Another Girl, Another Zombie: Another Way

Chapter 2

(A much shorter chapter today, but chapter 3 should be longer and should also be coming sooner, if all goes well. There isn't really anything to say about this one, a slightly altered scene from canon and an added scene, mostly just a transition between chapters 1 and 3 but one thing does happen here

I've started the BG zombies fic, Limelight, so if you'd like to know more about the movie's unnamed zombies, go and check it out and let me know what you think~!)

At the end of the day, Bonzo followed Eliza and Zed out of the "classroom" and towards the stairs. Eliza hadn't been too pleased to hear about how he met Bree, and how he didn't even find Zed while he was upstairs when that was the whole reason he left. But then Zed had walked in, looking dejected. He hadn't made the football team, but when he told them that he had met a cheerleader in the panic of the Z-alert, Bonzo's face lit up and the story spilled out all over again, much to Eliza's disdain.

Now, though, Zed had gone back to griping about not making the team. Eliza was sick of it.

"Football's stupid, anyway."

"Thanks for the pep talk...!"

Bonzo, in between them, winked at Zed, "Vi deh greeska egrall, varkra, za?" It'd work if the cheerleader said it, right? He jabbed him with an elbow and they both grinned.

Eliza rolled her eyes, "The cheerleader. Right. The one that punched you? In the face?" Bonzo snorted and Eliza turned to him instead, "Oh, like you're any better! You met a cheerleader, too, and she just kept screaming. You actually had to cover her mouth and physically pick her up and move her so nobody would see you. I can't believe you two, you were right in the middle of a Z-alert, there were humans literally running away from you but then you see one pretty face and suddenly, they're not so bad, maybe we can get along!" She batted her eyelashes mockingly, clasping her hands together under her chin, and stormed off ahead of them.

The boys watched her for a second. Bonzo leaned down towards Zed and mumbled, "Greh zrayn z'agru zreene greeska." Just wait till she meets a cheerleader.

Eliza heard him, though, and spun around again at the bottom of the staircase to shoot him a glare. "Don't even go there."

She pointed at the wall but Bonzo had already seen it.

"NO ZOMBIES!"

His smile dropped and his shoulders sagged. Eliza kept going.

"Look, humans are bad, but cheerleaders are monsters. Things need to change."

She was already walking up the stairs. Zed stood staring at the graffiti. Bonzo, though, wasn't going to just take this on the chin. He took out a thick, green marker from his fanny pack and gently nudged Zed's arm.

"Gra'zon droz zama," they can't all be the same, he scrawled a 'K' in front of the word "NO", "Agz gezer garzedd-zig," we know better, then a 'W' after it, "Grog durg, za?" It's already changing, right?

He put the cap back on the marker and turned to Zed, a smile stretching across his face. As Zed thought about it and nodded, Bonzo threw an arm over his shoulders and they headed upstairs after Eliza.

-- ANOTHER WAY --

"Let the cheer initiation begin!"

It took a little pleading from Addison, but Bree had landed herself a spot on the cheer squad. Only as a stand-in, sure, but it was something. She had a chance. The two of them, along with another girl named Jessica, were escorted to the cheer lounge by the Aceys. Upon arriving, Stacey and Tracey presented them each with a package.

"Your uniforms," Lacey informed them, "Get changed and wait here for us to come get you, OK?"

They all nodded and took the packages. The Aceys left quickly, Lacey briefly pausing at the door to tell them "And don't leave this room," before closing it behind her.

Jessica didn't say a word to them for some time, until Addison tried to say hello to her.

"There's no point in trying to be friendly, here. You're only here because the captain is your cousin," she snapped, then glanced dismissively at Bree, her eyes lingering on her glasses, "And you're only here because of her."

She stayed as far away from them as possible. The room was so quiet, you could cut the tension in the air with a knife. Once Bree was in her uniform, she noticed Addison was looking at her. More specifically, she was looking at her glasses. Bree couldn't read her expression; she looked thoughtful, questioning. She had to be wondering why Bree wore them instead of contacts. Under her gaze, Bree was gradually growing more and more self-conscious.

"... I know, I need to just grow up and learn to wear contact lenses, but I-"

"No!" Addison's eyes went wide, "No, that's not it!"

"Then what is it?"

She hesitated, nervously playing with her hair.

"Addy...?"

Addison turned around to look at Jessica. She stood with her back to them, looking at the shelves of trophies and pom-poms. She wasn't paying attention to them. Bree placed a reassuring hand on her arm and she looked back at her.

"This is a wig..." she held up a lock of her blonde hair, voice low and eyes on the floor, "My hair's not... normal. I can't dye it or anything and I just... I hide it. I've always hidden it. You don't hide."

"I... I can't, I've tried..." she struggled to find the words, too distracted by what Addison had just told her.

"But you could. You could force yourself to, like I do, but you don't."

"I'm still scared, though. I don't really have a choice, I can't wear contacts. I don't wear these 'cause I want to make a statement or 'cause I have any confidence, I'm scared. And I'd be scared of something either way."

"But that's why it's brave. Even if people talk, or if they expect you to do things their way, you're still choosing to wear glasses when nobody here does. Even if it makes you different, you're looking out for yourself. And... I just couldn't do that."

Bree couldn't help but smile. Not one single person had ever seen it that way.

"Addy...?" she said tentatively and Addison looked at her, nervous, running a hand through her hair – or rather, wig, "What does your real hair look like?"

She regretted asking the minute the words left her mouth. Addison's fingers tightened around the lock and she took a step back.

"You don't have to! You don't have to tell me or show me or anything, really! And whatever it is, I bet it's beautiful."

"You might not say that if you saw it."

Bree didn't get a chance to respond. The door opened and Bucky walked in, flanked by the Aceys.

"Well, newbies. It's time to go."

"Go where?"

"You'll see."