Cory Cotton

Texas A&M University

April 17, 2033

0915 Hours

The sunshine streams through the patchy curtains of the little house on the campus of Texas A&M, and I yawn, blinking in the warm golden light as I sit up.

I still can't believe we're here. We made it out of the Woods of Wasting, out of Ruin River, and into college. We did have to do a high school crash course, given that we only had a fifth grade education, but now, Coby and I are here.

And, believe it or not, so is everyone else.

Once Garrett's cure was able to be mass-produced, the first zombie we tracked down was the vaccine's maker. Tyler was next, and then we found out that Sparky didn't even need the vaccine—he came stumbling out of the woods about a week after we found the others, having escaped both the river and the zombies. I can't find the words to describe any of the three reunions. There was a lot of hugging. And crying. Mostly crying.

Somehow, we all got accepted to Texas A&M. I'm not entirely sure how, what with the fifth grade education and all, but I'll take it. I need something normal in my life.

The rays of sunlight fall on the other side of the room, on Coby's still-sleeping form, the navy blanket pulled up over his shoulders. There's still a faint white scar on his forehead, but otherwise, he's unchanged—except for the fact that Coby looks more peaceful than I've ever seen him.

I have a scar, too, a set of pale pink puncture marks on my right shoulder. It used to hurt, even for several months after the injury, but it doesn't anymore. The emotional scars are fading, too, since it's been about nine months since we left the woods for good, and Tyler's a great sorta-therapist.

We did leave the woods, and the little plywood platform, behind, but there are still strings of beads and feathers suspended from the ceiling of our room, and the sign still hangs on the wall, proclaiming 100% Cotton to all who walk in. It makes the room feel more like home.

My phone buzzes, and I pick it up. It's Garrett, reminding me that he and Sparky are coming over for donuts before the first day of class. I'd better get ready—Garrett's gonna freak if I'm not dressed when they get here. I mean, he decided the rest of us were too messy to live with, so we're trying to prove we can be organized. I don't know how Garrett and Sparky can live together, given that Sparky is probably the messiest of all of us, but they both insisted.

I climb out of bed, pulling a hoodie, shorts, and a cap from under the bed, and go into the bathroom, hoping that no one else needs it. I lock the door quietly and turn to face the mirror.

My reflection is vastly different than the one I used to see in pools of water in the forest. The scar on my shoulder, bared by my tank top, is still noticeable, but it's going away. It'll probably be white in another year or so. My ribs are no longer visible, since I actually get to eat more than athaflax soup, and the dark circles under my eyes have vanished. I look happier, healthier, and, well, less like a skeleton.

I wash my face, then pull my hoodie over my head and step into my shorts. After raking a comb through my hair, I jam the hat on backwards. I brush my teeth, apply deodorant—life-changing, that, really—and, finally, hang my ID around my neck. I flash a smile at the mirror, pleased with the new college look.

The doorbell rings, and the footsteps of Cody thunder down the hall as he scrambles to answer it. I follow him, bursting out of the bathroom as Tyler and Coby both emerge from their rooms, Tyler in only his boxer shorts and Coby with his blanket still wrapped around his shoulders.

"We brought coffee and donuts!" Sparky announces as the door opens. He takes in the sight of us standing crammed into the doorway and gasps dramatically, shielding his eyes. "Ty! Where are your pants?"

"These are my pajamas!" Tyler defends.

"Those are your underpants," Garrett deadpans. "Tyler Toney, if you do not put on more clothes this instant, you will not be receiving any donuts. Why is Cory the only one dressed, you slobs?"

"Because he wants to look good for the girls, Gar, why else?" Cody replies as Tyler traipses back to his room. "And the rest of us were getting to it, but Cory was hogging the bathroom."

"You can change in your bedrooms," I point out.

"Not while Ty's in there!"

"Let us in already!" Sparky exclaims. "Do you want donuts or not?"

He shoulders his way into the house, looking around the cramped living room. "Hey, this is nice!"

"Happy, Gar?" Tyler asks, emerging from the hall with cargo shorts on. "Or would you like me to go get my tux?"

"At least put a shirt on," Garrett complains. "You're disgusting."

Tyler deigns to put on a tank top, and we all sit down around the coffee table. I flop down on the couch, and Coby curls up next to me, still wrapped in his blanket. I smile and scoot closer as he lays his head on the couch, eyes closed. "Stay up late, Cobes?"

"Yeah," Coby murmurs. "Couldn't sleep."

"Why not?"

"Nervous."

"You'll be fine," I reassure him. "It's me you should be worried about."

"Oh, come on, Cor," Coby mumbles. "I've been telling you you're smart for years."

"And I still don't believe you."

"Hey, y'all," Tyler says. "Let's pray, and then we'll eat."

I grab one of both Coby's and Sparky's hands, and we sit in a joined circle as Tyler speaks in a hushed voice.

"Dear Lord," he begins, "we thank Thee for this food and for this time we have to be together."

"Please bless us to do well in college," Coby adds. "And don't let us have too much homework."

"If You could knock some sense into these guys," Garrett says, "that'd be great."

"And we'd love it if You could make Gar less of a neat freak so he'll come live with us," Cody says, a laugh in his voice.

"Thanks for letting us all get admitted," Sparky murmurs. "Especially me, because I couldn't have done it without You. Bless us to make something of ourselves here and not drop out if we can help it."

"Thank You," I whisper, "for letting us all make it here. For letting us change the world."

"We'll never forget it," Tyler says, his voice trembling slightly. "We love Thee, Lord, and say these things in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen."

The circle breaks, and I grab a sugar donut, holding it delicately between my fingers. As Sparky leans forward for his, I realize the tops of his cheeks have a reddish tinge.

"Sunburned?" I ask sympathetically, taking a bite of my donut.

Sparky grins sheepishly. "Yeah. That—that Texas sun'll get ya."

"Gar could tell you a few things about sunscreen." I say, swallowing and glancing over at Garrett, who also looks sunburned. "Unless he hasn't been using his. Which he apparently has not."

"I'm not sunburned," Garrett growls, taking a menacing sip of his coffee. "It's the lighting."

Once all the donuts are eaten, those not yet dressed go to change, and I pull on shoes, then grab my book bag from its hook on the wall. My first class—English—starts at ten o' clock, and we'll have to leave soon if we want to make it on time.

After checking to make sure I have everything, I knock softly on the door of our room, and Coby's muffled voice tells me to come in. I open the door to see my twin sitting on his bed, staring at the floor, his feet tapping nervously. Coby's teeth are clamped onto his bottom lip, and tension is evident in every muscle.

"Hey," I whisper, sitting down next to Coby and nudging his shoulder with my own. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Cobes."

Coby sighs, tearing a hand through his hair. "It's all so big. It's new, it's full of people, and I can't even have my gun. What if zombies turn up?"

"You know they won't," I say. "The zombies are under control, and besides, they wouldn't try and storm a university. You don't have to be scared anymore, Cobes."

"Will you be okay?" Coby asks, looking at me with his dark, worried gaze. "I mean, all by yourself? It's a big school, and I'm not gonna be with you all day…"

"You won't be that far," I insist. "Really, dude, I'm gonna be okay. So are you. We're gonna have the best day ever, got it?"

Coby gives me a half smile. "Got it."

We stand up, and I pull my twin into a hug, trying to infuse him with courage, with hope. Coby returns the embrace, squeezing tightly. "Love you, Cor."

"Love you too, Cobes." I step back and give Coby the biggest smile I can muster. "Ready?"

His face breaks into an identical grin. "Ready."

We step out into the hall, onto the doorstep, and run for the passing trolley, jumping on at the last second as it pulls away from the curb. The other guys are already on, and there aren't any more seats.

So I grab the pole at the back and hang off, my face to the sky, the wind in my hair, and suddenly, I realize that, even though it was a long time coming, one day has finally arrived.

"Sweet," I whisper, and I'm unable to keep from smiling as we coast down the road into the sunlight.

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