Zombies: A New Star

by dunefan22

We're fired up, for something new! Emma Johnson is a 7-time cheer champion, and is widely-respected by many as one of the best to ever do it. However, ahead of her junior year of high school, she is forced to look for a new beginning, and a new place to belong, and as a result, she finds her way to Seabrook, and one of the most inclusive and understanding people she could meet...

2. Chapter 1 - Finding My Way

This story was created during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Without the hard work of SAG-AFTRA, as well as the work of the WGA who, as of September 27th, 2023 have reached a deal with the AMPTP, the world of Z-O-M-B-I-E-S wouldn't exist. For more information about how you can help with the SAG-AFTRA strike, please refer to the link you can find on my profile.

Pre-Chapter Authors Note: The following songs are used throughout the course of this chapter:

Fired Up - Z-O-M-B-I-E-S

This Is Who I Am - Monster High The Movie

With all of that being said, please enjoy the opening chapter of Zombies: A New Star.

"And you're sure that your parents are going to be ok with housing another teenage girl?"

"Totally! I'll make it work."

Addison is really offering to let me, stay with her, a cheer rockstar by every sense of the phrase. I don't think I deserve to be treated so kindly, but yet here we are. Now, there is something else that needs to be addressed.

"So, does the cheer squad, or anyone else in Seabrook for that matter other than Zed, Eliza, & Zoey, know that I'm here and going to be here to stay?" I asked Addison.

"They don't know yet." Addison replies.

"So how are we going to let them know?" I asked.

"Cheer practice, and I know just the way to do it." Addison replies with a large smile.

I wasn't expecting doing it like this, but here we are I guess. I'm hiding behind a corner in the gym, with Addison, who is now Seabrook Cheer Team Captain, leading the charge and getting them all fired up, with a session with a crowd from Seabrook.

"Now where's this surprise you said we were getting?" Bree asks with a great deal of curiosity.

"It'll be here in due time." Addison replies.

"Alright." Bree says in response.

"Now, to the task at hand. One of the best parts of cheer. Amping up a crowd. If we feel good, then they'll feel good, and if both they and we feel good, then our team feels good and goes out and wins it. Now, who's ready to give it a go, and fire up a crowd?"

No one immediately jumps out as wanting to do it, which surprises Addison quite a bit, and also surprises me quite a bit as well. She thought she had prepared her team better than this. I watch on in surprise as well, for I wasn't expecting this behavior out of the Seabrook cheer squad. Then, Addison starts singing Fired Up, to try and get her team, well, fired up and off the ground.

"Addison (singing): Listen up, it's not so tough"

"Addison (singing): I'll tell you how it's done"

"Addison (singing): There's really nothing better"

"Addison (singing): Than to hear you're number one"

"Addison (singing): And I know how to get a crowd"

"Addison (singing): Right up and on their feet"

"Addison (singing): So if you want them in it"

"Addison (singing): I'll show you how to get it"

"Addison (singing): Ain't no mountain we can't climb"

"Addison (singing): Nothing keeps us down"

"Addison (singing): Got that fire in our soul"

"Addison (singing): Never count us out"

"Addison (singing): We got one thing on our minds"

"Addison (singing): Call it victory"

"Addison (singing): Yeah, that's where we're headed"

"Addison (singing): And we know how to get it"

Alright, I've seen enough…

I move out of my hiding spot and flip my way right onto the stage, just inches from where Addison was standing. The crowd is loving that, as is the rest of the cheer squad, who were so surprised to see me…

"This was your surprise?!" Bree asks Addison in shock and amazement.

"Yeah." Addison replies.

"How's it going everyone? We can explain later and go over why I'm here, but for now, let's get this crowd, and this team, fired up!" I exclaimed.

I lead the next section of the song, and inadvertently the team, as I'm truly trying to get this team fired up and in the game, and clearly my presence got them, and the crowd, into it, in ways that I didn't even expect.

"Me (singing): We were made for this"

"Me (singing): There's nothing we can't do"

"Everyone (singing): We came to play"

"Everyone (singing): We're here to stay and win the day 'Cause"

"Addison & Me (singing): We were made for this"

"Addison & Me (singing): Didn't come here to lose"

"Everyone (singing): We came to play, we're here to stay"

"Addison (singing): What's left to say when we know"

"Everyone (singing): Nothing's gonna get in our way"

"Everyone (singing): No! So get up out of our way"

"Everyone (singing): We're fired up, we're fired up"

"Everyone (singing): We're fired up"

"Everyone (singing): Nothing's gonna get in our way"

"Everyone (singing): No! So get up out of our way"

"Everyone (singing): We're fired up, we're fired up"

"Everyone (singing): We're fired up"

As the crowd is getting louder and louder, the song keeps going on and on, as this is exactly the kind of momentum that Addison and I are looking for.

"Addison (singing): Been waiting for this day to come"

"Addison (singing): And it was all so clear"

"Me (singing): Since I was a little girl"

"Me (singing): I saw me standing here"

"Bree (singing): And all the times they told us "Walk away""

"Everyone (singing): We said "Forget it""

"Addison & Me (singing): We knew where we were heading"

"Addison & Me (singing): And we were gonna get it"

"Addison (singing): Ain't no mountain we can't climb"

"Addison (singing): Nothing keeps us down"

"Me (singing): Got that fire in our soul"

"Me (singing): Never count us out"

"Addison (singing): We got one thing on our minds"

"Me (singing): Call it victory"

"Addison & Me (singing): Yeah, that's where we're headed"

"Addison & Me (singing): And we know how to get it"

"Addison & Me (singing): We were made for this"

"Addison & Me (singing): There's nothing we can't do"

"Everyone (singing): We came to play"

"Everyone (singing): We're here to stay and win the day 'Cause"

"Addison & Me (singing): We were made for this"

"Addison & Me (singing): Didn't come here to lose"

"Everyone (singing): We came to play, we're here to stay"

"Addison (singing): What's left to say when we know"

"Everyone (singing): Nothing's gonna get in our way"

"Everyone (singing): No! So get up out of our way"

"Everyone (singing): We're fired up, we're fired up"

"Everyone (singing): We're fired up"

"Everyone (singing): Nothing's gonna get in our way"

"Everyone (singing): No! So get up out of our way"

"Everyone (singing): We're fired up, we're fired up"

"Everyone (singing): We're fired up"

Addison then turns to me and puts in my hands her whistle, that is specifically given to the cheer captain. I don't even really know how to respond to that. I'm in complete shock over her choosing to do this. What is going on…?

"That's not mine Addison. That's for the cheer captain, which is you, not me." I stated.

"I know it's not yours, but I want you to lead this section. Now is as good of a time as any for me to see what you're made of." Addison reveals, confidently.

"For real?" I asked.

"Of course. In all of your championships and performances, have you ever been a cheer squad leader or captain or anything like that?" Addison asks.

"Never in my life." I replied, unaware of what was about to be bestowed on me.

"Now's your chance to prove you've got what it takes." Addison states, confidently.

Addison then places the whistle into my hand. I was still surprised and amazed that Addison is taking a shot on me, especially since we haven't known each other for that long. Then, Addison and the rest of the group turn to me, to lead them and finish this off.

"On your lead." Addison says, with the team looking my way for direction.

"Alright Mighty Shrimp, let's do this!" I exclaimed.

With that, I lead them through the end of the song, which is one of the greatest experiences that I ever have had in my life up until this point.

"Me (singing): We are the Mighty Shrimp"

"Me (singing): We wanna hear you shout"

"Me (singing): From the left and from the right"

"Me (singing): Turn up the volume now"

"Addison (singing): We wanna lift you high"

"Addison (singing): You'll never feel the ground"

"Addison (singing): We'll get you up, we'll never stop"

"Addison (singing): This is our hometown"

"Me (singing): We are the Mighty Shrimp"

"Me (singing): We wanna hear you shout"

"Me (singing): From the left and from the right"

"Me (singing): Turn up the volume now"

"Addison (singing): We are the Mighty Shrimp"

"Addison (singing): It's time to show you now"

"Everyone (singing): We got the stuff to light you up"

"Everyone (singing): It's getting hotter now"

"Me (singing): We're getting hotter now"

"Everyone (singing): It's getting hotter now"

"Addison & Me (singing): We were made for this"

"Addison & Me (singing): There's nothing we can't do"

"Everyone (singing): We came to play"

"Everyone (singing): We're here to stay and win the day 'Cause"

"Addison & Me (singing): We were made for this"

"Addison & Me (singing): Didn't come here to lose"

"Everyone (singing): We came to play, we're here to stay"

"Addison (singing): What's left to say when we know"

"Everyone (singing): Nothing's gonna get in our way"

"Everyone (singing): No! Come on, let me hear you say"

"Everyone (singing): We're fired up, you're fired up, we're fired up"

"Everyone (singing): Nothing's gonna get in our way"

"Everyone (singing): No! Come on, let me hear you say"

"Everyone (singing): We're fired up, you're fired up, we're fired up"

With that, the crowd cheered as loud as it has all day, and I close my eyes and I take a deep breath. I made it. If this isn't what is going to get me into the big leagues of cheerleading, then what will? All of the Mighty Shrimp cheerleaders come over to say hi and congratulate my efforts. It's one of the greatest feelings in the world. I'm a 7-time cheer champion, yet it's never felt like this. A true place of belonging, of acceptance, of pride. They took all of that, and a whole lot more, very seriously, and I have a feeling that it's going to be nice here, for a long time to come…

After the performance, Addison takes me out for some ice cream, away from everyone else, which surprises me. She assured me that I would be able to meet and befriend everyone on the team and around Seabrook High, but it surprises me that she isn't letting me do that first. However, it quickly becomes apparent exactly what the purpose of our little girl's night out truly is…

"You were amazing out there." Addison remarks.

"I strive for nothing less. Rain or shine, the crowd deserves my best." I stated, confidently and proudly.

"Now, to get to why I really brought you out here." Addison says.

"What other reason could you need for a girl's night out?" I asked in confusion and curiosity.

"There's a couple of things that I wanted to talk about with you one-on-one." Addison reveals.

"Like what?" I asked, curiously.

"For starters, I've been talking with the rest of the team, and I want more of your awesome talents directly at my side. When you feel like you're ready for it, I want you to come on as an assistant Cheer Captain, to help provide your talents in ways that I bet you never have been able to do before." Addison reveals.

Wait, what…? She can't be serious right now, right…? I haven't even been here for that long. How can she trust me with something like this, so soon after meeting me? Is this real life?

"Why trust me with this so soon, even if you're giving me the chance to ease myself and only take it on when I'm ready?" I asked her.

"Simple Emma. You have a bright future in cheerleading. I can just see it, so I want to help put you in the best position to succeed in this field possible." Addison replies with a smile.

"I don't even know what to say…" I stated in amazement.

"Then don't say anything at all, and I mean that. You deserve every chance that you can get to become the best cheer rockstar that you can be. Sure you already have seven championships, but there's an endless quest, I'm sure, for you to gain as much skill and knowledge as you possibly can." Addison states.

"Understatement of the century." I told her in response.

" Well there you go then. Knowledge is key and having as much knowledge as possible will greatly benefit you in the long run." Addison says.

"For sure." I said in response.

"Now, I want to talk about, if you don't mind, you know…" Addison begins to reveal.

I think I know exactly what she's referring to…

"What about it did you want to talk about?" I asked her.

"Nothing really, except for… I wanted to let you know that if you don't want to say anything about it to the rest of the team, and I'm the only one you want to confine in, at least when it comes to that, then you can do so. I saw the emotion that you had when you revealed it to me, so if you don't want to reveal it to everyone else, then that will be your decision only to make, and no one else's." Addison reassures me, in case that's how I felt about the situation.

I really do appreciate that from Addison, but honestly, I think I do want everyone else to know.

I've thought about it, and I've concluded that the only reasonable thing to do is to be open and honest with everyone about it, so that we can all be on the same page and understand one another. I want them to understand how much it means for me to want to make things work here in Seabrook, and the only way that I feel like that I'm going to be able to do that, is through revealing to them one of my main motivations to get up in the morning each and every day. I know that'll seem kind of silly, but it's true. Being a proud lesbian is one of the main reasons I get up each and every morning, and it's also why I go and put myself out there in the world. If no one else understands that, then I guess I'd be better off being an introvert that shuts herself off from the rest of the world. I have to tell everyone else, though how I'm going to do is going to be another story entirely.

"Addison, I have to tell everyone else. If we're all going to be on the same page, and if they're going to understand my motivations for why I want to make things work here in Seabrook, they have to know." I stated, confidently.

"Are you sure?" Addison asks.

"100%." I confirmed to her.

"I can really respect you for this, wanting to step into the larger world and not being afraid of who you are." Addison remarks.

"Well, it's like this. I know I can come out to them in this community and have their full and unquestioned support, which will ultimately help me in the long run." I stated, proudly and confidently.

"Well, then let's do this and show them exactly who you are." Addison says, proudly.

"Damn right." I said in response.

This is who I am, and if I'm not willing to be that, then what am I doing with my life…?

"Me (singing): I know what it's like to hide in the shadows / Never let anyone open up the doors / Or look through the windows / All my life I have been waiting so long / To embrace the light and find somewhere that I can belong / And come out of the darkness / I'm ready now / Ready now"

"Me (singing): I look around and I see a world that's waiting for me / Where I can fit in and make some real friends / I'm gonna run through the halls, I wanna do it all / This is my moment, I wanna own it / I've always dreamed / Of a perfect place like this / Where I'm not afraid to be seen / Oh when I can just be me"

"Me (singing): This is who I am (woah) / And it feels like for the first time / My life can begin (woah) / So I step out into the light / 'Cause this is where I'm meant to be / And I don't have to hide / This is who I am (woah) / And I feel like for the first time I fit in (woah) / I fit in (woah)"

"Me (singing): I feel so high off the ground / And I feel my heartbeat is poundin' / Finally here, don't wanna ever leave / 'Cause now I know where I'm supposed to be"

"Me (singing): This is who I am, woah / And it feels like for the first time / My life can begin, woah / So I step out into the light / 'Cause this is where I'm meant to be / And I don't have to hide / This is who I am, woah / And I feel like for the first time I fit in"