"Didn't you hear? Last night Addison was seen in Zombie Land." Stacey whispered sharply to the table as Josephine sat down with the group. Their usual addition was home sick today, Addison always said no, so Josephine was invited to make the table full. "Her parents are, like, mad."

"Why was she there?" The freshman asked curiously, carefully pulling out her chicken salad. The sure must not have went well if the town knows about it.

"Not redoing her initiation that's for sure." Bucky snapped, glaring over at the zombie table. Josephine nodded in understanding, looking over at familiar zombie and his friends, the idea was clear. Zed had invited her over. "I thought you were going to keep her out of trouble fresh meat?"

Bucky's gaze was harsh, his jaw set and eyes darker than normal. Josephine took a shaky breath and looked over at her captain. "A-addison isn't really talking to me anymore since I took my anti-zombie stance."

"Look at my perfect face." Bucky drew a circle in the air around his face and snapped, Addison flinching back. "I don't care. If you want to stay on this team, you are going to make sure Addison stays away from the freaks, got it?"

Josephine clenched her teeth together and fisted her hands under the table. Would he really kick her off the team for something like that? Her vision shifted over to Addison's table and watched the blonde smile at Zed with a small wave. Josephine sighed.

There was no way she'd be on this team by the end of the year.

"Yes, Bucky. I understand."

"Good." Bucky's smile was as fake as her love for riding her bike slowly and steady. "I knew I could count on you Jackson. If we don't do something about this infestation soon..."

If she didn't know better, Josephine would have thought that Bucky had a crush on the zombies with how much he seemed to talk about them. For the rest of the 15 minutes of lunch, the table was subjected to Bucky's rants and stories on why zombies were the worst creatures in existence.

But when Josephine stole glances at Zed, she couldn't help but think that maybe they weren't all that different form humans.

At practice that afternoon, Josephine stared at her pom-poms a little harder. There was a game on Friday and Bucky was having the team practice on the field during the football team's own practice. The idea was so that they could practice their football cheers, but the real reason was so that he could spy on the zombie named Zed and his friends.

The offense and defense were playing each other in a mock game today and some of the students came to watch too. It was like a weird little game day for Seabrook High School, but every time Zed scored Bucky again led the incorrect cheer. If it bothered the zombie, he never showed it, but Addison definitely showed it on her face.

Was it any real surprise that the offense won with Zed on their team?

"Alright team, I can tell my perfect skills have rubbed off on all of you." Bucky grinned at the group, ignoring the football team behind him finishing up. It was hard for Josephine to do the same as her eyes kept wandering. "You have all improved greatly, so go ahead and get some rest. Tomorrow we will be back in the gym!"

Josephine was quick to shower, but when she was at the vanity with her make up bag and hair products, she only stared at her face. Two cheerleaders were on either side of her already starting their skin care routine, but the brunette could only watch the water drip down the side of her face.

Perfect make up, smooth hair, ironed clothes - never out of place, right? Her mom had her wearing make up early, teaching her the difference between red and pink, when to wear powder versus liquid, and how to remedy over night pimples to only a concealable bump. Josephine's face was perfect.

Automatically, her left hand grabbed onto the hairdryer in front of her and flipped it on, her right hand grabbing a round brush. The warmth of the air felt cold and artifical flying across her scalp, but she continued until her hair was dry enough to style into a pony tail.

But then she looked back at her make up. And then at her face. And then she grabbed the primer and frowned.

Josephine packed her make up away and left the locker rooms before the rest of them.

Although her face was bare to the world, she felt... what did she feel? It tingled without the products hiding the two little red bumps on her chin and the small baby hairs that had grown in between her eyebrows felt itchy.

"Jett!" Josephine stopped in the lone hallway and turned around to face a happy zombie down the way. "Catch!"

Her eyes locked onto the nose of the ball as it spiraled towards her and her bag's dropped unceremoniously to the ground. Her right foot took a single step forward to brace herself and her fingers slipped around the curves, gripping it in place out from her chest.

Zed was smirking across the way. When she looked over, she got a better glance. The zombie's hair was wet and wild, once again another feature of the creature that payed no attention to rules. His customized overalls clung to his body, but he seemed to have no idea that he looked... human.

"See, great arm." Zed chuckled, walking over to the human with his hands in his pocket. It was almost a prance. With a smile still on his face he opened his mouth to tease the brunette, but instead a hiss of pain fell out as he gripped his Z-band. "H- ah!"

To Josephine, it looked like Zed was about to lose control, which is why she took a step back. The horrific zombified face from the pep rally was all she could see. Sadly, the human had forgotten that her bags were on the ground and tripped over them, startling her further.

"N-no, wait!" Zed grunted again, rubbing his wrists and looking at the brunette who was shaking on the floor, eyes wide with terror. "It-it's not what it looks like."

She blinked in disbelief, looking that the obviously freaking out Z-Band to the squinted eyes and gritted teeth of the green headed creature in front of her.

"...You mean to tell me your Z-Band isn't about to malfunction and send you into a mindless monster that can snap by body like a twig?"

Even in his pain, Zed was able to manage a small grin through squinted eyes as he caught on the phrasing of her sentence. He took a few deep breathes and let out a chuckle, Josephine felt her hair stand up at the lower register.

"...Does this mean you don't think I'm a monster right now?"

"...I don't think you're mindless right now." Josephine corrected, eyeing the zombie. When no veins protruded and her eyes could only see a bruise around his Z-Band she hesitated. He really seemed like he was struggling when no one was around and she felt her own surprise at the pit building inside of her at the thought. "Are you... okay?"

There was a small silence between the two teens that wasn't necessarily uncomfortable, but it wasn't welcomed all the same. Zed took a few seconds to push the pain away and brought himself back to the present with a sigh of relief and a rub of his wrist.

His eyes then trailed downward to Josephine who still played on the ground and he frowned. Her body was over her bags and it must not have been comfortable to lay on top of them like that.

"I, uh..." Zed trailed off, looking around them to see if anyone was nearby before sighing and extending a hand. "Let me help you." When she didn't take he rolled his eyes. "Come on, I won't bite... unless you ask, remember?"

Josephine still hesitated, but her eyes locked onto the Z-Band in curiosity. What could make the equipment malfunction in such a way? It looked pretty nasty and it made her want to call her mom for help... then her dad to get it fixed. She gulped down whatever nerves she had and made eye contact with Zed.

"Will you tell me why you have a bruise around your Z-Band?"

"...Only if you promise not to tell anyone.."

A secret for her? For her only? When was the last time someone entrusted her with such a sacred idea like a secret? Her eyes felt damp, but she pushed it down and steeled herself. She felt naked without her make up, but Zed's cool smile and outstretched hand made her feel...

Perfectly fine.

"Deal."

She willing held hands with a zombie.