Schools Out

Seriously waking up at 6 in the morning seriously sucks. Especially when you know in 2 hours you’re going to be in that hell hole called high school. Atleast I’m popular right? I mean popularity is like the most important thing in high school. Sure people have plans for college and scholarships, but I already know what I’m doing with my life. I’m graduating this stupid school and moving to northern California where I will find a perfect wife and live a perfect life. I’m gonna be a real estate agent. Sounds like the perfect life right? Besides, if I wasn’t popular I would be nowhere. I’m best-friends with Malcolm Thomas, the quarterback and the most popular guy in school. Thank god I decided to share my crackers with him in kindergarten. I walk down those halls like I own it. If someone looks at me the wrong way or says something stupid and annoying, I flip on them. I mean yeah everyone, except for like 4 people, annoy the shit out of me. But Eric Sanders annoys me the most. He’s always like “Fuckin Tony Russo and his perfect life and perfect friends and blah blah” It’s not like I listen to him anyway. Who listens to a burnout?
Suddenly my alarm beeps for the 3rd fucking time and I see it’s already 6:15. Cool Russo, waste more time thinking about useless kids. I finally get out of bed and start my morning routine. First I do some pushups and sit-ups and shit like that. Hey, I’m popular. I gotta look the part. After doing those stupid things, which at 6:15 in the morning feels like you’re lifting cinderblocks, I hop in the shower. I take fairly short showers in the morning. I just make sure my hair isn’t greasy and I don’t smell and then I get out. I turn the shower off and that’s when I realize it’s fucking dead quiet outside. I live in the middle of Pennsylvania, usually there’s cars driving down and people walking, but today there is nothing. Yeah okay, thinking to myself, there’s totally a zombie apocalypse going on. I laugh at my own stupidity, like that was going to happen. I look over my clothes and decide what to wear. I pick out mustard colored pants and a white long sleeved shirt. It’s still cold out, but not cold enough to need a jacket, so I don’t bother grabbing one. I quickly run back to the bathroom, seeing as it’s already 6:45. I brush my teeth quickly. I don’t have time to actually do my hair, so I just comb it down and hope for the best. I grab my backpack, lace up my converse and head downstairs. When I get into the kitchen that’s when I notice something is defiantly not right today. Usually my mom is here making breakfast and my dad is just leaving for work. I see the oven was on and breakfast was started, and I see my dad’s briefcase on the floor, but my parents are MIA. “what the hell...” I say, surprised at how loud I actually said it. I check the time on my phone and it’s already 7:03. “Fuck it.” I muttered and grabbed an apple and started walking to school. I guess I probably should have checked around for my parents more I think to myself on the way to school. I start to feel guilty, but I’ll see them when I get home so it’s whatever.
It usually takes me 15-20 minutes to get to school, and that’s with cars in the way and crossing guards. I’m halfway there and I only see one car. One.Freaking.Car. Maybe everyone is sick, I think. As I start to get to the center of town I see more cars and more people and I relax a little bit. I’m ¾ of the way to school when I come to a sudden realization on why I’m so mean to everyone. I’m mean because I’m scared. I’m scared to know what will happen if I come out. Yes, surprise, I’m gay and in love with my best friend, Eric DiMarco. We became friends last year on the soccer team, and then we became best friends. I’m pretty sure he’s at least bi, considering he was caught flirting with this kid in the next town over. Yeah, kids picked on him, but by now everyone forgot about it. I’m broken out of my deep thought when I realize I’m walking up to my school steps, and Danielle Henn and Sarah Burk are walking over towards me, both with huge smiles on their faces. They were best friends, Danielle the preppie, and Sarah the theater nerd. Even though Sarah was classified as a ‘theater nerd’ she was just as popular as I was.
“Tony, guess what!” Danielle asked me with way too much excitement. She was always the center of gossip, so before I even had time to acknowledge her question, or even say hi she continued talking. “Okay you know Alana and Stevie? Well they were walking late last night at the park, and some hobo bit Alana! So Stevie pushed her away, and the hobo scratched him! So they both ran away, but they’re both in the hospital now! Apparently the hobo had some disease and now they’re both in ICU.”
Wait, did she say bit? I just kind of stood there, stunned. “Wait, why were you guys both so happy earlier when you walked up to me?” Sarah answered this one. ‘Oh, because Mr. Fields is out sick, so we have Miss. Sears as a substitute!” We all silently cheered because we all loved Miss.Sears. She was the kind of substitute where you could be brutally honest with, and she didn’t care at all. “Hold on let me stop at my locker and I’ll meet you in class!” I say and they both nod and walk off to first period, Algebra. I take out some books and look around the school, and everyone is pretty much here, except Alana and Stevie.
I walk off to class 301, and look up at Miss. Sears. “Hey Miss. Sears!” “She looks up with a confused look on her face, but realizes it’s me. I’m like, one of her favorite students. “Hey Tony!” I smile and take my seat right next to Malcolm. The 4 seats in the middle are reserved for us, Danielle, and Tara Wenning. She was the most popular girl in school, head cheerleader, and girlfriend of Malcolm. The girls were gossiping and Malcolm turned to me and whispered ‘Dude, do you think she’ll check the homework?” I sigh and laugh, he never does his homework. “Nah dude. Its Sears, she’ll probably let us joke off the whole class. The first period bell rings, and everyone settles in their seats. “Okay class, first things first. Attendance.” That’s when I start to zone off and think about Alana and Stevie.
“Sarah Burk?”
“Here”
Why would someone bite them? What the hell.
“Anna Deryin?”
“ugh, here”
I mean, no it couldn’t be fucking zombies. That shit is made up and fake.
“Eric DiMarco?”
I look up at the name, and look to my left where he’s sitting.
“Here” he mutters. He’s finishing the algebra homework, such a goodie goodie.
“Danielle Henn?”
“Here” the girl chirped.
Holy shit Tony are you seriously thinking about the zombie apocalypse?
“Joshua Peats?”
“Yeah, here” some kid from the back shouted
“Tony Russo?”
I jumped when she said my name.” whoa, calm down their jumpy” Malcolm laughed. “Here” I said. I went back to my thinking. I wonder if Alana and Stevie are okay
“Greg Sanders?”
“Here cutie.”
The whole class, even the teacher, rolled their eyes.
“Megan Smith?”
“Here” Megan raised her hand, then quickly put it down when she realized she was the only one who raised it.
Tony, you’re crazy. I think. No way. Just some freak who took too many drugs
“Malcolm Thomas?”
I looked over and the kid next to me flashed his bright teeth and said “right here” then looked at me and winked. Stupid Malcolm. Always trying to flirt with the teachers.
“Tara Wenning?”
“Here” the head cheerleader said with that “i-really-don’t-care” tone. “Alright awesome. All 25 kids here today.” Miss. Sears started “Now class today we’re unfortunately learning-“she was cut off by an ear splitting, blood curdling scream. Then another, this time a boy screaming. Then another. We all just sat there, frozen.