The fire crackled softly as the group ate in relative silence, each person lost in their thoughts. But Jordan, never one to let a quiet moment slip by, glanced over at Ms. Heather, a mischievous grin creeping onto his face."So, Ms. Heather," he began, his tone playful, "ever think you'd end up in the middle of the apocalypse with a bunch of your students? Kinda like... the start of a steamy survival romance novel, don't you think?"Ms. Heather blinked, clearly not catching the insinuation. "Oh, well, I never imagined I'd be in a situation like this, that's for sure. But, um, I guess it's good to have you all here... to keep me safe." She gave a warm smile, entirely missing the joke.Jordan stifled a laugh, glancing around with a look that said, "Did she seriously not get that?"Blake, sitting nearby, adjusted his glasses and leaned forward, giving Ms. Heather a kind, almost reverent look. "Ms. Collins," he said, his tone gentle, "I want you to know that if you need anything, you can always rely on me. And actually... I'd like to offer you half of my rations. You're taking on so much for us, and you deserve that support."Ms. Heather gave him a grateful but slightly flustered smile, clearly touched. "Oh, thank you, Blake, but that's not necessary. I appreciate the offer, truly, but we all need to eat. I couldn't take that from you."Blake's face softened, his earnestness turning almost solemn. "Really, Ms. Collins. It's just... you've dedicated yourself to teaching us, helping us all grow. You've earned it. I can get by on less."Jordan snorted, unable to resist chiming in. "Careful, Blake. Keep talking like that, and Ms. Heather's gonna think you're trying to be her knight in shining armor or something."Blake shot Jordan a mildly reproachful look, but didn't lose his composure. "It's not about 'being a knight,' Jordan. It's about recognizing Ms. Collins's value and contribution to our group. We wouldn't even be here without her."Ms. Heather, clearly embarrassed but smiling softly, held up her hand. "Really, it's very sweet of you both, but I'll be fine. You're all my responsibility in a way, and I just want us to look out for each other."Jordan shot Blake a teasing grin. "You hear that, buddy? Looks like Ms. Heather's got it covered without your 'valiant sacrifice.'"Blake, undeterred, simply nodded respectfully at Ms. Heather. "Understood, Ms. Collins. The offer's always open."Jordan chuckled, but Ms. Heather just shook her head, her face softening as she looked around the group. "Thank you, Blake, Jordan. All of you. We're going to get through this together. Let's just focus on keeping each other safe and fed."The group resumed their meal, but Jordan couldn't resist throwing Blake a smirk every now and then, clearly amused by his overly eager attempts to be Ms. Heather's "ally."***The group continued eating around the campfire, the warmth of the flames contrasting sharply with the chilly night air. Brittney sat a little way off from the others, scrolling aimlessly through her dead phone, clearly irritated at the lack of service and still processing the craziness of the day.Tyler, noticing her sitting alone, sauntered over, a sly grin on his face as he plopped down beside her, a little too close for comfort. He held out his portion of food, his voice low and deliberately smooth. "Hey, Brittney," he drawled, flashing what he probably thought was a charming smile, "I noticed you didn't get as much. You know, if you want, I could give you some of mine. Could even... feed it to you."Brittney didn't even look up, her face contorting in disgust as she edged away from him. "Uh, no thanks, creeper. That's, like, super cringe."Tyler's grin faltered, his expression darkening slightly. "Oh, come on, don't be like that. You're not really gonna say no to a little extra, are you?"She rolled her eyes, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Literally rather eat dirt than let you feed me, thanks. This isn't some sad rom-com, alright?"Just then, Blake, who had been observing from a distance, approached, a concerned look on his face as he assessed the situation. Without a second thought, he stepped between them, giving Tyler a slight, disapproving look before turning to Brittney."Brittney," he said, his voice gentle, "I can see that you might need a bit more than everyone else. If you're hungry, I'd be more than happy to give you my share. No strings attached, I assure you."Brittney sighed, glancing from Blake to Tyler, clearly unimpressed by both offers. "For real, what is it with you guys and the food handouts? I don't need 'special treatment,' okay?" She shook her head, groaning as she rolled her eyes. "Y'all are giving off major 'pick-me' energy."Blake looked momentarily flustered, his face slightly flushed. "Oh, I wasn't... I just thought, you know, in a time of crisis, it's important to support one another. Especially someone as... valuable to the group as you."Tyler sneered, crossing his arms as he shot Blake a look. "Look at you, trying to play knight in shining armor. You think you're any better? At least I'm honest about it."Brittney raised her hand, cutting them both off. "Ugh, okay, enough. Both of you—seriously, you're making this apocalypse thing so much worse." She stood up, dusting off her pants, her face twisted in annoyance. "Next guy who tries to 'help' me, I'm throwing him to the zombies."With that, she walked away from the fire, leaving Blake and Tyler standing there, each of them looking slightly deflated, though for entirely different reasons. The rest of the group looked on in silence, some stifling laughs, others just shaking their heads at the awkward scene.Blake and Tyler watched Brittney walk away, each stewing in their own bruised egos. Tyler crossed his arms, shooting Blake a glare. "Nice job, Captain White Knight. Real smooth. You totally blew it for the both of us."Blake turned to him, pushing up his glasses with a sigh of exasperation. "Oh, please. Like you even had a shot. I was trying to be respectful, but you came off like... like some desperate creep."Tyler scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Bro, don't come at me with that 'Mr. Respectful' act. She literally called you out for 'pick-me energy.' Guess you're not as 'woke' as you think, huh?"Blake shook his head, muttering under his breath. "Whatever, man. At least I wasn't trying to feed her like some caveman. I was offering support, not... whatever it is you were doing.""Keep coping, dude," Tyler sneered. "You're as thirsty as the rest of us. You're just, like, way more cringe about it." The tension hung in the air, both of them glaring as if daring the other to say more. Just then, Trev looked up from his spot by the fire, glancing between them with mild interest."Uh... are you two done with your portions then?" Trev asked, his expression innocent but hopeful. "I mean, if you're just gonna stand there arguing, I could, like... take care of that for you. I'm still starving over here."The two paused, each of them looking at Trev, then glancing at each other for a brief, wordless moment.Blake huffed, then picked up his portion, giving Tyler a smug glance. "Nah, I'm good. I think I'll eat mine, thanks."Tyler, not to be outdone, quickly did the same, shoveling food into his mouth with a shrug. "Same. Gotta keep the gains up, you know?"Trev shrugged, sighing. "Alright. Can't blame a guy for trying."The rest of the group looked on, some hiding smirks, while Trev sat back down, defeated but clearly amused. The two self-styled "rivals" continued to eat their food in silence, casting occasional side glances at each other, the whole scene not lost on the others, who were barely keeping their laughter in check.Q: Did you manage to get through this ch without cringing?