you!”
“No, Josh. I need you safe. Do you understand? I will get Drake and join you. Please, just go!” Lynette kissed his cheek, hugging him again. “I need to know you’re safe.”
“Mom, please let me go with you!” Josh held onto her as tight as he could, but she pried his arms from around her.
“I’ll see you soon! I love you! Get on the bus!” She darted back into the crowd, running toward the parking lot.
For once no one uttered a word about his mom being hot and Josh was grateful. Corina placed her hand on his shoulder, a reassuring gesture, and Josh appreciated it. They were getting closer to the bus as the line advanced and his heart beat fiercely in his chest with anticipation. Sweat trickled from his hairline, getting in his eyes. He could hear Sam wheezing behind him as Arturo told him to shut up. Troy and Roger were quiet, their expressions tense.
“Maybe we should go see if Dad is coming,” Roger said after a few seconds.
“He was on the phone. I think he was calling the army or something,” Troy answered. His face was etched with fear. “He said for us to get on the bus.”
“I think I want to go be with Dad,” Roger answered, his voice sounding higher in pitch than usual.
“We just need to get to the community center and our folks will meet us there,” Josh assured them. He didn’t want to tell them about Mr. Johnson probably being infected and that their father was in danger. He considered running back inside to warn the adults, but he already knew they weren’t going to listen to him.
“The rescue centers aren’t safe!” Roger exclaimed.
“Calm down, Rog!” Troy shouted at his brother.
“You calm down!”
“Dude, I’m chill!”
“I want dad!”
“Both of you chill out!” Josh ordered.
He was surprised when they both lapsed into silence. Sam chewed on his bottom lip, breathing through his nose, sounding like a beached whale. Corina kept tugging on her ponytails, obviously nervous. Josh wanted to comfort her, but didn’t know how.
Another bus departed, the crowd thinning out. Parents continued to arrive, desperate to find their children.
“Where is my girl?” a man shouted at Mrs. Adkins.
“She already left on the bus,” she answered. “She’s going to the community center.”
“You have no right to remove my child from the school without my permission!” the man screamed into Mrs. Adkins’ face.
Josh finally reached the bus and climbed onto the first step. He glanced nervously at the man confronting Mrs. Adkins. He didn’t look infected, just angry.
“Hurry up, son,” the driver said, motioning down the aisle.
“We need to evacuate the school! We had no choice!” Mrs. Adkins answered heatedly. “We’re doing our-”
There was a loud slap of skin against skin, then sharp cry as the students gasped.
“He hit her!” Corina cried out. “He hit her!” She dropped out of line, rushing back to help Mrs. Adkins.
“No, Corina,” Josh shouted after her, trying to turn back.
“Keep moving! Keep moving!” the bus driver ordered, catching his arm and pushing him back up the steps. “Don’t slow down the line!”
Josh reluctantly shuffled into the aisle; Roger and Troy close behind him. The seats were filling up quickly. Crushed together, some of the children sobbed while others looked too scared to do anything but stare out at the mayhem. Reaching the back of the bus, the three boys squeezed into one of the remaining seats. Looking out the window, Josh strained to see if he could spot his mom’s car out in the parking lot. It was packed. The cars of teachers and parents maneuvered around each other as they were trying to leave.
“I think we should go check on Dad,” Roger said in a soft voice to his brother.
“If Dad wants us, he’ll come get us. Just like all the other parents,” Troy answered shortly.
Arturo and Sam slid into the seat behind them. It was
“No, Josh. I need you safe. Do you understand? I will get Drake and join you. Please, just go!” Lynette kissed his cheek, hugging him again. “I need to know you’re safe.”
“Mom, please let me go with you!” Josh held onto her as tight as he could, but she pried his arms from around her.
“I’ll see you soon! I love you! Get on the bus!” She darted back into the crowd, running toward the parking lot.
For once no one uttered a word about his mom being hot and Josh was grateful. Corina placed her hand on his shoulder, a reassuring gesture, and Josh appreciated it. They were getting closer to the bus as the line advanced and his heart beat fiercely in his chest with anticipation. Sweat trickled from his hairline, getting in his eyes. He could hear Sam wheezing behind him as Arturo told him to shut up. Troy and Roger were quiet, their expressions tense.
“Maybe we should go see if Dad is coming,” Roger said after a few seconds.
“He was on the phone. I think he was calling the army or something,” Troy answered. His face was etched with fear. “He said for us to get on the bus.”
“I think I want to go be with Dad,” Roger answered, his voice sounding higher in pitch than usual.
“We just need to get to the community center and our folks will meet us there,” Josh assured them. He didn’t want to tell them about Mr. Johnson probably being infected and that their father was in danger. He considered running back inside to warn the adults, but he already knew they weren’t going to listen to him.
“The rescue centers aren’t safe!” Roger exclaimed.
“Calm down, Rog!” Troy shouted at his brother.
“You calm down!”
“Dude, I’m chill!”
“I want dad!”
“Both of you chill out!” Josh ordered.
He was surprised when they both lapsed into silence. Sam chewed on his bottom lip, breathing through his nose, sounding like a beached whale. Corina kept tugging on her ponytails, obviously nervous. Josh wanted to comfort her, but didn’t know how.
Another bus departed, the crowd thinning out. Parents continued to arrive, desperate to find their children.
“Where is my girl?” a man shouted at Mrs. Adkins.
“She already left on the bus,” she answered. “She’s going to the community center.”
“You have no right to remove my child from the school without my permission!” the man screamed into Mrs. Adkins’ face.
Josh finally reached the bus and climbed onto the first step. He glanced nervously at the man confronting Mrs. Adkins. He didn’t look infected, just angry.
“Hurry up, son,” the driver said, motioning down the aisle.
“We need to evacuate the school! We had no choice!” Mrs. Adkins answered heatedly. “We’re doing our-”
There was a loud slap of skin against skin, then sharp cry as the students gasped.
“He hit her!” Corina cried out. “He hit her!” She dropped out of line, rushing back to help Mrs. Adkins.
“No, Corina,” Josh shouted after her, trying to turn back.
“Keep moving! Keep moving!” the bus driver ordered, catching his arm and pushing him back up the steps. “Don’t slow down the line!”
Josh reluctantly shuffled into the aisle; Roger and Troy close behind him. The seats were filling up quickly. Crushed together, some of the children sobbed while others looked too scared to do anything but stare out at the mayhem. Reaching the back of the bus, the three boys squeezed into one of the remaining seats. Looking out the window, Josh strained to see if he could spot his mom’s car out in the parking lot. It was packed. The cars of teachers and parents maneuvered around each other as they were trying to leave.
“I think we should go check on Dad,” Roger said in a soft voice to his brother.
“If Dad wants us, he’ll come get us. Just like all the other parents,” Troy answered shortly.
Arturo and Sam slid into the seat behind them. It was
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