Page 9 of Invasion of Sorority Z

She slowly shakes her head from side to side. “No, I think I’m okay.” Turning to me, she rests her teeth into her bottom lip, almost seeming… is she embarrassed? “Um, thank you,” she tells me. “For patching my head. I guess you’re real then, right? This isn’t a fever dream?”

“I do not know what a fever dream is,” I tell her. “But there is no need for thanks. I simply put a bandage on your head.”

“We also eliminated those pesky unliving-carcasses for you as well,” Rem chimes.

A female with silver hair gapes at him. “Thosewhat?”

“Zombies,” Stee-vee tells her.

Mean one narrows her eyes at him. “We didn’t ask for your help.”

Uncharacteristically, Rem doesn’t have a comment for her. He’s too busy ogling the silver-haired one. I don’t know if it is comforting that he seems to find her as fascinating as I find Stee-vee, or if it is concerning. These are not our people, but Rem is looking at this strange and small human like she has somehow altered his life. As if his heart now only beats for her and her alone.

Drak answers for him, appearing to enjoy verbally sparring with the blaster-carrying one. “You did not ask,” he agrees. “And yet we have done it. I believe humans call this a gift. Gifts are normally reciprocated, are they not?”

“No.” She scowls. “They’re not.”

“Mean one,” he scolds. “You are a poor liar.”

“And your head is too big for your neck,” she shoots back. “Worry about your own problems.”

“Okay, that’s enough.” The tall and dark-haired female they call Ca’ate steps up, looking around the room before clearing her throat. “I don’t know how much you understand about humans, but women are particularly wary of men here. They aren’t very kind to us, especially when the world is in this state. So you’ll have to excuse Anna’s guarded remarks. She keeps us safe in a world where no one else does.”

“Oh shit, dude,” Meg-ham says. “You’re going to make me tear up with this shit.”

Ca’ate ignores that comment. “I am thanking you on behalf of all of us. Understanding that you aren’t here to be some kind of extraterrestrial rescuer for six college students in the middle of nowhere, I assume you have places to be. So unless there is something we can reasonably do for you, we’ll be fine now. You can leave.”

“You’re sending them away?” Meg-ham protests. “No way! Aliens show up, save our asses, and you’re sending them away? Fuck that!”

“Take a cold shower,” An-nana snaps. “Obviously we’re sending them away.”

“Won’t we be safer with them around though?” Stee-vee suddenly asks quietly. “I mean, if they wanted to stick around…”

An-nana begins to storm away, muttering, “Un-fucking-believable.”

“Where are you going?” Ca’ate calls.

“I’ve exceeded my usefulness,” she yells back. “Fucking protect yourselves if you want to!”

“Anna!” B’rook protests, planting her head into her hands.

“I didn’t mean to hurt her feelings,” Stee-vee sniffles. “I’m just scared.”

Appearing braver than before, Ca’ate comes to her side. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Let’s just… let’s figure this out, all right?” At her nod, Cayte turns her gaze up to me. “Which one of you is in charge?”

4

Hoya: A climbing or sprawling evergreen shrub with ornamental foliage and waxy flowers.

Stevie

My head barely hurts, but I’m exhausted and no one will let me fall asleep. They’re worried about a concussion, and I’m worried about missing my opportunity to catch some z’s while I’m still feeling tired. With my luck, in an hour, I’ll be wide awake and unable to get a minute of rest before the day begins.

I mean seriously, a girl knocks herself out and suddenly she’s a liability? Rude.

Though, everyone isn’t being rude, truly. They’re being very sweet, I’m just too cranky and sleep deprived to appreciate it.

Megan has been doting on me carefully, giving me all her attention—as if there aren’t six aliens in the next room talking with Brooke and Cayte.

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