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She eased the backpack straps off of her shoulders, then lowered to the ground until she sat on the top step, leaning to the side against the railing of the stairs.
The coughing had made the pounding in her head return, and she closed her eyes, trying to relax the tension in her neck and jaw. A light breeze wafted down the street, and a chill ran over her body despite the early afternoon warmth.
She wasn’t sure how long they sat there in silence, but it must’ve been a while, because she jumped slightly when Maddie finally spoke.
“Did it look like anyone had been in there?” she asked. “Was there anything left from them?”
Saff opened her eyes, staring blankly out across the empty street. “No.”
Maddie nodded slowly. “So then maybe they haven’t gotten here yet,” she said, a small hint of hope returning to her voice. “Maybe they’re still on their way here.”
Although that seemed like a slim possibility, Saff didn’t say it aloud. Another chill ran through her body, and she leaned her head against the metal railing once again. Her whole body had begun to ache, and she couldn’t tell if it was from exhaustion or the trauma of their escape from the city.
Either way, she wasn’t looking forward to the rest of the journey to where she thought the bunker might be. And she couldn’t bring herself to consider the possibility that it might not be there any longer.
“I—“ Maddie started, then paused. “We should stay the night. Maybe they’ll be here sometime today.”
Saff said nothing. Maybe it was the lack of energy, or maybe it was that slight edge of hope in Maddie’s voice that made her want to keep the response to herself. And maybe it was the sudden chills that had begun to run across her skin, but against her better judgment, staying the night there actually did sound better than hiking the rest of the day to find the bunker.
“Okay,” she breathed, her voice barely above a whisper.
Maddie didn’t say anything, but after a moment, she knelt to the ground, feeling her way to the step that Saff was sitting on. Then she sat down beside her.
Saff stared aimlessly out into the street, her eyes already heavy and begging to shut.
“How are you feeling?” Maddie asked, pulling her legs up and resting her chin on her knees.
“Fine.”
Maddie tilted her head toward her. “You’re lying.”
Saff glanced over at her. At some point, Maddie’s pushing and teasing had become slightly less annoying. It also stopped being unexpected.
“And what would you do if I said I didn’t feel fine?”
Maddie’s lips pressed into a thin line. She waited a beat before answering. “I’d try to help.”
Saff grunted, looking back out at the street. “Right,” she muttered.
“You know,” Maddie replied, “I’m not surprised you prefer traveling alone. Must be hard to travel with other people, with you being such a pain in the ass and all.”
Saff’s eyes shot back to her, finding a teasing smirk on Maddie’s face. Apparently, her comments still weren’t entirely unexpected.
A low laugh rumbled out of her throat before she could stop it. Maddie wasn’t exactly wrong, but she also didn’t want to think about the fact that she hadn’t actually been traveling alone all that time.
Maddie’s smirk grew into a cocky smile. A smile that Saff was beginning to hate less and less with each occurrence.
“And I suppose everyone loved traveling with you?” Saff asked, still watching the girl beside her.
Maddie shrugged, still smiling. “I kept them entertained.”
Saff grunted, letting her head rest against the railing once again. “I can imagine.”
They sat in comfortable silence for a while before Saff finally regained enough energy to stand.
“I’m gonna check the shops for supplies,” she said, wincing as she slowly grabbed the metal railing and pulled herself up. “Wanna come with me or wait here?”
Maddie thought for a few moments before finally standing. “I’ll go with you. Waiting here alone doesn’t sound super appealing.”
