all the other clothes into a pile.

I walk out and see a girl a year or two older than me flirting with Domnik, who's becoming visibly annoyed and agitated.

"...whoever she is, I'm sure she can't be anywhere near as exciting as me."

"You're right." The woman's eyes light up in mischievous joy, until Domnik continues. "But she's unexciting in my way, and you wouldn't understand."

I lean against the frame of the dressing room, intrigued as to where this is going.

Especially since neither of them have realized I'm watching them.

"Look, I'm sure she's a real darling. But good girls don't know what bad girls know." She presses her hand against Dom's chest, trying to hold him down, but her slim and small figure isn't nearly enough to hold down the 6'3 powerhouse sitting in front of her.

He stands smoothly, looking down at her in a quite pitiful way. "You're right again. But good girls sometimes know more than bad girls. And definitely in this case."

She crosses her arms, glaring up at him. "Look. I know you think you're hot stuff, but you're only 17. Maybe 18. Don't pretend you'll be the best boyfriend in the world to her, because you know someday you're gonna cheat on her and never look back."

Domnik goes quiet, and my breath catches as I think he's actually considering what the woman has said.

Suddenly, his eyes harden as he glares at the woman. Even from how far away from him I am, I can see him shaking angrily.

"Get away from me."

The woman tilts her head, an innocent smirk on her overly bright lips. "Did I strike a nerve, lover boy?"

"I don't want to, but I'll make an exception to a rule for you if you don't stop."

The woman's lips curve into a devious smile, and she leans toward Domnik. "What rule would you be breaking?"

Domnik reaches forward, grabbing the woman's arm, and hisses his words so quietly I almost wonder if he said anything. "Never hit a girl."

The woman pales. She opens her mouth as if to say something, then closes it.

Huffing, she spins and walks away. Domnik sighs and sits back into the chair. He rubs his eyes, then looks at the ceiling.

"April, I know you've been watching me this whole time."

My eyes widen for a split second before narrowing in frustration. I shift the clothes on my arm and walk up to him, tipping my chin up to meet Domnik's green eyes.

"Thank you for coming with me. I didn't mean to get you into any trouble."

He smiles a little bit and takes the clothes from me. "You didn't do anything. You didn't get me in any trouble. Besides, I've had to deal with girls like her since I was old enough to have girls like me."

I frown a little and peek into my small bag, gasping in surprise and fear.

"What?" Domnik turns and looks at me, amused until he sees my expression.

"I...I didn't bring enough money. This was all just a waste of time. I'm sorry." I try to grab the clothes back to put then on the "UNWANTED" rack, but he holds them away while digging in his jeans pocket.

"Ah-ah-ah. You see, I brought this in case you forgot your money...which you kind of did." He pulls a was of ten and twenty dollar bills from his pocket, waving them triumphantly in the air.

"Oh my gosh. Domnik, you didn't need to bring money. I'll just put some of my stuff back and buy them later." He holds the clothes away again and walks towards the counter.

"Hello sir, would you like to check out?" A middle-aged clerk looks at Domnik and moves to stand behind a cash register, typing in a code.

"Thank you." Domnik tries to neatly stack the clothes on the counter, but the woman just chuckles.

"Don't worry about it. You're the one paying twice as much for these clothes as they're worth." The woman lowers her voice to a mutter and quickly sorts out the messy pile and begins to scan them.

As the woman nears the end of the pile, Domnik begins to seem a little anxious and scratches at the back of his neck.

"Ma'am, I don't mean to get anyone in trouble, but one of your employees, Marylinne, was...ah..."

The woman looks at Domnik through the corner of her eye, amused. "Flirting with you?"

Domnik nods, relieved.

"She's always like that when a pretty boy comes in. Usually she doesn't try her luck with the earlier stock, but she likes to think she can seduce any man." She turns and sets a stack of clothes in a bag. "Don't worry, she's tried the same thing with four other guys today. She won't know you're the one who told me."

She finishes up and prints the receipt, tucking it into the bag, then handing the bags to Domnik.

"Thank you...Helene." I see Domnik squint a little to read the name tag on the woman's sweater.

"That's what I'm here for. You two have a good day." She kindly smiles at us, and me and Domnik smile back.

We walk out of the store into the courtyard of the mall, and the smell of pizza and pretzels makes my mouth water.

"Domnik, can we—" I realize Domnik isn't even by me any more.

He's in line at the store selling burgers and hot dogs.

Rolling my eyes, I make my way over to him. I only make it a few feet before I'm roughly knocked to the ground.

"Hey!" I stand back up and glare at the culprit.

Jiji. One of the cruelest girls from my old school.

"Oh. Did poor little April get a boo boo? Well good." She snickers evilly and tries to take my bags, but I hold my empty arm out against her.

She tilts her head in surprise, a curious smile spreading across her face. "Where did you get a backbone? And why haven't you been at school? I'm sure your locker's been lonely without you being shoved into it." She smiles sweetly and shoves my arm away.

I glare at her furiously, wishing she would just leave.

"You never answered. Why haven't you been at school lately?" She circles around me, inspection my unafraid stance…one that most definitely would have been cowering under previous circumstances.

"I haven't been at school for personal reasons. I don't think you're my mommy, so I don't need to tell you."

I see Domnik just walk out of line and make his way towards me, anger obvious on his face. I hope Jiji is ready for trouble.

Jiji rolls her eyes and snatches one of my bags away. I don't even bother to stop her. Domnik's only a few feet away at this point.

She shoves her hand into the bag and prepares to pull the clothes out and throw them on the he ground.

Domnik smoothly grabs the bag away, tucking it under his arm.

"Excuse me, but what gives you the right to harass this woman?"

Jiji scoffs and rolls her eyes. "Woman? She's hardly a girl. And what doesn't give me the right?"

Domnik narrows his eyes at her and glares. "You have no right to harass anyone. Especially not my girlfriend."

I almost choke on air. He just called me his girlfriend ?!

"Look, sweetie. I know you're nice and don't want to see anyone get hurt, but don't pretend you're her boyfriend. Its quite pitiful, really."

Domnik narrows his eyes at her and glares at her. If looks could kill, she wouldn't even be a pile of ash."I'm so tired of people like you thinking April can't get a guy like me. It's just bullshit. Complete and total bullshit. Get your big head out of your stuck up ass and quit being a bitch. Check your ego before I check it for you."

Jiji stops in surprise, then starts laughing. People all around the courtyard begin to look at her.

"Watch your language, buddy. April isn't worth getting in trouble for."

"I think that's a decision for me to make. And I disagree."

"Well, it seems you're the one who gave April a backbone. Or maybe she always had one and she just never showed it."

I frown and snatch my bag away from Domnik, and join him in glaring at Jiji. "I've always had a backbone, I just don't show it to backstabbers. And what happened to the posse?"

She sighs in disgust. "They're here somewhere. Henry and Lillie went to the theater, and I don't care where Toby and Hanna went. They're supposed to be meeting me here in ten minutes."

She inspects her nails, pretending not to care. "Well, I'll see you guys later. See you at school, April."

Domnik clears his throat, drawing Jiji's attention. "Actually, you won't be seeing much of April."

"Oh yeah? Why not?" Jiji tilts her head, a sarcastic smile curving the corners of her glossed lips.

"April transferred schools. Unless you want to transfer and deal with me, you won't talk to April at school again."

The smug smile drops off of her face as she turns and storms away, probably to go whine to one of her followers about how mean we were.

Domnik rolls his eyes and grabs the bags of clothing, dragging them to an empty table.

"So what do you want to eat?"

I tap my chin with my finger slowly in thought, and a smile creeps onto my face.

"Ice cream sounds pretty good. But maybe a cheeseburger."

A wide grin splits his face. "I see you eat like a guy. I was scared you we're gonna say a green smoothie or something. I would have been lost." Domnik chuckles and plus out the rest of his money, about twenty dollars.

"Hey...uh...would you mind maybe pitching in?" He glances up at me, a slightly guilty look on his face.

"Of course!" I pull all my money out of my small cross body bag, handing him almost fifty dollars.

"Okay, so I'll go order us some food and I'll be right back." He wanders back off to the line he jumped out of, waiting patiently as the person about ten people ahead of him—and ordering—asks the cashier to go through every meal on the menu and what it is.

I pull out my phone, my eyes widening as I see almost twenty notifications.

Mostly from Tarra. Seemingly drunk and desperate for a friend. I'm not gonna say what she said...but I think they were for Maddix. I hope she didn't send that to everyone in her contacts.

Sighing, I delete all of the messages and see one from an old number, making my heart hurt.

Mom: It is on this sad occasion that the *city name* police department informs you that the owner of this number is deceased.

Shakily, I take a breath and delete the message.

Don't worry about something you can't change, April. Just focus on what you can and try to avoid making bad situations worse. The little voice in my head pipes up, and I sigh, knowing it's the truth.

I quickly read all of Tarra's messages, then reply to the last one.

Tarra: Me and Maddox were gonna go to a park or something. You and Nik can come if you'd like...

A small smile crosses my face and I quickly type a reply.

Me: Of course we'd like to come with. Well, I don't know about Domnik, but I'd like to go and I'm sure he'd want to go anywhere I am.

I send the text and almost get my phone into my bag before it vibrates in my hands.

Tarra: Okay. I'll ask Maddix to pick you up in about an hour.

Me: Thanks.

I put the phone into my bag and lean back against the cold plastic of the food court chair.

I think I might have dozed off, because in what seemed like just a few seconds, a tray of food was slid onto the table in front of my face.

"Wake up, sleepy head." Domnik plops into the chair across from me and almost instantly begins to eat the burger and fries.

By the time I start eating, his tray is almost half empty.

"Hungry?" Trying not to laugh, I drop a fry into my mouth and watch as he freezes, his face like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Yeah. And the food here is really good." He picks up the burger and takes another bite.

I look at my barely touched food and then back at him. I understand he probably has a ridiculously active metabolism, but damn. We ate breakfast all of an hour and a half ago!

"Are you going to eat that?" I look up to see him watching my burger as if it might run to China at any second.

"Yeah. I'm just not too hungry right now." I scratch my head and sigh, pushing away from the small table.

"We can go back to the house if you'd like." He wraps the thin foil back around his burger and piles the rest of his fries into his mouth.

"Sorry." I grimace and pour my fries into the paper bag laid on the bottom of the tray, then slide my burger into the bag before closing it.

"It's fine. Beside, we wouldn't want to run into Jiji again."

I grab my bags and follow him toward the main courtyard. Something moves in the corner of my vision, and I turn to see a zombie standing in a darker corner.

A squeak leaves my mouth, and Domnik's concerned voice .

"What?"

I spin around and point to the corner frantically, my mouth failing.

"Are you okay?"

I turn back to the area to find it empty.

Completely normal and zombie-free.

"I...uh...yeah, I'm fine."

-----
Oh my gosh guys, I just realized how long it's been since I updated this...over a month! I'm sorry to anyone who was waiting for this!

I'll try to update more often, I promise.

Ideas are always welcome, and much appreciated.

There will be a battle scene soon if anyone is wondering...omg zombie fighting like whaaaattt? Haha I'm just being a dork now, but there will be a fight scene in the next one or two chapters.

And I promise the next charter won't take me a month to update (don't hate me please)!