Rom-Com Zombie Apocalypse
Chapter 26: Goodbyes in the End of the World

Chapter 26: Goodbyes in the End of the World

So, everyone gathered in the room, sitting around the table like we were about to have some kind of weird family dinner.

Except, instead of mashed potatoes and awkward small talk, we had Roarke staring us down like a drill sergeant who just found out someone stole his coffee.

"Time for some serious talk," he said, his voice sharp enough to cut through the tension in the room.

Great. Serious talk. My favorite.

He asked everyone about their experiences on how the zombie apocalypse started. I mean, come on, do we really need to relive the whole "world went to crap" story again?

But whatever. People started talking, and I zoned out halfway through.

I already know how it started, zombies, chaos, the usual end-of-the-world stuff.

Do we really need to hash it out like it’s some kind of therapy session? But Roarke listened like it was the most important thing he’d ever heard.

After 30 minutes of storytelling (and me mentally redesigning my dream motorbike), he finally spoke up.

"According to my network," he said, "the whole world’s suffering from this. Everyone’s dealing with the same mess." He paused, looking around the room like he was waiting for someone to freak out.

But, surprise, no one did. We’ve watched enough movies to know how it goes. Roarke nodded, almost approvingly. "Good. No panicking. That’s what I like to see."

Then Max chimed in. "We kinda have some goals we want to do," he said. "Like, Mira wanted to ride a motorbike, and we made that happen. We were gonna decide whose goal to tackle next, but then we met you guys and stayed the night here. So, our plan for a luck draw kinda faded away."

"A bucket list, huh?" Roarke said, raising an eyebrow. "Not bad. At least you’ve got the motivation to keep going."

I glanced at Elliot, who was sitting across from me, staring at the table like it held the secrets of the universe. What’s he thinking about now? I wondered. But then I stopped myself. Last time I tried to figure out what was going on in that head of his, it was about zombie piss. Yeah, no thanks. I’m not going down that rabbit hole again.

Roarke cleared his throat, pulling me out of my thoughts. "Alright, here’s the deal," he said, his voice all business. "We need a plan. A real one. Not just scavenging day to day, but something with a future. Something that gives us a reason to keep moving."

"Like a bucket list?" Max said again, grinning like he’d just cracked the code to life.

"Not exactly," Roarke said, shooting him a look. "But close. We need to secure supplies, find a safe haven, and maybe, just maybe, figure out what caused this mess. If there’s a cure, or a way to reverse it, we need to find it."

"Or just enjoy the ride while it lasts," I said, smirking. Elliot rolled his eyes, but I caught the hint of a smile on his face. Got him.

Roarke ignored me, as usual. "Now, I know some of you have... unconventional ideas about how to handle this," he said, looking at Ben. "Ben, I hear you apologize to the zombies after hitting them."

Ben nodded, his Southern drawl smooth as butter. "Ain’t right to kill somethin’ that’s still got a soul in there, y’hear? Even if they’re tryin’ to eat us."

"And Lila," Roarke said, turning to her, "you’ve got that... wiper of yours. Unique choice."

"Hey, it works!" Lila said, smirking. "And it’s mighty satisfying, too."

Roarke sighed, like he was already regretting this conversation. "Look, I don’t care what you use to defend yourselves. What I care about is that we stick together and watch each other’s backs. But..." He paused, his gaze sweeping the room. "Not all of you need to stay here. If you’ve got other plans, other goals, then maybe it’s better if you go your own way."

The room went quiet, the kind of quiet that makes you want to fidget just to break the tension. I raised an eyebrow. "You’re saying we should split up?"

"Not exactly," Roarke said. "But if some of you have other priorities, like your little bucket list, then maybe it’s better if you do your own thing. We can’t hold you back, and you can’t hold us back."

I glanced at Elliot, then at Alex, who was frowning like she was trying to solve a math problem in her head. "So, what’s the plan, then?" Alex asked, her voice steady.

Roarke leaned forward, his expression serious. "The plan is simple. Those who want to stay with us will focus on survival, on finding a way to reclaim this world. Those who want to leave... well, you’re on your own. But if you change your minds, you know where to find us."

The room erupted into murmurs and arguments, but I just sat back, watching it all with a smirk. "Well, this is fun," I said to myself. "But I guess it’s time to make a choice."

Max was the first to speak up. "We’ve got our own goals," he said, his voice calm but firm. "Things we want to do before... well, you know. If we’re going to do this, we need to do it together."

Clara nodded, her eyes locked on Max. "We’ve come this far. It’s time we see it through."

I glanced at Elliot, who was already standing. "I’m with Mira," he said, his voice soft but determined. "Whatever she decides, I’m in."

Alex stood next, her jaw set. "And I’m also with Mira. We’re a team."

I raised an eyebrow, then shrugged. "Well, I guess that settles it. Looks like we’re going our own way."

Roarke nodded, a small, approving smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Good. You’ve got spirit. Just don’t get yourselves killed."

"And you lot try not to get too boring without us," I added, grinning.

As the group began to split, I leaned back in my chair one last time, my mind already racing with the possibilities. "Alright," I said to myself, standing up. "Time to go make some memories. Or, you know, get eaten by zombies. Either way, it’ll be fun."

Later That Night

Elliot found me sitting by the window, staring out at the darkness. "So," he said, plopping down next to me, "what’s next on the bucket list? Skydiving? Swimming with zombie sharks?"

I smirked. "Maybe. Or maybe we just wing it and see what happens."

"Sounds like a plan," he said, grinning. "As long as I’m with you, I’m good."

Wait, what? My brain short-circuited for a second. Did he just? No, no, no. He couldn’t have meant it like that. Could he? My cheeks suddenly felt like they were on fire, and I could feel my heart doing this weird little stutter-step in my chest.

Oh no. Oh no no no. This was bad. This was very bad. I opened my mouth to say something, anything, to deflect or make a joke or just breathe, but nothing came out. My brain was too busy screaming, HE SAID HE’S GOOD AS LONG AS HE’S WITH YOU WHAT DOES THAT MEAN WHAT DOES THAT MEAN—

Before I could spiral further, Alex walked over, her arms crossed. "You two done talking? Then sleep. We’ve got a big day tomorrow."

Thank you, Alex. My savior. My hero. My lifeline. I could’ve kissed her right then and there (but, you know, boundaries). I cleared my throat, trying to act like I wasn’t just internally combusting over Elliot’s stupidly casual comment.

"Yeah, yeah," I said, waving her off. "We’ll be ready. Don’t worry so much, Captain Calm."

Elliot chuckled, leaning back like he hadn’t just thrown my entire brain into chaos. "Relax, Alex. We’re just brainstorming. Zombie sharks could be a thing, you know."

Alex rolled her eyes. "Sure. And I’m the queen of England. Just don’t stay up all night being tense. We need to be sharp tomorrow."

"Got it, boss," I said, saluting her dramatically. She shook her head and sighed.

I glanced at Elliot out of the corner of my eye, trying to act casual. He was still grinning like he hadn’t just dropped a bomb on me. Ugh. Why did he have to be so... Elliot? And why did my stupid brain have to overanalyze every little thing he said? As long as I’m with you, I’m good. What was that supposed to mean? Was it just a friendly thing? Or was it... more? And why did I even care? I didn’t care. I didn’t. Except I totally did, and now I was blushing again, and this was a disaster.

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to focus on the darkness outside the window. Okay, Mira. Get it together. You’ve survived zombies, motorbike rides, and Roarke’s morning jog. You can survive one stupidly charming guy with a baseball bat. Probably. Maybe.

Alex nudged me with her elbow, snapping me out of my thoughts. "You okay? You’ve got that look on your face like you’re trying to solve the mysteries of the universe again."

I snorted, shaking my head. "Yeah, yeah. Just... thinking."

"Careful," Elliot said, grinning. "Last time you thought too hard, you got a B in math class."

I groaned, burying my face in my hands. "I hate you."

"No, you don’t," he said, his voice soft.

And just like that, my brain was back to screaming. Great. Just great.

The next morning, we stood in front of each other, ready to say our farewells. Roarke gave us a nod, his usual stoic self. "Good luck," he said. "Don’t do anything stupid."

"Same to you," I said, smirking. "Try not to miss us too much."

Ben and Lila waved, Jake stuttered out a goodbye, stealing glances at Alex like he wanted to say something—maybe one last shot before she left. But in the end, he stayed quiet, his expression falling just slightly before he looked away. Poor guy. He lost his crush, and she didn’t even know it. (Wait, should I have told her? Whatever. It’s too late, and I’m bad at this whole liking-loving stuff.) Jax and Cole gave us a salute.

It was weird, saying goodbye to people who’d become like family in such a short time.

But that’s how it goes in the apocalypse, I guess. You meet people, you lose people, and you keep moving.

We were taking the jeep, which made sense for our numbers, but I still felt a pang of longing for the motorbike. The wind in my hair, the open road—it was freedom, pure and simple. But squeezing five people onto one bike wasn’t exactly practical, so I compromised. For now.

Max and Clara took the front seats, with Max driving and Clara navigating, while the rest of us piled into the back. As we pulled away, I glanced back one last time.

Elliot was beside me, Alex on my other side. We were a weird little group, but we were together. And for now, that was enough.

Above us, a flock of zombie pigeons took flight, their ragged wings cutting through the gray morning sky like silent ghosts of the old world. For a moment, they circled overhead, their eerie, empty eyes watching as we drove off, an omen, a farewell, or just another reminder that nothing was ever the same.

"Alright," I said, turning back to the road ahead. "Let’s go make some trouble."

Elliot grinned. "Wouldn’t have it any other way."

And with that, we rolled into the unknown, ready for whatever came next.