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[indent][sub][COLOR=0F9D76][B]Location:[/B][/COLOR] Holloway Residence -> Graves Residence[/sub][sup][right][COLOR=0F9D76][b]Timeframe[/b][/COLOR]  Morning[/right][/sup][/indent][sub][hr][/sub][INDENT][sub][color=red][B]Interaction(s):[/B][/COLOR] Holly [@Kuro], Lee [@TGM] (Collab)[/sub][SUP][RIGHT][COLOR=red][b]Previously:[/b][/COLOR] [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5436748]Holly[/url] / [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5437859]Lee[/url][/right][/SUP][/indent]
[indent][indent]A half-used bottle of apple cider. One singular can of cream corn. An old, forgotten box of mac and cheese in the back of the cupboard. The more Holly pulled from the cabinets, the more their options felt limited. What was she supposed to make of this? Apple cider-flavored mac and corn, one among many other disgusting dishes? It was food, sure. It was calories in their stomach, yes. But would it be the least bit appetizing? Obviously not. Anyone would've been a fool to think otherwise. This wasn't some winter stew you could simply throw whatever in. There was no way she could make a meal out of this, or anything else they still had in their pantry.

Holly glanced at her phone, worry befalling her thoughts. Did the message go through? Did they have anything to even spare? Or better yet, how many of them were still alive? It had been some time, for instance, since Holly had seen Harper or her brother, Axel. The Sweetlakes had been a great help since the passing of her mother, often bringing over dishes and baked goods to help out where they could. Their offerings had gotten so often that Morgan would race to meet Holly at the door just so she could bug Mr. Sweetlake or his son, Axel, hoping to ask for a danish or whatever sweet pastry they might've made that day. But that been long ago, it seemed. Ever since the apocalypse, she hadn't seen much hide nor hair of them, and it began to feel like they never existed in the first place—a feeling that worried Holly dearly.

A buzz. Her phone awoke, displaying a message from Lee across a Lee-Holly selfie-adorned lock screen. Duh! Why didn't she just ask Lee to begin with? They had been neighbors since before they could walk, and best friends, too. She'd been so preoccupied it never occurred to Holly that the simplest solution had been right in front of, or rather next door to her the entire time. 

Yet that solution required going outside. Into the now zombie-infested streets of Huddeen, something that Holly had yet to do. She looked over at Morgan, still busy playing with her tea set. It was just next door, so it should be fine, right? If Lee was sitting outside her house, then the street was probably empty. Or so Holly hoped. She knew Lee wasn't stupid to put herself at risk over nothing, but Holly still nonetheless had her own concerns about [i]safety[/i] and [i]staying alive[/i] to worry about.

For now, though, Holly decided that she would have to stomach those concerns for later. Taking a deep breath, Holly slowly opened the front door, and walked over towards the Graves' front yard, where Lee said she had been waiting.

It didn’t take much time to get from her front door to where Lee was sitting next door. It was a hop-and-skip between the two houses, though once Holly made her way over to the blonde’s position it became apparent that Lee was more or less keeping watch with no trace of the 2013 Toyota Tacoma that Lee’s mom drove around town.

The eighteen-year-old jumped to her feet and grabbed the bat at her feet as she approached. [color=red]“Slept like shit.”[/color]

[color=0F9D76]"Haven't slept much either. Morgan didn't want to go back to bed after all the noise in town last night."[/color] Holly replied, taking a moment to look around. Although it seemed safe for the time being, even more so with Lee being armed with her bat, she still felt her nerves shiver in anxiety. [color=0F9D76]"Where's your mom? Davey?"[/color]

[color=red]“Rucker Street.”[/color] The girl replied bluntly as she started making for the door of her house. [color=red]“Running supplies to the Wilkerson’s and Agnew’s.”[/color]

Agnew—Davey's mentor, or something in that vein, she was aware. Holly personally hadn't known much about Mr. Agnew, but Davey always seemed to talk with pride whenever he was brought up in passing conversation, so she figured he must've been someone decent. Regardless, Holly was glad to hear that others outside their small street had survived.

[color=0F9D76]"You think they'll be back soon? I mean, I know they're capable of handling themselves, but..."[/color] Her voice trailed off as she followed Lee indoors. Such concerns were a touchy subject for both of them; one Holly wasn't quite willing to get into.

[color=red]“Oh yeah, they are [i]totally[/i] creeper chow.”[/color] Lee snorted, [color=red]“You worry too much.”[/color]

[color=0F9D76]"It's difficult [i]not[/i] to worry, Lee. People weren't exactly eating each other back then."[/color] Holly paused, realizing what she had just unknowingly walked into. [color=0F9D76]"Don't you dare say it."[/color]

[color=red]“Hey. You said it.”[/color]

Holly rolled her eyes. She half-wondered in jest why she even decided to put up with Lee's shenanigans all those years ago. Still, it was nice to have this kind of conversation. It certainly took the edge off things, reminding Holly of all the stupid after school conversations they often had.

[color=red]“Grab a box.”[/color] Lee commented, motioning over to a few cardboard boxes set aside next to the stairwell. [color=red]“Let’s see what mom can spare.”[/color]

Walking over to the stairwell, Holly grabbed a medium-sized box by the handles and turned back to Lee. [color=0F9D76]"Are you sure your mom won't mind? I don't want us to be a burden more than we already are."[/color]

Lee shrugged as she swiped a notebook from a table before the two moved for the kitchen.

[color=red]“That’s what the book is for. Everything is accounted for. [i]Everything[/i].”[/color] She sighed, clearly annoyed by the need for the pen and paper of it all, [color=red]“If we gave you guys some food and I write down you owe us, it shouldn’t be an issue.”[/color]

[color=0F9D76]"That sounds like your mom, alright."[/color]

Box in hand, Holly began her pantry shopping. She had some knowledge, largely due to childhood sleepovers and other such things over the years, as to where most things were in the Graves' kitchen, but Holly wasn't sure [i]how[/i] much they had. The Holloways certainly needed more food, yet Holly also didn't want to be selfish in regards to the Graves' assistance. She was already struggling with feeling indebted to the Sweetlakes, and Holly didn't want Lee to think she was taking advantage of her and her family on top of that.

To her luck (and probably the Graves, too), however, Mrs. Graves had just done their shopping prior to the end of the world. There had been plenty of everything. Bread. Cereal. Milk. Even some iced tea that Mrs. Graves or Davey had made. Regardless of the selection, though, Holly decided to keep to the essentials. Things like bread, peanut butter, or some fruits. By no means was Holly about to be whip up a five star meal anytime soon with what she had grabbed, but simple things such as PB&Js would get them through at least for awhile. Plus, it was things Morgan would actually eat, picky as five year old kids can be.

Once the box was full of the necessary supplies, Holly sat it down on the island counter, and walked over to Lee. 

[color=0F9D76]"Thank you."[/color] She replied, before suddenly wrapping her arms around Lee. Awkward as was, Holly couldn't help herself right now. Times had been rough given the circumstances, and a box of food was a huge relief on her shoulders. [color=0F9D76]"You don't know how much this is helping."[/color]

[color=red]“Oh. You’re–”[/color] Lee was taken aback by the gesture, though her awkwardness didn’t stay long. [color=red]“–You’d have done the same. Don’t worry about it.”[/color]

[color=0F9D76]"Maybe you guys could come over tonight for dinner? It's the least I could do to repay you. I'm sure Morgan would love to see you again."[/color]

[color=red]“The feast of ages. PB&J with mac n cheese.”[/color] She laughed, though her expression turned a little serious for a brief moment, [color=red]“You sure your dad can handle people right now?”[/color]

Lee had a point. As little Holly saw of her father these days, the Graves saw even less of him.

[color=0f9d76]"I... I honestly don't know, Lee. He hardly leaves his room, much less even talks to Morgan or I. We're all struggling with it, but sometimes... sometimes it feels like he isn't there. Like I'm trying to talk to a ghost."[/color]

[color=red]“With all of the creeps around, he needs… I don’t know, he needs to do something. Sorry. I’m sure you guys will figure it out.”[/color]

Holly nodded solemnly. [color=0f9d76]"I just hope what it [i]is[/i] happens before anything [i]terrible[/i] happens."[/color][/indent][/indent]