Zombie Games - Origins

2

2

I SPENT MOST of the day at school trying to avoid those who were sick, which was almost everyone. Many kids were absent, and the halls were unnaturally quiet, except for the consistent coughing and nose-blowing.

During last period, my math teacher, Mr. Hogan, a balding man in his fifties, blew his nose loudly and said, “Keep taking your vitamins, everyone. This flu takes no prisoners!”

In answer, many of the students wiped their own noses or coughed. I shrunk down in my desk and took out a small bottle of antibacterial gel, rubbing some on my hands. A girl next to me noticed and snorted.

I glared at her. “It’s called keeping your hands clean. You should try it sometime.”

She gave me the finger, muttering something obscene under her breath.

Toward the end of class, our principal, Mrs. Davis, made an unexpected visit and handed Mr. Hogan some forms. They spoke quietly for several minutes and then she left, grabbing a tissue on the way out. I watched as Mr. Hogan removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose while examining the paperwork she’d dropped off.

Finally, he looked up and cleared his throat. “Listen up, people,” he called. “This week, the school is giving free flu shots to all of the students. I am going to hand out all the information regarding the vaccination. Take it home, have your parents read it, sign it, and then bring it back as soon as possible.”

A few of the students moaned in protest.

He smiled wryly and leaned back in his chair. “I understand your enthusiasm. You may not be excited about getting vaccinated, but it’s for your own good. The school is urging everyone to have this flu shot. In fact, anyone who doesn’t get permission will be required to stay home the following week, until we get this influenza epidemic under control. So, this vaccination is necessary if your parents want to keep you in school and out of the house. And... for those of you who don’t get permission, we can email you your assignments.”

Great, I thought. My mother will never agree to this flu shot, so I’ll be stuck at home next week. My parents don’t believe in messing with “Mother Nature.” They feel that flu shots lower the immune system, making one more vulnerable to other illnesses. That could also explain why our family has avoided this particular flu. My mother’s daily handful of vitamins and my green-peach tea addiction doesn’t hurt, either.

The bell rang and I stopped into the bathroom to wash my hands. I glanced up into the mirror and found Eva King standing right next to me. She looked miserable.

“Hey, Wild. God, I hate this frigging cold,” she mumbled and blew her nose, which looked painfully red.

Trying to forget the way she screwed over my best friend, I forced a smile. “Bummer you’re sick, too, huh?”

She nodded and smoothed down her long, red hair. “Yes. You know,” she said, turning to me, her blue eyes wide. “Sometimes I wish I were more like you. Your mom’s not famous and you get to blend in with everyone else at school. Nobody expects you to look perfect when you walk in every single day. It must be nice. I mean, I have to look amazing all the time. It’s a lot of work having my background and social status. Even this sick, I don’t get a day off.”

I bit back my laughter and replied, “Yes, I don’t think I could handle living in your world, Eva. It must be very stressful.”

Her eyes narrowed, but before she could respond, Nora Biggs slammed out of a bathroom stall, an unlit cigarette hanging from her mouth. Nora was fairly new in the school and most people shied away from her because of her unusual punk style, short temper, and rebellious attitude.

“Hi, Nora,” I said.

Nora nodded and then began washing her hands. We have karate class together and I’ve driven her home a few times. We weren’t exactly friends, but she was civil to me.

Eva stared at Nora’s nose. “Nora. Wow, I just love your nose ring! Is that a real Zirconia?”

Even sick, Eva was a complete b***h.

Nora‘s eyes burned with fury and I waited for the explosion. Instead, she removed the cigarette from her lips and smirked. “No, it’s a diamond. Your boyfriend gave it to me last night after we made out.”

Eva’s lips formed a tight line. “Classy,” she mumbled, grabbed her purse, and turned to walk away.

“Hey, Eva,” Nora said, grabbing a paper towel.

She turned around and snapped, “What?”

Nora smiled coldly. “You do realize that this is only high school? Being popular here doesn’t matter in the real world.”

Eva scowled and stomped out of the bathroom.

I giggled. “Nice.”

Nora shrugged. “Well, she deserves it. She thinks she’s so much better than everyone else. What she really deserves is to get knocked on her ass. I just wish I could be the one to do it. But hey, you know that code of honor thing-a-ma-jig.”

One of the principle rules of karate is that you can only use it for self-defense. Ever since Nora joined the class, she‘s stopped getting into fights. I’m sure it‘s been challenging for her.

I nodded in agreement and picked up my backpack.

“You sick?” she asked, running her fingers through her long, black hair. Streaks of bright blue framed her pale face. I imagined without the heavy Goth makeup, dyed hair, and various piercings, she might look like the girl next door.

“No. Not yet, anyway.”

Nora threw her head back and laughed. She knew about my phobia. “That must drive you insane; being around these germy bastards. I’m not sick yet either, but my old man is.”

Nora normally lives with her dad, Ivan Biggs, who’s a guitarist for Death Row, a popular rock band. Unfortunately, he’s on tour in Europe right now, so she sees very little of him. Instead she stays with her grandmother, Iris, who has some kind of dementia and is frightened of leaving her house. She can’t even take a step outside she’s so scared of something awful happening to her.

“I heard almost everyone is sick in Europe.”

“Yeah, he’s in Germany right now. They’ve all been getting vaccinated. I don’t know what the big deal is, it’s just the flu. Tell you one thing; nobody’s giving me a shot. My old man isn’t around to sign the sheet and I would rather take a week off from this crap-hole. What about you?”

I cleared my throat. “Well, I won’t be getting the shot, either. My family never gets flu shots.”

Nora jaw dropped. “No s**t? With you being so paranoid about germs and your mom being a Daycare Lady, I thought you‘d have gotten your shots for next year’s flu season by now.”

I stared at her. “Um...I’m not that paranoid.”

She snorted. “Whatever, Wild. Listen, I’ll see you at karate class later.”

I watched as she strutted out of the bathroom in her heavy black boots and then looked in the mirror. I’m not paranoid, I reminded myself, just very cautious...