Chapter 2: Chapter Two

Alex walks into the living room and hugs her mother. "Hi mum. Hey Sam." "Hi babygirl. You going upstairs to do your homework?" Alex nods. "Yes mum. Call me when you start making dinner and I'll help." Eliza nods. Alex goes upstairs and sits at her desk. She starts with her history homework. By the time Eliza called Alex she was done all her homework. "You done all your homework hun?" Alex nods. "Yes mum. It was very easy. I can bring it to you after dinner if you like. "That's alright hunny. I'll take your word for it. So you excited about formal?" Alex cringes. "Ugh no. The guy I was supposed to go with canceled on me last weekend and so I have no one to go with now." Samantha walks into the kitchen. "What's this I hear? You not going to formal because your date canceled on you?" Alex nods. "Well then. You'll go with me." Both Eliza and Alex look at Samantha. "Alex you are not missing formal just because some asshat canceled on you." Alex looks at her mother. "Mum?" "Yes hunny?" Alex shifts in her seat. "Can I talk to you a moment? Alone." Eliza nods. "If you'll excuse us Sam." Samantha nods. "Of course. I'll just wait in the living room." Alex starts crying. "What's wrong love?" Alex and Eliza stop chopping vegetables. "I can't go to formal." Eliza rubs Alex's back. "Why not love?" "It's too embarassing. Rick didn't cancel on me. I canceled on him." "Why hun? Why did you do that? He was a nice man." "Mum I'm." "You're what hunny?" Alex takes a deep breath. "I'm gay. I don't want to go to formal because everyone knows and they make fun of me." "Oh hunny." Eliza hugs Alex close. Alex lays her head on her mother's shoulder. "It's okay baby. You're going to be okay. You know how I know?" Alex lifts her head. "How?" "Because I'm your mother and you being gay doesn't change that fact. I will always love you no matter who you like." Alex hugs her mother tighter. "Thanks mum." Eliza lets Alex go. "No problem hunny. Now finish cutting the carots so we can eat." Alex giggles. "Yes mum." Alex finshes cutting the carots and cucumber and gets the plate she has put them on and puts it on the dining table. "Time to eat." Samantha comes into the dining room and sits at the table beside Alex. "It smells delicious." "Why thank you Sam. Alex helped make the chicken." Samantha looks at Alex. "Very well done love. Very beautifully done." Alex blushes. "Thanks Sam." "No problem." Samantha winks at Alex. "Now dig in everyone." "Sweet." By the time everyone was done eating everything was cleared off the table and put away. The dishes were currently being washed by Alex and Samantha. They were laughing and throwing bubbles at each other. Eliza walks in. "I swear. You two are like little trouble makers." Samantha grabs a handful of bubbles and flings them at Eliza. Alex and Samantha roll over laughing. "You two are unbelievable." Eliza chuckles. Once the dishes were washed and put away Alex goes and sits down on the couch with Samantha beside her watching Fear The Walking Dead. Once 10pm came Samantha turned off the tv and carried Alex up to bed. Samantha is about to leave when Alex grabs her arm. "No. Stay. Just until I fall asleep." Samantha nods. "Okay." Samantha climbs into Alex's bed and gets under the covers. She wraps her arm around Alex's waist and pulls her closer to her. Alex hums. "Goodnight Sam." Samantha kisses Alex's head. "Goodnight Alex." The next morning. "Alex time to wake up. You're going to be late for school." Alex grumbles. "Five more minutes!" Eliza sighs and walks downstairs. "You know you really should get up. It's almost 8am." Alex cuddles deeper into Samantha's chest. "I know but I'm comfy." Samantha chuckles. "Come on. Up." Alex whines. "Fine." Alex gets up and out of bed. She goes to her dresser and picks out her clothes for the day. Alex turns and takes off her shirt and starts to put on her bra. "Wait hold on." "What's wrong?" "Take that off." Alex takes off her bra. Samantha gasps. Alex looks at Samantha. "What?" "Eliza! Come here!" Eliza comes running up the stairs. "What is it?" Eliza gasps. "What? You guys are scaring me." Samantha takes a picture of Alex's back. "You'r not going to school today. I'll call the school." Alex looks at Samantha confused. Samantha shows Alex her phone. "That's your back." Alex gasps. "What is that?" "It's a rash you get when you've been in contact with something you're allergic to." "It's itchy." Alex goes to scratch it when Samantha grabs her hand. "Don't scratch it. That'll spread it." Alex whines." "But it's itchy." "When did the itchiness start?" Alex thinks for a moment. "When your shirt came in contact with my back last night." "But you have tons of shirts like mine. It couldn't be my shir." Samantha stops a moment. "Oh no." "What?" Samantha looks away from Alex. "Be right back." Alex nods. Samantha goes to Eliza. "I know what caused the rash." Eliza looks over at Samantha. "Oh?" "You know the spray you gave me to keep me from lashing out?" "Mhm. What about it?" "It's on my shirt and Alex wanted me to stay with her last night so I did." "So it's all over her bedsheets and everything too?" Samantha nods. "Yes. And Eliza?" "Yes?" "It's fatal to humans. The rash I mean." Eliza gasps. "How long?" Samantha thinks for moment. "About a day. After that she'll start going blue and then black and then she'll die if you don't make the cure in time." "How long does it take to make the cure?" "As long as it takes for the rash to kill her so a day and a half." Eliza nods. "Okay. I'll start working on it now at the lab." "Be careful. Wear thick gloves and a mask. The chemicals used for the cure are toxic." "Okay. Anything else?" Samantha thinks a moment. "No. I think that's it. Oh and make sure it only boils for 2 hours. Anything above that it'll explode and kill you." Eliza nods. "Got it." Eliza leaves the house and gets to work at her lab. Samantha goes upstairs and brings all of Alex's bedding and her own clothes to the basement to be washed. Alex comes downstairs as Samantha was finished putting the laundry in the washing machine. Alex walks over to Samantha. "Sam?" Samantha turns after turning the washing machine on. "Yes love?" "I don't feel good." Alex collapses into Samantha's arms. "Alex?" Samantha pats Alex's chest gently. "Alex?" Samantha puts her head against Alex's chest to listen to Alex's heart. It was beating very slowly. "Shit. Okay. Hang on Alex." Samantha lifts Alex up into her arms fully and carries her upstairs and lays her on the couch. Samantha bites her arm and lets some of the blood drip into Alex's mouth. About 2 hours later Samantha's phone goes off.