Chapter 11

The only thing worse than a hungry teenager is an even hungrier zombie. Caught smack-dab in the middle of a crowded hallway swarming with flesh eating monsters, I instantly transformed into an all-you-can-eat buffet, while Sebastian became dessert. Or was it the other way around? Of one thing I was perfectly certain, I didn't want to find out.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" I whispered without taking my eyes off the gore-fest.

"Yeah. Everyone's going to second hour, except us." Sebastian reached out a hand and, catching me by the sleeve, gave a tug with one finger. "C'mon," he urged. "I convinced the school's Secretary to give me the same schedule as you. We'd better hurry."

I craned my neck in his direction, feet shuffling carefully toward Spanish class. "How'd you manage that?"

He smiled proudly. "Powers of persuasion."

Mind still unraveling, I made a mental note of everything I knew for sure. One, Sebastian didn't have zombie sight like me. Lucky him. Two, from the sound of it, I was now stuck with him shadowing me at school. Lucky me. Three, I had to find a way to ditch him. The more time we spent together, the more I felt the bond between us strengthening, while the thin thread of energy that somehow connected me to Thomas and even Vycandor, became weaker and weaker by second.

The last ones through the door, Mrs. Gardner smiled curtly as I took my normal seat in the back of the class, followed by Sebastian. If she noticed him as a new student, she didn't show it. Shorter than me with coal black hair twisted to form a severe bun on top of her head, Mrs. Gardner had big bushy eyebrows that reminded me of wooly caterpillars. If her lips weren't always pinched together into such a stern firm line, she might actually look pretty.

"Take out your homework assignments, and pass them forward," she demanded, voice tight.

The sounds of books opening then closing, followed by rustling papers, echoed loudly in the classroom.

Mindee McCarthy, head cheerleader and the bane of my existence, took it upon herself to walk up and down the isles gathering papers.

When she got to me, she held out her hand expectantly, "Well, what are you waiting for? Hand it over."

Wearing her usual two piece uniform that showed more skin than necessary in my opinion, she looked like a hot bucket of slut. Unlike Carmen, accelerated decomposition had definitely not been kind to Mindee. Her once luxurious blonde hair, now nothing more than a tangled rat's nest, hung in clumps off her lumpy head. Even if my zombie sight only made it appear as if she was already dead, her sunken in eyes, protruding cheekbones, dry cracked lips, and bluish green skin only added to the sickening effect. Suddenly, I was glad I'd skipped breakfast. Her face made me want to hurl.

Before I had a chance to respond, a voice came over the loud-speaker. "Chaos Killbourne, please report to the office."

Sebastian started to get up. I shot him a hard glance. "Don't bother. Anything's better than the view in this room. Besides, I could use some fresh air."

Leaving my book on the desk, I made my way to the front office. The two police cars out front confirmed my worst suspicions. It must be time to get grilled for destroying Gonzer's beloved bleachers.

I heaved a sigh and yanked open the door that led to the Principal's Office. Glancing at the frosted glass window, I made out four distinct shadowy figures standing in Gonzer's office. Mrs. Carmichael, a sweet-faced grandmotherly type women with silver hair sat behind an imposing Secretary's desk and picked up the phone when it rang.

Her soft brown eyes landed sympathetically on mine as she hung up the receiver. "Mr. Gonzer will see you now."

Geez. She acted like I was being marched to the guillotine. As soon as I opened the door to the office, I knew why.