“Why not?”
“‘Cause it’s empty, my friend. Been empty since before we got into our little scuffle. Those rounds are probably buried in the snow with the rest of the world.
A silence fell as Ramsey, cool as a cucumber, leaned back in his chair. He looked like a man lounging on the beach instead of a man who just had a gun jammed in his face.
Stone shook his head. I turned to get a better look at him. He closed his eyes and kneaded his temples with his thumb and index finger.
“Grady, dude, you didn’t check how many rounds were left?”
“What? How the hell was I supposed to know? This isn’t Call of Duty. I can’t just hit a button—”
“Yeah, man, I told ya, it’s that button there,” Ramsey said. He jabbed an index finger through the air. Surprisingly, Stone chuckled, and he sounded like his usual self. I guess my stupidity wasn’t completely worthless.
I found the button, pressed it, and the magazine fell into my free hand. It weighed less than I expected, but what the hell did I know? Guns and I weren’t too well acquainted, especially when the weapons of choice in this apocalypse were flashlights and bug-spray-powered flamethrowers. I peered into the cartridge or whatever, and sure enough, no bullets were stacked in the magazine.
Ell and Mia scooted away from Ramsey, their faces uneasy. I sensed a fear building within the room, somehow overshadowing Stone’s anger.
Ramsey reached in his coat’s breast pocket and dug around for something. I wasn’t sure what to expect. Maybe a pistol or a knife he’d use to put an end to us now that the tables had turned. But I didn’t really believe that, and he pulled out neither of those things.
He slapped down a fresh magazine on the table instead. The metallic clank rang through the entire empty building.
“No need to get all worried now. If I wanted to kill y’all, I would’ve.”
“That’s reassuring,” Stone mumbled.
Ramsey slid the magazine toward me. “There, if it makes you feel better, go ahead and load up.”
Hesitantly, I reached for the magazine, lifted it. It certainly felt a hell of a lot weightier than the empty one. But I didn’t load it. I just set it back down on the table and lay the gun beside me.
Stone moved for it, but I slapped his hand away.
“Ow, dude, what the hell?”
“No. Leave it.”
“If you’re gonna be a vagina—”
I showed him my favorite middle finger, and he stopped.
Ell rolled her eyes and said, “Now, now, boys.”
“Always trying to show each other who has the bigger dick,” Mia said. “So dumb.”
“Well, that’s one way of putting it,” I said.
Stone sighed as he scratched the back of his head. “Grady, Ramsey, I apologize to you both. Mentally, I’m not…ever since we lost…well, you know.”
Chewy whined from the floor, a sound that could melt even the stoniest of hearts.
“I’m sorry for y’all’s loss,” Ramsey said. “And I thank ya for the show of faith, I do appreciate it.”
And like that, our grievances were settled.
Ramsey had a fire going in the little fireplace on the far side of the cafe. Although the air inside was warm enough, the heat from the flames took the air from cozy to toasty, and for the moment, I almost forgot we were in the throes of an apocalyptic winter.
Sitting back at the table, we picked at the candy that made up our desserts. Reese’s for Ell and me, per usual; Mia chewed on Skittles sans the Slim Jims; and Stone shook Twix from their wrapper and stuffed them into his mouth. Chewy got a few Skittles here and there, mostly because of how Mia downed them so fast and carelessly.
As we ate, Ramsey continued his story.
“I didn’t murder no one—no one who was infected, I mean. But Stone, man, I dig your bluntness. I really do. The City could’ve used a few more fellas like you in charge. That attitude mighta prevented a bunch of bloodshed.”
“I’m sure,” Stone replied around a mouthful of chocolate. “But honestly, I’m more of a peace guy.”
“Please,” I said, “the only peace you know are pieces of candy and pie.”
Ell brayed laughter, covering her own chocolate-stuffed mouth with one hand and beating the table with the other. “Stop it, you’re gonna make me choke.”
“He got ya there,” Mia agreed. “You and those Paydays. And now Twix? Oh, boy.”
Stone raised his middle finger. “This is what I say to that.”
“Ain’t nothin’ wrong with satisfyin’ your sweet tooth now and then,” Ramsey said. “Leave the poor guy alone.”
“Thanks, bro.” Stone offered him a Twix. How far he’d come in the span of a few minutes surprised me. Then again, that was Stone.
Back in the day, whenever him and I battled on the basketball court, those battles eventually turned to fistfights. Coming home with a busted lip or a budding black eye became a common occurrence as we got older and testosterone guided our actions. An hour or two of anger followed these fights, where Stone and I refused to speak to one another, but by the time the sun went down and we each went home, we’d hop on Xbox Live and play Halo or Call of Duty together, as if we had gotten into a hugging fight instead of a punching one. Stone was easily angered, yes, but he calmed down just as easily. That’s just how he was.
“I left the City on my own accord. I’m a red-blooded American, and I don’t take orders from no one but my CO, my momma, and God. Seein’ as how my CO and my momma are both dead, and how God’s been real quiet these days, I guess I’m a lone wolf, ain’t I?”
“Not anymore. You got us now,” Ell said. She reached across the table and patted Ramsey’s forearm. He jumped at her touch, eyes wide and unsure.
“Thanks, but y’all are leavin’ me soon. I don’t blame ya one bit, though. The City, it’s
