I'm back! Finished my other story last week so all my focus will be on this one! I'm really excited because there's so much I want to do with this one!

When Addison gets up the next morning, she's not still thinking about Zed. She's not. She's also not thinking about his scent. Ever since she presented, her nose has been telling her just how stinky alphas are. The only time they smell remotely good is when she's cutting it too close to her heat. But then again, so close to her heat, everything that distracts her from her body burning is good.

Still, she can't help the smile tugging at her lips on her walk to school. Zed is fun. One second, she's irritated and the next he's surprising her. She hasn't had this much fun in years. Definitely not since she presented; probably not since her family gave up on her being an alpha. Everyone had just assumed that she was going to be an alpha like her parents. She was a social, self-assured and opiniated child who almost never backed down… no one had put much thought in her dynamic – convinced that she was an alpha – until all the other kids started presenting.

In any case, if she's walking to school with a smile on her face or an extra pep in her step there is no one around to see. She's early, too early for her friends to be here, but that's exactly what she wants. The school librarian is already there; she must be the one person who spends longer hours at school than Addison herself. Addison smiles at the old woman and heads straight to the tables in the back. She settles at the table she's been calling hers since freshman year; by now she knows she can get a solid 45 minutes of uninterrupted study time before first period. Between the first cheer practise and working on that project with Zed – she's not smiling as she thinks of the zombie. Shut up! She's not – it'll probably be the only time she'll get for schoolwork today. The one thing Addison needs is to keep her grades up if she wants to get the hell out of this town. Cute as may be, she's not letting Zed – or anyone else for that matter – get between her and freedom.

She only gets about 30 minutes before her cellphone's incessant buzzing breaks her focus. Addison huffs in annoyance but picks up the irritating device. There are about two dozen notifications on her phone, half of which are coming from Bree. Addison goes straight for those, knowing Bree's will have yield all the necessary info. She's not halfway through that she gathers her stuff and head for the door.

Addison is seeing red. She knows it. She knows she's letting her anger get the best of her, but she can't help herself. She storms out of the library, not really knowing what she's planning to do. As faith would have it, she doesn't need to go far. He's standing there, just chilling with his friends, not a care in the world. Stupid. Freaking. Alpha. Addison shoulders her way through the group. He opens his mouth, but she beats him to it.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" she hisses.
"Cheerlea-"

Addison doesn't let him finish. She fixes her glare on him, trying but failing to not notice the way his eyes widen in shock.

"I've told you before. I'm not a simpering omega. I can fight my own battles."

Silence. Great, she's making a scene. On the outside, she's cool as a cucumber; on the inside, she's mortified. She's grateful it's mostly zombies in the halls. Still, she swivels on her heels and starts to walk away. People part like the Red Sea for her.

"Addison…"

She looks at him over her shoulder before shaking her head in disbelief. She can't believe she actually thought he was a good guy. Alphas are all the same.

"Fuck off, Zed."

She walks away. Suddenly there's a hand slipping in hers. Addison knows that touch, knows the scent that goes with it. She briefly squeezes her best friend's hand, before letting go, but she's thankful for the support. She's got AP biology first thing and she buries herself into the fabric of DNA.

AZAZAZ

Zed is excited to go to school, even more than usual. He's got no problem admitting that it's all because of Addison. The spunky cheerleader sure knew how to make things interesting. Most people don't argue with. No. People usually defer to him. There's something about him. Eliza thinks it's linked to him presenting so young. His dynamic has always been clear, no doubt about it. Zed settled into being an alpha effortlessly. He's always been well adjusted, aggression levels low and steady. Football and, as he got older, sexual encounters were all that he needed to keep in control.

Addison, though.

She doesn't care about anyone's dynamic. It's very unlike Seabrook who just loves to place things in neatly labeled little boxes. If his nose didn't tell him otherwise, he'd bet on her being an alpha. Not that it matters. He's looking forward to seeing her because even if she doesn't eat with them again, they have that project together later. He kisses his mom goodbye, waves at his father and ruffles playfully his sister's hair before running out the door. He's gone too quick to notice the knowing look his parents share.

Zed gets to school earlier than he usually would – he's a straight A student but that doesn't mean he needs to be there before he actually needs to. He's not the first zombie, but there's not many of them either. He can deal with gawkers, but he knows not everyone can. He steers their little group away from the main hallways, closer to the library. Too early in the school year for most people to set foot in there, the hallway is all but deserted. Students start trickling in, on their own at first then in little groups. Before long, he finds himself flanked by Eliza and Bonzo and surrounded by their friends. Humans, ridiculous as always, still behave like skittish animals. They give their group a wide berth, looking as if they expect to get bitten by one of them. Zed doesn't care at the moment; he's enjoying Rozalee's description of just how bad Williams' black eye looks this morning. He's laughing at someone's joke when he spots her. Addison is wearing her cheer uniform complete with a pink ribbon in her blonde hair, and he feels something stir in his stomach. She's moving like a woman on a mission, so he opens his mouth to joke about how she missed him. She cuts him off before he can say the first word.

"Who the hell do you think you are?"
"Cheerlea-" Zed tries to appeal to her, taken aback by the cool anger of her tone.
"I've told you before. I'm not a simpering omega. I can fight my own battles."

Shit! Zed doesn't know what to say, neither does anyone else. Zombies and humans are staring at them, speechless. He wants to tell her it's not about her. Because it isn't. Not really. Sure Williams called her a bitch, but he was challenging Zed's "alpha-ness". He wants to tell her that, wants to crack a joke, but he notices the way she's shaking. She can't be that angry, can she? Before he can make up his mind, she's walking away from him. His friends are parting to let her go, still in shock.

"Addison…"

He calls her name softly. His heart skips a slow beat when she turns around, but the hope is short-lived at the betrayed expression she sends him.

"Fuck off, Zed."

It's like he's been stabbed by her sharp words, and he suddenly feels powerless. He watches as she hurries down the hallway. He doesn't know what to say or what to do. He's only known her for 48 hours, but so far all their quips and banter have been playful, meant to tease and poke but not to harm. Three little words and she brought him to his knees. He knew there was fire beneath her skin, he just wasn't expecting the full blaze to be directed towards him.

He's been staring longer than he thought because a large hand falls on his shoulder. He shakes his head. Bonzo is smiling sadly at him. Zed looks around to find Eliza shooing the rest of their friends away.

"Zedka?"

Bonzo's worry rings clearly. Zed still doesn't know what to say.

"Come on, dude. Let's get to class."
"Liza… she's…"
"Forget about her. Humans are monsters, but cheer captains? They're the worst."

Anyone would think Eliza is being unnecessarily cynical and mean, but Zed knows better. That's just how his best friend is. She's good at building walls to keep people away, to hide any vulnerability. When she feels threatened, her sharp tongue comes out to play. He knows for a fact that she can physically beat up another alpha – small stature be damned – but Eliza relies on words and sarcasm first. Beside him, Bonzo rolls his eyes fondly.

Eliza is the fiery one in their trio, but Bonzo makes even Zed look aggressive. He's been mistaken for an omega more than once, his calm and even temperament at odds with alpha instincts. Zed has never seen him lose control, however. Bonzo is always calm and steady, even when he's experiencing the start of a rut. He's probably the kindest soul of all Zombietown, a personality that should clash with Eliza's but never has before.

Bonzo tilts his head towards the end of the hallway. Zed sighs but follows his friends. His day has taken a dark turn, but that's no reason for him to skip classes. As he sits through first period, he finally perks up. He shares his next two classes with Addison. He can talk to her then; he'll be able to explain everything. She'll have to understand, right?

AZAZAZ

She doesn't. First period runs late, he barely makes it to his second class. Their English teacher doesn't care about his internal debate, she starts droning on about proper punctuation. His hope to get some time to work on their project is rapidly squashed. He tells himself he can talk to her at the end of class, but Addison is gone as soon as the bell rings. He swears under his breath and dashes down the hall to their next classroom. He drops his bag on the desk behind hers, but she's surrounded by cheerleaders. He's on the verge of despair when an opportunity appears. Someone from the office shows up at the door for their math teacher. He steps outside, asking them to resolve the next formula. Zed seizes the chance to tap on Addison's shoulder. He feels her tense, yet she doesn't turn around.

"Addison," he whispers.

She ignores him, seemingly laser focused on the proof in front of her.

"Addison!" He tries a little louder.

Nothing.

"Cheerleader, please!"

Addison turns abruptly in her chair.

"Don't! Don't call me that, Zed. We're not friends."

Zed feels his stomach drops. Her face is closed off, beautiful and cold like a stone carving. There's nothing left in her eyes… no fire, not even a hint of glowing coals.

"I'm sorry."

For a fleeting moment, something thaws on her face only to ice over in the next. She looks back to her notebook, her back ramrod straight. Zed lets his head fall on his desk. Well, that was a train wreck.

AZAZAZ

Addison goes through the motions for most of the day. She tries to forget Zed's plea for her to listen. She knows she can't forget the words she said nor his. Her inner omega just can't help but cling to an alpha's apology. At lunch, she barely eats; only picking at her food because of practise after school. It goes without saying that she doesn't eat at his table.

She forces a smile as she walks into the gym for the first official practise. She's cheer captain, she can't be depressed. She's not the first one there. Izobel is already sitting on the bleachers with a chemistry book. The girl raises her head at the sound of the door opening and smiles at Addison.

"Hey! Study period," she explains.
"Right. No alpha today?"
"Nope. Enzo," she stresses his name, "made the football team."
"That's good!" Addison can feel her smile freeze as she speaks. She was hoping to avoid thinking about Zed. She clears her throat awkwardly. "He's probably better than the entire team put together."

Izobel snorts loudly.

"Yeah, so I've heard. Lots of rage though… and alpha posturing," she adds with an eye roll. At Addison's frown she continues. "Friendly game turned out not too friendly?"
"Huh?"
"That jerk from tryouts? He challenged Zed. Such a fucking alpha thing, right? Like anyone thought Zed needed someone to fight for him."
"Wait, what?"
"I thought you knew…" She cocks her head to the side. "Isn't that why you were pissed at Zed this morning? Last night whole I don't need a beta girl to fight back?"
"Oh!" She'd had it all wrong, hadn't she. "I think I messed up."

She doesn't know why she admits it to Izobel, but the knowing quirk of the girl's lips tells her that she might have made the right decision.

"I'm not the one who needs to hear it."
"You're right!"

Addison looks at the clock on the wall, working out if she can make it to the football field in time. She deflates a little when the door opens again, letting more of her squad inside. That was a no, then. She pouts but remembered Zed's teasing words and nodded confidently; the cheer team would finish practise first and she'd get to talk to him. Hopefully, he'd accept her apology. The gym is filling up quickly and Addison can't keep the smile that fought its way on her face, her first real one of the day.

This is her squad. Pride blooms in her chest, she worked so hard all of her life and she did it. It seems her decision to kick Nancy off the team showed everyone she meant her single word. From where she's standing in the bleachers, green hair mixes with more "natural" colours as zombies and humans actually talk to each other. For a brief moment, she entertains the idea of bright now-white hair amongst them but she quickly dismisses it. As much as she wants to openly love her hair, it would just bring attention to her. She can't afford anyone wondering if there's anything else weird with her. She refrains from sighing and focuses on cheerleading.

AZAZAZ

Coach is nice, Zed has to admit that much – he doesn't care if they're zombies, the poor sod just wants to win – but Coach is also kind of clueless. The man keeps swaying between an unparalleled optimism and an overdramatic fear of failure. Some of the human players on the team are good, but in Seabrook, cheerleading gets the best athletes. Others just seem to have given up while some are downright awful. To their dismay, it doesn't take long for Zed to shine on the field. Zed has football in his blood, it's just as big of a part of him as being a zombie or an alpha. Football is easy as breathing. He goes through the motions, lets the usual calm wash over him and pushes thoughts of Addison away. They're not gone, but for the first time that day, she doesn't monopolise his attention.

They're nearing the end of practice when the mood changes on the field. It takes only seconds for Zed to realize people are climbing up the bleachers. Cheerleaders. He bites down on his lip to keep himself from whining and keeps his eyes on the field. He's not going to look just to be disappointed. Addison has been avoiding him all day, she's not going to show up. Coach calls the last play of the day to the cheers and whoops of Zed's teammates. He doesn't say a word. They run that last play. His body rams into someone else's. Zed keeps running, even as he winces internally – he was too rough for practice. Coach whistles before Zed can reach the end zone. As soon as Coach is done talking, Zed heads straight for the locker room, never once glancing to the side. He's pulling off his equipment in record time, making his way to the showers before most of the team makes it back inside. They're catching up with girlfriends, boyfriends, mates. Something that's annoying him quite inexplicably. Everyone must have caught on because no one says a word to him. He's out of there as soon as zombily possible. Zed feels the sun on his face and sighs dejectedly. Eyes closed and chin tilted up, he allows himself long seconds to soak up the warmth. Trying to make friends with a human was a terrible idea and he knows better now. With one last sigh, Zed opens his eyes.

Addison.

She's standing right there about twenty feet away, staring right at him. She takes a step forward but falters, prompting him to walk up to her. His heart is beating fast in his chest as he takes her in. She runs her hands over her skirt before reaching for her hair. Her fingers unsteady as they rake through the ends of the blond locks.

"Addison, I – "
"I'm sorry," Addison interrupts him. "I should have listened to you instead of trusting the gossip."

Zed breaks into a wide grin. A human apologizing to a zombie, that's a new one.

"It's alright."
"We can work in the library if you'd like…"
"Nah! I got enough of this place for today."
"Well then you better lead the way, jock."

Although it seems impossible to him, Zed's smile grows again.

"Come on, cheerleader."

AZAZAZ

Cheerleader.

More than the brilliant smile of his, it's those words that loosen the knot in Addison's chest. She can't explain it, it's nothing more than a silly nickname really; yet the primitive part of her brain can't help but preens. She's the only one the alpha – no, Zed – calls that. They start walking side by side without another word. They're both fidgeting, unsure what to do with themselves.

Addison wonders if it's because they're alpha and omega; Zed wonders if it's because they're zombie and human.

"Add-"
"Zed-"

Their eyes lock and they both dissolve into fits of giggles. They're being ridiculous.

"Sorry, I'm not usually this tongue tied around friends," Zed shrugs.
"I really only have the one friend," Addison admits.
"What? How can that be? You're smart, beautiful, captain of the squad…"

Pink dusts Addison's cheeks at his compliments. Still, if he knew the truth, he'd think differently.

"When it comes down to it, I've got Bree. She's the one friend I have."
"Well, now there's me."

Addison's breath catches in her throat. She doesn't know what she wants to answer, never mind what she should answer. Zed doesn't seem to need one though, he looks back to the road in front of the with a smile. In her chest, the knot finally disappears. This time, the silence is comfortable as they walk together. The barrier to Zombietown comes into view and Addison's pace slows down. Rusted and bent, the old metal fence has seen better days. She has never stepped foot on the other side, has never seen Zombietown. Sure, she's heard about it: a run down, violent and neglected township inside the limits of their perfect city. Not that any Seabrook citizen would actually cross the barrier and go check from themselves voluntarily. The only people who ever went were Z-Patrol officers. The only one she knows personally was her father, but he's always been tight lipped about it.

"You're okay?" Zed asks.

Addison cheeks' warm up with embarrassment as she hadn't meant to be so obvious. She shakes her head hastily before averting her eyes to the ground and biting down on her lip.

"First time in Zombietown, huh?"

Addison couldn't find it in herself to look at him. Staring pointedly at her feet, she nods.

"I promised we don't bite," he tries to joke, but she can hear the tension in his voice. "I promise you'll be safe."

There's a gentleness in Zed's tone, something she would never expect from an alpha. There's not even a hint of alpha tone to convince her. It might be that, it might be that she's been nasty to him today. It doesn't matter why, really, because against everything she has ever been taught, she believes him.

Kind of a filler chapter as we learn more about those two. Let me know what you thought of it.

Next chapter, Addison meets the Necrodopolis family.