zombie’s body cracked and splintered. Pus leaked out the tear in its jacket.
Roth snatched the arm out of the air, face incredulous. “Did you just throw this at my head? My head? Are you insane?”
It lumbered at me, groaning incoherent words.
“Roth!” I screeched, dodging the stinky arm. “This was a terrible idea!”
“You have to rub it in?”
I reached behind me, grabbing a box. I threw it at the zombie, hitting it on the side of the face. An ear fell off, landing on its shoulder. “Yes! Do something!”
Roth crept up behind it, wielding the skeletal limb like a baseball bat. “I’m trying to.”
“What are you doing?” I darted to the side as it reached for me. “Don’t you have any evil powers of darkness or something?”
“Evil powers of darkness? None I can use here without bringing the whole school down on us.”
This seemed ridiculous. “Can’t you come up with a better plan?”
Roth scoffed. “Like what?”
“I don’t know. Feed it to Bambi or something!”
“What?” Roth lowered the arm, his expression dumbfounded. “Bambi would get indigestion eating something that rotten.”
“Roth! I swear to God, I’m—” My sneaker slipped on the gunk and my leg went right out from underneath me. I hit the dirty, wet cement with a loud oof. Sprawled out on the floor, I held up my slimy hands. “I’m going to barf. Seriously.”
“Move out of the way!” yelled Roth.
My head jerked up as he swung the makeshift weapon. I scrambled back, getting hung up on my book bag. The skeleton arm hit the zombie’s head and then went through it. Mottled blood and flesh flew through the air, plopping off the floor...and onto my jeans.
Skin, muscle and bone sank in on itself. The thing sort of imploded, collapsing until nothing was left but a puddle of muck on the floor and the filthy clothing it had worn.
Roth threw the arm down, anger tightening his expression. “That was slightly irritating.” He turned around, looking at me. His amber eyes took on a sheen of amusement. “Oh, you’ve made a mess of yourself.”
I stared at my goo-covered pants and hands before fixing Roth with a glare. “I hate you.”
“ Hate is such a strong word.” He swaggered to my side, bending down. “Let me help you.”
I kicked out, catching him in the shin. “Don’t touch me.”
He hobbled back, cursing and shaking out his pants leg. “You got brains on my new jeans. Thanks.”
Muttering under my breath, I pushed to my feet and grabbed my bag. Luckily, there wasn’t any yuck on that, but me? I didn’t even want to look at myself, I was that gross. “Well, this was really fun.”
“Hey! Don’t be upset. The zombie problem has been taken care of.”
I pointed at myself with both hands. At the moment, I didn’t give a crap about why he was following me. “Look at me. I have zombie spew all over me, thanks to you. And I have classes the rest of the day.”
A slow smile spread across his face. “I can take you back to my place. I have a shower you can use. Then maybe we can get a drink and check out my Porsche.”
My palms itched to make friends with the sides of his face. “You’re disgusting.”
He chuckled, turning back to the corpse. “What in the Hell were you doing here?” he said, mostly to himself. “And what did...?” He looked over his shoulder, gaze falling to my chest. His eyes narrowed. “Oh, great.”
“Hey! God, you are such a dog!”
Roth arched a brow. “I’ve been called worse. Go get cleaned up. I’ll take care of this.”
Drawing in a deep breath, I spun around. I made it to the door before he stopped me. He said something like “lamb” under his breath. Shaking my head, I left him in the boiler room, smelling of rotten zombie.
* * *
I spent the rest of the day in my gym clothes with soaking wet hair.
I hated Roth.
Morris looked surprised when I slid into the passenger seat. Typically I tagged every day after school, but today I wasn’t feeling it.
Roth snatched the arm out of the air, face incredulous. “Did you just throw this at my head? My head? Are you insane?”
It lumbered at me, groaning incoherent words.
“Roth!” I screeched, dodging the stinky arm. “This was a terrible idea!”
“You have to rub it in?”
I reached behind me, grabbing a box. I threw it at the zombie, hitting it on the side of the face. An ear fell off, landing on its shoulder. “Yes! Do something!”
Roth crept up behind it, wielding the skeletal limb like a baseball bat. “I’m trying to.”
“What are you doing?” I darted to the side as it reached for me. “Don’t you have any evil powers of darkness or something?”
“Evil powers of darkness? None I can use here without bringing the whole school down on us.”
This seemed ridiculous. “Can’t you come up with a better plan?”
Roth scoffed. “Like what?”
“I don’t know. Feed it to Bambi or something!”
“What?” Roth lowered the arm, his expression dumbfounded. “Bambi would get indigestion eating something that rotten.”
“Roth! I swear to God, I’m—” My sneaker slipped on the gunk and my leg went right out from underneath me. I hit the dirty, wet cement with a loud oof. Sprawled out on the floor, I held up my slimy hands. “I’m going to barf. Seriously.”
“Move out of the way!” yelled Roth.
My head jerked up as he swung the makeshift weapon. I scrambled back, getting hung up on my book bag. The skeleton arm hit the zombie’s head and then went through it. Mottled blood and flesh flew through the air, plopping off the floor...and onto my jeans.
Skin, muscle and bone sank in on itself. The thing sort of imploded, collapsing until nothing was left but a puddle of muck on the floor and the filthy clothing it had worn.
Roth threw the arm down, anger tightening his expression. “That was slightly irritating.” He turned around, looking at me. His amber eyes took on a sheen of amusement. “Oh, you’ve made a mess of yourself.”
I stared at my goo-covered pants and hands before fixing Roth with a glare. “I hate you.”
“ Hate is such a strong word.” He swaggered to my side, bending down. “Let me help you.”
I kicked out, catching him in the shin. “Don’t touch me.”
He hobbled back, cursing and shaking out his pants leg. “You got brains on my new jeans. Thanks.”
Muttering under my breath, I pushed to my feet and grabbed my bag. Luckily, there wasn’t any yuck on that, but me? I didn’t even want to look at myself, I was that gross. “Well, this was really fun.”
“Hey! Don’t be upset. The zombie problem has been taken care of.”
I pointed at myself with both hands. At the moment, I didn’t give a crap about why he was following me. “Look at me. I have zombie spew all over me, thanks to you. And I have classes the rest of the day.”
A slow smile spread across his face. “I can take you back to my place. I have a shower you can use. Then maybe we can get a drink and check out my Porsche.”
My palms itched to make friends with the sides of his face. “You’re disgusting.”
He chuckled, turning back to the corpse. “What in the Hell were you doing here?” he said, mostly to himself. “And what did...?” He looked over his shoulder, gaze falling to my chest. His eyes narrowed. “Oh, great.”
“Hey! God, you are such a dog!”
Roth arched a brow. “I’ve been called worse. Go get cleaned up. I’ll take care of this.”
Drawing in a deep breath, I spun around. I made it to the door before he stopped me. He said something like “lamb” under his breath. Shaking my head, I left him in the boiler room, smelling of rotten zombie.
* * *
I spent the rest of the day in my gym clothes with soaking wet hair.
I hated Roth.
Morris looked surprised when I slid into the passenger seat. Typically I tagged every day after school, but today I wasn’t feeling it.
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