'Okay mom, love you too,' Tori said tearfully before hanging up.

'So?' Andre asked gently, not wanting to upset the emotionally unstable girl.

'They're okay, thank God. They've locked themselves up in our house, and there's enough food to last them a week or two,' she explained, giving him a brave little smile. Beside her, Trina let out a huge sigh. She wrapped her arms around Tori and squeezed tight, both Vega sisters silently crying in relief. The others tried to act happy for them, but it wasn't easy. With the exception of Cat, none of them had successfully communicated with their family members. 'At least I can have some closure,' Cat thought. From her short conversation with her brother, she found out that neither her mom nor dad had made it. They were attacked by their next-door neighbors; the Farleys, in their garden. Cat's brother managed to lock himself in the pantry with a few knives as protection before they could get him too. 'Stay safe and stay strong, Kitty Cat. Just remember that I'll always love you.' His last words bounced around her mind. He truly was Cat's only friend when she was younger. Even though he was 'mentally challenged' according to some of his doctors; in Cat's eyes, he would always be a swashbuckling pirate, or a charming prince of a faraway kingdom. She giggled as she reminisced about the time they refused to leave their swimming pool until they successfully turned into merpeople, and the time when he dressed up as an Arabian belly dancer for Halloween just to shock the totally religious Mrs. Maria who lived across the street. 'I'll always love you too, Damian,' Cat whispered softly, blowing a kiss to the air. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was seven o'clock. About 12 hours since the incident happened. Cat grimaced at the memory of the sounds she heard; the horribly scary sounds of people dying. Not once did they cease; the screams, the moans, the wet chewing sounds. Every time one of those things banged on their door, Cat's heart would start hammering at a million beats per second. She uttered countless prayers to ensure their rudimentary barricades would hold up. 'So far, they had been enough, but how long will they last?' she wondered. 'And what about food? We do have a ton, but there are a lot of us. Will it be enough?' Cat frowned. Thinking about stuff like that made her head hurt.


'Is it safe now? I really need to pee,' Katie asked; her voice shaky.

'Wait, I'll check. The rest of you, stay down!' Kendall said strictly. He slowly crept up and peeked out of the window. 'No sign of anything. I think they're all gone,' Kendall told them.

'Good!' Katie said, dashing out of the car and into some nearby bushes.

'I'll go with her, just to make sure nothing happens,' Jo assured Kendall with a wink.

'Be careful!' Kendall yelled as she jumped out.

'I can't feel my legs!' Camille complained as she sat up and stretched her worn out muscles.

'Whataya expect? We were stuck contorted like that for 12 hours!' James told her.

'12 hours?' Carlos was stupefied. He couldn't believe that they had stayed completely motionless in such twisted positions for half a day. He had been planking on the back seat floor, on top of James and Logan. Jo and Camille were curled up like millipedes on the back seat with Katie draped over them; while Kendall and Mrs. Knight were squeezed into the cramped space between the dashboard and the driver's seat and passenger's seat respectively. Carlos' mind drifted back to their harrowing experience earlier that day...

'Drive faster Mom!' Katie screamed shrilly.

'I'm driving as fast as I can without crashing into a lamp post!' Mrs. Knight said, her eyes never leaving the road.

'What in God's name were those.. things?!' James asked.

'We don't know, James! And now's not really the best time to talk about it!' Camille yelled.

'Wait, what's that up ahead?' Logan pointed at a strange scene around 500 meters from their current position. As they got closer, they realized that it was a large traffic jam of cars, but none of the vehicles were moving.

'What's wrong with them? Why aren't they... Holy shit!' Kendall swore loudly.

'Kendall, watch your tongue!' Mrs. Knight reprimanded her son.

'Mom, there's more of them!'

Carlos's breath hitched as his eyes confirmed Kendall's claim. A large group of those flesh-eating diablos were dead ahead, skulking around abandoned cars on the road. Their clothes were still dripping wet with blood, their skin torn and shredded. Carlos uttered a prayer his mother had taught him, and said, 'They haven't spotted us yet. We should turn back before they do.'

'It's a one-way road, Carlos. Turning back will lead us to the airport, and we already know what's there,' Logan deduced.

'We can't go forward either, thanks to the abandoned cars. Plus, the zombies themselves are right there,' Jo added.

'So what do you say we do, huh?' Carlos asked with annoyance.

'We're just gonna have to stay put, try and wait for those things to leave,' Mrs. Knight uttered with a tone of finality.

'Umm, guys? I think they've realized we're here!' James screeched. Carlos turned to look; and sure enough, a sizeable group of zombies were trudging towards their cars.

The sight of their imminent doom sent Kendall into a frenzy. 'Okay guys, listen up! Start hiding now! Squeeze yourselves into the teensiest spaces you can! The windows are tinted, so that should give us some cover. But make sure you're as camouflaged as possible! Go, go, go!'

'Carlos?' The Latino looked up to see James staring at him with a worried look on his face. Everyone else had already left the car, leaving the two of them alone. 'You alright there, buddy?'

Carlos shook his head slowly. 'I just saw several people rip and tear other people into pieces. Whataya think?' he said scathingly.

James patted his lap, saying, 'Come sit with daddy.'

'James...'

'Come on!' James insisted.

'Oh, alright!' Carlos reluctantly sat on James' lap, and immediately started crying.

'Shh, it's gonna be alright Los. It's all gonna be alright,' James assured him, gently pulling Carlos' head closer to him and stroking his hair comfortingly.

'How do you know?' Carlos mumbled, his voice muffled by James' chest.

'I just do,' James answered with confidence. 'Now I want you to relax, okay?' Carlos nodded and snuggled closer to James. In a way, he was thankful that James was around. Even though he considered Kendall and Logan as his best friends as well, he was much closer to James. They had been best friends long before Kendall and Logan entered the picture. James was sort of like the big brother he never had. Papi and Mami loved him more than anything in the world, but their careers prevented them from spending much time with him. Most of his childhood revolved around obnoxious teenage babysitters who invited their boyfriends over as soon as his parents left. The few times he wasn't stuck with those boneheaded bimbos, he would be all alone at home with nothing but the television for company. One day, as he was watching Spongebob, he heard the doorbell ring.

'Hey there, chump!' a grinning boy waved cheerily when he opened the door. 'Listen, those girls over there and I would love to play with your trampoline. So could we? Please?!' he practically begged.

'Uh, sure,' Carlos said, a tad unsurely. He had never actually talked to another kid his age before, so it was a new experience. 'Cool. C'mon girls!' James ran towards the trampoline. But when he was halfway there, he abruptly stopped and turned around. 'Aren't you coming?' he asked Carlos, his eyebrows knitted in confusion.

'Huh?' Carlos was surprised. The kid wants me to join him?

'Come on. It's your trampoline.' The kid walked up to Carlos and took his hand. 'I don't bite, okay? I'm James,' the boy introduced himself. 'And you are?'

'Carlos,' Carlos replied and smiled. Little did he know that that incident would be the precursor of a life-long friendship.


'Aah, that feels so much better,' Katie said after relieving herself behind some bushes.

'Come on, we should get back before Kendall starts freaking out,' Jo told her. She grasped Katie's wrist and led her to the car.

'Ow, Jo!' Katie yelped in pain. 'You're clawing my skin off!'

'Sorry sweetie. I guess I'm just a little jumpy after today,' Jo apologized.

Katie involuntarily shivered. 'Tell me about it. What do you think happened back there?'

'I have no idea, Katie. But listen, I really think we should forget about it for now, okay?' Jo bent down slightly so her eyes were level with Katie's. 'Have a good night's sleep, and when we wake up tomorrow, maybe everything will turn out to be some huge Hollywood prank!' Katie giggled and nodded. 'Now come on. Let's get back to the car.' As they walked towards Mrs. Knight's hatchback, they noticed that everyone else had already exited the car. 'Looks like everyone needed some fresh air,' Jo commented. They entered the car and noticed James and Carlos seated there.

Before Jo or Katie could say a word, James placed a finger to his mouth and pointed at Carlos. 'He's asleep, so keep it down,' he whispered.

'Oh, sure,' Jo said. 'Katie, you can sleep with me,' she turned towards the tween.

'Whoa, I'd kinda prefer going on a date first!' Katie grinned, much to Jo's chagrin and James' amusement.

'What are you watching on TV?!' she semi-yelled.

'Calm down, alright?' Katie said, cuddling with Jo like Carlos was doing with James. Within minutes, the Sandman seemed to have made a visit to little Katie Knight.

'So, are you guys…?' Jo paused, unsure of how to continue.

'Dating?' he guessed. Jo nodded apprehensively.

'You don't need to be so scared, Jo. You're as pale as a ghost!' James laughed. 'No, we aren't dating. He's like my little brother. Dating him would be incest!'

Jo laughed, before continuing. 'It's just; I think it's really admirable that you were brave enough to come out of the closet, James.' James smiled shyly in return. After a big pause, he started speaking.

'You know what the biggest thing that held me back from admitting that I'm gay was? It wasn't the fans, or the tabloids, or even the asshole homophobes on this planet. It was my mom. I was so afraid of what she would say if she knew. The last time I went to visit her; I overheard her talking to her sister, my Aunt Reyna. At first I didn't really understand what was happening. Aunt Reyna was blubbering like a baby, going on and on about how she was stupid and that she should've seen it coming. But soon I realized that Aunt Reyna was crying because she'd been dumped, by her girlfriend! And Mom wasn't yelling at her, or angry in any way. She was consoling Aunt Reyna, being there for her when she needed it most. After Aunt Reyna left, I approached my mom and told her everything. And do you know what she said to me? 'Sweetie, I've known you were gay since you were a six-year old, strutting up and down the staircases with poise and elegance that could put Cinderella to shame. I never judged you for that. I've judged you for lots of other stuff, I'll admit. But definitely not for your sexual orientation. You'll always be my little Jamie, alright?' And I realized that if my own mother doesn't mind me being attracted to boys, then why should I bother about what anyone else thinks?'

'Then why did you go on dates with all those girls?'

James shrugged. 'Sometimes, when everyone around you acts a certain way, you try really hard to be like them. I guess I tried so hard that I managed to bury my true feelings and emotions completely. I went on dates with many girls, but it never did feel right, you know? At that time, I thought that I just hadn't found the right one for me yet, and that if I dated enough girls, I'd eventually find her. It took me so long to realize that I would never find the right girl, because she simply didn't exist.'

Jo continued. 'So what made you realize you were gay?'

'I was at a party with the boys at some club in downtown LA. Kendall and Logan were over by the bar, downing martini after martini. Carlos was talking to a Russian supermodel or something. I was pretty wasted, and started grinding on the dance floor. This cute guy came up to me and started dancing with me. I remember him trying to talk to me, but could barely hear what he was saying. The rest of the night was a total blur to me. Next thing I know, I wake up and see that I'm completely naked in some stranger's bed. I jumped outta bed and started freaking out. Then, the dude from yesterday walked out of his bathroom, and he was confused as hell! I tried to explain that it was a one-time thing, and that I was drunk, and that I was so sorry. He just stood there, butt naked, with an annoying smirk on his face. After listening to me blabber on and on, he laughed and said, 'Dude, I don't see what the big problem is. You slept with a guy, so what?' 'I'm not gay!' The guy raised one of his eyebrows and chuckled. 'Well, for a straight guy, you were pretty talented last night,' he told me before jumping back onto his bed. Then, he looked at me and said, 'Listen hotshot, when you finally figure all of this out, call me okay?' As I walked back to the Palm Woods, I thought about what he'd said, and realized that he was right. I was gay, and there was nothing wrong with it.' James smiled upon completing his long narrative.

Jo had one final query. 'How cute was the guy?'

James grinned and answered. 'Ryan Reynolds-cute!'

'Lucky!'

They burst into a fit of infectious giggles, hugging their aching bellies. Just then, they heard panicked shrieks from around them.

'Run, get back to the car now!' they heard Kendall yell above the din. Jo turned to James, her eyes as big as saucers. 'Oh, crap…'

James threw the doors open for the others to get in as fast as they could.

'Drive, drive, drive!' Kendall repeated like a broken record, pounding the dashboard with his fists as soon he jumped in.

'I'm trying to start the stupid thing, but it's not working!' his mom retorted, her hands shivering with fear. Logan looked ahead at the fast approaching horde of zombies and gulped. The things were jogging towards them, their rabid eyes locked onto their target. They were approximately 100 metres away, and at their current speed, Logan estimated that they would reach the car within 20 seconds. Which meant that Mrs Knight had only a third of a minute to start the car and drive away to safety.

'Mrs Knight, they're getting closer..' Camille warned.

'I know that!' Mrs Knight snapped, still fumbling around with the keys. Just then, Logan heard the reassuring purr of the car engine. Mrs Knight revved the automobile and threw the car into reverse.

'Where are we going?' Kendall asked as his mom sped away from the zombies.

'Well, we should probably get to a government building where there's less chaos. Perhaps we should head for City Hall?' Logan answered.

'Alright, we're now headed for LA City Hall,' Mrs Knight announced with a grin.

'Hey, do you guys think we should call Gustavo? Just to see if he's okay,' Carlos said.

'Sure Carlos. I'll call him right now,' Logan told him; pulling his cell phone out of his pocket and scrolling through his contacts. The dial tone went on and on, but Gustavo didn't pick up at all.

'Try calling Kelly,' Jo suggested. But Gustavo's personal assistant didn't pick up either.

'Maybe they've just misplaced their phones,' Kendall tried to cheer everyone up. But he wasn't fooling anyone. As they drove towards their destination, Logan looked at the scenery passing by his window. Corpses on the pavements were completely stripped of flesh, bones the only remnants of the original individuals. Occasionally, there would be zombies feasting on the dead bodies; gnashing their teeth viciously. Logan looked away, unable to stomach the graphic violence. Instead, he decided to figure out the cause of the outbreak itself. Deduction and reasoning had always been Logan's strongpoint, and right now it was the perfect thing to occupy his mind. 'What could have turned normal human beings into rabid savages?' he wondered. 'Perhaps a toxic spill or radiation leak somewhere that mutated or damaged their brains? Or maybe mass hypnosis organized by a freakish cult? No, neither of those make sense. In fact, nothing makes sense right now.' He uttered that last part out loud.

Camille, who was seated next to him, gave him a peck on his cheek. 'I know Logie. But we'll be fine. I'm sure of it,' she whispered in his ear.

'I hope you're right, Camille.'


As they approached City Hall, they immediately knew that they were in for a rough time. Hundreds of people were amassed in the compound, screaming and shouting with rage. Most of them held all sorts of bloody weapons in their hands; pitchforks, axes and chainsaws which were obviously used to defend themselves from the clutches of the undead. Standing at the entrance of the building was a well-dressed man surrounded by several gun-toting policemen. He was trying to tell them something, but the general din of the crowd made it impossible for anyone to hear him.

James tapped on a paunchy middle-aged man's shoulder and asked, 'Hey, what's going on here?'

'You tell me, sonny. We're all here to try and get some answers about this whole zombie incident!' he yelled back at James. James nodded and looked back at the well-dressed man, possibly a high ranking government official. One of the policemen had given him a hailer, which he was now using to gather the crowd's attention.

'People, people, please calm down!' he told them with a nervous smile. His fear of being trampled by the unruly people surrounding him was evident.

'Now, the government is doing everything it can to assess the situation-'

'Everything it can, my ass!' a slim young woman in shorts yelled angrily.

'Those creatures are fucking eating us! And all you pussies in the government do is hide in your fancy doomsday bunkers, safe and sound; while we're fighting for our lives here!' a dark skinned man added. Soon, more furious screams and threats erupted from the crowd. The policemen began to wave their guns around, trying to scare them all into submission. Just as James was about to turn around and leave, something terrifying caught his eye. A young teenage boy leapt up the stairs and ran towards the man in the suit; a serrated machete in his grasp. The doomed government official screamed in terror, grabbing the attention of the policemen around him. Before the boy could commit the assassination, several guns had already fired dozens of rounds at him. Bright red blood spurted all over the place as he fell limply to the ground. Immediately, the crowd burst into an enraged roar. They stormed up towards the official and the policemen, each and every one of them thirsty for revenge. James felt a hand grasp his wrist and tug him away.

'Trust me. You don't wanna see what happens next,' Kendall whispered in his ear as he led James away. Behind them, the piercing sound of gunfire rang out loud.


'Dinner is served!' Sikowitz announced to his students. But no one budged an inch; each and every one of them lost in their own thoughts. 'Children, dinner! I made chicken parmesan!' he hollered to get their attention.

Robbie, who had been sleeping face down on the sofa, got up to take a look at his teacher's handiwork. 'You call this chicken parmesan?' he asked sarcastically upon seeing the plate.

'Yeah!' Sikowitz retorted.

'It looks like a plate of red baby vomit with cheese!' Robbie said with disbelief.

'Well, I'm sorry King Louis the Fourteenth, but this is the best I could do with the limited resources we have. So unless you want to starve, eat up.' Robbie took his plate and started shoving forkfuls of the amateurish meal down his gullet.

'Oh good Gandhi, will you guys get up?! You haven't eaten since today morning! Good performers can't have empty stomachs,' he told them. But except for Robbie's hungry munching, the room was silent.

'See, Robbie's enjoying it!' Sikowitz pleaded, trying to get them to see reason.

'Tell him to stuff that chicken parmesan up his ass!' Jade commented with a glare at Robbie.

'Jade..,' Beck warned; his tone disapproving. 'We don't really feel like eating right now, Sikowitz,' he continued with an attempted grin.

Sikowitz nodded understandingly. 'Tori, Trina; aren't you guys hungry?'

'No thanks Sikowitz,' Tori told him, running her hand through Trina's hair, who had fallen asleep on Tori's lap after continuously crying for close to an hour.

'Andre, Sinjin?'

'I guess we'll have some. I'm starving!' Andre quipped with a smirk. Sikowitz grinned; glad that at least some of them weren't in extreme depression-induced fasting. After serving huge portions of 'chicken parm' to both Andre and Sinjin, Sikowitz turned to ask Cat if she wanted any. He saw her leaning against a huge window, her cheek pressed to the glass. She was tracing random shapes on the glass with her finger, silently mouthing indecipherable words at the same time. Sikowitz approached the bubbly redhead slowly and crouched down next to her. 'Hey Cat, whatcha' doin?'

'Oh, Sikowitz! I was just looking at the stars in the sky,' she replied. She paused for a while and pressed her nose to the glass. 'Did you know, if you were looking at me from the other side of the window right now, I'd look just like a little piggy! Oink, oink!' she snorted like a pig.

'Cat, do you want to eat now?'

'Nope, not hungry,' she said. 'I wonder what my brother's doing right now,' Cat said all of a sudden.

'Your brother? Why- I mean, is he okay?' Sikowitz asked.

'I don't know. I called him this morning, and he said he was fine. But by now, who knows?' Cat shrugged. Sikowitz had no idea how to continue their conversation, so an awkward silence enveloped the two of them. After what seemed like an eternity, Cat asked him a question. 'Sikowitz, why are those people killing other people? Daddy told me about wars, where people shoot and explode each other. But the war people use guns and bombs and stuff. These freaks are biting and chewing other PEOPLE! What's wrong with them?' Her eyes were wide and questioning, staring right into Sikowitz's. The acting teacher wasn't sure how to respond to Cat's query.

So instead of replying, he pulled her close and rested his cheek on the top of her head. 'See that star over there?' He pointed at one of the millions of stars in the night sky.

'Which one? There are like a gajillion of them!'

'That little one over there, in between the three bigger ones,' he said.

'Oh, okay. What about it?' Cat asked.

'Uh- well, that little star used to be a beautiful princess, who had long red hair, and was really… short. The red-haired short princess' name was Princess… Shortie-Red. Princess Shortie-Red was a good little princess, but she had one bad habit,' Sikowitz paused for a second.

'What was her bad habit?' Cat earnestly inquired.

'It was… Uh, she didn't eat her dinner! Yes, she didn't like to eat her dinner! So her mommy and daddy punished her by turning her into a star. Now, you should eat your dinner before you get turned into a star. C'mon!' Sikowitz got up and made for the kitchenette.

'Kay kay! Cat giggled and ran after him. Now that she thought about it, she really was hungry. So hungry she could eat a horse.


'Hey Beck? Beck, you awake?' Beck heard Jade calling him softly. He rubbed his eyes with his knuckles and yawned.

'What?' Beck asked loudly. Looking around, he realized he'd fallen asleep on the couch.

'Shh!' Jade put a finger to his lips. She was sitting next to him, wearing nothing but a dark grey long-sleeved T-shirt with some heavy metal song lyrics imprinted on it. 'Everyone else is asleep, so keep it down!' she whispered.

'What time is it?'

Jade glanced at her Rolex wristwatch and said, '3.14.'

'a.m?' Beck asked incredulously. 'What are you doing up at this unearthly hour?'

Jade tilted her head and pursed her lips. 'Soaking my toes in neon green acorn juice,' she answered sarcastically. 'What else would any sane person want to do at 3.14 in the morning?' Jade purred seductively. All at once, the neurons in Beck's brain began firing rapidly. His lips moistened as Jade crawled towards him, her bedroom eyes beckoning him to come closer.

'Jade, we're out here in the open. I really don't think it's a good idea-'

'Cat, Tori and Trina hit the sack hours ago and Sikowitz went to bed right after.'

'What about Andre, Robbie and Sinjin? Isn't this where they sleep?' Beck asked.

'I told them to take our room. Said that they needed it more than we do,' she replied with a shrug, moving closer.

'Why? If you wanted to do this, wouldn't our room be a much better spot?'

'You know I have a fetish for doing it in public places. Come on Beck, please?' she pleaded, placing her hands on his right thigh and squeezing slightly. Beck inhaled slightly, and placed his hand on hers. Jade saw the look in Beck's eyes and grinned. She knew all his prior hesitation had evaporated in an instant. Beck put his hand behind Jade's head and pushed her towards him; latching his lips with hers. Their tongues wrestled with each other, thrashing forcefully like two killer whales in combat. Beck's hands snaked under Jade's T-shirt and squeezed her breasts. Jade moaned loudly, her eyes closed in pleasure. She grabbed onto Beck's cobalt blue T-shirt and tugged it off of him, revealing his lean body. Many insecure idiots had made fun of Beck's less muscular physique, but Jade found it much more attractive compared to ripped beefcake guys. She ran her hands up and down Beck's chest, feeling his fine and soft chest hair. Jade's hands then proceeded towards Beck's jeans; swiftly undoing his belt and his zipper. Beck helped her slip his jeans and his maroon coloured briefs off. Jade rubbed his large 7 inch uncircumcised boner vigorously, eliciting instinctive groans from Beck.

'Stop being such a tease and get on with it,' he complained.

'Ooh, someone's horny tonight!' Jade chuckled as she pulled her T-shirt off, followed by her bra and her panties. Beck stood up and pressed her naked body close to his, kissing her face and neck passionately. They took their time, each reacquainting themselves with the familiar terrain of the other's body. After a while, Jade pushed Beck back down onto the couch and climbed on top of him. With both her hands on Beck's shoulders, she hissed slightly as he inserted the tip of his dick inside her.

'Ready?' Beck growled raggedly; his brain overloaded with lust. Jade nodded quickly as she tightened her grip on his shoulders. Without another word, Beck grabbed Jade's round ass and slammed his manhood up into her, again and again and again. As Jade bounced up and down on his erect penis, Beck licked and sucked on her perk breasts. Jade on the other hand twisted and pinched Beck's nipples forcefully, causing Beck to moan pleasurably. Soon, Beck felt a familiar pulsating feeling in his lower abdomen.

'I'm coming..' he said, and increased his thrusts into Jade's vagina.

'Me- too!' Jade gasped and cursed under her breath. Her well-manicured nails dug deep into Beck's tanned back. Within seconds, Jade soundlessly screamed as she reached her climax. Beck bucked his hips several times before he came, ejaculating his milky white semen far up into Jade's intimate territory. After their orgasms, they hugged each other with their cheeks pressed together; neither saying a word. The only audible sound was their heavy breathing.

'Lucky thing I'm on the Pill, huh?' Jade chuckled after a few minutes. But Jade noticed that Beck was staring intently at her face; his dark brown eyes studying her. 'What?' Jade asked, suddenly extremely self-conscious. 'Do I have a hideous sore on my lip or something?' she wondered.

'You were doing it again,' Beck said bluntly.

'D-doing what?' Jade stammered; trying to act confused even though she knew exactly what Beck was talking about.

'Jade, you know what I'm talking about. I was watching you. You had your eyes closed the entire time!'

'That doesn't prove anything!' Jade retorted.

'C'mon Jade, just accept the fact that-'

'Don't say another word, Beck,' Jade warned, acid practically dripping from her tongue. 'I mean it. End of story.'


'Tori! Tori, wake up now!' she heard Trina yell frantically.

'What is it, Trina? Did the bathroom run out of lavender scented bath salts?' Tori mumbled sleepily.

'No, of course not! Oh wait, maybe it did... But that's not the point! Come look at the TV!' she said, grabbing Tori's wrist and dragging her out of the room. Tori saw that everyone else was crowded around the television, most of them still in their pyjamas.

'What's this ab- Oh god.' Tori sat down on the floor next to Trina, her mouth agape. The TV was tuned in to an Asian reporter on CNN.

'Reports are flooding in from all over the North American continent about a horrific affliction which is affecting tens of thousands of people,' the reporter said. 'Those infected with the disease, dubbed the 'Cannibal Syndrome' by many; turn into frenzied bloodthirsty man-eaters. Hospital wards are filled to the brim with the injured, while the infected are being quarantined indefinitely. The American government is entreating the public to ignore widespread rumours saying that the disease causes the reanimation of corpses. As of now, unconfirmed reports of similar outbreaks are coming in from countries as far-flung as Australia, Japan, Chile and South Africa.'

The Hollywood Arts gang sat in abject silence as they listened to the reporter drone on about the terrible news.

'So, it's actually here?' Robbie asked.

'What?' Cat turned to him, her lip trembling slightly.

'The end of the world. Those B-grade Hollywood flicks actually got it right,' Robbie replied, shaking his head disappointedly. Tori couldn't speak. Before this, she had the impression that their harrowing experience was an isolated one, perhaps caused by escapees from a mental asylum. But the news report confirmed her darkest fears.

'That's it, I'm off,' Jade said, getting up and tying her wild locks up into a ponytail.

'Off where? In case you've forgotten, there are vicious cannibals standing outside our door, Jade,' Beck reminded her.

'I can't take it anymore, Beck! Cathy's out there somewhere, completely defenceless! I've got to go save her, no matter what.' With that said, she haughtily strode into her room; presumably to pack her bags for her insane trip.

'I'll go talk some sense into her,' Beck assured the rest. He walked into the room and shut the door behind him. Tori could hear Jade and him shouting at each other. 10 minutes later, Jade walked out of the room with a backpack in her hand.

Beck followed behind her and said, 'She wouldn't listen to me. So I decided to go with her, just to keep her safe.'

'Wait, you guys can't be serious,' Robbie said. 'You'll get yourselves killed!'

Jade merely shrugged and walked towards the kitchenette, starting to stuff apples and bagels into her backpack.

'Cathy's in Cedars-Sinai. That's like 10 blocks from here. We'll be back by tonight, okay?' Beck told them with an assuring smile.

'Sure guys. Just, stay safe alright,' Sikowitz said.

'Can I come with you guys?' Sinjin asked.

'No!' Jade shrieked with a piercing stare at the curly haired boy.

'Jade! What's your problem?' Beck yelled at her.

'I don't want Cathy to see that moss-sniffing freak!'

'We could use an extra pair of eyes, Jade,' Beck reminded her.

Jade growled as she considered the idea. 'Ugh, whatever. Just don't get in my way,' she decided.

'Yay, let's go!' Sinjin jumped joyously before running towards the door.

'Wait, don't open it yet!' Beck told Sinjin. He walked towards the front door and looked out through the peephole.

'See anything?' Trina asked.

'Nope. I guess we're gonna have to make a run for it,' Beck replied. He then turned towards Jade and asked, 'Are you sure this is necessary?'

Jade jammed a baseball bat into her bag and quipped, 'Abso-fucking-lutely.'