Darkest Days: A Southern Zombie Tale by James J. Layton Page A

worse than an itch you couldn’t scratch. While occupied with his thoughts of future glory, Bryant decided to scratch his itch while going sixty down Highway eighteen (also known as the Vernon highway). The only thought occupying his mind was “don’t let me get pulled over, don’t let me get pulled over”.
    ***
     
    The next day after school, Bryant regretted having to work. He suddenly realized that he could be with Cara if he did not have a low paying, crappy job flipping burgers or running the drive-though. His co-workers tried to cheer him up. Robert stepped around the grill and walked up front during one of the slow periods. “Hey man, you look like somebody pissed in your cereal. Customers got you down?”
    “No, it has nothing to do with customers.” Bryant remembered Robert calling Cara a “stuck-up bitch” behind her back on her first day of school. The insult infuriated him still. Robert was trying to befriend him again, the hypocrite! “It has to do with you being an asshole.” He calmly stated.
    “What?” His mouth hung agape in disbelief.
    “I have a girlfriend now, someone that everyone at our lunch table has never spoken to but hates. You could at least have the decency to leave her out of conversation when I’m around.” His blood slowly simmered with repressed anger.
    “That’s what this is about?” Robert let out a short chuckle. “We talk shit all the time to each other. This is the first time it has ever bothered you.”
    Bryant looked him in the eyes with a solemn demeanor that surprised the cook. “It’s because she is important to me.”
    “Okay, that’s fine with me. Just know that whenever Rick is around, I’m still going to be a bastard towards the both of you.” He smiled like a doofus and nudged Bryant with his elbow. “Can I tell you something and you keep it a secret?”
    “That you’re really a nice guy but can’t risk your popularity?” The star struck lover quipped.
    “Everyone knows that; I’m talking about Debbie over there.” Robert pointed to a light skinned black girl working at the second drive through window. “I’m going to fuck her one day.” He stated in his matter of fact manner.
    “How do you figure that?” Bryant was almost laughing. “Your friends would ostracize you.”
    “I wouldn’t tell them, idiot.” The presence of his broad smile made it hard to tell if Robert were serious or just joking. “She has those thick lips and that light skin, oooh, and that straight black hair. Plus, she’s got that figure, man. If I could convince her to give a white boy a chance, I’d lick the jar if you know what I mean.”
    “I can’t decide if I should hate you right now or not. You are not a racist, just incredibly shallow.” Bryant pointed at the monitor displaying new orders, just arriving. “You’ve got a burger up.”
    Robert disappeared behind the stainless steel fixtures suddenly shouting “coffee with cream!” and tossed pre-formed patties onto a clam-shell grill. Sizzling and a hiss of steam drifted up to Bryant and he began stocking cups of various sizes. When he walked over to the drive-through to check the level of the cups, he smiled at Debbie and appraised her.
    Robert had spoken the truth. She looked very nice in her uniform. The visor on top of her head sprouted a black ponytail out of the back. Her black jeans tightly hugged her hips and showed off her well-proportioned figure. Her complexion was superb - no blemishes only smooth caramel colored skin. Yes, Robert was serious, but he could only express himself in his own offhanded way.
    Bryant walked back to the grill and leaned over the condiments table to address Robert. “What do you have to offer her?”
    Robert spun back around pulling a bun out of the rack and placing it on a spread wrapper. “I have a nice body, from all that Tae Kwon Do and Tang Soo Do that I’ve been taking. Plus, I hit the weights with most of the guys at the facilities by the