the kids discovered I was alive. And then they’d make me undead, too.
“What are you thinking about?” Mom asked.
I shrugged. “I’m thinking I should show you my room. I made it very cool,” I said.
I tried to act “normal” for the rest of the day. I didn’t mention zombies. How could I?
Parents Day was one of the longest days of my life. I couldn’t really talk to my parents at all. I just kept thinking about how I was DOOMED.
Finally, that evening, I said good-bye to Mom and Dad on the front steps of the school. I promised I would go to the dance party and tell them all about it.
Then I hugged them and watched them walk to their car. A wave of sadness rolled over me. I knew it would probably be the last time I ever saw them.
I didn’t want to go to any party. I wanted to run to my room, lock the door, and hide under the bed.
But before I could do that, I had to find Franny. I had to find out why she lied to my parents. Why she refused to save my life.
I found her upstairs in her room. She and her roommate, Marcia, were in front of the mirror,
doing each other’s hair, getting ready for the party.
I barged in without knocking. “Why?” I demanded. My voice came out higher and shriller than I’d planned. “Why? Just tell me why!”
Both girls turned to me.
“What’s your problem?” Marcia asked.
“I’m not talking to you,” I said. “Franny knows what I’m talking about.” I put my hands on my hips and waited for Franny to answer me.
She turned to Marcia. “He’s the new kid and he has issues,” she said.
Marcia made a face. “Issues? What does that mean?”
“He’s crazy,” Franny replied.
She tugged me out into the hall. A lot of kids were already heading to the party in the gym. She pulled me into an empty room.
“Matt, are you totally losing it?” she said in a harsh whisper.
“Why didn’t you tell my parents the truth?” I demanded. “Why didn’t you tell them this is a zombie school, and you and I are the only living kids?”
She put a finger on my lips to hush me up.
“I want to
stay
alive. That’s why,” she said. “Matt, there were at least a dozen kids listening to us talk to your parents this morning. Didn’t you see them?”
“No,” I said. “I —”
“I couldn’t talk in that crowd,” Franny said. “I couldn’t tell your parents the truth. If I did, we’d both be undead by now. I’m serious.”
I stared at her. “You could have saved my life.”
She shook her head. “No way. Those kids were listening, Matt. They wouldn’t let you leave the school with your parents. They would have gotten to you before you stepped out the door.”
I opened my mouth to speak but no words came to me.
“They are watching you, Matt,” Franny said. “I think they are starting to suspect.”
That sent a chill to the back of my neck.
“You don’t understand how much danger you are in,” she said.
“You’re not cheering me up,” I said.
It was kind of a joke, but she didn’t laugh. “Just be careful,” she said. “Listen to me. At the party tonight, be very careful.”
If only I had listened to her …
21
My parents told me to go to the party and
try to fit in
. What a joke.
I didn’t want to fit in with the kids in this school. I kind of wanted to be
alive
.
But Franny convinced me I had to go. She said if I didn’t go to the party, kids would wonder why I wanted to be different.
“I can do this,” I told myself. I figured if Franny could play dead and fool everyone, I could, too.
I pulled on a fairly clean pair of faded cargo jeans and a black pullover shirt. Then I pawed through my horror collection.
I was looking for something the other kids might think was funny. You know. Something to convince these zombies that I was a good guy.
I pulled out the perfect thing. A human hand. Actually, it was made of rubber. But it looked very real.
I turned it over in my hands a few times. I decided I could probably make kids laugh
“What are you thinking about?” Mom asked.
I shrugged. “I’m thinking I should show you my room. I made it very cool,” I said.
I tried to act “normal” for the rest of the day. I didn’t mention zombies. How could I?
Parents Day was one of the longest days of my life. I couldn’t really talk to my parents at all. I just kept thinking about how I was DOOMED.
Finally, that evening, I said good-bye to Mom and Dad on the front steps of the school. I promised I would go to the dance party and tell them all about it.
Then I hugged them and watched them walk to their car. A wave of sadness rolled over me. I knew it would probably be the last time I ever saw them.
I didn’t want to go to any party. I wanted to run to my room, lock the door, and hide under the bed.
But before I could do that, I had to find Franny. I had to find out why she lied to my parents. Why she refused to save my life.
I found her upstairs in her room. She and her roommate, Marcia, were in front of the mirror,
doing each other’s hair, getting ready for the party.
I barged in without knocking. “Why?” I demanded. My voice came out higher and shriller than I’d planned. “Why? Just tell me why!”
Both girls turned to me.
“What’s your problem?” Marcia asked.
“I’m not talking to you,” I said. “Franny knows what I’m talking about.” I put my hands on my hips and waited for Franny to answer me.
She turned to Marcia. “He’s the new kid and he has issues,” she said.
Marcia made a face. “Issues? What does that mean?”
“He’s crazy,” Franny replied.
She tugged me out into the hall. A lot of kids were already heading to the party in the gym. She pulled me into an empty room.
“Matt, are you totally losing it?” she said in a harsh whisper.
“Why didn’t you tell my parents the truth?” I demanded. “Why didn’t you tell them this is a zombie school, and you and I are the only living kids?”
She put a finger on my lips to hush me up.
“I want to
stay
alive. That’s why,” she said. “Matt, there were at least a dozen kids listening to us talk to your parents this morning. Didn’t you see them?”
“No,” I said. “I —”
“I couldn’t talk in that crowd,” Franny said. “I couldn’t tell your parents the truth. If I did, we’d both be undead by now. I’m serious.”
I stared at her. “You could have saved my life.”
She shook her head. “No way. Those kids were listening, Matt. They wouldn’t let you leave the school with your parents. They would have gotten to you before you stepped out the door.”
I opened my mouth to speak but no words came to me.
“They are watching you, Matt,” Franny said. “I think they are starting to suspect.”
That sent a chill to the back of my neck.
“You don’t understand how much danger you are in,” she said.
“You’re not cheering me up,” I said.
It was kind of a joke, but she didn’t laugh. “Just be careful,” she said. “Listen to me. At the party tonight, be very careful.”
If only I had listened to her …
21
My parents told me to go to the party and
try to fit in
. What a joke.
I didn’t want to fit in with the kids in this school. I kind of wanted to be
alive
.
But Franny convinced me I had to go. She said if I didn’t go to the party, kids would wonder why I wanted to be different.
“I can do this,” I told myself. I figured if Franny could play dead and fool everyone, I could, too.
I pulled on a fairly clean pair of faded cargo jeans and a black pullover shirt. Then I pawed through my horror collection.
I was looking for something the other kids might think was funny. You know. Something to convince these zombies that I was a good guy.
I pulled out the perfect thing. A human hand. Actually, it was made of rubber. But it looked very real.
I turned it over in my hands a few times. I decided I could probably make kids laugh
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