Mean Ghouls by Stacia Deutsch Page B

was a package for her — from Brett. Megan had been waiting all morning to find out what was going on.
    It wasn’t a package from Brett.
    It was Brett.
    He was standing in the nurse’s office, holding a ZA notebook in one hand and a schedule in the other.
    â€œHi,” Megan said, talking directly to Brett for the first time without feeling nervous at all. She didn’t even stare at her feet. Instead, she gazed directly into his eyes. They were bloodshot and the pupils were bright red. Other than that, he looked cute as ever. She was glad to see him. Really glad.
    â€œMegan,” Nurse Karen said. “I hope you’re willing to show our newest student around school.”
    Megan nodded enthusiastically. “Of course,” she said. Brett Hansen! She couldn’t believe that he went to ZA now, too. And it looked like his class schedule matched hers. Awesome!
    â€œIt’s time for PE,” Megan told Brett. She was surprised at how hard it had been to talk to him in Dana Point and how easy it was here. “You’re going to love shuffle ball.” She began to explain the rules to him, but soon Megan noticed that Brett still hadn’t said anything. She waved a hand in front of his eyes. Brett just stared straight ahead into the distance.
    They were still in the nurse’s office so Megan rushed back to talk to Nurse Karen. “What’s his deal?” she asked.
    â€œBrett’s transition is moving much faster than yours,” the nurse explained. “He’s in zombitus shock. Give him a few days. It usually goes away on its own.”
    Megan nodded and went back out to where she’d left Brett.
    â€œCome on,” she told him. “If Coach Ipthos can’t shake your shock, we’ll figure out something else.”
    Sam was waiting for Megan in front of the locker rooms.
    Megan’s heartbeat sped up a bit when she saw him, but then she remembered Brett. Brett was her … real life. When zombitus was finally cured, she and Brett would be going back to Dana Point and Sam would go to Seattle. Megan probably wouldn’t see Sam ever again.
    That made her a little sad, but it also convinced her that she needed to focus on Brett and helping him adjust to life at ZA.
    â€œWho’s this?” Sam asked.
    â€œThis is my friend Brett, from back home,” Megan said. “He’s got zombitus shock.”
    Brett couldn’t shake Sam’s hand, which was probably for the best since Megan worried about Sam’s fingers.
    â€œZombitus shock?” Sam asked. “I haven’t seen a case of that since nineteen —” He stopped himself midsentence. “Let’s get him onto the field,” Sam said quickly. “He needs fresh air.”
    â€œI’ll go change. Meet you outside. Prepare to be beaten.”
    â€œMonday was beginner’s luck,” Sam replied with a snort. “Today, my team’s going to kill yours.”
    â€œKill us? You can’t kill zombies!” Megan laughed.
    Sam chuckled.
    â€œUhhhh-uhhhh.” Poor Brett stood there, moaning madly, staring straight ahead, unaware of the bad comedy routine taking place around him.
    â€œI’ll take care of your friend,” Sam told Megan, suddenly serious. “We’ll get him sorted out.”
    â€œThanks,” Megan said, her smile fading. She stood quietly, watching as Sam grabbed a second pair of shorts from his pack and led Brett toward the locker room to change clothes.
    But Brett couldn’t move. His knees were stuck, and so was his brain. He shuffled around for a second, then fell into a hole. And that was before the game even began.
    Coach Ipthos suggested Brett join the Bs in the center of the field. “They don’t play, anyways,” he said with a groan.
    Megan wasn’t sure that was such a good idea. If Megan was playing ball, she couldn’t protect him from Brenda, Brooke, and Betsy. And he was in no