5. Maximum Risk

Chapter Five

Chris MacKensey wasn’t happy. Not at all. “It’s not fair,” he muttered as he stood on the steps, leading to the entrance. “The first day of school all over again.”

“Don’t tell me you’re thinking out loud again.”

Chris glanced at E.J. “Not funny.”

“Remember, think silently.”

“Oh, be quiet.”

They walked inside and Chris frowned. The hallways were strangely empty. “Did Mom trick me? Set my alarm an hour early? Oh, how cruel is that for an injured man.”

“It’s seven-fifty.”

“Alternate dimension then. We’re on the Dark Side. The whole school will be vampires or demons, we’re the only humans here. Or we could go with zombies.”

“I’d rather not. Don’t want my brains or insides chomped on by zombies. Would rather avoid turning into one, too.”

“Wimp.” Chris walked down the hall toward his homeroom. “This is getting downright creepy. Maybe we should run before the zombies lock us in here, the only humans with hundreds of zombies, we won’t last long.”

“Boy, you’re a pessimist this morning.”

“You’re the one who mentioned zombies.”  Chris slowed down to a stop. “But this is very weird. I figured I’d be gone if it was the Rapture.”

E.J. rolled his eyes. “You mentioned zombies. Focus.”

“There you are.”

Chris jumped. “Are you a zombie?” He squinted his eyes. “Is that skin flaking off right there, are those razor-sharp teeth you’re trying to hide?”

Jason glared at him. “We’re having an assembly and you’re both late.” He gave E.J. a look and started down the hall.

Chris frowned. “You’re in on it. You’re a zombie too. Help…”

E.J. sighed. “Come on.”

“It’s the zombie apocalypse.”

They slipped into the assembly hall and sat down in the very last row of seats.

The principal was at the lectern and he looked very serious. “…something that only plagued colleges, fraternities, and sororities but now it seems to be coming to secondary education.”

Chris slumped in his seat and leaned to E.J. “Have you ever wondered why it’s called secondary? Don’t you think they have it backward? I mean, this is what gears us up to face the world, make our mark, get a job…” He trailed off as several people turned to look at him, including the principal. “Oops.”

“Mr. MacKensey, do you have something to add?”

Chris slumped further in his seat. “Not really, but thank you.”

A faint sound of giggles passed over the crowd. The vice-principal whispered to the principal and the man frowned. “Mr. MacKensey, would you please come to the stage.”

“Am I graduating?” Chris asked hopefully. “Would work for me.”

“Mr. MacKensey.”

“If I find you had a hand in this, I swear, I’m summoning zombies to eat your brain and vital organs,” Chris told his best friend. “Watch my bag.” He got to his feet and slowly walked down the aisle, hating the feeling of so many eyes on him. Finally, he made it to the platform. “I can walk much faster on the return if you let me go now. I might even run,” he told Vice-Principal Booker.