“Phillip Anderson, Wake up! Come on Phil, open your eyes.”
I fluttered my eyelids and looked around me. I was still sitting against the wall of the furnace room with my shoulders shoved painfully into the corner. Directly in front of me was my room-mate Collin, accompanied by Jenny.
“Hi! Glad you’re awake buddy. I’ve brought company,” said Collin, nodding to Jenny. “The two of us found you here and decided you must be uncomfortable. We thought we’d take you back to the sleeping quarters.
“Thanks,” I said. “How long have I been asleep?”
“You tell me. It’s three in the afternoon now.”
“Six hours at least,” I muttered. “What’s been happening? Is there any news?”
“No,” said Collin. “Everything is still off-line from the attacks. We think there may have been an EMP launched locally at the precise moment the moon was nuked. Everything looks alright outside though. The plants are still alive and the sun is shining. You wouldn’t know anything had happened.”
Collin and Jenny helped me to my feet. My shoulders were so sore that I couldn’t help but groan.
“Could you guys leave me here?” I said. “I don’t want to go back to that crowded hallway. Just bring my blankets and stuff.”
“I’ll get it!” Collin volunteered. “I’ll let Jenny look after you in the meantime.”
Collin left quickly leaving the pretty girl sitting next beside me. I took the time to size her up. She was beautiful: small and dainty, but everything I could want. She had a certain toughness to her as well, a pretty kind of toughness that made her even more attractive. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.
“Well I’m back,” said Collin. He had been gone about fifteen minutes. He laid the blankets down beside me as Jenny helped me lay down again. “What were you guys talking about?”
“Personal stuff,” I said smiling at Jenny. Her face turned red as a beet, but she managed to keep quiet. The truth of the matter was that we hadn’t talked at all.
“Well if that’s the case I’ll leave you two alone again,” said Collin. “I’ve got some things to do. I’ve got that term paper to work on.”
Collin sauntered off again as quickly as he had come. I saw him glance behind himself and winked at me before he turned the corner. I wondered if Jenny minded being set up.
Jenny stayed beside me the entire rest of the afternoon. For the next hour neither of us spoke, but both of us were happy to be together. Finally I got the courage to ask her how she was doing.
“Good,” she muttered, “All things considered.”
“I know,” I said. “I’m feeling good as well.”
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