A panting Brand faced their hero who sat on his parked bike in the cafeteria. “Just…thank you.”
He smiled and raised his weapon. “No problem, I’m Kyle. So, what’s for lunch?”
Brand was feeling a rush of emotions. All he could do was shed tears.
Chapter 17 – Mister MVP
Kyle walked down the hall with the greatest smile on his face. He had been given a great honor, chosen to partake in something few in the world got to experience. Kyle couldn’t stop smiling, he was just ecstatic, a new sort of energy flowing through his veins. He wanted to shout joy from the top of his lungs but had to reserve his voice as much as he could because he would need it to be in perfect condition in a few months. Kyle arrived to his best friend Hector’s locker.
“Man, you will never guess what I just learned,” Kyle said.
Hector rolled his eyes. “Don’t you know enough already.”
“There’s no such thing as knowing too much.”
Hector leaned against his locker. “Awesome, use all that knowledge to help me cheat in Mrs. Sissa’s class.”
“Hey, best friends and all, but I don’t support cheating. Are you ready for my big news?”
Hector sighed. “Let me guess, you won the lottery?”
“Nah, this is much better. I’m the senior class valedictorian. I’m giving the big speech at the graduation.”
Hector let out an unenthused,” Cool, but I won’t be there.”
“But you have to man. I’m already planning on coming back when you graduate.”
“Leave the classy world of Harvard to come back here just for me?”
“Yeah, it’s what friends do. Why aren’t you more excited?”
“To be honest, it’s sort of predictable. You’re perfect Kyle, smart, athletic, and good looking. You’re going to be prom king, most likely MVP of the basketball team and you can just add this mess to your resume of awesome. Listen, my family is going through a tough time right now with that whole unwanted baby my brother had with some girl. So, sorry I can’t jump for joy for something so predictable. You’re a king. People move aside for you when you walk down the halls. Anyways, congrats Kyle.” Hector thumbed over his shoulder. “I have to get to class. We’re dissecting frogs or something.”
Kyle was still pumped from slicing off all the zombie heads. His time during the invasion was a pretty easy one so far. He found the bike the school was using in its big school play and armed himself with a sword from the fencing class. It was a bit fun driving around, killing zombies and trying to gather up other survivors. The crew in the cafeteria was the first set of students he discovered and even though he badly wanted to smile, he fought it off. They weren’t looking to happy.
Brand sat across from Kyle as he ate. He had told Kyle there plans. “Are you going to join us?”
Kyle nodded. “Yeah, sure. Are you friends going to be ok?”
Brand looked across the cafeteria at a pacing John and a weeping Mo. “A lot happened this morning.”
“I feel like a tool for coming in all peppy. Don’t worry though, I’m serious about escaping.”
Brand nodded. “The more people the better.”
“Let me just eat up and then I’ll talk with those two. Try to lift their spirits.”
Kyle was ready to take the lead over this broken group. He would get them out of this school.
Chapter 18 – Man With Their Plan
Kyle decided to take responsibility for the group and their plan. Brand seemed like the only one who was prepared to escape from the school with him. Kyle wasn’t going to simply abandon the other two students, knowing the bigger the group the easier the fight against the zombies would be. He would have to restore a will to survive back into John and Mo. Kyle decided to start easy and join John.
He sat down next to him at one of the cafeteria. “Hey, I’m Kyle.”
“Trust me, I know who you are. Basically, the king of the school and I’m a nobody.”
Kyle smiled. “I know who you are.”
“Let me guess, my talent show performance?”
“You mean your epic talent show performance. That took a lot of bravery-“
“-And stupidity.”
Kyle shook his head in disagreement. “Nah, you went up their alone and took a brave leap. I liked it.”
John shrugged. “Thanks I guess.”
“John, you’re a brave guy. Man, so many students have fallen since this zombie attack. I’m sure only a dozen are left and you’re one of them. Instead of hiding away you’ve been out there saving people and taking action. Sure, you might smell like piss but even if I was facing death I would piss my pants in fear.”
John smirked. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because I want you to be there when we escape this place. Can I count on that?”
John paused before he finally nodded. “Yeah.”
Kyle patted him on his back. “Awesome. I’m going to go chat with Mo.”
Kyle walked away from John feeling accomplished. He knew his talk with Mo could change that though, she lost her sister. He not only had to convince her to keeping pushing forward but also speed up her mourning process. Kyle joined her on the floor as Mo started to wipe tears from her face.
“What do you want,” Mo snapped.
“I’m Kyle.”
“No, duh.”
Kyle took a moment to find the right words. “I’m going to be harsh and say stop crying like a little girl. Do you honestly think your sister would be fine with this? I’m sure your sister was doing everything to get out of this school but a simple mistake ruined that for her. Mo, your sister never gave up and neither should you.”
“I’m not giving up and don’t you dare talk about my sister like you know her.”
“If you’re not giving up, stand up and lets go. We can mourn later, but now we got to fight to live.”
Mo punched Kyle in the shoulder. “I know that, jerk.”
“Then stand up. Right now. Put some actions behind those words.”
Mo refused to admit that his talk helped. She had to keep going for Gia.
“I’ll help you to your feet,” Kyle offered.
He reached for her; Mo slapped his hand away and stood. “I can do it.”
Brand joined them as Kyle stood from the floor. “No, we can do it,” Brand corrected.
John was last to join the gang. “Kill zombies and beat death.” He declared. ” Yes, we can.”
Kyle was finally comfortable with smiling around the crew. He was sure they were still hurt, but for now they had to push all the bad away and fight. They all looked towards the barricade, knowing once they moved beyond it chaos would resume.
Chapter 19 – Ride or Die
Kyle worked great under pressure. When it was time to act, he was never tardy. Tonight, it was up to him to sink the final basket that would win the team their final game of the year. He was out most of the season with an ankle injury, but worked with the coach. Kyle watched so many basketball games on DVD and got to know his teammates’ weak points. This made it easy for him to help make plays. Tonight, they needed a three pointer and he could sink them like a boat.
“Are you going to be able to do this,” the coach asked.
Kyle tried to stand on his bad ankle. “It hurts but not as much as a loss would.”
The coach smiled. “We need more athletes like you in the world.”
“I don’t think one athlete can carry a team. Just wish for more teams like ours.”
“You make a good point. That’s something you’re good at.”
Kyle was used to praise. It did little for his ego. “Coach, I’m ready to get out there.”
He did his best to get on the court without appearing injured. That required walking on his broken ankle normally; it feeling as if somebody dumped glass in his shoes. He huddled with the team and they came up with a plan. All Kyle had to do was make it to the three-pointer line and they would pass him the ball. If his ankle slo
wed they agreed to stall. The team broke and went to work.
The moment the referee blew his whistle, Kyle started down the court. His ankle was feeling even worse. He even started to drag his feet a little and was seeing red spots before his eyes. Still, he had to win this for his team and carried on. It felt as if the trip was endless but he met the three-pointer line and Hector passed him the ball. He aimed for the basket but the red dots were distracting him. Kyle shut his eyes and relied on a memory of the basket’s position for aim. He slightly leapt, sent the ball flying from his hand and heard a swoosh.
Kyle dropped to the court and opened his eyes to discover his team jumping around and celebrating.
Today he found himself once again ready to put it all on the line. Kyle sat on his motorcycle armed with his weapon. John and Brand removed the barricade and were waiting for the moment to open the cafeteria doors. Kyle needed a few minutes to prepare himself mentally for a bloody drive towards the main office. He was the ball and the office was the hoop.
“Alright, I’ll kill all that I can,” Kyle said. “You three follow and kill the left overs.”
Mo held some knives they were going to use to battle. “Let’s just get this done. It’s revenge time.”
Kyle nodded at Brand and John. “Open the doors…now!”
They pulled the cafeteria doors opened and Kyle rode off. He did his best to drive steady and behead each zombie he passed in the hall. A few feet behind him, Brand, John and Mo ran with their knives, killing the zombies he left behind. Bits of blood splattered on Kyle’s face as he continued his journey, making it a bit difficult for him to see. He could see the entry for the main office up ahead and a crowd of zombies roamed before the door. Kyle leaped from the bike and sent it speeding down the hall, crashing into the zombies and through the main office door.
Mo, Brand and John arrived in time to help him to his feet. The gang kept stabbing and kicking their way forward until they finally arrived at the main office. Quickly, the pushed the wreckage of the bike aside and used the motorcycle to barricade the door closed. It was now official, they arrived to their destination. It was time to make contact.
Chapter 20: Anybody There…Oh Yeah
This was moment they were all waiting for. They stood facing two booths near the front desk that had two free-of-charge pay phones installed. The four of them knew that making phone calls would change everything. They could possibly make contact with the outside world or not. The truth would be revealed and the fates of their loved ones. It was time to start anticipating and make the call.
“I have to call my mother,” Mo said. “I have to tell her about Gia.”
“I need to know if my mom is alive,” Brand said. “I can’t wait.”
“I’ll be a gentleman and let Mo go first.” Kyle decided. “John and Brand you decide between phone number two.”
“The cops,” John said. “I’m calling the cops, but a game of rock, paper, scissors can solve this issue.”
John and Brand played the hand game, Brand winning. Immediately Brand and Mo rushed the phones and started to dial. John and Kyle stepped back and to allow them as much privacy as they could have. It wasn’t long until the hopeful faces of Brand and Mo turned into frowns.
Mo simply dropped her phone. “It’s saying-“
“-The system is experiencing difficulties,” Brand finished. “Please check internet connection.”
“It’s a web based service,” John shouted. “I can’t believe this cheap school!”
“Don’t panic,” A stunned Kyle said though he was flipping out on the inside.
“This was our plan,” John said. “Make contact and wait for help. We’re back at square one!”
“I know,” Kyle lifelessly said.
Mo started to cry. “I want to go home.”
Brand felt as if her tears called on his to join. He started to cry. “I hate this. I hate this.”
John started smacking himself against his forehead. “Stupid, stupid, stupid…”
Kyle wanted to meltdown but knew it was going to do little to help their cause. He overhead a knocking sound coming from behind the front desk. Everybody else was too busy panicking to hear it. Kyle simply raised his fencing sword and made his way behind the desk. A cabinet area was installed and something or somebody was inside thumping against the door. Kyle aimed his weapon and slowly slid the door opened.
A plump-sized red haired girl fell out, gasping for air. “Air…”
Kyle dropped his weapon and helped her up. “Are you okay?”
The rest of the group stopped melting down as they discovered the girl who hugged on tight to Kyle.
“I was trapped,” She cried out. She looked at his face. “Thank you, Kyle.”
“You know me,” He asked.
“Everybody knows you.” She turned and faced the others. Her eyes widened and she hid behind Kyle.
“What’s wrong,” Kyle asked as he glanced back at her.
The girl pointed forward. “It’s him, the idiot who caused all of this.”
Brand pointed at himself. “I didn’t do anything.”
“No,” The girl said as she kept point. “That idiot, John. He caused this.”
John stood scowling at the girl. The group was waiting for him to dispute her claim. He didn’t.
Chapter 21: There’s A U In Group
Nova remained hiding behind Kyle as she stared into the angry eyes of John. She knew those eyes.
A few months ago Nova, John and Hector were assigned a group science project. Nova was more excited about working with John, always secretly having a crush on him. She loved how shy and awkward he was and especially enjoyed his performance at the talent show. Still, she knew she was not as good looking as the other girls in school. Not only was she a ginger, but she had an extra bit of weight. She tried to work out, but between working and school she had no time.
As for working with Hector, she had little care for him. He was simply a bully. So many times her weight was the punch line for his jokes. She didn’t know how she ended up working with her favorite person but also her at least favorite. Technically, Hector wasn’t actually doing any work.
Nova and John sat at one of the library tables flipping through science books for ideas.
“How about we build an electronic castle,” Nova suggested.
“Or we can do something music related,” John said.
Nova had no musical talent. “We can combine our ideas.”
“How so?”
“What if we build an electronic castle that light up every time you hit certain keys?”
John’s face lit up. “Awesome, we can do a light show and music show at the same time.”
Nova would do anything to touch him. “High-five?”
He raised his hand and she smashed her palm against his. She could only smile and gush at his touch.
Hector, who sat on the opposite end of the table, raised his head. “I hate it.”
“Majority rules,” John said. “We’re doing our idea.”
“It’s stupid,” Hector insulted. “We’re doing a volcano because I said so.”
“There’s no I in team,” Nova nervously spoke up.
“But there’s a U in group,” Hector pointed out. “And I suggest you two shut up.”
“Stop being so immature,” John said. “We’re doing our idea.”
Hector stood from his seat, made his way over to John and smashed his head down on the table. “What?”
John tried to wrestle free. “Let me go.”
“I swear if you two build that castle I’ll wreck it. Volcano because I said so.”
The pressure was starting to hurt John’s head. “Fine, geez. A volcano.”
Hector formed a smug grin and left the library. John stared back at him as he rubbed his sore cheek. At that moment, Nova saw a deep anger within John. The look in his eyes scared her as if he was planning on destroying the entire world just to bring Hector down. Nova questioned her cr
ush on the boy she thought was such a kind soul.
Chapter 22 – Toxic Waste
John had so much damage repair to do after his talent show. He knew the majority of the student body would torture him about it until the day he went off to college so he decided to focus on his teachers. John already did his best to win Mr. Rogers back over, showing up to class early and always staying for extra credit. Their relationship remained strong but John could tell his teacher had lost some respect for him. Another teacher John had to win over was Ms. Sissa. He was trying to do everything, even volunteering on the weekend to go help her pick up frogs for her class to dissect.
Ms. Sissa was busy talking with a staff member at the lab while John was allowed to browse certain areas. He looked at some cool brains in jars, got a few educational lectures from some of the scientist who weren’t so busy and was offered the opportunity to watch from a viewing room as they performed a science experiment .
John sat quietly in the viewing room as he watched the duo of scientist through a protective window. On the table lay two frogs, flat on their backs. The scientists both carried needles filled with some sort of green liquid. They didn’t explain to John what they were actually doing, but he figured this would be more exciting than watching Ms. Sissa trying to negotiate some cheap frogs for her class.
Each of the scientists injected one frog and waited for a response. The two injected frogs turned a pale color and remained flat on their backs. Each scientist used a scalpel to poke at the pale frogs and exchanged nods with each other. Suddenly, each of the pale frogs jumped up as nothing had happened and started seizing all over the table. John laughed a bit at how they foolishly rolled around. It wasn’t long until the frogs started to attack each other and the scientist quickly sprayed them down with a bottle of nitrogen.
The scientist bagged the frozen frogs and exited their lab.
John decided to leave the viewing room and met up with the two scientist in the hall way. ”What happened?”
“Nothing serious,” The scientist on the right said. “We’re testing a new energy drink.”
John laughed. “They got pretty energetic in there.”
“I’ll put them out back in the toxic dumpster,” The scientist on the left whispered. “I’ll call for pick up immediately.”