What just happened? Zed thought to himself as he stumbled blindly through the streets back to Zombietown, he hoped there wasn't any Z-Patrol around. They would probably take him to Containment for acting too much like a rogue zombie. But that was what he deserved.

That morning Zed had woken up optimistic still, but that quickly faded. When Eliza met him outside his house she basically listed all the ways he was currently failing to get enough support and how most likely, because of the wolves, they wouldn't save their Prawn.

"Mangy mutts." Zed muttered under his breath. Why did they have to show up now, the week before the most important night of the year? Why was Seabrook's immediate reaction to return to the dark ages? It has to be because of Missy and Dale. No matter what they said, they would always hate him, because he's a monster. They had always just been waiting for an excuse to get him away from Addison.

When he walked into school, he started making his way towards his locker, and as always his eyes scanned the hallways for Addison. Several students stopped to chat with him, lots of thank yous and encouragement from zombie students, and several humans asked him questions about the vote. He gave them thanks in return and was happy to calm any concerns.

After he got his stuff from his locker for his first class, he finally found the most beautiful girl in the world in his eyes. Zed was so happy he could always find her in a crowd, but when he did, she was talking to one of the wolves.

After yesterday, Zed wasn't scared of them, OK maybe a little, but they were ruining everything for him and Addison. Wyatt, first him and his pack of dogs attacked the gym, making everyone scared of all monsters and giving the city council and Bucky even more ammunition to use against him. Then when he tried to help them fit in, they laughed in his face. No wonder no one likes the wolves. And now Wyatt was talking to Addison.

Wyatt then leaned closer, placed his hand on her shoulder, and whispered something in her ear.

Zed could hear his zombie flare up in his mind but he tamped it down. There was no problem, Addison was friendly with everyone, but just in case, he would send Wyatt a message.

He quickly ran up to Addison and pulled her away from Wyatt into a hug.

"There you are Addison." Zed greeted her as Addison automatically leaned into him and returned his embrace. At the same time though, he shot Wyatt a glare, but he just met his gaze with a smirk of his own.

"Good morning Handsome." she said, momentarily distracted. "How's the campaign going?"

"Honestly could be better but don't worry, I will get us to Prawn." If these stupid werewolves would understand that right now it's Seabrook against the monsters so they should be on my side. He thought silently.

"I know you will, but even if you lose we can still have the night of our lives alone with all our real friends. We don't need Prawn to have fun."

"I know, but you're perfect and you deserve the perfect night, it shouldn't be taken away from you because people think I'm a monster."

"Zed you-" Just then the bell rang, signaling the approaching start of class.

"Looks like I have to go Gorgeous."

"I know, will I see you at lunch?"

"Sorry me and Eliza will be busy campaigning."

"OK, see you in English then."

"Later."

Zed was busy most of the day. When he wasn't in class, he was in the halls trying to drum up support, hanging up more posters. He looked over at the Prawn Wall. "Just wait." he told his handsome likeness, "A few more days, and you and Addison will be over there."

He had talked to most of the football and basketball teams, and after playing with him all year, they all knew zombies weren't dangerous, at least as long as you weren't the opposing team. The cheerleaders and sports teams were the largest student groups at school, and he already figured he knew how they would vote, so he checked in with as many after school clubs as he could to try to build more support. He had helped lots of clubs out with things throughout the year, and many of them promised their votes. Plus most of them had a couple of zombies in their ranks, even though, they often seemed to be sitting somewhat separately at the moment.

He also met quite a few students that were firmly in Bucky's camp and were too afraid of the wolves or prejudiced against zombies and practically laughed in his face or told him a flat no when he walked up to him.

Finally, it was near the end of cheer practice so he was walking toward the gym with Eliza to meet their friends for a bit before the curfew kicked in. Zombies couldn't go anywhere, but they could still hang out around the school.

Zed and Eliza pushed open the gym doors to wait like they normally did. However much Eliza claimed to hate cheerleaders, he knew she sometimes enjoyed watching them, but not as much as he did. But today both were shocked.

"Wow…" Eliza deadpanned. "How much you want to bet Bucky peed his pants?" she joked.

The music was blasting like always, but instead of only cheerleaders, the werewolves had joined in the practice. Everyone seemed to be working together in unison like they had all been practicing together their entire lives. Zed could see Addison lifted right in the center of the formation like usual, but Wyatt was part of the base lifting her up.

"I thought the wolves hated Seabrook. Why are they cheering?"

Zed's shock turned to anger as the music cut out and Addison vaulted up into the air to land in Wyatt's arms. And then after he let her down, she immediately hugged him as everyone cheered around them.

"Yeah." Eliza nodded slowly. "That scruffy, super handsome, fine-smelling Wyatt is really into Addison."

"You know what they're just cheering. And laughing." Zed said slowly as everyone on the court continued to celebrate. "Wait a minute. What did you just say?"

"It's just an observation. I can see it in his eyes. I mean, the wolves and him especially have been staring at her all day in all the classes I have with her. I popped in the cafeteria to grab a quick bite at lunch and he was looking at her like the last dog biscuit."

"I'm sure she's just convincing the wolves to vote for me." Zed tried to rationalize. He watched as Addison continued to talk to Wyatt. "I'm not threatened." That sounded weak even to his ears.

"You're a terrible liar. Don't do anything stupid. If you smell smoke, stop, drop and roll. Since it looks like our friends are all preoccupied, I'm just gonna walk home Z." Eliza said, patting him on the back as she turned away.

Zed tried to control his breathing, but Addison kept talking to Wyatt about something. After Bucky interrupted them. For once in his life, he was thanking Bucky for something, but then Wyatt stepped closer to her and grabbed her hand, and she didn't pull away. "No I'm fine, I'm cool, I'm totally cool." Zed tried to reassure himself. "They're just talking about cheer or the monster vote or something. Why is he still holding her hand? Why isn't she letting go?"

She finally pulled her gaze away from the scruffy super handsome Wyatt and her gaze met his, and she shouted. "Zed!"

He knew he couldn't control his face and he didn't want to face her after that. He turned around and started walking down the halls as quickly as he could. But he froze when she heard him call his name once more. "Zed! What's wrong?"

"Werewolves! They're not interested in fitting in!" Zed shouted. He couldn't tamp down his anger anymore.

"They're into cheer." Addison happily reported.

"No they're into you. And you're into him. Them!" He quickly tried to correct himself.

"What? Why are you acting like this?"

"Do you know how hard it was for zombies? Now everything is just being handed to the werewolves on a silver platter."

"Actually they hate silver. I learned that in class today. And of course, I do, I have always been with you every step of the way."

"I'm trying to win this vote for my people. For you. So we can go to Prawn! So we can be accepted!"

"That's not being accepted." Addison motioned to the campaign poster behind him. "That's being afraid to show who you really are."

Zed thought to himself. That's only because no one will vote for a zombie because the stupid wolves are scaring everyone and don't care about anyone else. You should understand more than anyone.

"Says the girl who wore a wig her whole life!" Zed shouted out.

They both froze there, trapped in that moment as Zed's words echoed around the empty hallway. Oh ztergoge. What the hell did I just do?

"Yeah," Addison said quietly, her voice shaking, tears gathering in her eyes. "I did. Because I always felt like an outsider. And even though I'm cheer captain, I still do. You know I don't have a place here! I don't have a zombie crew! I don't know what I am! So excuse me for respecting a pack of werewolves who're proud of who they are."

Zed didn't know what to say, and he didn't trust himself to speak. So he just stood there silently.

Addison waited a moment before running away down the hall. He could do nothing except watch her go.

Zed knew he couldn't follow her, that much was clear.

Bree and Bonzo walked outside the gym. "Hey, Zed where's Addison?" Bree asked.

Zed closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and walked silently down the halls, turning in the opposite direction Addison went. He could hear Bree and Bonzo asking each other if they knew anything.

Not for the first time in his life, Zed felt like a monster. Everyone was right about him. He was a monster that could only hurt people. He could claim it was his inner zombie talking, but it wasn't. Like Addison had said, his zombie would never hurt her. It was him who did that. All him. He let himself get angry and he hurt her.

"How did this keep going wrong? How did we get here?" This was supposed to be the greatest week of their year. They reunited after so long apart and then they were supposed to have Prawn be the best night of their lives. It was Zed's fault, if he hadn't made the bus crash, the werewolves would never have come to Seabrook. He had created his own downfall. Then everything he did to try and fix it went worse and worse. He came up with the idea of the vote to prove not everyone one thought they were monsters, and Bucky immediately demanded that everything stay the same. Why couldn't Addison have kicked him off the team right there? "Because she doesn't actually care about you, or your friends."

Maybe even that punch was a sign, maybe she was always trying to run away from him and into Wyatt. Because of her stupid hair. Zed never wished anything was different about Addison, she was always perfect in his eyes, from the first time he laid eyes on her behind the fence.

"I wish that I could feel the way you do sometimes. You're stuck on the outside while I'm in here wondering why I had to make it worse, you were already hurt. Don't want to be another thing on your mind."

Zed had always done everything possible to help improve Addison's confidence, and what did that earn him? Nothing. He had started to change Seabrook, but it looks like he had never changed much of anything. He knew for Addison it was so much worse, and what did he do? He got mad and hurt her by saying the worst thing he could think of. And he did absolutely nothing to stop himself. Dale and Missy were right, he was a monster.

"I hate myself, I am a monster. Maybe they're right, maybe we shouldn't be together. I wish that I could make a change instead of making mistakes."

Zed had never wished he could be human instead of a zombie as much as that moment. Then none of this would be happening. Addison and he would have no worries about Prawn, Missy and Dale would actually accept him, and they would have had so many years to know each other before this year that nothing would break them apart. No stupid wolves to get in the way.

"Try to hold you up instead I'm the one pushing away. Just want to understand, but every time I can't. I don't know why."

Why did I do that? I am such an idiot. Why did I yell at her? We tell each other everything. But she never talked about Wyatt following her around like a lap dog. Why would she? She won't like you anymore. You're just as evil as her parents and Bucky and the rest of her family. She will never trust you again. You really are a brainless monster, and a heartless one too. Addison. She was the most important person in your life, and now she'll be gone forever. She'll never look at you again. You don't deserve her. All you have ever done is hurt her and screw up her relationships, and even the good things you did, nothing matters because she will never forgive you for this. Zed's brain went in circles as he continued on his way home through Zombietown.

When he got home he just trudged up the stairs, ignoring Zoey and Puppy's calls of hello. He couldn't talk to them, Either he would blow up on Zoey too or would end up bawling on the couch. And Zoey would hate him too if she knew what he said to Addison. He was her big brother, he couldn't let her be ashamed of him too.

He got to his room, slammed the door, and threw his backpack on the floor. He then laid facedown on his pillow and let the dam break. His tears soaked the pillowcase. He was a monster. He broke Addison's heart and it was all his fault. He could blame Wyatt or Addison or anyone as much as he wanted but he knew to his core, it was entirely him. He only knew he used to have a heart because now there was a pit in his chest. He wanted to fall into it and leave everything behind.

Zoey knocked on his room for a few minutes before giving up, then Pops did when he got home, he wouldn't take no for an answer. So Zed opened the door a crack and said he really didn't want to talk before closing it again.

After a while he could hear Eliza and Bonzo talking to his dad downstairs, they and Bree knew something was up with him and Addison, but he didn't want to explain himself, because he couldn't. They would hate him just as much as Addison did, and even more than he hated himself.

Pops soon called him down for dinner, and Zed knew he couldn't get out of it, so he plodded down the stairs and not taking his eyes off the floor, took a scoop of caulibrains and sat outside on his back porch to be alone. He tried a few bites, but it didn't taste like smelly gym sneakers this time. It was completely flavorless and Zed could barely make himself swallow.

He looked over at the pile of paper beside him. He had spent the last few nights sorting through the shredded letters and had been planning to hopefully put the first one back together tonight. Before he ruined everything because he was a monster.

"No I can't read whatever she wrote, it doesn't matter she will never love a monster like you anymore," Zed told himself, but his hands and his heart seemed to have a mind of their own and he started to dig through the pile once more.

After about twenty more minutes he had the first letter repaired. It was a short but simple message, it almost reminded him of their days hiding notes in each other's lockers.

Dear Zed, always know this, WE BELONG TOGETHER! Love Addison.

Zed couldn't help but stare at her writing, tears running down his cheeks, he lifted his necklace over his neck and looked at it in the dim light of his porch. The ZA and carefully engraved on one side, We Belong Together.

"No Addison, I know I don't deserve you, but I refuse to give you up without a fight." Zed's depressed frown turned into a tiny smile as he pictured her, before morphing into a look of absolute determination.

He ran out of his yard, but not before placing the taped together letter in his pocket right over his heart. He knew he might fail, but he never let that stop him before.

Zed quickly found Bonzo and Eliza sitting outside her house. "You guys! I have to go apologize to Addison. Right now."

"Gruza."

"Yeah I know I kind of want to see it too. You know ever since football ended I've so missed watching you get pummeled."

ATTENTION CITIZENS! A gray Z-Patrol jeep rolled through Zombietown. ALL CURFEWS WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED!

"Zagraltop."

"Yeah with the curfew in effect. It's going to be nearly impossible to get to past the Z-Patrol." Zed admitted.

"Hey guys." Bree ran up to them, panting and trying to catch her breath.

"And yet somehow Bree just did." Eliza quipped.

"Have you, have you seen Addison?" She texted me for help but she's not answering her phone! Oh, hey Bonzo."

"Hagazu." Bonzo told her, wrapping her in a hug.

"You guys focus! Addison needs help. Let's go." Zed yelled, just quiet enough that the Z-Patrol didn't notice.

"What about the curfew?" Eliza reminded him.

"I don't care, let's go to her house to look for clues or ask her parents if they know what's going on. "

"Zed you sure that's a good idea, they probably hate you now." Eliza reminded him.

"I know and I don't care, right now Addison needs me, I won't let anything happen to her. Let's go!"

Eliza led the way to the secret tunnel through the barrier, they had to duck behind several of their neighbor's yards to hide from the passing Z-Patrol until eventually, they made it to Addison's house.

With the rest of them hiding in the bushes, Zed nervously knocked on the door.

"Good evening Zed, come in its near the curfew." Dale tried to look over his shoulder. "Is Addison with you?"

"Um no. Is she here? I really need to talk to her."

"Sorry Zed, we figured she was with you, she went out on the porch about a half-hour ago. We assumed she was trying to do something with you before the curfew."

"Do you know what's wrong with her? She barely said a word to us this afternoon." Missy asked.

"Um yes I do, and I'm the reason for it. I was stupid and we got into a fight and I came to apologize. So she really isn't here? I understand if she doesn't want to see me, or if you don't, I can just go."

"No Zed, have you checked with Bree?" Dale's confusion turned to worry.

"Yeah, she's the one that told us Addison asked for help but wasn't answering her phone. She really isn't here?"

"No she isn't. I'll call the Z-Patrol to keep an eye out for her." Dale promised, pulling out his phone.

"Missy, I'm sorry Mrs. Wells this is all my fault. You're right about me, I am a monster. I promise I will find Addison, and if she still hates me, I promise I will leave her and all of you alone." Zed got up to head out the door when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Zed wait, what is this about being a monster?"

"You…I'm not blaming you, but the fight we had was about Prawn and how I'm trying to make sure I can take Addison and make her night perfect. But the biggest roadblock is you and the City Council. I'm sure you heard about the vote I've been campaigning for, to prove that we aren't monsters like you all think. I tried to make myself fit in more with humans, to make them believe I'm not dangerous. But you were right. I am a monster, a brainless, heartless monster who can only hurt Addison. This is all my fault. I belong on the other side of the bar-" Once he started he couldn't stop himself.

"Zed stop. Take a few deep breaths." Missy advised.

"First of all, about you and Addison. Dale and I do trust you. Addison has told us a lot of the same things this week, about how we're only doing this to keep you two apart. But the truth is, Dale and I were the only dissenters on the City Council against reenacting the Zombie Laws."

"But you sounded so determined at the meeting."

"I'm unfortunately a good actress, and a great politician when I need to be. Dale and I did see how everyone was panicking and we were panicking too. And when there's panic in the streets, the people needed to trust their government. So we discussed it and voted in secret but we agreed whatever outcome was reached we would all support it. The only part we agreed to was increasing Z-Patrol presence to keep everyone safe, but it turned into extra policing for zombies, and for that we are sorry."

"Really? Then why didn't you tell Addison? She told me you guys still hated me because I'm a zombie."

"That was a mistake on our part, we should have told her the truth, but a part of us also wanted to have a reason to keep her home safe and if you have a curfew she won't have many places to go."

"I guess that makes sense."

"Second of all Zed, I can remember the ski trip when Addison got mad at you for something. Don't worry she didn't share all the details."

"Yeah, that was all my fault too, but that time I hurt myself, this time I hurt her. Plus we were stuck together for a week, she ran away from me as fast as she could, and I don't blame her. It was all me."

"Zed, all couples fight. You want to know another secret? Dale, Zevon, and I have all been waiting for your first big fight to happen."

"What? Why?"

"Because we've seen how you two are, both of you think with your hearts. And that isn't a bad thing, but it can make the bad things feel a thousand times worse."

"Yeah definitely."

"I won't pry for details, this is between you and Addison. But keep in mind, even after everything we put her through, she still loves us. And we know she loves you so much more. Just be sincere, and she will listen to you."

"Thank you Mrs. Wells."

"Zed, you can always call me Missy." Missy said, leaning forward to hug him.

"Thank you Missy."

"I know Dale has the entire Z-Patrol looking for her already, but we'll call you if we hear anything, but you call us too alright? I have a feeling you'll find her first."

"Don't worry Missy. I'll do my best." Zed stood up to leave again and exited the door, as he did, his eyes landed on Addison's favorite Mighty Shrimp Mug. He gently picked it up.

"OK she's not here, but Addison hasn't been gone for long. Her cocoa is still warm." Zed said, taking a sip, and composing himself back to his confident facade with his friends. "And marshmallowy." Zed was still worried, but his hope that Addison would forgive him already reactivated his tastebuds.

The rest of his friends popped their heads out of the bushes and Bonzo pointed behind Zed. "Zedski screwza!"

Zed and everyone else noticed the scratches for the first time. "Claw marks."

"Werewolves," Eliza said nervously, trying to see farther in the dark. She took a deep breath in before relaxing and revealing a smile. "Yep it's Wyatt's cologne, he smells so good."

Bonzo and Zed both looked confused.

"What?" She challenged them.

"I knew we couldn't trust those wolves." Zed said.

Bree turned back around from where she had fearfully been looking out into the darkness. She took a deep breath in to calm herself and also revealed a blushing smile. "Is that your cologne Bonzo?"

"You guys focus, the wolves must have kidnapped Addison." Zed ordered.

"Then we really need to find her." Bree worried.

"OK her phone's off, but I can still track her." Eliza pulled her phone out of her bag. With a few clicks, Addison's location popped up on the screen.

Eliza looked up at her friends, fear on her face. "She's heading towards the Forbidden Forest."

They all shared looks of fear, before Zed steeled himself once more. "Come on we have to go rescue her. Who knows what those jackals want with her?"

Eliza led the way with her phone tracking Addison, and Bree and Bonzo stuck together holding hands as they entered the Forbidden Forest, which was now a hundred times creepier at night. Zed was tempted to steal Eliza's phone and run ahead, but if he had to face the whole pack of wolves, he needed back up.

"What the heck, first Addison and now Eliza and Bree? Can werewolves hypnotize people with their stench or something?" Zed whispered to Bonzo, to try to break the eerie silence.

"Zo comprrengarr." Bonzo muttered.

"I heard that Zed!" Eliza snapped ahead of them.