Zom-B Underground by Darren Shan

cheering.”
    “Yeah,” Danny snorted. “That’s right. Blame us.
You
cut off her hair, but
we’re
the guilty ones.”
    “It’s not that bad,” I muttered. “I didn’t scalp her.”
    They only stared at me with contempt until I turned my back on them and stomped away. Then they all crouched around Cathy and sympathized with her, conveniently forgetting the fact that she was the one who started the fight.
    So much for my
friends
. Hypocritical jerks! I think I prefer being in my cell on my own.



TEN
    In zom HQ. The others are still giving me the cold shoulder because of what I did to Cathy. I’ve tried apologizing but the snooty cow just ignores me. Sod her, the rest of them too. I don’t care. Real loneliness is when your dad beats up your mum and you’re lying in your bedroom, listening to her weep in the room next door, and it feels like the whole world’s against you. A bunch of petty zombies giving me the evils? Doesn’t bother me in the least.
    The door opens and Reilly enters, Josh Massoglia just behind him. “You guys ready for some fun and games?” Josh roars.
    “Damn right!” Rage bellows, rallying the others and shooing them towards the door. I haven’t seen them this excited before.
    “What about me?” Mark cries. “Can I come?”
    “Sorry,” Josh says. “We gave you the once-over a few days ago when we had you in for a checkup. The burns are still really bad. It’s best you sit out this one.”
    “Don’t worry, Worm,” Rage chuckles. “We’ll tell you all about it when we come home.”
    Mark looks crestfallen. If he could cry, he’d be blinking back tears.
    As the others gather by the door, Josh looks over at me. “You just gonna sit there or do you want in on this too?”
    “I’m invited?” I ask suspiciously, thinking it might be a trap.
    “Of course,” Josh says. “Why wouldn’t you be?” He raises an eyebrow at Rage. “That’s not a problem, is it?”
    Rage smiles quickly. “Not at all. The more the merrier. Come on, B, hurry up, you don’t want to make us late.”
    I’d like to tell the big lump to get stuffed, but I don’t want to miss out on this. So I say nothing, only line up with the rest of them and follow Josh and Reilly out of zom HQ and into the heart of the complex.
    Cathy cuddles up close to Josh as we’re walking—well, as close as he’ll let her, worried as he must be that she might accidentally scratch him and condemn him to living death. She makes cow eyes at him and actually asks if he’s been working out. Give me strength! Josh laughs it off and pretends he doesn’t know that she’s got a crush on him.
    We come to a door that requires a security code as well as theusual finger and retinal scans. Reilly opens it and we step into a room packed with weapons of all description. They’re locked away in padlocked, thick steel cages, and I don’t see any keys on either of the soldiers. Doesn’t look like they want to take the chance of us going wild and getting our hands on a full arsenal.
    Some of the weapons have been laid on a table in the middle of the room. “Take your pick,” Josh says grandly. “Girls first.”
    I approach with Cathy and cast an eye over the loot. Flamethrowers, stun guns, spears, large knives, axes and small chainsaws. Two of each.
    “Wow!” Cathy exclaims, rushing to grab a chainsaw. “These are new. They’re awesome.”
    “Have you used a chainsaw before?” Josh asks.
    “No.”
    “You’d better be careful. They’re nasty if you swing them the wrong way. Maybe you should leave that to the boys.”
    “I’ll be fine,” Cathy smirks, pulling a cord to turn it on. She scythes through the air with the buzzing saw a couple of times, then turns it off and hangs it by her side. I hate to admit it, but she looks cool as hell.
    “Becky?” Josh asks.
    “I don’t know.” I study the weapons glumly. I’ve never used anything like this before. I’m worried that I’ll pick something I can’t use and end up