Page 78 of The Last Man on Earth
Chapter 37
Vincent
Ari is mad atme.
She’s trying to pretend like she’s not, but there ain’t no danger of her winning no Oscars.
I left before she woke up, because in my mind, I was thinking she won’t miss me if she don’t even know I ain’t there.
That’s what I get for thinking.
When I showed back up with a backpack full of fruit, she was sitting up in the shelter with her arms folded like she was in timeout. I didn’t say shit, I just dumped the fruit out and got to investigating.
There’s big ones, small ones, fat ones, skinny ones, and all of ‘em in different colors. And it’s just my luck that not one of them bitches is a coconut. That’s a fruit I know when I see it.
She finally waltzes over to where I am and sits across from me, watching and being nosy.
I pick up a round yellow one with a green patch near the top, slicing it open with my knife. The flesh is juicy and pale. The smell is tart.
“Looks okay,” I mutter to myself, then set it aside.
Ari leans closer, eyes narrowing. “Now how are we supposed to know if it’s poisonous or not?”
“I got a plan,” I say. “I told you, let me worry about that.”
She sighs loud and dramatic, but I keep igging her.
After I’ve cut each of the fruits in half, I carry them out to the beach and line them up in the sand a ways away from the area we use. Ari’s following close on my heels, but she’s still quiet.
The sand is damp and cool under my feet. I’m getting used to walking around out here without my slides on.
“Alright, what is this?” she finally asks.
“My system.”
“For what?”
I turn to face her. “When I come check on these tomorrow, I’ll see what got ate and what didn’t. I figure the birds and animals been livin’ in this muhfucka long enough to know what’s poisonous and what’s not.”
“And if none of them get eaten?”
“Then I got some good exercise today.”
Finally, she smiles. “Well that’s…pretty clever.”
“I know this.” I slap her ass. “That’s what you get for doubtin’ a nigga.”
“Whatever.”
I take a minute to memorize the order of the fruit, then I realize there’s an easier way and rearrange them in alphabetical order according to their colors. Then I grab Ari’s hand in mine and we walk back slowly.
“You know what I noticed today?” I say.
“What?”
“I don’t look up anymore.”
She glances over at me. “What do you mean?”
