We stay by the fire until night, talking while the twins run around, giggling, playing and making all of us feel younger. No matter how old we are, we all feel like we're adults. We're just teens, one of us having a drivers license and the others not even knowing how the fuck to drive. Nathan can't pick up after himself but he does so much to help Asha with walking because she can't see on her left. Chase cleans up after all of us, Asha taking care of the twins and I'm basically supervising everything. We were forced to grow up.

"When's everyone's birthdays?" Chase asks as the twins run around, August and June playing tag. "Mines January sixteenth."

"February eighteenth." I lean my head on his shoulder.

"May fourth," Asha says.

"July ninth." Nathan shrugs as August and June walk to us, June crawling onto Chase's lap and pushing my head off his shoulder and lying her head against his chest, August doing the same to Nathan.

"Hey," I poke June. "That's my boyfriend." She grumbles and turns her head into his chest.

"I think they're tired." Asha laughs, pulling her hair into a ponytail, leaving a few strands out. She stands up, stretching her back out. "I'll put them to bed." She takes Augusts hand, the girl not budging. "August-"

"We sleep here." August snuggles her head into Nathan's chest.

"What if we don't want you to sleep there?" Chase asks.

"We sleep here." August repeats. Nathan looks at Chase, both boys telecommunicating and standing up at the same time, the twins squealing as they fall from their laps. Both boys laugh, taking their hands and walking them into the van and putting them to bed. They walk out a few minutes later, closing the van and sitting in their spots.

"Do any of us have a guitar?" Asha asks and we look at her like she's crazy. "I can play. Just wondering."

"By how packed the van is, I would say no." Nathan leans against the back of the log, sitting in the snow. It's barely snowed three inches because of the radiation in the ground from the bombs. Next winter will be worse, I can tell. "We should go through our shit to see what we should get ride of and keep." I bite my lip and nod.

"Olive?" I look at Chase. "You had some paintings your sister did right?" I nod. "Do we really need them? They're kind of just under our bed."

I forgot about them. I didn't even seen which ones I grabbed, I just grabbed some off the walls. I look at my lap. I forgot about my rule book too. I don't think I've even read or added in it in since Nathan came here, and I've gotten so attached to everyone. If more bombs drop I'm gonna start crying. I haven't even visited my families graves because I know that they're gone and they're dead and I don't want to be reminded of that.

We're just kids.

We don't know what we're doing.

We're just kids.

We don't know what we're doing.

We're just kids.

Just kids.

–/\–/\–/\–/\–

I blankly stare at the wall, Chase holding my waist as I stare, everyone else fast asleep. He doesn't sleep unless I'm asleep, I've noticed that. "Olive," I hum. "We don't have to get rid of the paintings."

"We need the room." He lets go of my waist and starts messing with my hair. "What're you doing?"

"I need to start practicing braiding for our kids." I blush at the thought.

"What if I'm pregnant now?"

"Would you want it?"

"I'm fourteen, what do you think?" I chuckle and he kisses the back of my neck. "Would you want to keep it?"

"Your body, your choice. And obviously we're too young so not now," he chuckles and kisses the back of my neck again. I softly smile. "We should think of names."

"Why?" I turn to him, Chases terribly constructed braid falling apart as I turn.

"Because I want to be ready when you are," he smiles brightly and I blush, falling into his chest and blushing. "So?"

"N-Not now," I stammer out. "Let's think about that later, like when we're eighteen."

"You know since the worlds gone there's no age limit on anything," his voice is quiet as he rubs my back.

"So?" I lift my head and look at him.

Chase fumbles with his hoodie pocket, flustered as he pulls his fist out of his pocket, smiling at me. "S-So marry me." I stare at him then down to the ring in his hand. It's sparkly, with a big diamond, then two smaller orange jewels on either side of it. I look back up at him as sweat beads down his forehead. I push the ring down and kiss his nose. "S-So?"

"We're fourteen. Maybe ask me when we're sixteen, fifteen if you're lucky." He nods and smiles, tucking the ring back into his pocket and wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me into his chest. I smile against his chest, nuzzling my head as I hear him giggle. "We should get some sleep." He nods against my head and pulls away, helping me lie down then lying himself down, Chase softly smiling and kissing the tip of my nose as he wraps his arm over my stomach. I stare at the ceiling for a while, slowly falling asleep.

–/\–/\–/\–/\–

Chase's birthday, which means he's staying in bed while we do everything else, but not letting me do anything and being clingy. "Chase-"

"Don't go." He whines and I roll my eyes.

"I have to go wash my burn," he doesn't budge. Asha looks at me, Nathan passing with the laundry basket of our wet clothes. I wince as his arm brushes my other arm, Chase quickly letting go and spraying a million apologies. I quickly get up and he pouts.

"Why don't you want to spend time with me," he whines.

"We spend every fucking day together." I scoff and get out of the van, Asha handing me a gun to do a perimeter check. We slowly walk around the area, the snow crinkling under our feet as we listen for people or animals. Asha puts her hand on my chest and I stop as she looks around. "What?" I whisper, looking in the direction she's looking, my heart pumping quickly as the crinkling got closer, listening to the sounds around us.

"Why were we given Colorado? This state was bombed the fucking most," Asha covers my mouth and cocks her gun. I follow and we slowly creep back to camp, putting everyone in the van, Asha pulling on my sleeve as she gets in.

"Olive, come on. If they find the van and see us we can just shoot them or something." Her eyes scream terror, the Twins clinging to each other as Nathan and Chase try to figure out what's going on.

"We don't kill anyone. We protect the people we have. If they threaten is when we shoot."

"So your waiting out here?" She asks.

"Yes, if they see me then I can explain that your all sleeping and to send in others. It'll give us a couple days at least to collect ourselves," the crinkling gets louder. "Just stay inside."

"Wait," Chase grabs his hoodie, sliding on shoes and getting out. "Make it believable." He smiles, starting a fire. Asha looks at me and I bite my lip, closing the door to the van and settling on the log next to Chase. My hands shake as I hold the gun in my hands. If I was holding it before I wouldn't be shaking, but now I am and I'm terrified. If I didn't get attached I wouldn't be shaking. If it was back in fall when that pervert was touching me everything would have been fine. But now I'm terrified, shaking with a burned up shoulder, neck and arm. Chase holds my hand and I look at him. "Hey, everything's going to be fine."

"H-How do you know?" I stammer out. I was the brave one, and he was scared. But now our roles have switched.

"Because I'm with you."

"I-I watched my best friend–only friend die in front of me, Chase. I let him die in front of me and I-"

His thumbs rub against my cheeks, the cold air making them freezing. "Avery was going to die even if we got him out or not, he's watching over us now, I know it." Chase smiles, tilting my head up and slipping the gun out of my hands as he kisses me.

He pulls away and gently smiles, the crinkling getting louder making my heart pound. Chase picks up the gun as the talking gets louder and louder, my heart throbbing faster and faster like it was going to explode. The soldiers appeared, staring at me and Chase, Chase pointing the gun as they stare at us. They shake their heads and fumble to grab their badges. "W-We're with the United–oh shit–with the United States Military." One huffs, pulling their badge from the snow and holding it upside down to me and Chase. Chase doesn't lower the gun. "Sir I'm going to have to ask you to put the gun down," they step closer and I slowly reach for the handgun in my boot. They get to close and I pull it out, pointing it at the two. "Ma'am-"

"No!" I yell, Chase looking at me. "By the way you were acting I could tell you weren't with the military! We're nothing anything you say until you bring in one of your generals!" I shout, the two looking at each other and laughing.

They step closer. "Little girl, just put the gun down-"

"Don't come any closer!" I yell, cocking the gun.

"Love..." Chase's voice fades.

"Or what you'll shoot?" They laugh and I click, my emotions shutting down like I never even had them. I shoot above ones shoulder, hitting into a tree, my eyes distant by how Chase's face changes.

"Don't test me!"

"Little girl we are older then you and you've most likely been out here for months-"

"Times an illusion bitch. We're not going anywhere until you bring in one of your generals with real credentials," I demand, their eyes filling with fear as I cock the gun again. "Get a general out here, that's when we'll consider going with you."

"Ma'am-" I shoot at their feet and they jump back, staring at me.

"Go! Leave! Don't come back unless you have a general!" I shout, cocking the gun again to shoot again. They step back further, running off and shouting something. I lower the gun, my arm tingling, pain slowly replacing that tingling feeling as I drop the gun, my feet growing weak. I fall back, Chase dropping his gun and catching me.

"Olive, Olive, Love," he holds me to his chest, I stare blankly at him. "Love, what's wrong?"

"I-I feel so weak." My words are slurred together. He purses his lips, the van door opening and Asha peaking through. Chase gets in and lies me down, then crawling out and picking up the guns, my vision going blurry then white as I loose consciousness.