Angel: I almost forgot, I don't know who to pick for a voice actress for May. I get asked about who would voice my OCs and I never have an answer lol. I wouldn't say Kelly Hu, I've heard her voice and I don't think it would fit. It has more of an edge to it and that's not May. I mean, she's a fighter but she's not super serious.

Also Owl House comes out tomorrow! I'm really excited!

Big Mama went down the street and they made a right turn. "When the whole world has been turned into a nutso post-apocalyptic crazy land, you always gotta be ready," Jack recited while wearing sunglasses.

June glanced to Quint in front eating chips. "Who is he talking to?"

"I don't know," Quint denied while shaking his head. May was riding on Rover, patting his head happily. Quint tossed him a chip and he ate it. Jack then went into the parking lot, running over a sign.

"Between bone-crushing monsters and mysterious missing zombies...there's one thing you can say about being the last kids left in this crazy world," Jack opened up the door to a place and they looked at the abandoned area. He turned on the lights, revealing that they were in a bowling alley. "It ru-"

"It rules!" June cheered as she ran past Jack, who looked bewildered at her reaction. "Yay!"

"All right!" Dirk cheered too as the others followed her inside.

"Hey! That was my line!" Jack protested at her.

"You were busy doing a weird movie announcer voice," She wiggled with her hands and smiled. "Race you to the snacks!"

"Dibs on-"

"All the bowling shoes!" Quint looked up in awe at the neat shelf in front of him. "Guys, you're about to make a lot of friends," He chuckled as he tapped his feet together.

"Yeah!" Dirk got some punch while June held a bag of chips over her mouth. May ran over to the prize machine.

"For once, I can get a prize!" She said happily as she never managed to win one. And thankfully her leg was all healed thanks to Quint.

"The entire bowling alley, just for me and my buds," Jack smirked as he gestured to the area. "Championship bowler, Jack Sullivan, lines up, centers himself, and-" He tossed the ball, but he threw it too hard and the ball went flying into the shoe shelf. Quint yelped as all the shoes fell over him.

"My babies!" He panicked while in the pile. "Now I'll never be able to find my size."

"Pfft! Let me show you how it's done," June pressed the button to recall the pins...and instead zombies fell out. The same thing happened with the other lanes as they all looked towards the group of kids. May turned around in alarm at the snarling and they backed away. "Uh-oh."

Quint walked over with a wince. "I think we found some of the missing zombies."

"It's worse than that. It's League Night!" Dirk panicked as some of them were wearing bowling league shirts. They all inched forward to the group. The five all split up, June grabbing her spear. She ducked from a zombie and jumped behind the counter. She opened up the fridge and snatched some sodas. She shook them up and then tossed the cans at the zombies. One of them exploded.

"Yes!" June shouted and then a zombie hand touched the counter. "Yikes! Order up!" She kicked it onto the bell.

Dirk ran up to the rack of bowling balls, tossing them into the guts of zombies. One of them didn't hit the ground, though, and he turned to Jack. "What do we do, Dingus? There's a gazillion of 'em!"

"Uhh..." Jack looked to his slicer and then to some bowling pins on the ground nearby. He grabbed his slicer and then stood on top of a chair. "Dirk! Batter up!" Jack held his slicer like a baseball bat.

Dirk tossed one into the air and Jack hit the pin into a trio of zombies, knocking them down into a pile. Dirk threw another one, and Jack repeated what he did several times. The third time, he only got two because one of them spun around and started walking towards him. "Aw, that should have been a strike," He complained at this. Rover growled as he tackled the zombie onto the floor. "Good boy, Rover."

Rover then tackled some zombies. "Hey, Quint, did you see that?" Jack looked around as May ran over and Dirk bent down. She jumped onto his back and then kicked a zombie down. "Quint?"

"Over here, Jack!" Quint called out while a zombie was right behind him. He turned around and fell as several other zombies surrounded him. He held up the bag of chips. "Stay away! These are high in saturated fat!" He screamed and Jack saw him in trouble.

"Quint!" He jumped down and ran over, Quint turning to his friend in a panic.

"Jaaack!"

"May!" Jack screamed and she turned around. She narrowed her eyes and held up her arms while running forward. She did a cartwheel over a zombie and then once her hands touched the ground, she pushed herself up to land on the ground. Jack took a bag with a bowling bag in it and swung it at the zombie. May used her shovel claws to punch a zombie in the face, knocking it down while the last one snarled and zeroed in on Quint. "Quint!" Jack shouted as it looked like he was about to be eaten. Suddenly shrieking was heard, and it made all the zombies stop. Then they started to leave, confusing everyone as the zombies didn't even attack them anymore. "The shrieking."

The sound went off again and it was like the zombies were being brainwashed or coerced into following it. May held out a hand to Quint and he smiled a bit, accepting her help. He then sighed in relief. "Thanks for the save."

"No problem, Quint. Glad you're okay."

Jack walked over to them, looking horrified. "You...you...you-th-they almost..." He leapt froward and squeezed Quint into a hug. "You're okay!"

Quint choked a little. "I was," He murmured in pain from the hug. Jack laughed nervously as he backed away from his friend.

"Sorry."

"Huh, guess that's game," Dirk shrugged a little, chugging the drink from the trophy cup.


By the time they got back, it was starting to get dark. Jack parked Big Mama in front of the tree house. "Well, that was creepier than I expected," Dirk patted Rover as May slid down his body and he licked her face a bit, earning a smile from the girl. "And I expected a solid eight on the creepy scale."

"Did you see how the zombies reacted to the shrieking?" June pointed out. "It was like dogs hearing a dog whistle or something."

"Yes, that was most peculiar in...deed?" Quint had stepped out of Big Mama, only to land on Jack's back as he was kneeled in front of the car.

"Hey, buddy," He smiled nervously as Quint jumped off of him. "Just checking under the car for anything that might kill you," He grabbed his backpack, Quint glancing at May who just shrugged. "Zombies, monsters, rusty nails. Eh, you can't be too careful."

"Thanks?" Quint shrugged in confusion, walking past him. "I suppose?"

Jack stared after him in concern. "Rusty nails? I've had my fair share of those tuning up Big Mama, those are nothing," May remarked as she walked past and he just stuck out his tongue at her in retaliation.

"You didn't see your best friend almost get eaten by zombies," He grumbled while crossing his arms.

"Well, we gotta revise our theories on the disappearing zombies, Dirk," June spoke up. "I really thought my Cryptosaurus Rex hypothesis was on the money."

"And I guess I was wrong about alien abductions," He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "What do you think, brainiac?" He glanced back at Quint.

"I'd like to do some real observation, possibly set up a control group of zombies," He was suddenly lifted up, May stopping short and staring at him. "And maybe-" He looked down to see that Jack had picked him up and started carrying him. "Jack, what are you doing?"

"The ground is...very uneven over here," He tapped the ground nearby. "You could sprain an ankle," He then started carrying Quint bridal style, who struggled to get away from him since May was still watching them. "Then it gets infected. Next thing you know, I'm getting out the saw." Both Quint and May winced at this. "I blame Dirk and June's terrible groundskeeping skills."

"What?!" Both of them whipped around in protest. "Hey!" They then smiled and pointed at each other. "Jinx!"

"Dude, not cool," May crossed her arms.

"Jack, put me down," Quint protested, giving an awkward smile to May. "Why are you acting like my nanny all of a sudden?"

"Pfft. I'm not acting like your nanny," Jack waved it off. He licked his thumb and wiped off Quint's cheek, just like a mother would. "Besides, it's way past your bedtime. Let's get you a warm glass of milk and tuck you in-"

"Jack! Knock it off," Quint glared at him, chuckling nervously at his crush after Jack put a blanket over him. "I don't have a bedtime!"

"Oh, all right, fine!" Jack relented to his friend. "You were almost dead city a few minutes ago! It's freaking me out and making me hyperventilate, and I'd breathe into a paper bag if there were one lying around here..." He then let out a breath. "But there's not. No thanks to Dirk and June's over-the-top excellent groundskeeping skills."

"Hmm? Jinx again!"

"Actually, May, your hair's long enough, mind if I-"

"Ew! No!" She recoiled back in disbelief. "Stay away from me if you're putting ideas like that in your head."

"Jack, relax," Quint smiled while taking off the blanket. "Being almost dead city is the norm, but the key word is almost. Besides, if things get really bad, I've got May protecting me, and me protecting her," He jerked a few fingers between him and May, the latter smiling. After him trying to prove himself worthy of protecting her, they promised to continue doing so, but just not going overboard with it.

Jack stared after Quint as he was about to cross over to the treehouse. Suddenly zombies rose from the water to surround him, though for some reason the others didn't notice. "Quint! No!" Jack shouted as he ran up and tackled Quint to the ground, as it was just his imagination.

"Ow!"

"Jack! What are you doing?" June protested as Jack looked around in alarm as no one was there. Dirk pulled him off Quint. "Quint, are you okay?" She asked as she and May helped him up. He sighed as he dusted himself off.

"Nothing a long, hot bath wouldn't cure."

"Uhh, we don't have a bathtub," Dirk informed him, earning a huff from Quint.

"Then I am not okay," He stormed off, the others looking at Jack who just frowned.

"Come on, Quint, I'll make you a slushie instead," May offered, giving Jack a quick glare as she followed the boy into the treehouse.


"Quint!" Jack rolled around in bed, having a nightmare of Quint being in danger. "Look out, buddy. Quint, Quint, no, no!" He sat up in alarm, sighing as he laid down on the pillow. He groaned as he was unable to sleep, not without thinking that Quint would become a zombie. He peeked into Quint's room, seeing him asleep. He narrowed his eyes and snuck past May's room as she was asleep as well. He reached the first floor, June and Dirk snoring while sleeping on the couch and floor respectively. He walked past and went to the balcony. "Man..." He lamented, looking up at the sky. "I wish there was someone to talk to." He blinked and saw Rover sleeping in the yard. Jack picked up a tennis ball. "Uh, whoops," He lightly dropped it onto Rover's back to wake him up. He looked around and then saw Jack. "Oh, Rover, you're awake!" He laughed awkwardly, hoping Rover wouldn't catch on. "Look at us, just a pair of night owls. Might as well come up." Rover just raised a brow in confusion.

Jack sighed while pouring Rover a drink. "I don't know why I'm so jumpy lately. I know it bugs everyone," He threw the juice can away. "But I just, like, worry, you know?" He poured something into Rover's cup, who panted happily and started drinking. Jack sighed while leaning against Rover, holding his mug and looking up to the stars. "I guess it's just that Quint and May and Dirk and June and me feel like this awesome crew..." He could imagine them as constellations in the stars, a shooting star going by. "Which makes me majorly super petrified." Rover looked up at him as Jack stood up in determination. "I've gotta protect them." Rover nodded in agreement. "I'm gonna lock 'em all up in this treehouse so none of them can ever, ever leave! Not even if they ask."

Rover shook his head rapidly, as that felt concerning and creepy. "Not even if they ask." He then realized what he said, turning around to Rover. "Yeah, I mean, I'll still feed them and they'll get sunshine on the weekends, if they behave, and..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, no, I heard it as soon as I said it. That was creepy."

The shrieking then occurred and he yelped in alarm. "The shrieking," He gasped, rushing over to the telescope. "It's starting again!" He looked at the telescope, seeing a zombie react to it and then hobble away. The other zombies followed suit down the street. "It's like some sort of zombie summoner! That's it," He looked on in determination, grabbing his backpack. "I may not be able to hide my friends from danger..." He got onto the elevator and pressed down. "And we both agree I definitely can't lock them up...but I can figure out the source of the shrieking," He took out his slicer. "Let's go! Just you and-"

He suddenly got tackled to the ground, screaming in alarm. "The zombie summoner got me!" Someone flicked his face and he looked up to see Quint.

"Jack! It's us, Quint and May," He gestured to May in pink shorts with red hearts over them, and a white tank top and wearing bunny slippers.

"Guys?! You're the zombie summoners?" He pointed up at them in confusion. "Why?"

"What?" May looked annoyed at this.

"We're not zombie summoners," Quint tied off his robe as they helped him up.

"Oh. Well, then, why'd you tackle me?" Jack retorted to him. "You can't just go around tackling people like that."

"You tackled me this afternoon!" Quint argued back while crossing his arms.

"Oh, weird, I don't remember that," Jack whispered to himself, looking away.

"Anyway," May interjected with a hand on her hip.

"I tackled you to stop you," Quint started to explain. "I know you want to protect us, but we're also all rather talented heroes in our own right. Especially May, she's not only a mechanic, but a really strong fighter!"

"Oh...really?" May blushed a bit as she brushed away and he flinched, realizing what he said.

"W-Well, I mean, you're in no ways a bad fighter," He rubbed his neck, a little embarrassed. "Far from it! And I...respect that—w-we're coming with you!" He directed his conversation back to his friend.

"What?! No way!" Jack denied to them.

"Uh, yes way," May crossed her arms.

"Come on, Jack. With the three of us, what's the worst that could happen?" All Jack could see was Quint getting surrounded by zombies again. He yelped, May not reacting as a tongue hit Quint in the face. He then got dragged into the mouth of a frog monster, who slurped his tongue.

"Toad!" He tackled the toad, who was just Quint again. He looked around in alarm as May ran over to them.

"Why do you keep doing that?!" Quint demanded to his best friend. "And did you yell toad?"

"I keep imagining bad stuff," Jack answered sheepishly.

"Well, stop it!" Quint gritted his teeth at him, May helping him up. He dusted himself off with a dust roller. "Now it's just the three of us, or we wake up Dirk and June, and it's the five of us," He smirked down at Jack knowingly since that would mean they'd find out about what Jack was trying to do.

"Plus someone's gotta watch over you if you decide to tackle him again," May gestured to Quint. "To make sure you snap yourself out of it."

"Ahh, fine," Jack relented to them. "But change out of your weird bathrobe shark slipper outfit."

Quint looked down at his slippers, May chuckling at Quint a little. He blushed deeply in embarrassment for her finding this out. "Aw, they actually look kind of cute."

"They're not cute! They're supposed to be cool," Quint pouted at her. The shrieking was heard again, Quint grabbing Jack's shirt. "No time! Let us make haste!" He dragged Jack along with him, May jumping onto Rover and taking off with him.


A monster flew past the moon and the three on Rover. Jack was in front while Quint was in the middle, with May in the back. "So, Quint, don't you think it's a little chilly for a robe?" Jack asked him casually.

"Oh, yay. Nanny Jack is back," Quint replied sarcastically.

"Am I gonna have to listen to this the whole time?" May sighed, a hand on her cheek.

"No. I got your point about us all being heroes, and I've taken it in." Suddenly zombies came out of a prison bus, heading towards the group. "Noooo!" Jack defended both Quint and May. "Leave Quint out of this! He's an innocent guy in a fuzzy bathrobe! And May is too cool to die! Take me instead!"

She gave him a blank look and was about to fight them off when the shrieking occurred once again, and the zombies all headed towards it. "Hoo!" Jack panted heavily. "Right, the shrieking. Heh," He gave off heavy pants. "Oh, I really want a paper bag to breathe into."

"Are you okay, Jack?" Quint asked him in concern.

"Yes. Yes, I am," He smiled confidently. His best friend glanced at May, who didn't believe him as she shook her head. He looked at her and realized what she was wearing.

"I didn't realize May is wearing less than I am. Maybe you should take my bathrobe," He started taking it off and she flinched in alarm, waving her hands.

"Oh, no, Quint, you don't need to do that, I'm fine," She told him but he placed it over her anyway.

"I insist," He smiled as he tied the robe around her waist and she smiled softly at him while snuggling into the robe. He cleared his throat, looking away with a blush. "Uh, that is, if you'll accept it from me," He rubbed his neck.

She hummed a little at him. "Because it's you, I'll accept it, but just this once."

"R-Really?" He perked up at her.

"You know what we need?" Jack interrupted the moment. "A higher vantage point." He pointed all the way up to a cliff underneath the moon.


Dirk and June were still sleeping when the shrieking happened. This time it was so loud, it opened the doors and they both woke up. "Huh? What?" They asked at the same time, June falling to the ground. "Hey! You woke me up! What? Jinx! Ah!" They both shouted in frustration. "Well, if you didn't wake me up, it must have been..." They looked up at the second floor, noticing Jack's empty bed. "Hey! Where are Quint, Jack, and May?" Both of them jumped to the ground.

"Hey-" June covered his mouth with her hand before he could finish.

"I can't take us jinxing each other anymore. It's too weird." He muffled something, but she couldn't understand it. "Huh?"

He removed her hand with a grunt. "Agreed."

"Did they seriously take off without us?" June demanded as they walked out to the balcony. Dirk sighed as he saw that Rover was nowhere to be found either.

"Looks like the booger brothers and May took Rover, too."

"But where would they go in the middle of the night?" June wondered to him. The shrieking happened yet again and they looked up.

"The shrieking!" They exclaimed in unison.

"I'll allow that one," June held up a finger.


The four reached a graveyard. "Here we go."

"The graveyard?" Quint asked in confusion. "Isn't a graveyard, by definition, zombie central?"

"Nah, all the zombies are out following the shrieking," Jack explained to him. "Besides, it's one of the highest points in Wakefield," He offered his arms to help Quint down, but he jumped to the ground himself. He smiled as he gestured to the cage.

"Ladies first."

"I would say chivalry is dead, but that'd be too cliché," She chuckled a bit, sliding down Rover and slipping forward. "Whoa!" Quint quickly grabbed onto her and she held his shoulders on instinct as he hugged her waist. Both of them stared at each other while in close proximity.

"You okay?" He asked her and she cleared her throat awkwardly.

"Yeah. Thanks," She replied and both of them quickly let go of each other, turning away with their hearts racing.

"No problem..."

Jack glanced between the two, smiling proudly at them. May rubbed her neck while walking towards the door. "We'll be able to see the whole town from that tomb over there." May pushed open the door and they entered, Rover scratching against the ground. He then sat down and crashed onto a grave. "Ahh, sorry, Ethel Crumb Bean," Jack read the name. "Rover. You stay here, bud. But stay alert! We'll be right back."

Rover panted as he watched them leave, laying down and falling asleep thanks to Jack waking him up earlier. The trio walked down the path, looking at all the graves. "Man. You'd think that after you'd seen monsters come through a portal in the sky, a graveyard would be less creepy. Turns out-"

"Just as creepy," Quint interrupted him as they reached the tomb, but it had vines around some parts. Quint gripped a vine and started climbing.

"Hey, you know what?" Jack pulled him down safely. "You stay down here with May while I climb this totally-not-dangerous, totally-not-high-up, easy-peasy mausoleum thingy."

"If it's so easy, anyone could do it," May retorted, hands on her hips and he winced.

Quint sighed in defeat. "Fine."

"Kay, great! BRB." They watched him climb up to the top. While he was ascending, a vine fell from his foot, falling in front of the mausoleum. Jack reached the top, crawling on the roof. "Whoa," He murmured as he overlooked the town. "There's so many. They're everywhere," He commented as they were a line of zombies all heading in one direction. "It's like the Thanksgiving Day Zombie Parade," He took out his camera to get a picture. He then saw some zombie members wearing band uniforms. "Literally. Wow..."

"Jack," Quint called out from the ground. "Are you able to see where they're headed?"

"Yep. They're headed, uh, that way?" Jack pointed in a random direction.

"Great! We're coming up," Quint grabbed a vine.

"No! Quint! I don't want anything to happen to you," Jack protested to him. "Just stay down there with May where it's safe."

The door opened from the inside, something crawling out from it. "Not again," May pinched her nose, looking away.

"Aha! I knew that's the reason you wanted me to stay dow-"

Something broke out of the mausoleum, and they screamed as they landed roughly on the ground. Quint crashed into a grave, May landing on her side in front of him. "Quint! May!" Jack shouted in concern, and the thing that broke out was actually a giant eyeball with thorns surrounding it. Quint whimpered in fear as May sat up slowly, her mouth open. It slithered towards them before opening its mouth and revealing saliva from its somehow possible mouth.


Dirk drove down the street in Big Mama with June, both of them wearing the same hat. She glanced up at him. "I...can't believe we never noticed we have the same favorite hat," She brought up with a semi-awkward smile.

"Probably just a coincidence," He tried to pass it off. "Like the jinxing."

"Yeah, coincidence. There's no way you and I have anything real in common." She looked out the window as two different looking monsters were near a trash can. "We're nothing alike." The two monsters both went around the same trash can. "Like, watch. Favorite food?"

"Pizza."

"Too easy," She waved it off since almost anyone would like pizza. "Um-favorite animal?"

"A hawk," They answered, baffled that they still said the same thing. "Cause it sees everything!" June recoiled back a bit and then groaned, covering her eyes in frustration. It wasn't that she didn't want to have anything in common with him, but it wasn't like they ever hung out at school, so it was just weird.


The eyeball monster roared again, May standing up and taking a stance in front of Quint. Jack winced, looking around and picking up some dirt. May lunged forward with a yell. "Hey, you big hairy eyeball!" It turned around to look up at him. "Here's mud in your eye!" He tossed it into the pupil, jumping and landing in front of May, who raised a skeptic brow. "...I swear, that was just to help Quint, not baby him." He then ran off and she snapped out of it, following after him. "Run!" He grabbed Quint as they took off, the eyeball monster slithering after them. They all screamed as they rushed towards the exit. "Quint? Why is that eyeball covered in hair?"

Quint looked back as its mouth opened up again and it fired its spikes. "I believe I know the answer to your question!" He shouted as Jack held his head to protect himself.

"Me too! Where's Rover?"

Rover was still asleep, laying on his back and growling. "Oh, did you wake him up? I know I suspected something when he kept yawning on the way here!" May accused him and he smiled nervously.

"No, maybe, yes? We're sorry we bothered you, Mr. Hairy Eyeball Monster!" Jack yelled as it fired its spikes yet again.

"Apology apparently not accepted!" Quint retorted, May rolling as she avoided the projectiles. Quint suddenly grabbed her hand and she gasped in surprise as he pulled her to go faster. They jumped and landed behind a giant tombstone. Jack looked up as another spike was fired and then noticed something.

"Wait! Look!" The eyeball monster was now literally just an eye.

"He's out of quills!" Quint noticed, May biting her lip nervously.

"The bestiary!" Jack held it up. "This is a chance to get some essence."

"S-Seriously? This is happening right now?" May asked in disbelief as they watched him approach the monster.

"Not so tough now, are ya, you big, bald cyclops?" Jack taunted him, the brunette staying from her spot while Quint joined him. The eyeball monster regrew more of its quills, however, jumping and landing as it was back to normal. "I'm sorry."

"Duck and cover!" Quint screamed as they hid behind a tree and a grave, May ducking her head from her spot to avoid them.

"You had to ask!" May retorted to Jack once she looked up. One of the quills landed in the book and he smiled.

"Thanks." The monster fired again and he made a break for it, tackling Quint and they both rolled away. May came out of hiding, flipping and cartwheeling over the quills, and Quint landed in front of another grave, with a spike through his arm. Jack yelped as he stood up, May glancing at Quint and gasping as she laid eyes on his injury. "Quint! What are you doing? Get up!"

"I-I can't!" Quint stammered as he was stuck to the tombstone. May attempted to pull on the quill just as the monster regrew his onto his eyeball body. Jack took out his slicer with a panicked look on his face.

"Oh, man..." He lamented at their situation.

Dirk continued driving down the street while June was frustrated more so than ever. "Ugh! We have absolutely everything in common!"

"I know!" Dirk shouted as he was just as frustrated as her.

"I'm sick of it!"

"Me too!" He cried out in agreement.

"That means we have being-sick-of-being-in-common in common too!" June shook her fists as both of them screamed and Dirk came to a stop around the corner.

"Oh, my!" They looked up ahead to see the zombie parade going on in front of them. They glanced to each other in shock and then back at the zombies. Both of them couldn't believe what they were seeing, and because of what was going on, she'd allow him being shocked too.

"Stay back! Or...or I'll poke your eye out!" Jack threatened the eye, but it didn't stop him as it fired its quills at him. Jack used his slicer to knock them away, eventually one of them knocking his weapon out of his hand. May stood up as Jack laughed nervously, running forward to the eye. It snarled and then fired some more quills, May knocking them back towards the monster. Jack screamed and took some photos, blinding the monster a bit as it roared and slid away. It knocked itself into trees as it left. "Ha!" Jack stood up triumphantly. "Talk about a photo finish, right, Quint?" He turned around, May looking back and rushing over to them. "Quint?"

"Quint, come on, speak to me," May bent down in front of him in concern.

"I realized the camera flash would blind him...because I'm so intelligent," He replied weakly, the quill still in his arm.

"Dude, hold on," Jack pleaded with Quint.

"It's been fun, friend. And May...sweet, adorable May...parting from you will be such sweet sorrow!" May opened her mouth in awe, Jack shocked that he actually told her that. "Tell the world! Tell the world our story. Uhh..." He then fell over and closed his eyes.

"No, Quint! Quint!" Jack panicked as May covered her mouth with her hands, trying to hold in tears. "Oh man, this is all my fault! I was trying to stop bad things from happening to you, but I...oh, what have I done? QUUUUUUUUUINT!"

"What?" Quint then shot up awake.

"You're alive!" The two shouted as May lunged forward for a hug, Quint surprised from her reaction. He slowly wrapped an arm around her, smiling happily.

"But I thought you were...the quill went right through..." Quint stood up as he wasn't actually stabbed, it just went straight into the tombstone. "The...tombstone?"

"Huh," Quint checked himself over. "Looks like it just grazed my arm a bit," He stated as there was a small cut on it. "I'm a-okay, my friends."

"You're a-okay!" Jack exclaimed happily and then looked over Quint. "And I'm just now noticing that you're in your underwear."

"Well, yeah, I'd take being in my underwear any day if that means May stays warm," Quint admitted and she smiled before she realized something. She then smirked knowingly at him.

"Sweet and adorable, huh?" She teased and he looked away in embarrassment, blushing. "Glad you're okay, though we're gonna get back to that."

"Oh no..." Quint murmured in dismay as he realized he basically admitted how he saw May to her face. "Uhh, uh oh, looks like Jack got grazed too!" He pointed at his friend, who had part of his shirt missing; he must've gotten hit when one of the quills was fired and never noticed.

"Is that bad?"

"Probably not," Quint bent down to the grass, picking one up. "They're just quills, like a porcupine. How do you feel?" He looked up at his friend.

"Uh, never better," Jack assured him. "Well, actually, now..." He rubbed the back of his neck, sniffling. "That you mention it, a little, uh..." He sniffled again, May raising a brow. "A bit...emotional!" Jack started crying, baffling the others.

"What?" Quint recoiled back a bit.

"Um..." May stared at him.

"It-" Jack let out another sniff. "It must be the-the-the quills," He pointed at the quill with tears streaming down his face. May picked it up and examined it in confusion.

"This little thing? It doesn't look that painful to me," She commented while glancing up at him.

"But it can't be, because I don't feel emotional, and neither does May," Quint was trying to hide it, though, while May seemed to be fine herself. "I feel...I feel...extremely emotional!" He started crying too, baffling the brunette as she stared at them both. "The chemical properties must be similar to chopped onions. May never got cut, so she's not feeling the effects!" He hugged Jack tightly as they both cried.

"No, but this is kinda weird to have to watch," May backed away a little.

"Let's get outta here," Quint pulled away from him. "But how?" He looked around as they couldn't see anything thanks to the tears. "I can't see through all these tears." He continued crying and May patted his back awkwardly.

"Don't worry, my friend, I think the way out is over here," Jack pointed forward and they continued their cries, latching onto May, who looked down at them in alarm. "May, can you get us out of here, please?"

"Um, yeah, sure. Am I gonna be let go or-" They sobbed loudly and her eyes widened for their reaction. "Okay, guess not. Hopefully these effects wear off sooner than later..." She murmured as she looked away, feeling awkward by their emotional peaks and by being hugged like this. The two boys walked forward and her mouth opened in horror as they were not only heading for a cliff, but straight for the zombies. "Um, guys, not this way!"

They couldn't hear her over the sobbing, though.


Dirk drove past the zombies on the road. "Well, if we're stuck having everything in common, I hope you're just as peeved as I am that Jack, May, and Quint took off on their own," June narrowed her eyes in annoyance.

"Sure am. Bunch of dorks. Except May, she's cool."

"Like, you gotta trust your crew. If you're gonna be all in, be all in, you know?" June ranted a bit.

"Oh, I know, because I'm all in," Dirk nodded in agreement. "Are you? Not trying to get anywhere else?"

"Yeah," She scoffed after a few seconds. "Duh, of course." She rubbed the back of her neck. "I just-"

"Got one foot out the door?" Dirk guessed correctly. "Aching to move back home?"

She gasped sharply at the accusation. "You know what? You don't know what it's like, because you don't have a famil-" She gasped, covering her mouth.

"A what?" He glared a bit in defense.

"A...mouth that talks before your brain thinks, like me...though I don't know if I agree with you on May being cool." She grumbled, placing a hand on her cheek. "She acts like she's above everyone else and spoiled."

"Why do you dislike her so much?" Dirk stared at her. "She is cool. Even after we decided to break up and be friends, she's always been a good person."

"Whoa, what?!" June recoiled back in shock. "Broke up? You mean you two actually dated?"

"For like a few weeks," Dirk shrugged a bit. "It just never really worked, she was only doing it to get her dad off her back. We weren't really being a couple, more so just friends at school and acting like a couple around him. I was getting free desserts out of it, so it wasn't like I wasn't happy. Give her some credit, she's not as perfect as you think she is."

June looked away as she couldn't believe it. May might...actually be a bit nicer than she thought. "Maybe...I guess me making assumptions is something I have more in common with-" June gasped in horror as she looked forward. "Jack!"

"You can just say his name normal," Dirk told her, not noticing what she was seeing.

"No, I mean, Jack!" She pointed up ahead, squinting her eyes. "And Quint and May! Up there, look!" He looked far up ahead to see three silhouettes heading for the cliff. "What are they doing? And why aren't they listening to May?" She could tell that May was trying to get them to turn around, but they weren't paying attention.

The two boys sobbed while walking, May stuck between them as they hugged her tight. "Guys! Can you please-" They let out sobs again, interrupting her and she shook her head in disbelief.

"You know what really stung, my friend?" Quint spoke up as they finally stopped, to May's relief.

"The...the monster quills?" Jack asked between sniffs.

"Indeed!" Quint cried out, crying into his arm. He wiped off his arm onto his shirt, their tears dripping onto May's body. "But also when you tried to ditch me t-tonight." He looked up at Jack straight in the eye. "It was rough, buddy."

"You're right! It was!" Jack screamed and they wailed, May looking exasperated with them.

"Can we just turn around and talk about this lat-" They glomped their faces onto her shoulders and she looked away, a bit grossed out. "Eww, I can feel all your snot on me."

"But I wasn't trying to ditch ya," Jack looked up at Quint, both of them ignoring the girl. "I was trying to protect ya, to keep ya alive!"

"And instead...you almost got us all killed!" Quint retorted back between tears. The two finally let go of the girl, and she dusted herself off, along with shaking off the tears from her body.

"I'm so sorry, my friend. And you too, May," Jack sniffled again. "I realize now that trying to do things on my own to protect you guys ends up putting us all in danger."

May held up a nervous hand. "Oh, it's okay. Are you able to stop cr-"

Quint held out his arms. "Come here! You too, May!" The two lunged forward and she ducked so that they hugged trees or a pillar instead. They continued switching before May grabbed their shoulders and turned them around. However, both of them went back to hugging her again and she sighed in frustration. All this emotion was getting to be a bit too much. They headed for the end of the cliff again and she struggled.

"How are you two so strong?!" She exclaimed in disbelief since she couldn't break free from them. She would do a flip and get them out of there, but their combined weight made her unable to.

"We gotta get over there. They're about to cliff dive into a zombie mosh pit!" June looked up as they were nearing the edge.

"I'm trying!" Dirk protested while driving. "There's too many zombies!"

"Too bad for them! Speed up!" June pointed forward in urgency.

"No! That's not—Hey!" He smiled as he realized something. "We're finally disagreeing!"

June laughed in realization and happiness. "Oh, yeah, we are! Now speed up!" She hit his knee to make his foot press harder on the accelerator.

"Hey!" He gave a nervous look, trying to steady the car while knocking into some zombies.

"How's that for all in?!" June slammed her fists on the dashboard.

May looked a bit pale as they reached the edge. "I still can't really see," Their eyesight was literally too blurry for them to see that they were on a cliff. "But I think that's the entrance."

"No, it's not! Turn around, pl-"

"Oh, just let us enjoy this hug!" Quint interrupted her while crying and they were about to step off the cliff. "Wait!" Quint stopped them and May dropped her head in relief. "Our last embrace before we leave," He squeezed May and Jack tighter, the girl narrowing her eyes a bit.

"Let's never stop hugging."

"Ahh!" May exclaimed in frustration at them, the two walking to the side while still crying.

Dirk came to a stop in front of a bunch of zombies. "I am not comfortable with this!" He shouted at the top of his lungs.

June growled in anger at him. "Let me drive! You're too slow!" She pushed him into the passenger's seat.

"Fine! But now you're just being contrary," He nudged her a bit.

"Am not."

"See?" He gave her a small smirk.

She revved up the engine, zipping past all the zombies as she headed for the cliff. She zipped past all the zombies while Dirk looked out the window to holler at them. "Hey, you yutzes! Stop walking!" He called out to them. "You're gonna go off the cliff!" Dirk then honked the horn.

"Don't look at me, tell that to them!" May pointed to the boys, but Dirk couldn't hear her over the honking. Rover, however, did hear it and woke up, looking around and leaving the gate.

"This is definitely the way," Quint turned to the edge, May cringing nervously and they were about to step off.

"Wait!" Jack stopped them.

"Oh, thank god," May murmured as she thought that finally they'd at least consider what they're doing.

"One quick selfie to commemorate another terrific adventure," Jack sniffled while Quint wiped his tears.

"Such eloquent words."

"Yeah! Here's an example: TURN AROUND!" May tried to get it through their heads.

Jack took a photo of nothing since he couldn't see where he was aiming the camera. "No, we always have the best sense of direction. We're going the right way," Jack told her and she bit her lip. If she could break free, she would be really tempted to smack the both of them.

"Why are they still going?!" Dirk screamed as the two could see the three still moving.

"Something's wrong," June gave a look of worry. "We have to break their fall somehow."

"Airbags!"

"Filling an inflatable kiddie pool with water," June then realized what Dirk said. "Oh, yeah, your idea's way better. Glad we're not sharing a brain anymore."

"Me too," He then looked at the front in a panic. "Press every button!" They started doing so with the oil slick, headlights, and horn going off. The windshield wipers went off and then an inflatable float actually did appear on top of the hood.

"Oh, it is a kiddie pool!"

"Yes!" Dirk cheered with a smile...but came to a stop in the middle of an oil slick in front of the cliff. "Oh, no, we're stuck!"

"And not close enough!" June looked up as they were feet away from the trio. May looked down and gasped upon seeing them.

"Oh, wait," Quint stated as they were about to step off. "This isn't the exit from the graveyard." May looked away, letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "It's the entrance to a next level of friendship." Both of them continued crying onto May, though she was past trying to comfort them.

"Come on, come on!" June slammed on the accelerator, and the edge of the cliff broke off, causing them all to fall off. The trio screamed, along with their friends. Rover came running in and pushed Big Mama closer, the two looking nervous as they came to a stop underneath the three. All of them landed in the kiddie pool, May now officially relieved. "You guys!" June popped out of the car, going over to join them.

"Besides now being afraid of heights...yeah," May gave a weak thumbs up. The boys sobbed and she glanced at them, sighing slowly. June and Dirk stared at them.

"Guess not," He gave a small shrug.

"Not that," May waved it off. "If it was, I'd be crying too."

"We heard the shrieking...and wanted to see where the zombies went?" Jack tried to explain between tears.

"But then a monster hit us with his quills, and they made us cry so bad, Jack and I couldn't see. May wasn't hit, so she was helping us out, but I guess we were wrong about where we were going!"

"They made us sad like onions do!" Jack cried out, turning around and placing his entire face onto May's shoulder, who just looked away with a cringe.

"Onions don't make you sad, Dingus," Dirk retorted to him.

"They don't?" Jack and Quint took one look at each other and started crying yet again. May gently pushed him off, sliding down the kiddie pool to the ground and flicking off all the snot.

"Please can we go home? Since I was with them, they kept hugging me and it just got weird the longer it went on..." She looked a bit awkward. Not that she had anything against Jack and Quint, but seeing them being this emotional for so long was draining her. Rover then started howling, Quint looking up and blinking.

"Wait...Jack!" He smiled at his friend. "I'm starting to be able to see again. I think our tears have been helping to flush out the toxin from the quills." June and Dirk just shrugged at each other.

"Oh, that could've been nice to know like 10 minutes ago," May retorted back in annoyance, hands on her hips.

"Tell us later?" Dirk asked her knowingly.

"Definitely..."

"Wait," Jack stood up, tears still in his eyes. "Why are you guys here?"

June turned him around in anger. "We're here because you ditched us and then you fell off a giant cliff. And we saved you! I can't believe you even went with them, May. Why didn't you tell them you guys were up there?"

"You try convincing them in the state they were in, they were either crying too loudly or insisting that we were in the right direction. And sure, me being there didn't prevent this, but it could've been a lot worse," May argued back, crossing her arms with a huff.

"You guys are all heroes!" Jack exclaimed with emotion. "I love you all so much!" He attempted to hug them, but tripped and fell face first onto the grass behind Rover. June jumped down and watched him cry. Rover licked his face, and he sat up right, Quint joining his side so that they could cry. Dirk sighed at them.

"Nerds..."

Quint plucked a quill from the bestiary and then poked Dirk with it. "Ow!" He started crying along with them, June looking at them in shock. May sighed as she placed a hand on her hip, dragging the other down her forehead.

"When can this end?"

"Wait," Jack looked up at June and Dirk. "You guys have matching hats?" They sobbed louder, June looking annoyed and dragging a hand down her face.

"Guess we'll solve the zombie mystery tomorrow," June deadpanned, the look still on her face as she looked back at the three hugging each other, May in front. They looked back at the boys and June silently drove off, hoping that the effects didn't last that much longer. As they left, zombies fell from the ground from the cliff...with one having a hole right through its forehead.


June glanced at May while the crying went on. She still couldn't believe that May dated Dirk of all people since on the surface, they didn't seem...compatible. She drummed her fingers against the steering wheel.

"So...Maylin. You and Dirk, huh?"

May sighed knowingly, a hand on her cheek. "If you're so inclined to know, yes, we dated, but it wasn't like it was a real relationship. If anything, it was more so to keep up appearances so that my dad would get off my back about my future. The first day he even spoke to my dad, Dirk dressed up all stuffy to impress him. Barely worked, he kept embarrassing himself until Dad realized why he was doing it."

"I'm not in-" June sighed to try and calm herself. "...I guess I just have to ask...why Dirk? You had plenty of guys to choose from. Even Quint."

May moved her hand away from her cheek. "Who?!" She blushed and then coughed as June glanced at the girl. The brunette cleared her throat as she tried to get those wandering thoughts away. "I guess I picked Dirk because...well, he's one of the few guys who didn't care that the 'coolest girl in school' picked him. He was easy enough to be around, and plus he wouldn't have bragged about it to the entire school, unlike other people I know," She rolled her eyes to the back of her head. "Wasn't the most realistic relationship, but it was relatively harmless."

"...Yeah...some people from your clique aren't like that, huh?"

"Ugh, I'm done talking about my school life with you, June," May looked annoyed with the questions.

"Okay, okay, fair," June relented and May snuggled into the seat to take a nap. She glanced back at the brunette, sighing slowly. She was trying to get along with her, but...the past was going to be really hard to get through.