Flash Fiction Friday

"You are not the best judge of character." Chelsea looked over at me as if I was not to say a word about who she was dating now.

"And what makes you, so sure? You are?" After all, I was the one who would hear about it, sooner or later at lunch. I was just her best friend between guys. We were eating lunch, once again in the school cafeteria. We trudged on in our snow boots, stopping to get ketchup for our fries.

"Hey, there.. stranger." Some one said from behind me. I looked over my shoulder at Sheldon's pouty lip. He followed me to our spot. Only Chelsea was sitting where he usually set. I'd made friends with someone while Chelsea was seeing Carter.

"You know, Sheldon, right?" I bit a fry trying to stay mute as possible. Sheldon was already setting on the other side of me, sharing my ketchup. He liked to mix his fries with mustard.

Chelsea looked at me as if I needed to tell Sheldon to go away. But I couldn't. He was such a good friend. He wanted to hear what ever I had to say, and sometimes our discussions about movies and celebrities could carry over with texts and conversations over the phone. We were even starting our own Teen Wolf fan fiction online.

Naturally, fair and dark blond Sheldon with a few freckles on his nose, offered Chelsea a handshake. She brushed him off as if he were a loser or god forbid a theater geek.

"May I have a word with you, Ash." Chelsea said, who was all neat in her black and white striped sweater and amazing hair... straight as straight could be.

"Why?" I looked kind of spacey. Maybe. I wasn't wearing makeup the way Chelsea told me too. I hadn't seen a curling iron in ages. I was already wearing my Valentines Day Tee that Sheldon and I found at the Dollar General. I couldn't possibly tell her I was buying clothes there. But Sheldon and I sometimes, liked to go thrifting.

"Yeah? Why?" Sheldon asked as if to remind her that he was here too.

Chelsea was suddenly in a mood. A bad one. Sheldon and I both watched. She removed herself from where we set.

"This is all my fault." I nibbled my bottom lip.

"No, its not." He dipped a fry in my ketchup and fed it to me. "She's being the bitch." He winced. He ate a fry. "Look, I know ..what she'll say to you. I do."

"What would she say?" I looked at him.

"She'll say I'm gay. She'll tell you, to stop talking to me." He looked at his burger as if he was not going to touch it.

"No, she wouldn't." But I knew she would. I pretty much had her figured out. I cut the burger in half and took my half. "OK, I wouldn't listen to her. I wouldn't." I took a bite of the burger. He ate his half.

It was true. I liked us together.

It could get down right silly. We'd acted some part from a Degrassi scene in the school hallway once. And we were the only real audience. We'd also walked in on a very dark make-out session (the last place we ever expected to find the populars at lunch) in the auditorium... the time I read allowed a Dr. Seuss poem acting as if I might be Emily Dickens. Yes, we were odd balls. But I did like being weird with Sheldon.

He held my hand. I couldn't help but watch. This was definitely new. But I felt the laughter inside me. We really were happy together.

Flash Fiction Friday

"What?" Was I talking too loud? Why couldn't mom find her own books? She was calling my cell, again.

"Ask the librarian for smut books," she said.

I blinked. My mom just said that? I looked around the library, wondering if anyone was listening. After all, the blizzard was over, but anyone who had any sense wouldn't be here. I was after all practically in my pajamas and Uggs. It was a snow day which meant a lot of Christmas cleaning at home. Thanks to Mom. Finally, I had some time to myself, and here she was wanting me to check out books for her. Was she for real?

I'd been looking at Christmas books and Christmas music. It was me and the library. Except for two little kids who's mother dropped them off.

"Do I have to?" I finally sighed. Me, only sixteen ask a library clerk about smut.

"I need a book to read," mom insisted.

"All right." She wasn't taking NO for an answer.

I looked around and walked up to the spacious counter, and blew a breath. "Do you have smut books." I asked quickly. After all, I was lugging my PRETTY LITTLE LIAR books and some Christmas Tune classics.

"What?" The young woman with stringy long hair looked stunned.

"Well, that's what my mom calls them." I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, you mean...erotica? Like E.L. James' Fifty shades..."

"Yeah, she's..she's read that..but she wants it to be ..about African Americans." I pressed my lips tight. After all, we were African Americans.

So the clerk went typing away. I felt so bad about this. Even if I found the books I'd be mortified if..if I had to check them out on my library card.

She mentioned some names like Lovely and Divine. So she slid the piece of paper toward me, when suddenly out of nowhere I get jabbed in the ribs from behind with "Whatcha doing?" I turned to a big fat grin looking down at me.

"uh..umm.." I grinned back. It was Drake from school, towering over me with his dirty blond mop swished over his eyes to the side of his face.

Instantly, I felt a connection. But maybe..maybe it was just me. What if he were bored, on this snow day?

My cell rang.

"I didn't know you had your own cell phone." He slid his out of his back pocket. His wasn't any better than mine. They were sliders with keyboards.

Of course, my mother interrupted asking about a report on her smut books.

"I don't think they have any." I found myself staring at Drake who kept smiling.

"Did you even ask?"

"Yes, I did." But I kept grinning. I clicked off the phone.

"Lets exchange numbers." He pushed his phone forward so I pressed mine in. Before I knew it he was calling my number.

"I had to make sure it worked, you know." He sly grin was infectious.

"Its working." I couldn't stop laughing. Were we suppose to talk on the phone right in front of each other?

"Well, go look for those books."

I didn't want too, but I clicked off and walked toward the fiction. Just then the young clerk went out to the fiction to help me.

"That one author I mentioned is actually young adult. I mean, its..its not erotica." She told me as we walked. "But maybe..maybe you'd like to check it out."

"My mother would never let me read those books." I winced hard, thinking I'd never want to read those books, either.

My phone jingled a text. It was from Drake.

"Meet me in Science fiction."

It was only a few shelves away.

"Thanks, anyway," I said to the clerk. Of course, Drake met me before I could even meet him there.

He took my books to carry.

"You really need to read THE HOBBIT." He informed me.

"Why would I read THE HOBBIT?" I couldn't stop laughing around his lanky body which seem to hoover around me.

"Because." His bright eyes were serious. "I want to take you to take you to see it. My family's going this Saturday."

"Me?" He did like me. Sure we saw each other everyday. And he was with his friends. I was with my friends. We sort of chatted at lunch, but never did anything alone.

"Why not, its Christmas break, and its a very long movie." He made a face as if he couldn't dare be alone with his parents.

I cracked up. Of course, I'd be saving him from something. Just my luck. But maybe he was saving me from something at the moment, too.

He took the slip of paper from me. We were on our way to find my mother's books. He pulled one out with some title about 'heaven'.

"I'm not sure if this will be smutty enough." He grinned. There was a picture of two people getting married.

"It will just have to do." I told him. After all, she should find her own books.

Flash Fiction Friday

Cam thought he saw the bird in the naked tree. It was a huge black crow.

"Do you, see it?" His little daughter pointed from where she set in her stroller. She was daddy's girl with ringlette's of ginger hair while his was ginger too, but straight under his woolen cap. Mare might only be going on four, but sometimes, he thought she might be wiser than fourteen.

The bird was gone. Mare pointed to what was under the tree, it was a silver cat with green-grey eyes, mysteriously looking at them next to the park benches that he'd never seen a person sit on at the retirement apartments.

He pushed the stroller up the hill, closer to the cat that didn't move. Maybe it was hurt, as it was huddled there under the tree.

"Can we keep it?"

"I dunno M." He was afraid her mother might give him the third degree. After all, she was the bread winner. She was walking her beat right now, down town. She was a police officer.

Cam waited for the cat to run away, but it stayed huddled and didn't hiss or moan. There were no tags
nor collar.

He looked back at Mare who glared at him as if what was he waiting for.

He reached for it with his gloved hands. Immediately the cat purred in his grasp. Cam smiled. It was so unexpected. It was as if the cat was happy someone wanted him.

"Let me, hold him. Daddy. Please." Mare's little hands were suppose to be in her mittens but she was excited, and it really wasn't as cold as Cam expected.

They were on their way home from the library. Mare liked her SIGNING DVDs, but she was jabbering away about the cat.

Cam brought the cat to her and it was instant love. Its paws kneaded the old baby quilt. There were no claws to injure Mare.

 Cam felt as if he needed to take the cat. No way could it defend itself. After all, it was a shock that the cat managed to be on its own this long.

"What will you name him?" Cam asked as they went on their way. The cat snuggled next to Mare without a problem. Cam was sure the cat would be on the run by now, but it wasn't. Instead, it purred.

"Diego, of course." Mare's favorite name. She loved Diego videos from Dora the Explorer, and hoped one day to meet the real Diego. She often said that some day she'd marry Diego and they'd go on adventures together.

"Diego, I dunno, he looks more like a Duke to me." Cam shrugged, thinking she liked the name too much.

"All right, just this one time. Duke." She gave in. as she hugged the cat tight.

Hopefully, her mother would be OK with Duke. After all, Cam was the one who stayed home with Mare. His wife wouldn't have to do a thing with the cat.

Flash Fiction Friday

It was all accidental. Jude needed to remember that. Unfortunately, it was hard to think nothing happened. Nothing at all.

He wondered if he looked guilty. Of course, Ali would be in the little laundry room to the right of his apartment. Had she seen anything? Well, he wouldn't ask.

"Kira, still gone?" She was folding clothes. She was in her baggy sweater with denim leggins, looking quite fetching even in flip-flops. It was cold and snowing, but here it was warm and cozy as the dryers kept up a comforting sound in the quaint fragrance of Downy softness in the air.

Jude nodded. He was hoping now, Kira wouldn't come back. Perhaps everything really was sunny in California and she'd stay at Berkley. The fact remained, he was lost without his girlfriend. She was this mysterious anchor which kept everything in place.

"Did you hear from your brother?" He asked, instead of wanting to know how his beard looked. He hadn't shaved since Kira left, three weeks ago. It was patches of darkness that didn't blend well, but maybe it didn't look so bad.

She shrugged. Her very blond braid fell past her shoulder.

 Last he'd heard during their past laundry conversation they were going to seriously talk. There was a growing silence in her family. Perhaps a lot like this conversation.

"Done any Christmas shopping?" Ali sounded as if she were on autopilot. As if she needed to say nice things. Not dwell on the possibility that her brother might never speak to her again because she told him he should try to be nicer and attempt pleasant conversation, or least this is what Jude recalled. Especially, with family. Jude remembered her telling him, her brother was much nicer to strangers.

Jude shook his head no, about the Christmas shopping. He wasn't sure he could get Kira anything now. He'd forgotten to give her cat his medicine. 

He slightly cringed. Hoping he didn't cringe too much. A bit of him felt faint, thinking what was at the bottom of a grocery bag.

Jude went to tuck his laundry in a machine. He pushed in the change and off went the wash like a natural order of things.

He cringed more as if it were such a disgusting act. Neglect. That's all it was.

Jude hadn't eaten properly in days. He'd floated into oblivion, painting wildly on the bedroom wall of a castle that looked a whole lot like a penis. It wasn't exactly Monet's gardens. He might not even have his job down at the motel where he worked the desk during the grave yard shift. Life was getting away from him.

She was talking about making a blanket from all her winder scarves. Jude listened, but not really.

"I have to do something." He looked at her blankly as if she could hold that thought until he got back.

He pulled the old hunter green cardigan around him and shivered as he stepped out into the cold in his flimsy slippers. Down the iron steps he went. Holding steady, because of the frozen residue. Suddenly, he felt the cold like poison in his mouth. It could be deadly.

But he knew where he was going. The dumpster. Did he dare look? They hadn't picked up the garbage yet. There were loads of plastic bags of trash. But his was in paper. A brown bag. He pushed around the pillows of garbage. Looking. Seriously looking. Not even sure what to do if he found it. There was the sweet pungent odor of yesterday's lunch and then some. His nose snarled, but he kept going.

He should walk away. His ankles were freezing in his flannel bottoms as his thin limbs stretched, pushing forward, as if one last look would do.

There was the paper bag, rolled at the ends. Did he want to see Mario, the short haired silver cat, one more time? He reached at a great length for it, tucked away near the back.

They were sort of friends. Maybe. Mario was a fickle cat. He hated to be held, but he was loyal to Kira, who had him a good thirteen years. Long before Jude came into the picture.

Jude knew, as a boyfriend ..he couldn't be trusted. He was finished with Kira. He sighed with grief. Jude was almost ready to cry. Almost. Maybe he was jealous of the cat. She always found the cat far more interesting than him. Did he ever get back rubs like the cat? No.

It was genuine, forgetting the medicine. Art was like a disease with him. Kira would never understand. He couldn't work on his comic strip at work. Although, he doodled from time to time and jotted down his grand ideas.

He unfolded the folds of the brown bag, still wedged, between an old coat and a broken coffee table. It was empty.

Well, he wouldn't dwell on what happened. He'd change the story now. He'd fix this. He'd tell her Mario ran away. Of course, Mario hadn't really moved much in the last few months.

Flash Fiction Friday

We met at a party. 

"I'm Tara."

 "Marc."

 We did not shake hands.

We sipped bitter wine. Soon we were alone, listening to drab political conversation when we found ourselves snickering at the same thing. Finally, we ditched the party. Bought some smokes at Come and Go. We laughed over celebrity gossip magazines and shared a Coke.

Marc asked me for my cellphone number. We walked the rest of the night in the chill of October air. Our destination, the top of an old building downtown, to wait for the pale orange sunrise. We cuddled. He kissed my forehead. Our smiles sublime as we danced to our own  music blessed by our company.

Next day. We met at the Laundromat. He said we should go thrifting. We found Marc a bullfighter’s suit. He looked the part. Grand and splendid as a cock ready to fight. His smile so broad.

He wondered if his hair was too long. I fingered his thick mop of Jesus-like hair. Even his stubble was sexy. Smiling, I shook my head, no as he rubbed his face against my cheek so endearingly.

“I can’t get a job.” He finally complained after our big treasure hunt of sunshades, gloves, a scarf and a denim jacket.

“Maybe, you just haven’t found the right one.” I shrugged knowing how beautiful and considerate Marc to be. By now, I knew his fluid voice. His dark eyes were far from cold. His beauty was an inner warmth that couldn’t be tapped by the ordinary eye. One like me, embraced it.

Ninja. Warrior. Karate. Such ambition everyone laughed. Or so he exaggerated over a meal on a dollar menu at MacDonald's.

“Have you ever worked fast food?” I was serious. So was he. The establishment was hiring. But I could tell he didn’t like it much. Making change. Being friendly. I thought of the library where I worked. He could always volunteer until something was available. Marc nodded as if it were a definite maybe.

“I need haircut.” He decided why they would not hire him. Maybe he’d find something better online.

We went back to my place. There were scissors. I could do the job. He plopped himself on the lid of the commode. I untangled his unruly tresses.  

Could I do this? I only bobbed my hair.

Finally I unbuttoned his dark shirt, thinking the hair would shed on his clothes once I started.

But then I saw the burn marks on his wrist. Even his chest. I shivered slightly, wincing hard as if I could re-live his pain.

Marc grabbed my wrist. He pushed up the sleeve of my scratchy grey sweater. There were tiny grooves whittled like tattoos. Fine lines of misery. His lips touched them. I slightly flinched.

His quiet world colliding with mine. He didn’t smile, but he knew. We both knew. We are soul mates. 
________________________________________________

 “we don't even have to try, its always a good time”

INSPIRATION: Ezra Miller at the MTV awards. That outfit he was in would not have looked amazing on anyone else but him. And a song from Owl City and Carly Rae Jespen, GOOD TIME. Yet, I wanted to give it more of a foreign film feel as I was picturing it in my head. Two people meeting, having fun together, getting to know each other.

Actually, I did meet someone at a party once that no one would talk to, and I have to admit he was probably the most interesting guy there.

Flash Fiction Friday

PROMPT: Being tricked at a Halloween Party.

INSPIRATION: Taylor Swifts' "We are never never ever getting back together again"

STARRING: Liz Gllis

WORD COUNT: 751

Did she really think she even looked like Taylor Swift? Well, I was beginning to think she was going through guys like Swift's love life as of late, but I would not mention it. As it was Tia had Taylor Swift's latest CD pumping through her little Red Fit.

"Is this going to be the soundtrack of the night?" I was already disgusted with the idea of going to a Halloween party. I got in  wearing my THIS IS MY HALLOWEEN COSTUME. DEAL WITH IT Tee-shirt. I was all in black. Black skinny jeans, black nail polish and even black lipstick. I was all set to go to the BLACK VEIL BRIDES concert, but they bailed the last minute. Supposedly, Andy got the flu.

"Just get in the car, Lori." She snarled at me.

We were going to her ex-boyfriend's Halloween bash. I still wasn't sure what her plan was. But there were no baseball bats in the backseat, so I guessed it wouldn't be violent. They'd had a falling out over a text that Tia was certain was from a girl from another school.

Honestly, I thought Tia was using it as a way to move on. Of course, I wasn't sure if going to his party was exactly something forward. She called it closure.


It looked like a disgusting teenage angst drinking party in the middle of a corn field to me. But whatever, there was no Andy Bierback here for me. I was not drawn to boys in shorts and tank tops on a crisp Halloween night, who chugged beer like idiots. Yet, they were the true natives to our little heartland town. Talking up the Huskers if they weren't claiming their own fame of Friday night football.


I looked around to the usuals.


"Isn't being the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, so last year?" One of the populars commented with a glare.


I wouldn't even bother, but I grabbed a red cup of beer, just to hold on to something and wait to see if Tia did Jared in. Before I knew it, they went upstairs.


I rolled my eyes thinking this would be a long night. 


As luck would have it, a game of spin the bottle was going on. I thought I'd watch. Next thing I knew, I swear they'd drug me. I didn't even remember tasting the liquor, but I was sitting in the circle as if I were meant to play the game. Possibly, I was just bored.


I looked at the needy faces. Did I really want to go in the closet with any of them? Some were thirsty football players. I was sure they might be in a werewolf pack. The way they looked at me like fresh meat.


My face tensed when it was my turn. I looked at the stairwell, hoping Tia might save me, but of course she wouldn't. I said a little prayer, hoping someone would look out for me. I did not want to be mauled by one of these fools.


Finally, I spinned the bottle.  Was there even a winner here? I closed my eyes wondering who would it be. Who would I  spend five minutes of hell with?

The tip of the bottle faced Tobey Jones. I gritted a smile. He looked at me as if he dreaded this moment as much as I did. But he did make a pretty good zombie.

I bit my bottom lip as I got up. Neither of us could chicken out now.

He never said much. I kind of thought he was always special as in sort of mental. But I didn't really know him.

I opened the closet door. He turned on the light bulb over head. It already felt as if we might be doomed. A lot like my love life.

Just as directed. Step in. Lights off. Whatever happens..happens.

As soon as it was dark, that's when the F bomb went off. I'd never heard as many fuming curse words in all my life coming from Mr. Silent. Tobey Jones never said anything in class. Tobey Jones smirked at us all, when he was the only one who aced the Algerbra test. This guy was a regular vulgar maniac.

"Holy shit." I laughed. "It was you, I heard that time, next to the science lab in the closet."

I couldn't help but smile. What a little surprise that I was the only one who knew? Honestly, maybe an awful demon actually lived inside of Tobey Jones. But his secret was safe with me. After all, I sealed it with a kiss.

Flash Fiction Friday

PROMPT: Write a scene between two people making the decision to run away.

INSPIRATION: 2 squirrels in our big tree in the front yard.

STARRING: Mark L. Young

WORD COUNT: 669

The leaves were golden. Some brighter than others. The chill of autumn was restless and I could sense it in my step.

Gus was eager to make it up the tree first. I followed, needing no help from my skinny brother. He used to be so agile. Now he seemed goofy. But he got his footing right. Before I knew it, we were far enough up the tree where our favorite branch used to be.

"Remember? You, upside down from there." Gus pointed to a very high limb. His silly grin prevailed. He'd always wanted to be a surfer dude, but then we never moved to the ocean. We were pretty much land locked.

"Yeah, and I thought I could fly back then, too." As I recalled, I'd once been fearless and we'd tormented our mother when we were younger with all our theatrical gymnastics. She got used to it after awhile. Even told the neighbors we were thinking about joining the circus.

"Yeah, if I only remembered that trick, getting from limb to limb." Gus shrugged as if it were a happy memory. I guessed it was true. Now I felt so high. I couldn't look down.

He sat next to me. I couldn't remember the last time we were this close. He was seventeen now. I was only a year younger. Still it felt as if too many things had happened.

He'd fallen in love a couple of times. Everytime, it ended. His fowl mouth so intense. They'd never speak to him again. Now he hung out with some guy who wanted him to do something with him. I didn't know what. But he'd given Gus a gun.

I knew if we talked of it, he'd treat me like all his old girlfriends. It would end badly and he'd probably go to Maxi's and they'd get high.

I had him in the tree with me and I thought of old times.

"Remember when you said we'd always be together?" Yeah, it even sounded corny to me to even say.

"I don't remember that, Vee." His stringy brown hair hid his lightly freckled face. For a moment, he was exactly seven again, and he was the bravest brother I ever knew. I wanted to be just as brave, back then. What happened to us?

I'd seen his sleepy side. Not wanting to get out of bed. Staying home to play his video games.  What had they done to him?

"Just think about it?" I couldn't look down, but I didn't want to be stuck in a tree, either. "We could go to the coast, like you always said." Maybe if it were the two of us, I could look out for him. I wouldn't bring him down like Dad, who was always on his case about his grades. "We could join the circus." I smiled.

I would have to think up something insane. Otherwise, no way could I get Gus out of this old railroad town.

I watched Gus's limber limbs reach up to the thick branch over head. For a moment I thought he might be Tarzan. He did a flip. Kind of awkward, but steady. He helped me get to a higher branch. No way did I want to be upside down, but I wasn't so sure I wanted to come back to earth just yet. Except it was time to come down. We did so without a whimper, but we hardly scampered like we used too.

"If we go anywhere, I'm doing the driving." He informed me.

"Not at your insurance rates. You better let me." We didn't need anything to take with us. It was best to make a clean break. We headed for our old car.

"Could we just think about it, for awhile at Orange Leaf." Gus always knew how much I liked soft serve yogurt.

I winced, thinking that was no plan to runaway. But then again, I guessed its a good idea to have a well thought out plan.

Flash Fiction Friday

INSPIRATION: A dream

STARRING: Justin Long. Wyatt Nash. Brittany Underwood.

WORD COUNT: 704

It was a horrible ride on the slow train to nowhere.

"That zombie was not completely dead," I said to Cole who marched on even as the sun shined in the early morning cold. At least we were alone out in the grassy ocean, getting farther from the railroad tracks.

"What the fuck does it matter?" Cole looked back at me as his dark hair fell across his long face. He was in a huff. I could see the air from his mouth. He held his sides. I knew he was over doing it. He was the last person I expected to be with, but we were at work when the zombie mob hit. We were lucky to be here. "Did you want to die, back there?"

"No." I swelled a frown and kept quiet. It wasn't like we were ready for some kind of catastrophe. I'd left my bag for such occasions under my bed. I didn't have time to get to it. I should have remembered, but things were so normal lately. The Nuclear reactor got the go ahead. I thought everything was fine, and suddenly I was on the run with a co-worker still in his tie, even if his jacket was long gone now.

At least I was in my trusty Fat Baby boots and nordic socks, but I have to admit this prairie skirt didn't do much on the prairie. Still I kept going. Finally over the hill we found an abandoned school of some sort. Naturally, we sprinted for it as if we were on some survival show waiting to get our next clue.

Luckily, there was a vending machine. Suddenly I had an urge for a Twinkie. I fed the machine with quarters. At last, food. I shared with Cole who was out of breath. He sat on a bench in the hallway. I sat next to him, but looked up in time to see two guys in dark suits fly by us, around the corner.

Cole looked at me, as if I better leave it alone. I chewed slowly to enjoy the sweet goodness of the Hostess treat, and then I saw the wound on Cole's palm. What did that mean? Had  a zombie gotten him, after all? I tried my best not to question it.

Before I could think too much about Cole's predicument, there was someone by the vending machine. A blonde guy who looked too good to be true. He was digging in my purse that I'd left at the table by the vending machine.

"HEY!" I yelled. He'd snatched  my keys and took off running. I grabbed my bag and ran after him down the dark hallway. I was getting close. He took a turn down the stairwell.

"What are, YOU doing!" As if I was going to go home anytime soon. "Give me back my keys!" I never left things behind. It was just weird, yelling like this. Honestly, I would have never let my eyes meet his in a normal situation. Like, if we'd met on the street. Shyness was my nature.  I worked as the coffee girl, anyway.

He kept staring. I snatched my keys back. It was a brief encounter. I had no more to say to him, but soon enough I found people down below. Even families. Hiding. Waiting. Suddenly I felt so lost and was soon back up the stairs to find Cole. We were on our own, weren't we?

But it was too late. Cole was changing. His skin was a grey blue. He was starting to shake. Maybe foaming at the mouth. And I didn't know what to do.

"Cole?" I felt so bad for him. I wanted to cry. I actually knew him. Sort of. He was a loud mouth. Always talking about who he'd banged on the weekend and what clubs he could get into that left the rest of us in shame.

The blonde guy took him down from behind. He stabbed zombie Cole before he had a chance to say anything.

"Guess, you're with me, now." The blonde guy almost smiled.

I winced, thinking I really wasn't all that good with names. Did I even bother to find out his?