Monsters

The Debate

The next morning at breakfast, Kenzie's parents sat eating their pieces of fruit in unison. Kenzie lifted her spoon up to her mouth to take a bite of her cereal, as she looked up to see her parents staring down at her with a distraught look on their faces. Her mother broke the silence. "So... new look, huh?" She asked with a disapproving tone. "Well I like it, and my new friends like it too, obviously since they styled me." Kenzie explained. Her mom's eyes widened. "You mean to tell me that a bunch of Zombies did your hair and makeup?" She asked, outraged. "No mom, I mean my new  friends." Kenzie paused. "The werewolves." She told them before walking away with her bowl in hand before staying to get a good look at their reactions.

As she Kenzie walked into the school, she received an abundance of stares and whispers from everyone, but the more nasty comments came from the cheerleaders. She ignored, them, proudly plowing down the hallway. As she passed GiaNina, Brady and Hannah, their eyes widened. Hannah snickered, and GiaNina's jaw dropped. Kenzie heard footsteps behind her. "Wow, what happened?" GiaNina teased. Kenzie turned to face them. "Bad hair day?" Hannah laughed. "Bad hair life?" GiaNina added. "I think it looks great." Kenzie retorted. "Yeah... not so much." Brady snapped back. "If you want to be captain of the cheer team then you're gonna have to-" "Well, maybe I don't. Maybe cheer team isn't for me after all." Kenzie told them before spinning on the ball of her black combat boots, and walking off, leaving all three of their mouths hanging open.

Just as Kenzie was about to open her locker, Johnny ran up to her. "Kenzie! I was up all  night thinking. You're not a werewolf! You can't be." He told her, sounding really hyped up. "But I love moonlight strolls." She said. "Yeah, you like sunsets too that doesn't mean you're a vampire." Johnny laughed, but Kenzie looked at him with a straight face. "Johnny." He looked into her eyes. She pulled out the same box that Devenity had given to her the night before. She opened it to reveal the moonstone necklace. "When I see the wolves I'm going to put this on." She told him, allowing him to take it into his won hands and examine it. He looked down at the wretched ting. If she really was the Great Alpha, then this little piece of jewelry could change everything, take her away from him. He almost wanted to just-"And I'm sorry I won't be able to make the debate. I know you'll do great. Good luck Johnny." She said as she hugged him quickly. She started to walk away, before she turned around and ran back to him. "Whoops, almost forgot." She said taking the box back, tucking it into the pocket of her new coat that she had received from the wolves the night before. Johnny watched her run off, so excited to be with the wolves, she seemed so happy that he almost felt bad about what he had done.

Kenzie walked in on the wolves plotting. She couldn't hear much, only something about going after the moonstone. "What are you guys doing?" She asked. "Going to retrieve the moonstone before it gets destroyed. It's top secret, so we can't tell anybody." Jenna spilled. Jenna quickly realized her mistake, and scolded herself; "Bad wolf, bad wolf!" "You're going after it now?" Kenzie questioned them. "It won't survive the demolition." Devenity said. "We won't survive the demolition." Issak added, with a solemn look in his eyes. "Let me come with you! I'll help you. We can do it as a pack, wolves together." Kenzie suggested. "Because I'm ready to become a werewolf!" "If you even are one." Devenity said with a sneer. Issak gave her a look, and she looked back at her. Kenzie opened the box. She looked up at them, confused. "It-It's gone." SHe confessed. "What do you mean it's gone!?" Devenity exclaimed. She walked over and snatched the box up out of Kenzie's hands. The rest of the wolves gathered around to see as well. "You lost it?" Jenna asked, sounding as if all her life and hope had been drained away, and Kenzie felt horrible, to realize that it would be, all because she lost their only chance. "If she was a werewolf. If she really was the Great Alpha" Devenity said looking at Issak. "She wouldn't have been so careless." She finished. "Wait!" Kenzie tried to stop them. They kept walking. "Issak." She said, trying to get him to listen to her. He stopped and looked at her for a moment. "I had it right here, I promise." She pleaded. He looked at her, with sadness in his eyes, and the same kind of hopelessness that Jenna had. "Issak!" Deveinty shouted, and he turned to join the rest of the pack. "Please!" Kenzie tried to call to them. Devenity turned to her and shook her head. "Just stay out of our amazing hair." She said, walking off.

As Johnny walked into the gymnasium with Annie, people were looking at hike strangely, and that's when Annie pointed out the posters. They were pictures of Johnny shouting, and had been photo-shopped to make it look like he was in full Zombie-mode. The captions read: Johnny For President, You for Dinner? "I can't believe Hayden would stoop this low." Annie said. Johnny looked at her. "Really? Think about it." He said. "Alright, alright. But how has no one protested? Doesn't anyone care about the reputation of Zombies?" She asked. "Annie. There's something I need to tell you before I go on." Johnny spoke up. Annie looked up at him, a little worried. "What?" She asked. Johnny pulled out his speech paper, containing the moonstone necklace. "Kenzie's necklace?" Annie asked, sounding disappointed. "Technically, it's not actually hers unless she's actually a werewolf." Annie stared back at him. "But I can't do this now. This election was all for her." He said. "No! It's not, Johnny. This is bigger than that. This is about winning the election for all of us, for Zombiekind everywhere!" She told him. "Now just... go win the election, that's what we need right now." she said, tucking the necklace back into his jacket pocket. "Alright, Alright!" the principal said. "It is now time for our debates. We have Mr. Hayden Summerall going against Mr. Johnny Orlando!!" She announced, as they both came running to the stage. Following right behind Hayden was GiaNina, Hannah and Brady, there to back him up. Johnny took the stage with Annie beside him. Hayden began telling the crowd about how they shouldn't elect a monster, but Johnny managed to win them over, with he promises of more holidays and no homework. It was all going perfectly, until just as the debate was about to end, and he reached into his pocket to put the speech paper back into his pocket, and something latched onto his Z-band, and it read "unstable". The dark red veins began to emerge, and Johnny could feel himself losing control. The crowd starting trying to hide behind tables and cover themselves, but Hayden pranced up to the stage. "See? I told you he's a monster. Do you really want this to be your president?" He taunted. Johnny roared at him", but Hayden just smirked. "I know you won't hurt my John, but they don't." He said while grinning. "Johnny it's okay! You can control yourself!" Annie tried to encourage him, but he just picked up the podium and smashed it onto the floor. "Johnny! Johnny, the necklace!" She shouted over all of the noise. Johnny angrily reached down to his wrist and yanked the necklace off of his Z-band. He felt himself re-gain control, and looked around at the damage that he had done, and the people, his adoring fans less than a minute ago, who now looked like they wanted to cry, or run for their lives. Maybe I am a monster he thought to himself. He ran out into the hallway, not wanting to stand their in his own mistakes any longer. Annie ran out after him. "John wait." He turned around to face her. "Annie. We lost the election. I lost the election. For all of Zombiekind just like you said." "Maybe." Johnny looked her in the eyes. "Probably... yeah, you lost it." They both looked down at the floor before Annie walked closer to him. "Hey, it's gonna be okay. Maybe the Zombies will still vote for us, maybe there are people who want a president who can Zombie-out like that and protect them." "Annie, it's fine." Johnny said. Annie came closer and gave Johnny a hug. "Thanks Annie." She smiled at him. "Anytime John."

Kenzie was sitting in the hallway when Lauren came up and sat down by her. "Hey, are you alright?" She asked. "No. I lost to moonstone. I let the wolves down." Kenzie told her, tears forming in her eyes. At that moment the familiar sounding alarm came on. One that brought an apprehensive sense of nostalgia. They hadn't heard it in a long time, but it still struck fear into the hearts of all the cheerleaders. "Attention. Monster activity has been detected in the area." A voice said over the P.A. system. "It's the werewolves." Kenzie said. Lauren's eyes widened. "We have to help them. We're gonna need to assemble the Z-team. No, actually... we're going to need everyone." Kenzie realized. "Would you- will you... please?" Kenzie asked her best friend without even voicing her request. Lauren just shield at her. "Always." She replied, before running off to tell everyone.