Chapter 1 - Everything Changes

It had happened when he was halfway home.  The Super Bowl Blow Out.  He'd heard that every single toilet in the region flushed at the same time and the resulting drop in water pressure caused the nuclear power plant to go critical and melt down, devastating the region.

All that was left was a big, dark crater where the septic tank used to be and a few community lots.  The town had quickly set up a military base and soup kitchen, a first aid facility, and brought in some trailers for people to stay.

Andres was furnished with his own trailer, conveniently close to town.

Which was incredibly important due to the roving band of zombies that were created by the nuclear fallout.

The first thing Andres did was head to the base to see if there was anything he could do to help.

There was a friendly lady manning the volunteer desk, answering questions and giving out helpful information.

He looked at the positions available:  medical (nope, he fainted at the sight of blood), military (negative, not gonna lie - he was way too lazy to run that much), and culinary (now that he could do!)

Grabbing a pen, he signed up for a shift on the community board.

"Let me introduce you around," Sandy said with a smile.

Andres glanced around at all the folks gathered together in the tiny soup kitchen on base.  Even during hard times, people pulled together.

Sandy recommended he head by the first aid facility and get checked out and maybe donate some blood.

Andres glanced around the empty halls.  "Hello?"

"Sorry to keep you waiting," an elderly gentleman said with a smile as he shook his hand.  "This way," he said, indicating a small room off to the side.

Andres hated waiting at doctors' offices.  30 minutes in the waiting room and 5 minutes with the Doc.

Finally, the Doc gave him the all clear and sent him on his way.

Now a days, when you see someone running, you always check to make sure there's not a zombie following them!

"Don't you get enough running these days?" he cracked as she jogged by.  Andres couldn't help him, women found him endearing!

"You can never get enough running!" she told him.  "Hey, I'm Gretchen."

Andres flashed his winning smile and chatted with her about the changes in the town.   After awhile, he invited her in for some water and a sandwich.  "Just trying to be friendly and neighborly, that's all!" he told her.

While he prepped the sandwiches, Gretchen checked his trailer out.  "It's set up exactly like mine," she told him.  "But my refrigerator is blue and my sink is this god awful dark green color!"

Andres chuckled, "You should see the tile in my bathroom.  It's pink and purple.  Beggars can't be choosers, I guess!"

Time flew by as they chatted over lunch.

Surprised when he heard the carpool horn honk, Andres hopped up.  "I gotta head to volunteer at the soup kitchen. I'll walk ya out," he told her.

He nearly collided with a guy getting ready to ring his doorbell.

"Welcome Wagon!"

"Sorry guys," Andres said, scanning the group.  "I gotta head to work."  Not gonna lie, if there'd been some hotties in the welcome wagon, he would've stayed a little bit longer.

The first zombie sighting.

Phil doesn't look scared or impressed.  More like annoyed that she's in his way.

(Poor zombie was still shuffling her way across the lot when Andres got home from work.)

Andres stepped out of the car, saw her, screamed, peed himself a little bit and walked inside, because he can't run.

Inside, he slammed and bolted the door.  Long shift at the soup kitchen and he was worn out and smelly.

He dragged himself to his bed and collapsed.  College was way more fun.

First thing in the morning, he took a little sponge bath then invited Heather over. 

"You are a sight for sore eyes!" he told her, pulling her into his arms and kissing her thirstily. 

They didn't talk, just bumped into doors and walls as they kissed and undressed and walked all at the same time, finally landing in the saggy bed.

Afterwards, they talked about the Super Bowl Blow Out, the zombies roaming the region, and how they were dealing with it.  He held her hand and slid his fingers between hers as they got caught up.

"So I was thinking that maybe I could move here," Heather told him.  "I mean, seeing as how we're, you know, close," she finished lamely.  "And I don't mean here, like in your trailer, but here, like in your town," she rushed to reassure him. 

Andres felt his skin getting tight at the thought of settling down and shacking up.  "Ummm," he said distractedly, casting around for a response.

Outside, he happened to see Gretchen passing by and latched onto an excuse.

"Yeah, sure, we'll talk about it. Hey, I see a friend outside. I'm gonna go say hi real quick."

He flagged Gretchen down.  "I almost didn't recognize you in that pretty dress!" he told her. 

"Oh! Thanks!" she said, blushing a tiny bit. 

Maybe Andres was just scared to go back inside and face The Talk with Heather, or maybe he just really enjoyed Gretchen's company, but he spent well over 2 hours hanging out with her outside.  He kept congratulating her for meeting someone new (himself?) over and over and over again.  I started counting after he did it a number of times, got to 12 and then stopped counting. 

Yep, definitely scared to go inside and talk to Heather.  He stayed outside to catch butterflies when Gretchen finally managed to excuse herself and ask to use his toilet.

She was quite shocked to see a blonde in her underthings inside.  Probably just as surprised as the blonde in pink underthings was surprised to see her walking in.

A little while later, Andres finally headed inside.  "Oh good, I see you two met each other!" he said lamely.

The two smiled big fake grins when Andres walked in, but they did not like each other.

They spent the next few hours trying to snag Andres' attention.

By the time Heather left, she was at the point of pulling out Gretchen's red hair and yelling that he was her boyfriend! 

"I don't think I'm ever going to used to eating spoiled food," Andres said with a sigh as they sat down to eat.

"Things will get better soon," she told him optimistically. 

Feeling sticky and stinky, Andres grabbed his sponge after he washed his plate and proceeded to take a sponge bath, nearly causing Gretchen to swoon over his naked muscles.  She acted embarrassed, but he noticed she didn't close her eyes.

"Like anything you saw?" he teased charmingly.

Gretchen flushed a bright red, made her excuses and hurried home.

Another day, another zombie.

Stuck inside on his day off, Andres looked at a recipe book.  He could make a mean macaroni and a killer sandwich, but some of the food they served at the food kitchen was beyond him.  And then having to convert the recipe to group servings.  Too much math!

Bored after a short time, he dialed a distraction.

Quick sponge bath.

Not gonna lie. It was great seeing Allyn after so long!  He'd really missed her!

He acted like it'd been days since he had woohoo, quickly leading her into his room.

He must've fallen asleep afterwards, because he didn't even hear her leave.

Andres woke up at 10 pm, his stomach grumbling, and his bed empty.  He padded into the kitchen to make a sandwich.

He was getting pretty sick of sandwiches.

Zombies must like passing by first thing in the morning.

Finally! Something other than sandwiches, he thought as he grabbed the cereal box.

It was so good, he wolfed it down, drank the milk and then licked the bowl.

In a good mood for the first time in a few days, Andres whistled as he headed to the soup kitchen.

And almost immediately came home with a promotion and a paint can.  He painted the entryway wall, stepped back, and admired his handiwork. 

Then set up the chess table he'd found out by the side of the road.  It was missing a few pawns and a knight, but he made it work.

When his stomach started growling, he looked at the clock.  It wasn't past midnight yet, so he grabbed a bowl of cereal from the morning meal.

It did not taste as good the second time around.

A day without woohoo is like 30 days without talking to someone. Andres woke up with a pressing need to socialize. 

He spotted a guy walking by and called out. 

Hell, at this point, he might've even tried talking to a zombie!

They chatted a short time until Andres' carpool came.  "Hey man, it was nice chatting!" Andres said.

"Sure!" Goopy said eagerly.  It wasn't often that someone went out of their way to befriend him!

Andres was on the top of the world.  He was at Level 7 on the Culinary Volunteer chart. People were starting to ask when his shifts were so they could come in.

It felt like he was finally meeting new people, too, with his new morning shift. 

When his guests started making a face and discreetly waving their hand in front of their faces, Andres wondered if the funky smell was him.

He was saved when teenager Ivy ran up and said his boss was hoping he could come in and pull a double shift.  He headed straight to work to save the day.

When he got home, he called Heather up and invited her over. 

Flirt, Kiss, Woohoo.  In that order.

Heather walked by first thing in the morning and rang Andres' doorbell.  He hadn't even said anything about her birthday.  She wondered if he even remembered it.

He was surprised when he opened the door and saw her standing there, but recovered swiftly.  "Good morning, babe," he told her happily.

"I have to run to the kitchen, lock up on your way out, okay?" he told her. "I'll call you tonight."

"Okay, baby," she said as she ate the spoiled cereal.

But Andres was slightly distracted after work.

In fact, he completely forgot about Heather as he chit chatted with his coworker Christy.  

The request for protection money mysteriously appeared in the middle of the night.

Andres headed into work, hoping to get a promotion to Level 9.  Instead, he chose to endorse Sporks of Steel and lost his job.