• Own the night • Wyatt Lykensen

e l e v e n

"We told you, Addy, Ari. Zombies are not safe." Was the first thing their father said to them, causing the zombie trio to look even more saddened., "Give them an inch..." Their father trailed off, knowing what his wife would say next.

"And they'll bite your face off." Missy said, and their father repeated her words. Zed's father was walking past, standing beside Principal Lee, and turned to the pair, angered and offended at their words.

"Hey! That's my son you're talking about!" He exclaimed, turning to the girls' parents.

"I suggest you move along, Mr. Necrodopolous. I'll make sure they look after him. I'm sorry. Come on." Principal Lee said to him and Zoey, continuing to lead them away.

"Zed, please!" Addison turned to Zed; heartbreak written on her face.

"Addy, I'm sorry. Maybe they're right. Maybe we shouldn't be together." He turned to Addison, shrugging his shoulders as he frowned.

"What? No. Don't say that." Addison had tears in her eyes as Zed looked away, Gus leading him away towards the Z-patrol van. They began to lead Bonzo and Eliza away too, and the girls exchanged a look, Ariel darting forward to try and stop them. Addison followed, her eyes trained on Zed as they both pleaded for them to stop and leave them alone.

The crowd's booing only got louder, forcing all of the zombies in the crowd to flee, looking terrified as they escaped the scene. Addison looked to the crowd, hatred in her eyes as they all turned back into the zombie-hating monsters that they used to be. Ariel frowned angrily, shaking her head at the scene.

"Hey! You did this to him. All of you. He was your monster! You made him feel like he had to risk his life to belong! Because you couldn't deal with someone different! But you had no problem using him to win your stupid games!" Addison screamed her anger out, the crowd silencing at her words as they looked at one another in contemplation.

Addison turned her back on them all, Ariel standing beside her as she looked at her sister with sadness in her eyes. "I wanna scream at the top of my lungs, not sitting back, won't hold my tongue. No, some things are different than we thought, there's more to life than what we're taught. I'm speaking up Enough's enough." Addison whispered to herself, tears in her eyes before turning to a confused Ariel.

"I'm gonna stand, yeah." Addison sang aloud, turning to the crowd and yanking off her wig, running her fingers through her shoulder-length, white, feathered hair.

"We're gonna stand, yeah. We're gonna stand, yeah. We're gonna stand." Ariel joined in with her sister, yanking off her own wig with a grin as she shook her head, revealing white wavy hair that rested about an inch above her shoulders. They grinned at one another with pride, revealing themselves to the school, to Bree and their own happiness, but to their parent's dismay. Addison turned and saw Zed, grinning happily at the girls before being put into the van.

Addison and Ariel joined their hands, looking bravely up at the crowd. And to their horror, but not to their surprise, the crowd immediately began to boo, hating that the pair were not normal. The pair pursed their lips, facing all of the hate.

The cheer championships were on the same day as the game, meaning that they were only hours away. Addison had changed into a light blue t-shirt and matching coloured jeans, a leather jacket of the same colour on top of that. Ariel was wearing a white turtleneck and washed out cuffed jeans, a denim jacket on top of that.

Bucky was getting rid of anyone on the cheer team that supported zombies, which was a lot of people. At this rate, there wasn't going to be even half a team.

Now at the cheer championships with their parents, Ariel and Addison were nervously waiting for Seabrook's performance, Bree close to the girls.

"It's been a tremendous day here at the Regional Cheer Championships. And we've already seen a number of high-flying performances. You could say they've been cheer-tastic." The male announcer said as the eels did their routine.

"Well, you can say that. I wouldn't. It's a... It's a made-up word, so..." The female announcer said, jumbling her words, causing Ariel to roll her eyes. During the performance, their parents looked back at the trio of girls, all talking and clapping at the routine. Neither looked impressed at the girls, as they were both annoyed at the show they had pulled at the game.

"I've always dreamed of cheering here. Just soaring in the air as the crowd roared. Flying higher than anyone's ever flown. That was a stupid dream." Bree sighed as she told the girls, her tone turning sour at the end of her words.

"No. You will fly, Bree." Ariel grinned. Addison nodded, saying,

"Of course, you will. Some day. As soon as this town gets over itself." The trio laughed, nodding at the fact.

"I thought your parents didn't want you out in public with your real hair." Bree frowned, looking between the girls and their parents.

"They don't. But they can't make me.... Make us hide it anymore. I'm not leaving this seat. No way. My dad's whole patrol couldn't get me out of this seat." Addison grinned, looking concernedly at Ariel who had moved away from the girls, staring down at the ground below the railing she was leaning over.

"I don't know, Bonzo. She has to be here somewhere. There!" All three of the girls heard the zombie pair, and Addison rushed to stand beside Ariel, who already had a grin on her face.

"It's Zed! Um, I'm gonna leave my seat." Addison exclaimed, grabbing Ariel by the arm, and dragging her sister with her as Bree happily told them to go for the zombies.

"Time to find ourselves some zombies." Ariel grinned to her sister as the pair hurriedly made their way down to where the zombie boys had been, following them in the direction they were going.