Leola and Ozzie vs. The World

Chapter 9

   "That was kinda rude, what you did back there".  I said breaking the long silence.

"Well I needed to talk to you...in private". Tyreese said helping me over a fallen tree.

"Still, that's not a excuse-

"Do you like Yael?"

   The question was random coming from Tyreese. I was surprised when he asked.

   "No...I don't think so...we're like...friends I guess". I awkwardly answered. I honestly doesn't know.

   "Good, cuz it was eating me up inside".  Tyreese muttered.

"What?"

"I've kinda been a spaz this while school year". "By not standing up for you when Fiona was being a jerk". " I'll understand if you don't like me".

   "I like you, you're not a jerk like the other popular kids". Tyreese chuckled.

"No, I mean like like". If I was white, I knew my cheeks would've turned red.

   Tyreese was cute, a cool person and all...maybe I did like him? It was now clear that he liked me. It never occurred to me that Tyreese would ever like me. Me out of every other perfect, curvy, pretty girl at school.

   "What about Fiona?" I asked slowly. Tyreese walked closer to me.

   "Fiona and I are friends,  she likes me but...she's not my type...plus...there's you". It was flattering and I couldn't stop from grinning.

   Tyreese placed his finger under my chin and raised my head up so I could look into his eyes.

   Then...he kissed me. For me...it was awkward. I tried to move away but his lips landed on mine.

   I placed my hand on his chest meaning to push him back but it just stayed in its place.

   There was a snap from a branch. I broke away and looked where that noise came from nothing.

  Once I realized it was nothing, Tyreese tried to kiss me again but we heard the moan again.

   It was louder and sounded closer. A cold, clammy, wrinkly hand touched my bare shoulder. I turned and it was some guy.

   He had grey bubbly skin with cuts and bruises. Crust formed allover his eyes and down his face into his torn shirt. His eyes were water blue. The hair on his hair looked as if they were ripped out. His fingers were all crusty and rugged as if he bit them all day. His clothes were stained in blood and he stunk like a skunk.

   I slapped his disgusting hand off me. He snarled and tried to bite me. I screamed and stepped back. Tyreese sent a punch to his cheek knocking the man to the ground.

   The man fell and growled. It freaked us out on how much he struggled trying to grab our legs. We quickly stepped back avoiding his moans, snarls, and screams.

   A terrifying word crossed my mind-Zombie. No, it can't be. Zombies aren't real, people can't come back to life and eat people. There was no plague, no messed up disease, but there was the new beef. That can't be it. This can't be a zombie. They're not real.

   The man got onto his feet and quickly moved towards us swinging his arms wildly. His arms were muscular and too fast, Tyreese couldn't fight him.

   Tyreese squeezed my hand and pulled me and we started running. I knew it was running after us because I could hear it's huffs and puffs.

   A running zombie? No, it's not a zombie. They're not real. This was a guy...pulling a prank, this was all a big happy prom joke.

   The thought seemed to calm me down. Tyreese quickly lifted me over a fallen tree. The zombie aimlessly ran into the tree sending his chest into the sharp branch. It stopped squirming and died.

   Tyreese and I calmed down and got closer to study the now dead prankster.

   The body sprawled back to life and waved his hands at us. It snarled and growled trying to grab us but it was still impaled by the branch.

   There was no excuses now. No matter how much I tried not to believe, it was true. Nothing else was that decayed, that blood thirsty, that scary. Zombies are real.