Burning Slow

We're awake. Time to save them shitty people

"Woah, where did you get that?" Kenneth asked when Rocco entered the room, a guitar slung on his shoulder.

"I found it while I was out and I also found an open store selling your favorite cookies so I bought some."

"Out? You were out?"

"Yeah. Aside from the fact that it's a wasteland out there and I only saw like three people- maskless, by the way- I managed to find a small store where I bought your cookies and I found this-" he gestured to the guitar- "leaning on a dumpster."

"Hold up. Greyson agreed that you would go out? Out there where there's a virus spiraling around and killing people?" Kenneth was panicking at this point. 

"Yeah. As long as I wore one of the masks that you made." Rocco on the other hand was calm as can be.

Kenneth's brow rose for a while before a look of realization crossed his features. "Oh, right. I forgot I made some masks." He laughed at himself. "So where are the cookies?"

"I left it in the kitchen."

"Sweet! Thanks, bro." Kenneth limped out of the room as Rocco sat on the chair beside Ember's bed, strumming the guitar.

It was totally out of tune, effectively making him cringe at the sound. Fortunately, he knew how to tune a guitar and he did just that.

"You play?" Astraea entered the room, holding a basin filled with water and a hand towel in her hands.

"Yeah. It's been a while since I played, though since mine broke two years ago and guitars were stopped being made by big companies 'cause some stupid person sued them and s**t so I'm really happy that I found this while I was out." Then he realized that he was ranting and he didn't miss the smirk on Astraea's face. He ran his hand through his hair, awkwardly laughing. 

He cleared his throat, deciding to change the subject. "What's the water for?"

Astraea sighed, bringing her attention back to Nick. "I need to clean their wounds. Nick and Jacob bled a lot today too." Rocco nodded at this, starting to play the guitar.

"Let's go back to the summer night. When we met eyes, it's like a movie line." He sang, looking so focused in playing, not noticing the small smile on Astraea's face as she finished cleaning Nick's wound, moving on to Jacob.

"But when you look in his eyes, do you think of mine? And when you look at that smile, do I cross your mind?"

The boys downstairs heard faint strumming while they were watching an old episode of Say Yes to the Dress that Greyson saved because Liz loved to watch it.

Ever since Liz died, he never watched another episode of it again but James managed to convince all of them to watch seeing as he found the folder where Greyson placed all of the episodes that he recorded.

"Who's playing?" James asked.

"Rocco. Some dumbass threw a guitar away probably not knowing how much those cost these days." Kenneth opened another pack of cookies, glancing up the stairs before looking at the TV again. "Oh my god, that dress looks horrible on her. Don't cry, it's ugly!"

"Yo, chill out. She can't hear you." James laughed.

"I know that. The first dress she wore just looked so much better." He grumbled.

"Rocco has a nice voice." Astraea told everyone, carrying the basin to the bathroom.

"Rocco can sing?" Alex turned his head just in time to see Astraea pouring the bloody water in the bathroom sink.

"Yeah. He was singing Lookalike by Conan Gray." She answered, her voice echoing inside the bathroom walls.

"Wha... What song is that?"

"It came out like two centuries ago- 2019, I think."

"How the hell do you know that?"

"I love his songs, sue me. Aside from that, old songs are way better than our songs today. It's all about 'oh you should be like us, what's so great about being yourself?' or 'oh the people down there are s**t' or something worse like 'girls are portable holes for men to f**k'." She waved her arms in the air, her tone of voice rising as she described each type of song that they had. "Face it, we've got shitty songs, dude. you should listen more to old songs- songs that were made in the 1900's to before our generation 'cause we suck."

"Alright, I wanna hear this." Alex stood up, walking up the stairs.

"I hope in your head, you see me instead 'cause you've been in mine everyday since then."

Alex stood in the doorway, Rocco not noticing him.

He was so focused on playing the guitar, he didn't notice Ember's fingers move.

"No, I can't lie. I need a lookalike." He strummed for a final time, a wistful smile on his face.

His little moment was interrupted by the sound of groaning coming from Jacob.

"Shit." He placed the guitar down, approaching Jacob, Alex right behind him. "Jacob?"

"What the hell happened?" Jacob rasped, his throat obviously dry.

"I'll get some water." Alex raced down the stairs.

"Jacob's awake." He announced, everybody's head whipping to him.

"Really?" Kenneth asked, James dashing up the stairs.

Alex nodded, following James up the stairs, holding a pitcher of water and a few glasses in his hands.

Kenneth stood up, limping up the stairs before Greyson and Astraea stood up and helped him.

They arrived in the room just in time for Astraea to see Nick opening his eyes.

"Icky! Are you okay? Are you hurting?"

"Water..." He rasped, Alex immediately handing him a glass.

"Love, are you okay?" Greyson asked his daughter, grabbing her hand. Rocco heard this and left Jacob to James, walking over to Ember.

"Little flame, talk to me." Ember opened her eyes to see Rocco looming over her.

Her eyes drifted over to Greyson, a small smile forming on her lips. "Hi, daddy."

Rocco's shoulders fell, taking a step back.

"Grace..." The ecstatic talk of everybody was cut short upon hearing Nathan. "Where's Grace?"

The previously unconscious teenagers jolted up from their beds, ignoring their aching bodies.

"Grace!" They simultaneously gasped, getting off their beds.

"Hey! No, no, no. What are you guys doing?" Astraea barked, pushing Nick back on his bed.

"We have to save Grace! And the people." Ember cringed, feeling the sting of her wound.

"We already took care of that! Stay in your beds!" Kenneth exclaimed, pushing Nathan back.

"So Grace is safe?" Nathan's voice pleading.

"Not exactly... But you guys still need to rest. For f**k's sake, you guys just woke up from being unconscious for two weeks!"

"Two weeks?" Jacob stopped struggling against his twin before vigorously shaking his head. "All the more reason for us to get up!"

"Can the four of you stop f*****g struggling?!" Astraea yelled, Nick receiving her wrath, his cheek throbbing from her slap.

Nick's jaw dropped, disbelief in his eyes as he stared at his girlfriend. "What you slap me for, woman?!"

"Stop struggling! I swear-" Astraea raised her hand, Nick flinched at this and finally stopped struggling.

"Guys, stop." Nick gave up.

"But Grace..." Nathan whispered.