Zombie girl

A homecoming game to remember

Jack what are you doing here I asked him? Just as Zed said we want to take you and Addison on a date. He smiles nudging his head at the ice cream parlor.

So, on our way in Addison went in and I went to follow in after but Jack pulled me to a stop. Why did you do that? He asked me. What do you mean? I asked him.

He looks me up and down before reaching for a hand up to my hair. This. He continues. My parents are theatre people not normal closed minded people like someone else's I know. He frowns.

Jack please don't start I frown back at him. My parents don't care. And even if they did I don't. Whose opinion matters more to you? Mine he asks taking my hand with one hand. Or my parents he takes the other hand before interlocking them.

That's not fair, I shake my head beginning to pull away at arm length. I do care about your opinion the most but at the same time your parents opinion matters almost just as much.

Why? He asks brushing his fingers through my hair landing on my cheek. It's complicated Jack I turn my face to the side. I want to be good. I want to do this right. You wouldn't understand.

I give a small sad smile as I brush his bangs to the side. I like you better when you're yourself. He whispers. Me too I admit. But if people saw me the way I really am we could never be together we would never be accepted.

That's what I want acceptance. That's what the rest of the zombies want as well. But Farrah you're not a zombie you're biologically a human. Yes Jack that's the problem! I raise my voice a little.

I take a deep breath and calm down taking his hands again turning my head to in the inside of the ice cream shop luckily only Zed and Addison were paying attention to us.

I'm sorry Jack I gently squeeze his hands but its true you know what happened to me to this town my parents don't remember me and my name only sounds familiar.

You know it's strange when you swat at your hair when you met my parents my mom stuttered when you asked her if there was something wrong with it. Yeah I thought that was just my imagination but you're right.

Do you think they know? I ask him. Well her reaction makes me think she does because as beautiful as your hair is and it is that there is no reason why my mother would react that way to your hair.

Maybe she saw your hair and saw that it was purple. But that doesn't mean that she knew you were a zombie. But Jack its not just zombies that need acceptance its anyone and everyone. Zombies, vampires, werewolves, aliens, what have you.

Whatever, it is that's not human. We deserve acceptance. Of course Farrah. But those that matter to you most and love you as yourself should be the only opinions that matter the most to you.

And whether you're really a zombie or a mermaid or a vampire or an alien I will love you for you and I know your zombie family would too as would your sister. You love me? Hey a doomed love is my favorite kind of love.

That's not funny I shake my head. Yes, he smiles pushing my hair to the side. I love you. After that I make some strange noises before proceeding to tell him that means I love you in zombie.

Then we joined the other two inside. As we sat disappointed and making fun of the fact that the only ice cream flavors they had were vanilla. But wow that's Seabrook for ya. And I hadn't lived here since I was 8 years old. But it never changes.

Anyways is everything ok with you two? My brother asked me. More than ok I reach across the table to grab his hand before squeezing it. You'd tell me if there was a problem? He asked with a frown. Of course I smile.

Hey, how did your meeting go with the parents? He asked us. I was just going to ask the same thing. Zed asked me. Jack's parents loved me it was great and they felt bad about my story and his mother reacted strongly to how "beautiful" my hair was.

We're not sure if that means she just knows what my hair looks like or if she knows what I really am but Jack says I shouldn't worry because theatre people aren't normal Seabrook people that they're open minded.

That's great Zed smiles. What about at your biological family's house? Jack asked me. Zed and I frown. Um.... Well I told them my story trying to get the gears working they were suspicious on the fact that I had their same name.

And they admitted that like everyone else my name sounded familiar to them but I wasn't sure whether to be sad or happy they couldn't remember me after seeing me again or hearing my story. But its probably for the best.

But, since that is for the best I guess the parent meet and greet went fine. They really liked Zed, but I'm sure that all will change when and if they find out if he's a zombie. If, if is good. Jack teases. I roll my eyes. Disney movies are fun aren't they?

Jack asks us. You can say that again. Its even better when they relate to real life events becoming relatable to the current situation at hand.... :p

But you know Vanilla works Zed decides. And this is great I've always wanted to come here and my sister drowns on and on about how she'd love to come back and have ice cream. We don't really have real ice cream where we're from.

This is the perfect date. Is it? Addison asks us. I mean yeah we're together but you guys are pretending to be something your not Jack cuts her off. You guys may be right I continue....

But my brother cuts me off you wear a wig all the time Addison he reminds her as if she needed the reminder. Why can't Farrah and I do the same with our Z-bands?

Because it's not right Zed she points out. You guys are forced to be someone your not both here and on the football team at least Farrah can "kind of" be herself in theatre but it's not fair what our parents did to our family and to the town.

Making everyone forget who she was overnight, taking down any evidence in our home that she ever existed. So what if purple is her natural hair color mine is white? She shrugs. What is so different about the two of us? Just the hair.

She had healthy looking pale skin, and blue eyes. All that was different was her hair. Why did our parents decide it wasn't worth hiding it under a wig and why age 8? If they didn't want her why go through the trouble of all of this instead of IDK giving her to you guys when she was born?

I think it's more cruel that she knew us that she got to keep the memories. If she was with you guys ever since she was a baby she would never have to know the truth or have those memories.

Those horrid memories of watching us be sprayed by the memory spray and me twice, being knocked out and kidnapped. Forcibly opened eyes to give her green contacts, the forced on Z-band and zombie jacket, and the hair.

Sprayed with deathly pale white skin safe paint, sedated after being kidnapped, waking up covered in bruises in a new home with a new family scared of her reflection.

How did you know that Addison? Zed asked her. She told me the parts she remembers. Isn't that like against the 8th amendment? No cruel or unusual punishment? What our parents did was both cruel and unusual.

And it doesn't even matter because mom's the mayor and she makes all the rules and the only thing people admit to remembering is her name.

Except I don't even remember Jack and his family even before I got sent away I glanced back over at him. That's because we moved to Seabrook when I was about 8 years old. What? No one moves to or away from Seabrook!

But, I remember it making the news. It was in the papers. No one knows where they came from. Are you implying we could be aliens? He lifts an eyebrow. That's not what I said. Although, it would make sense if they find out I'm a zombie and they don't care.

Ha-ha not sarcasm. He rolls his eyes. Do you hear yourself? He crosses his arms. Have you listened to anything we've said? I ask him. This whole thing sounds like something out of a movie.

Anyways I want to pull us back on track. Addison cuts us off. We shouldn't be the ones that need to change its everyone else that needs to change she reminds us. As if we needed that reminder.

Cut to homecoming.... We were down by 5 with only seconds left of our homecoming game. We could still win this. Our team calls the last timeout Zed is back to his natural form and so am I.

Addison doing her job cheering but Bucky warns her not to. Give me a Zom! Zom! The audience follows. Give a Bie! Bie! They follow. He warns her that she was too talented of a cheerleader to throw it all away. But she was cheering for a change.

When she starts up again and gets Bree to do it with her they are both cut from the squad. And Bucky is upset with her. But this was how things needed to be. But unfortunately the Acy's were going through with their plan as well.

The computer was back with Eliza but Zed's watch wasn't working. It's nor working he panics. Eliza checks her computer. Software corrupted? How? Zed what did you do? She asks even though he can't hear her but he sees the look on her face.

He gives a guilty smile and then decides he can still win this as himself. And all we needed left was a touchdown to win the game and then we had won. It was amazing. But it was too late.

The plan was in action Zed, Bonzo, Eliza, and even myself all turned into our monster forms. Eliza and Bonzo after the Acy's. Zed going after Bucky as Addison chased after him trying to make him calm down. To not prove to them that we were real monsters.

But it was too late the cheerleaders had already got what they wanted. To see our true colors and Gus was going after Zed to put him in handcuffs. Meanwhile since I'm not a full zombie Jack ripped the watch off of me. And I neutralized.

But all the zombies were getting taken away put in handcuffs and into the Zombieland bus to go back home. Our dad tried to defend Zed and I. Addison and Jack watched as we got taken away. Trying to make us hold on to them so that we wouldn't leave them.

Stop, they're my friends! Addison told them. Zombies don't have human friends! Eliza cried yelling at her. Our parents were worried Zed would've bitten Addison's face off that we were allowed to roam free and by getting too close we'd bite.

But they were wrong about us. Addy, I'm sorry. I start. No Farrah stop what are you saying? Addison cried taking my hands. Your my sister. Please?! She's right Zed cut her off. Maybe we're not meant to be together. He's right Jack.

No Farrah don't say that. He brushes his fingers at my cheek with tears in his eyes. I'm too different Jack. No one wants me, I belong with the zombies. You deserve better.

Now all the audience was booing us. But Addison stood up for us. Hey! You did this to him! He was your monster! She cried. She made it known that they had done this to us. Just because they couldn't accept us.

You want to know something more?! That girl, that HUMAN that's parading around like a zombie used to be one of us! She's my twin sister, she lived in this town for 8 years but when we turned 8 my parents decided they couldn't hide her real hair anymore!

They got rid of the evidence that she was ever one of us. Had her kidnapped, and made into a zombie. If water could get rid of it, she'd have normal pale skin. She only went zombie crazy because of the watch!

Take the contacts out of her eyes! That green hair is a wig! She is born human. Everyone was silent. Our parents not thrilled. Do you trust me? Addison came over and yelled with tears. I nodded my head.

She stuck her finger into my eye to take the contacts out and took off the green zombie colored wig. Everyone knew the truth. About me that is. Jack's parents didn't seem the least bit phased.

She's beautiful Jackson his mother turned to him. She is isn't she? Addison and Jack had asked in sync. Everyone else was upset, angry and confused. They had no problem using us for their own gain for making Zed use his powers to win the stupid games!

And at the end everyone saw it was true as we were loaded up into the van. She took off her wig to show her silver hair. And Zed and I and Bree and Jack supported her but our parents were disappointed.

But if one good thing came out of any of it everyone now began to remember the truth that I was one of them but it didn't matter because I was different but it would take time to accept Addison with her real hair.

She as happy she had done it and so were we. She fluffed it and didn't care what was coming next. Only when we arrived back home....

We got out to go to our respected homes. We could no longer tweak our Z-bands and mine had been replaced and changed so that I'd react like a normal zombie whatever that means. Become one with the Z-band.

If I take it off now I'd supposedly become a monster like the others. And if it broke same. But hey at least we get Wi-Fi now. Eliza was upset that the cheerleaders stole her laptop and caused the mess but that the blame was on us.

Farrah? I'm so sorry. Why? Because I didn't trust you at first but you ARE one of us. And you're the only "human" friend we have even when you're legally a zombie.

She pulled me to the side.... We've tried playing nice doing things the nice way. It's time to do things my way. We're have uprising fight for equality or we'll tear it all down. I can't do this alone. I need your help.