Chapter V: Escape from School
Flashes of scenes soared in her mind; it seemed that it was all memories from her past.
"You did it again! Another A+," said the little school girl beside her chair. "Wish I have your brain," the girl gave her a friendly smile.
She didn't notice right away that the scene had changed. She was no longer in a classroom of grade school students, but in an elegant dining room where everyone wore their formal attire, and many couples were dancing at the middle.
"'You look so pretty without those glasses," said the girl whose lovely features were not tarnished by her simple gown. A couple of guys tried to ask the girl for a dance but she turned all of them down. "Uhm… "I'm sorry" she said
"Anyway, try to ask his opinion. Oh! Here he comes." Two guys were approaching them, one had his hair all spiked up and the other looked like a character from an anime series.
"You know the moment I saw you, I thought I was in heaven," said the spiky-haired guy. He gave the girl a single rose and took her hands.
The beautiful girl stood up and whispered to him, "You're lucky I want them to be alone." The two headed for the middle of the room and danced.
"The food here is delicious, Have you sampled them?" the other guy asked and sat beside her, nursing a delectable looking chocolate pudding.
"Umm… h…how do I look?" Before the guy could answer, she heard two men talking to each other. She opened her eye, and saw a bright fluorescent lamp above the ceiling. Confused about her own whereabouts, she raised herself to a sitting position, but couldn't because of the straps that binded her.
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Michael heard a rough bashing sound above him. The creature that jumped at him was sent flying far from where he was sitting. "I didn't know… hah… hah... you give up easily," said a familiar voice panting behind him. He turned around and saw an exhausted Xander who was doubling over, both arms gripping his knees. His baseball bat lay untouched on the ground.
"This is… hah… hah… the first time I ran… hah… hah… that fast," said Xander while catching his breath, He was sporting a pair of wounded arms and a scratched face. One could have mistaken Xander for trying to jump out of the van just now.
Michael smirked and said, "I won't say you shouldn't come back for me… thanks." Xander reached for Michael's extended hand and pulled him up. "I owe you one – again."
"Can you…hah…hah…still run?" asked Xander.
"I should be the one asking that," said Michael looking at a rather pallid Xander who was breathing heavily.
"Let's us TWO...hah... hah… go… to the van together… hah… hah," said Xander. The word "two" was emphasized even as Xander desperately drew air between his teeth.
"What makes you think they'll be coming –"
Something rumbling behind them made Michael stop talking and squint at the faraway speck.
"Now I'll make sure it's so close to them," said Dan who sounded like he was enjoying himself.
The back of the van was open and the archer girl kept firing arrows to incoming infected students behind Xander and Michael.
"You surely messed that up," said Dan while looking back at the creature that could hardly get up; it seemed like its right arm was broken. The creature roared out of immense pain and used its uninjured left arm for leverage instead.
"Serves you right!" said Michael while running towards the van.
The van was almost closing on them so they jumped. Michael successfully got inside the van but Xander was caught by another one of the creatures by the feet. It was so close – the tip of his finger brushed the van's framework but that was all so close could take him. Xander missed and he fell face first into the ground.
The creature growled angrily, trying to take revenge; it showed off his fangs and was ready to bite Xander's leg. The archer aimed at the creature's head.
She fired her arrow with such vigour it made a clean pierce through its back. Xander's feet were released from its lax grip; its owner was now a disgusting heap of bleeding mass but most importantly, it was dead. Michael and Eddie got out and carried Xander to the van as the girl continued to fire her arrows to fresh hordes of infected students. Dan immediately accelerated the van and head for the exit.
Xander stole a peek at the silent archer. "I'm indebted, miss. What's your name?"
"Cassandra Bell – second year student and a member of the Archery Club."
"Can we call you Cass?" Shiela asked suddenly.
"Whatever you like." Then she took a seat at a corner of the van, far from the others before closing her eyes. Shiela who was watching her all the time mouthed, "A serious one, huh?"
"Well, I think she's kinda cute," Eddie quipped, appraising the outwardly sleeping form with obvious interest.
"Looks like we have two lover boys here," said Michael as he looked at Hitomi and Xander.
Xander was blushing while Hitomi mend his wound with a first aid kit. A teardrop seeped from her eyelid, only to drip into one of Xander's open wounds – courtesy of a creature's claw.
"Ouch!"
"I… I'm sorry!" Hitomi hastily dabbed at her cheeks with her sleeves.
"It's ok now, Hitomi. Every… WE FORGOT ABOUT BRENDA!" Shiela remembered. "We were so caught up with escaping we forgot to look for her! Dan, let's go back to school!"
"No," Michael interjected. "We almost died running away from that wretched place! Look at Xander', he's your friend too, right? You think he can fight with all those injuries?"
Shiela looked at the others. Surely they seem to be so tired; even she felt she needed to settle down for a bit. She sat on the floor, crying, "S…sorry Brenda we weren't able to save you…" and she cried even harder.
Michael glanced at her with pity in his eyes. "So, where do we go now?" asked Dan while driving.
Michael stood near the back of Dan's driver's seat and asked "Do you know Fire Place? It's a store selling ammo – my Uncle's running it. We can get real weapons there."
"Ah… nope…" Dan deadpanned.
"I'll show you the way. Go left at Apple's Café is just straight from here then…"
"Are you ok Xander? Does this hurt?" asked Hitomi while putting some ointment on Xander's wounds.
"It's not that deep, I just – ow – fell from the van badly," answered Xander as he stared at Hitomi while she place bandages to his feet.
"Why don't you kiss those wounds, see if they'll heal," Shiela suggested.
"What's wrong with you being so bitter and such?" asked Xander.
"You can say that to yourself! Brenda is out there hiding from those things and you're here enjoying that… that flirt's care!"
"Don't call Hitomi that!"
"Oh, so now you're defending her! You've just met and now you're raising your voice at me like I'm not your OLD friend!"
"W…wait you two…" said Hitomi trying to cool them down.
"Shut up!" She then turned to shoot another venomous glare at Xander. "You know, Brenda really liked you. She was just afraid to tell you 'cause you might hate her for her geeky appearance. She knows you only like girls like her," Shiela jabbed a bony forefinger at Hitomi, "and actresses from those stupid series you always watch!"
Xander was shocked that his childhood friend actually liked him; he didn't really notice her – he never even looked at her like any other potential girls he could like.
He wasn't able to say anything because he knew deep down Shiela was correct. He was so into appearances that he forgot to look at somebody's heart first. He also remembered that Brenda asked him what he thinks about her. Being the dunderhead he was, he thought she was joking and ended up telling her jokingly, "Oh, I forgot you are a girl!"
"Of course you didn't notice. You're so insensitive!"
The van slowed down and stopped. "We're running out of gas. There's still some left but not enough to bring us to the store so someone should get us bottled diesel."
Eddie slammed his wooden stick at the floor and said, "Sounds like you need the 'Zombie Exterminator'. I know where the station is."
"I'll go too," said Xander, pushing himself up with his arms.
"No! You're still weak; I'll go instead," Michael offered. "You five stay here. Don't go outside until we come back."
"Ok, be safe," said Dan immediately who didn't want them to turn back anymore.
Eddie and Michael got off the van and set off, riding the bicycle from Dan's van.
The van was quiet when the two left. Xander was brewing sympathy for his childhood friend; he even remembered the times Brenda and he played together when they were just kids, and how she helped him in his assignments. As he ran through all those memories in his exhausted mind, sleep beckoned and he relented. Hitomi nestled quietly in between him and Dan.
It was already dark but the streetlights were all off, and they have only the moon to borrow light from. Shiela woke up and crept out of the cramped van. She decided to go back to school and looked for Brenda without saying a word to the others. A deep womanly voice from above the van spoke.
"There are lots of stars in the sky tonight, I wonder if they are more than the people still living today…"
Shiela looked up and saw Cass, sitting on the van's roof in a meditating position, watching the sky. "Don't worry, I won't tell the others," said Cass. "But I'm sure they'd be sad if they lose another friend, especially the one you just quarrelled with earlier."
Shiela realized that what Michael and Cass said was true; they hardly got out of the school alive, and if she would go back all by herself, what more would happen?
"I… I… just want to get some air," said Shiela as she leaned against the van. Tears fell from her eyes while she too gazed upon the stars.
"It's normal to feel that way," said Cass, who seemed that she knew what Shiela planned to do earlier.
"D… did you also lose your friends?" asked Shiela, wiping the tears flowing from her eyes.
"We should start thinking of a plan to get out of here. Night is growing old and those two still haven't come back," said Cass, ignoring the prying question.
"Yes… you're right, wait I'll wake up the others."
…..
"Umm… Hitomi please…" Dan mumbled in his sleep and hugged Xander.
Xander still felt sluggish as he felt someone hugging him – he was only half awake after all. But if those slender arms slinking around his body were Hitomi's, he was more than happy to reciprocate. So he stretched a hand and held the form by its shoulder; another on its waist.
So Hitomi was responding, Dan thought cheekily. He hooked a finger under "her" chin and inched closer, wanting to taste the sweetness of "her" lips. Xander did not expect Hitomi to be this aggressive so he opened his eyes – and Dan was this close to kissing him. Shiela just had to barge in at that critical moment and was, needless to say, shocked (probably traumatized). Xander pushed Dan aside but to no avail; the latter was holding him real tight.
"Just this once, Hitomi! Please!" Fearing for his dignity, Xander butted his head against Dan's and their simultaneous "ARGH!" woke Hitomi up.
"What's happening?" asked Dan, frustrated that his dream was cut off. "I almost kissed Hitomi you know!"
"Kiss Hitomi YOUR FACE! YOU ALMOST KISSED ME!" said Xander furiously. "AND THAT WOULD'VE BEEN MY FIRST KISS! AND TO A BOY! YUCK!"
"I'm a good kisser for your information, you would've liked it!"
"YUCK! I don't care!"
"What happened?" asked Hitomi, slightly giggling.
"I was out for some air and when I come back, these two… they're doing something ewwy! " said Shiela.
"I'm telling you I'm dreaming of Hitomi!"
"Well? How about you?" asked Shiela staring suspiciously at Xander.
"I… I… really don't know what happened," answered Xander sounding like he was lying.
"Well I suggest you should stay away from these two perverts…" said Shiela staring at Xander and Dan.
The door sprung open. "Oh, you all looked like you've regained your strength. Get ready because Eddie and Michael are rushing towards here with diesel and some more guests"