Human Nature (Book 4): Human Nature IV by Borthwick, Finlay (book recommendations website .TXT) 📗

Cora rolled her eyes, “I know when you’re lying, mum. I wasn’t born yesterday. Give over, what’s the real reason?”

Erica sighed and smirked a little – she was pleased that her daughter knew her so well after all these years still – before confessing the truth to her daughter, “Alright... Well, if you want the truth—Look, I know you were quite a lonely kid as a teen—”

“Oh, thanks.” Cora felt slightly disheartened to hear mother say this, even though she knew it was not meant in an offensive way.

“No, I just,” Erica was quick to rectify herself, “Never mind. The point is, I want you to have friends now.”

Cora squinted at her mother in confusion, “I have friends, mum. Mac, Kieran, Valorie, Elliot, Annabelle, you know, all those wonderful people I’ve met over the years.”

“Yes, yes, I know that.” Erica was struggling to make sense to her daughter, so said the situation for how it was, “I just think it would be nice if you had friends your own age as well.”

“Mum, please—”

“No, just hear me out, Cora, please.” Erica persisted, “Rajan’s lot, the ones who arrived a few days ago, there’s a couple of girls in their twenties, just like you. I know for a fact that one of them is called Maylene, and I think another one is called Vivian or Vivi or something like that—”

Although Cora initially felt that her mother was being too overbearing, she quickly let go of this inhibition and, much to Erica’s surprise, embraced her.

“Oh…” Erica didn’t know what to think of this embrace, so hugged her daughter back in kind, “You’re welcome, I guess.”

“Their names are Vivi, Maylene, and Yelena,” Cora answered whilst burying her face in her mother’s chest, “I saw them all clumped together earlier today, and I just—I wanted to talk to them, but I just couldn’t!”

“That’s alright,” Erica informed her daughter as she slowly released her from their embrace, “I get it, Cora. We live in a tough world now, that’s no lie. It’s natural that you’d forget how to approach people and befriend them… So, to answer your initial question, that’s why I’m throwing a good-old fashioned party.” She told the truth with a warm smile.

“Thanks mum.” Cora sounded truly appreciative of this gesture.

Sat at the back of the party bus was the aforementioned Vivi. Although she was going along with the great party atmosphere, it was also taking her mind back to a time long before the apocalypse to when she was just seventeen…

HERTFORDSHIRE, JULY 2025

SEVEN MONTHS BEFORE THE GLOBAL APOCALYPSE…

It had been a long day at sixth form. Vivi had received an unnecessary amount of pressure and homework from her courses, and by just four o’clock in the afternoon, she was all worn out and ready to go to sleep.

“Hi dear!” Her mother called out from the kitchen, though was completely blanked by Vivi, who instead opted to dash up the stairs and straight into her room.

Slamming her bedroom door shut behind her, Vivi threw her handbag against her wardrobe and groaned loudly.

“Fucking piece of shit school!” She bellowed as she kicked her handbag repeatedly.

“What the hell are you doing up there?” Vivi’s mother shouted up the stairs.

“Just leave it!” She screamed back to her mother.

After several silent and tense seconds had passed, Vivi’s mother went back to whatever she was doing, feeling it best to leave her daughter be.

Sighing, Vivi sat down at her makeup desk and stared at her face in the mirror. Then, her aggressive look soured even further into one of disgust.

“Take all that makeup off you slapper!” She screamed at her reflection as she reached into the desk’s drawer for makeup wipes.

Within minutes, she had wiped off all of her concealer.

Now, she found herself staring at her reflection once more; though this time, she felt herself slightly calmed by the sight of her more natural look.

Then, just as she thought she would finally be able to take a breath, her phone started buzzing.

“Oh, come on!” Vivi raged through gritted teeth as she reached into her pocket to pull out her mobile.

“Hey Vivi! You good?” It was Lucas, her friend, at the other end of the line.

She sighed, “Look, Lucas, can I talk to you later? I’ve just got home.”

“Oh,” he sounded slightly disheartened by how apathetic she was being, “Yeah sure, we can talk later—I was just wondering if you were still coming to the party this evening?”

Vivi squinted and scrunched her face up awkwardly as she remembered that there was indeed a party happening on this night.

“Vivi? You still there?” Lucas prompted her for an answer even though she had only been silent for no more than two seconds.

“Yes, yes… Honestly, I don’t know, Lucas,” She grumbled in response, “My feet are all sore and aching—Not to mention that I’ve got like fifty different assignments to complete.”

Lucas laughed, “Hey, don’t worry about those. Leave them for tomorrow. Just focus on having fun tonight. Why not?”

Although she knew this was some rather bad advice, Vivi gave into it nevertheless, “Fine.” She gave him the answer he wanted to here with a minute sigh, “What times does it start again?”

“Seven!”

But this was where she drew line, “I’ll be there at eight, okay?”

“Sure thing, Viv’! Can’t wait to see you!” This was rather an odd thing to say seeing as the two had only seen each other earlier that day.

“Yeah, you too, bye.” Vivi half-heartedly and hastily ended the call, feeling slightly sick in the back of her throat at the fact that her own friend rather obviously had a crush on her.

LONDON

NOVEMBER 2034

Despite the fact that she was now twenty-six, Vivi ironically found herself looking forward to partying