26/30 poetic justice

We had once been band geeks together
Sang opposite one another in school plays
Even once shared a kissing scene
In front of the whole junior high
Les Miserables it might have been
They all run together now
It is the humiliation I remember
Not the lines or costumes
She confesses to me
Her feelings were the same
Kissing a geek in front of the school like that
Was practically social suicide
For a moment I am confused
Then hurt
Having assumed for so long she knew
As I did
Which of us had greater cause for embarrassment
It is past us now
We are compatriots
Manning our posts along the neighborhood barricade
Keeping the bonfires stoked
So we can see them coming
She catches me
Watching her figure as she shoulders her rifle
The smooth way her body absorbs the recoil
She snaps a new round into the chamber
She is all business
Baggy cargo pants have never been more attractive
I hope she hasn't seen me look away
And that the flickering light masks my blushing
When our eyes meet.
She is the only one with whom I speak of old times
Days without looting, gunfire, and undead friends
We recall our awkward kiss
She insists it was HMS Pinafore
I defer to her recollection
We are weary
Our replacements have not arrived for their shift
We know too well what that usually means
The bonfires are dying down
No one has brought new wood to fuel them for days
Through the glow and smoke
A dozen dragging feet become visible
We each shoulder a full bag of ammunition
Hoping it will be enough
Praying we will not recognize anyone
When we find their zombie faces in our crosshairs
Those shots are always the hardest
And to think my greatest struggle
Was working up the courage to kiss a girl in front of classmates
We stand atop the barricade
Shoulder to shoulder
Feeling, for the moment, invincible
We once stood in this pose on stage
Shoulder to shoulder
Looking off into the spotlights
To each of us, the realization
More thrilling than ironic
This is the moment of plot resolution
Of epiphany
Of a grand finale building
From one voice to a chorus
She begins it
A second before I muster the nerve
"Will you join in our crusade..."
I kick myself for hesitating
Then swoon as only a former band geek can
And join her
"Who will be strong and stand with me
Somewhere beyond the barricade
Is there a world you long to see..."
I find the first one through the scope
Wouldn't you know it
We knew that guy
He's the one that played Javert
She remarks casually that he was the cute one
CRACK!
Her bullet finds its mark before I squeeze the trigger
Javert falls
I look at her, in shock yet amazed
She keeps singing
And reloads

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