As each pair made their way back to the school bus, the tension was high. They returned with bags of supplies, adrenaline still buzzing in their veins from the chaos inside Walmart. But when they climbed onto the bus, they were greeted by a sight that left them all speechless.
There was Evan, kneeling in the aisle, giving Chloe a foot massage. She was lounging back in her seat, a smug smile plastered on her face as Ethan kneaded her ankle, completely oblivious to the horrified stares from the group.
Lucas was the first to break the silence, shaking his head with a grimace. "Dude... seriously?"
Evan looked up, his face flushed. "What? She twisted her ankle, alright? Just trying to help."
Chloe smirked, shooting the others a satisfied look. "Yeah, what? He's actually being useful for once."
Brittney rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath, "Simps be simping." She took a seat, pulling out her phone despite the lack of signal, just for the comfort of having it in her hand.
Brad let out a low, annoyed groan as he slumped into a seat. "I don't know how you can sit there and do that with everything that just happened in there. You got a spine or what?"
Evan ignored the taunts, keeping his focus on Chloe's ankle. "Look, you guys went in there, got what we needed. I'm just... taking care of business here, alright?"
"Right," Jordan snorted, dropping into a seat with his haul. "I think you're confusing 'business' with 'simping,' but hey, whatever helps you sleep at night."
Just then, Ms. Heather stepped onto the bus, and with her was Blake, who was carefully carrying her bag of groceries. A few steps behind them was Trev, looking wide-eyed and slightly dazed as he took in the scene, clutching his own bag tightly.
Lucas eyed the newcomers, raising an eyebrow. "Okay, who are these guys? We get two surprise guests or something?"
Ms. Heather gave an apologetic smile, glancing between Blake and Trev. "Everyone, this is Blake. He, um... helped Jordan and me out back there. And that's, uh... Trev, he was with Lucas and Brad."
Blake gave a small nod, pushing his glasses up with an awkward smile. "Hey, I'm Blake. Just here to... you know, help out in any way I can."
Trev, still looking slightly out of place, waved sheepishly. "Yeah, uh... nice to meet everyone."
Jean gave a nod, but his face was serious. "Alright, no time for introductions right now. We've got what we came for. Let's get on the road before this place turns into a full-on war zone."
Ms. Heather took her place behind the wheel, the usual warmth in her eyes replaced by a steely resolve as she put the bus in gear. "Everyone hold on. We're moving."
The engine roared to life, and the bus lurched forward as they pulled out of the Walmart parking lot. The group settled in, each person silent for a moment, processing the chaotic events that had brought them together. There were no words, no banter, just a shared understanding that, for now, survival was the only thing that mattered.
***
The bus rumbled to a halt on the edge of a dense forest, its headlights casting eerie shadows among the trees. Ms. Heather turned off the engine, plunging the group into the quiet, almost unnatural stillness of the woods. For a moment, everyone just sat there, letting the reality of the day sink in as they exchanged tired, wary glances.
Jean climbed out first, taking a few shaky breaths as he adjusted to the silence outside. He pulled a small box of matches from his pocket and, after gathering some sticks from around the bus, struck a match, watching as it caught and started a small fire. The warm light flickered in the dark, casting their faces in a glow that made them all look like they'd aged years in just one day.
They gathered around the fire, some sitting on overturned boxes or rocks, others just on the ground, exhausted but grateful for the brief break. Jean found a kettle from one of the bags, filling it with some canned soup they'd managed to scrounge up. The warmth and smell of the food brought a touch of comfort, even if the cans were just basic, bland soup.
Jean cleared his throat, giving everyone a look. "Alright... since we're all stuck here, might as well do a round of introductions. Just say your first name and... I dunno, whatever else you want us to know."
He looked around the circle, waiting for someone to start.
Brittney rolled her eyes but spoke up first, flipping her pink hair back. "Fine. I'm Brittney, but everyone calls me Bri. Influencer, TikTok famous, over 100k followers. I'd be live right now if the world hadn't just gone to hell." She huffed, glancing at her dead phone.
Tyler snorted, giving her a smirk. "Yeah, I'm Ty. Guess you could call me the 'bad boy' of the group." He flashed her a look, but Brittney only grimaced and turned away.
Jordan rolled his eyes. "Right. Anyway, I'm Jordan. Class clown, life of the party, the guy who says the shit everyone's thinking. Not like that matters much now, though." He shrugged, a hint of resignation in his tone.
Ms. Heather smiled warmly, the firelight reflecting in her eyes. "I'm Heather, though you can call me Ms. Collins if that's easier. I'm... well, I guess I'm still your teacher. I'm just here to help everyone get through this as best as I can."
Lucas chuckled, shooting Ms. Heather a wink. "Lucas. But call me Luca—it's cooler. Guess I'm the one who brings the style. And yeah, I'm the guy who's way cooler than he looks."
Akira glanced at Jean with a small, soft smile. "I'm Akira. I'm here for Jean... always." Her voice was barely a whisper, but it carried an intensity that made everyone look between her and Jean with a mix of confusion and concern.
Jean cleared his throat, trying to brush off her comment. "Uh, yeah. Anyway, I'm Jean. Just... a regular guy, I guess. Trying to keep us alive."
Brad crossed his arms, his tone laced with annoyance. "Name's Brad. Star quarterback, you know, the guy everyone wants to be. Not that it matters now. We're all just stuck in this mess together."
Chloe leaned back, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder. "Chloe. Single." She shot Brad a look that was part pride, part disdain. "Next."
Evan gave a shy wave, casting a quick glance at Chloe. "I'm Evan. Uh... yeah, just... here to help, I guess." His eyes lingered on Chloe, who looked away, rolling her eyes.
Blake adjusted his glasses, looking around with a small, apologetic smile. "I'm Blake. I'm... well, I focus on gender studies, feminist theory mostly. I try to be an ally and, you know... do my part in dismantling toxic masculinity."
Trev, sitting awkwardly with his knees hugged to his chest, looked down. "Uh, I'm... Trev. Not much to say, really. First time I've been out of the basement in a while, so... yeah." His voice trailed off, clearly uncomfortable.
As the introductions went around, a faint warmth settled over the group, the fire crackling softly as the soup heated in the kettle. There were no laughs, no jokes. Just a sense of tired acceptance, an understanding that for better or worse, they were all in this together.
Q: How would you introduce yourself to a group?