Zed and Eliza walked along the cheer railings of the second story, opposite the school's Prawn Wall of Fame. They had just been let out of last period for an all school assembly in the main courtyard, for presidential nominations and updates with all the anti-monster laws back in effect.
Eliza had been talking about only one thing all day: the werewolves. They'd been forced inside at nine because of their stupid curfew, searched on their way out of Zombietown, and even were back to their bottom of the barrel lunches.
"They see one werewolf and suddenly we can't go to Prawn," Eliza grumbled for possibly the hundredth time. "This is so unfair! Can't believe I ever thought Seabrook had changed."
"It did! It will!" Zed assured her. "I will get zombies into Prawn."
"Well…" Eliza said, her voice drawing out the way it did when she had a mischievous plan. Zed stopped, leaning on the railing. It wasn't too great to be walking while scheming, in case she suggested something illegal and someone overheard. She gave him a classic grin and he knew she would definitely suggest something that could get them thrown into Zombie Containment.
"Well?"
"We can crash it," she said, radiating excitement. "I mean, we can't make the rules, but we can break 'em."
There it was. Zed chuckled, shaking his head. Before he could open his mouth, Bucky Buchanan shouted from the other side of the hall, "Stacey, Lacey! Time to officially nominate me as president!"
Zed and Eliza glanced at the two Aceys who walked past them and shook their heads. With Bucky as president, making the rules and decisions at school, things would basically go back to when they weren't even allowed to cross the barrier.
Then, of course, it hit Zed. He whipped his attention to Eliza, eyes wide in excitement. "We can make the rules! We just need the right leader."
"What?"
Zed grabbed her arm and ran for the stairs, ignoring her protests. He needed to swing by the front office if what he was thinking would even be possible, and the assembly would be starting soon.
Addison watched through the cracks in the vent cover as Seabrook students ran through the halls. A few minutes before, an announcement from 'Principal Lee' rang through, saying the "presidential assembly was about to begin in the courtyard." Whatever that was wasn't important. What mattered was that the school would be empty. Wyatt hovered over her shoulder, much too close for comfort.
They had all been hiding in the air vent all night, sleeping in a dogpile, having late night chats. It wasn't anything atypical for the pack, except Addison wasn't usually welcomed for cuddles and chats. Even Willa got to cuddle. But just because Addison was the Great Alpha, she had to be in her own chamber, away from everyone else, trying to find the stupid moonstone.
The cuddles hadn't been bad. It was the best sleep Addison had ever had. She was actually a part of the pack, instead of being a strange wolf who had too much white hair and a problem with authority.
The wolf cuddles were good for bringing the pack closer together, which most likely explained why everyone was finally following her lead. And Wyatt was actually helping her. He was a good beta, always open to suggestions and plans and making sure things went smoothly. He should've been the alpha. If only he had been born a little before his sister.
"What are we looking for?" Wyatt whispered.
Addison didn't look away from the mostly cleared hallways. She didn't answer him either, waiting for a minute before forcing the vent open. "Come on," she said to the pack. "The hallways are clear."
Addison climbed out of the vent first, holding it open so the rest of her pack could rush out. Willa was the last one, giving Addison the stink eye, then turning it on the bright, sunshine filled hallway, lined with pastels and accomplishments.
"Ugh, this place is worse in the daylight," Willa complained.
Addison rolled her eyes. She let the vent swing closed and walked around the back of the pack, thinking through their next moves. There didn't seem to be any people to ask directions, not that the wolves would even want to ask. Wolves and humans didn't get along.
They would need a game plan, and if she didn't think of something quick, Willa would commandeer the mission. Addison paused, the sun glinting off the wall before her. They were lined with shining, silver trophies, mostly first place, pompoms and footballs on display. There was even a large picture in the middle of the case, beside a slightly smaller silver trophy.
Addison's eyes skimmed over the inscription—Zed Necrodopolis, '2—, freshman fullback, leads Mighty Shrimp to Regional Championship. She flickered over his picture, dimly noting the green hair and pale skin. A zombie on the football team. How long had zombies—and monsters in general—been allowed in the school? The picture was from only a few months ago, but if he had been allowed to play football…well then the wolves wouldn't have as much of a problem blending in as they thought.
She squinted some more. That was the guy she'd seen in the woods. The tall zombie from the bus crash that nearly discovered the pack and the den. He looked a lot gentler in the picture, kinda nice. Friendly, even.
"Addison," Willa snapped. Addison whipped around, picking out the alpha in the front. She marched to the front of the group, raising an eyebrow.
"Focus," Willa scolded. "Remember, we're fierce, we're savage."
Addison nodded, shaking out her limbs. They had a task to accomplish, she could question the town's changes some other time.
Next to Willa, Wynter added excitedly, "We're werewolves!"
Willa smiled, glancing from Wynter to Addison. "That's right, Wynter."
"We're scared of nothing," Wynter continued.
The pack nodded their agreement. Then Wyatt, ever the buzzkill, interjected, "Except silver."
Wynter deflated. "Yeah, silver."
Wyatt went on. "And ticks."
"And rabies," Wynter grumbled.
Addison shook her head, moving in front of Willa. She got a glare in response but ignored it. "Come on," Addison said.
Willa stepped forward and took over. "If we're quiet, we can be in and out of here before they even know we're here. We'll search the school for any signs of the moonstone."
She shoved past Addison, ignoring Addison's glare. Wyatt walked forward too, grabbing her shoulder and turning her around. "Leave her," he muttered, walking with her down the hallway "She's just anxious to find the moonstone."
Addison nodded. She shrugged out from under his grip, walking between him and Willa. They may have been cuddling all night, but he couldn't just turn around and be her friend. Not after constantly taking his sister's side in every argument, even if Addison was right. None of them ever liked having her around, and just because they were coming close to finding the stone, didn't mean all those years of exclusion would disappear.
The band was playing a special rendition of the Mighty Shrimp fight song, the whole school cheering when Bucky's giant banner fell down and the confetti cannons burst all around the room. Zed stood beside the band and made eye contact with Eliza, both of them rolling their eyes. It was so extraordinarily extra, so Bucky.
He even did his stupid, show off backflips, running up to the podium, relishing in all the attention and school love. There was no way Zed could top that.
"Great news," Bucky exclaimed, "we have a brilliant and cheer tested candidate running for president this year." He paused, doing his signature jazz hands and cocky smile, adding, "Me!"
The school cheered louder and Zed flinched. He wasn't usually one to be against all the peppiness and school pride and fun, but he needed a little less noise if he was going to figure out how to top Bucky. He would be the first zombie to run for president in all of Seabrook history, he had to make an entrance.
Behind him, Bonzo blasted away on his zombified instrument—a fusion of several different trombones and trumpets and even a French horn. It provided the best sounds for the Fight Song and he was determined to earn his spot in the band with every performance. Nothing would distract him.
Except, well, his sorta-kinda girlfriend, Bree, down on the floor, cheering for Bucky. One wave and smile and she sent his heart into action. He looked away quickly, throwing himself back into the song. It'd be over soon enough, he just needed to keep killing it.
He played harder, the longest neck of his instrument tilted down and away from Bree, connecting right with Zed's back.
Zed went flying, the students in the bleachers making a gap so he could fall everywhere that wasn't on them. His screams weren't heard over Bucky's cheering fan base or the band, and he rolled and bounced, flying through the air and finally landed on Principal Lee's platform.
Zed's body screamed bloody murder for the fall but he ignored it, instead bouncing up and shouting over the crowd, "Woo! Zombie strong!" effectively shoving Bucky out of the way.
Zed leaned forward and spoke clearly and loudly. "Hello, everyone. My name is Zed, and I am running for president."
Bucky scoffed, giving Principal Lee a slight shove. "Zed can't steal my spotlight!" he complained. Then he turned his attention directly to Principal Lee. "What about the whole anti-monster thingy?"
The crowd quieted down at that and Zed deflated. He hadn't thought about all the anti-monster laws. They couldn't even be out past curfew. Soon, they'd be sending them back to zombie only school! They'd have to wear coveralls and give up the sick jeans and tee shirts they sold at the Seabrook Thrift Shop. He had to fix all of this, but how?
Like a saving grace, Eliza stepped forward and shouted, "Anyone can run for president, Bucky."
"She actually has a point, Mr. Bucky," Principal Lee said. Then, like all good principals, she left before Bucky could add any comments. Unfortunately for her, Bucky followed her, complaining the whole way.
Every hallway was empty, there weren't many signs on the walls and all the lockers were in perfect condition. "This place is disgusting," Willa complained. She whipped her head around to Addison and asked, "Do you even know where you're taking us?"
"Of course I do," Addison lied. She peered around a corner. The hallway smelt heavily of humans and zombies, more so than any other part of the school. They had to be getting close to the school's main research facility; there was no other explanation as to why so many humans and zombies would walk this way so often. Addison motioned for the pack, starting down the hall. "This way."
She walked on the balls of her feet, low to the ground, ready in the case of an attack. It hadn't happened in years, but whenever humans were around, things got messy very fast. Still, she had faith that things truly had changed. After all, zombies were in the school, playing sports and winning.
Her ears perked up, the voices of hundreds of humans all chanting catching her attention. They weren't too far away either. "Zed!…Zed!...Zed!…Zed!..." That was the name of that zombie from the trophy wall.
She moved fast, stopped when she was at the center of the noise. The wall was lined with double doors, the stench of humans and zombies at its strongest. Her pack crowded around her, standing over her to peer in through the windows.
"As your president, I will make Seabrook a place that embraces zombies and—"
Addison stretched, trying to see through the high windows. She was blocked by the wolves around her, forcing her down more.
"Werewolves?"
"Uh, no. Why would we want—" Addison jumped just in time to see some green haired zombie notice then in the windows. "Werewolves!"
The humans and zombies in the crowded room burst into panic. Behind her, Willa shouted, "They're going to attack! Wolves!"
Before she knew it, the pack was bursting through the doors, nearly trampling her in the process. Addison was pushed aside, left in the dust, like she always was when it came to protecting the pack. If she weren't the Great Alpha, she'd probably never leave the den. She wasn't as big or as strong or as fast as the other wolves, effectively useless in a fight.
The wolves rushed into the courtyard, sending the Seabrook students running. A large gap formed between the two groups, the wolves ready to attack while the students feared for their lives.
Zed panicked momentarily, his mind already racing with all the possible ways to keep his friends and classmates safe. After all, it was his fault the wolves had even been discovered. He looked around frantically, searching for an exit or a solution—maybe even the Z-alert could save them from the monsters. Then his eyes landed on his teammates, closer to the front than anyone else.
"Football team, defense!" he shouted over the noise, calling their attention. "Z-24!" They listened to their captain, rushing to the front and blocking off the wolves.
That was one problem solved. But the wolves were bloodthirsty beasts of the night. There was no telling what they wanted there.
Between all the commotion and the imminent doom, Eliza overall caught his eye, banging her wrist against the wooden podium before Zed. Zed jumped down, nearly tripping. Still, he wedged himself between her and the podium.
"Uh, Eliza? What are you doing?"
She looked at him, frantic. "Let's smash our Z-bands and zombie out," she rushed out. "We can use our strength to fend them off." She put up her fists, ready to fight.
"We can't lose control." Zed lifted his own fists, ready to fight as a last resort. "We are not monsters." The wolves were monsters, not them, and Zed would go down fighting.
The wolves stopped, ready to attack, waiting for their command. A little wolf in the front with two buns on her head, one brown and one white, shouted, "Our razor sharp claws will gut 'em and splatter their blood."
Zed faltered, the whole student body backing up in fear. They were all going to die, even though they outnumbered the wolves.
Another wolf in the front—big, wild hair, most likely the leader—shot the little one a glare, prompting the latter to ask, "Too much?"
The leader nodded, then returned her attention to the students. "Wolves!" Her eyes glowed yellow, like that white haired wolf from the forest. "On my command!"
The entire pack snarled, fangs bared, eyes yellow and claws ready to attack. Even their chests glowed bright blue for reasons unclear. There was no way the humans stood a chance against the wolves. Maybe the zombies, though Zed highly doubted he and Eliza could take on the entire pack. Not with the z-bands on.
"Willa," Wyatt whispered beside her. She stood down, peeling her gaze from the school to her brother. "We can't go to war with the whole town."
Willa looked from her brother back to the crowd. They did seem more afraid than vengeful. And there was no way they were prepared for a fight; only two zombies stood in a fighting stance.
Wyatt continued, "We'll never find the moonstone if they're on high alert."
She huffed, muttering, "I hate it when you're right."
He shrugged, glancing around. "Where's Addison? Isn't this her genius plan?"
Addison pushed between the siblings, glaring at them through the corner of her eye. "Wolves, stand down," she commanded, taking charge of the situation.
The pack paused, then stood down. Zed nodded, muttering an, "Okay." The new wolf—the one with a full head of white hair, unlike all the others—seemed to be a lot more civil. She was still a wolf, glowering and glaring at them, her light eyes scanning over the crowd.
Her eyes landed on him and she softened. "Hi," she said in a melodic voice. "Sorry, about, the, uh, confusion." She gave a nervous laugh and Zed bit back a grin. She was kind of adorable, when she wasn't about to attack them. "We werewolves so admire your town, and we just came here to…" She glanced around. "To join your school."
"What!" All heads turned to Bucky Buchanan, finally emerging from the protection of the Aceys. "They can't join our school!"
Zed raised an eyebrow, looking back at the white-haired wolf. She was staring at Bucky, eyebrows raised in surprise. Luckily, Zed's football coach said, "Technically the Forbidden Forest is within the school district."
The white haired wolf smiled then, visibly relaxing. The rest of the wolf pack followed suit. Zed nodded slowly, letting his guard down. From up in the stands, Bonzo blared his horn and shouted, "Gerlcom Zeebook!"
Zed chuckled, glancing back at his excited friend before returning his attention to the wolves who all looked equally confused and surprised. "He says welcome to Seabrook," Zed explained. He smiled, his eyes drifting back to the white haired leader, who gave him a smile in return.