Night of the Living Bacteria [Old version]

Chapter Four-Three Strangers

September 23, 1955Dear Diary,I want to go home. Gifted and Talented is the best part of the school, but I miss being home. I miss my parents. I haven't had time to do anything, not even write in here. I wonder if my parents miss me as much as I miss them. They probably enjoyed the silence. I was always loud. I also wonder what has happened. What have I missed, did my baby brother take his first steps or say his first words? Did my older sister make it into college? I thought my mom would send me a letter. Maybe I should write to her first. Whatever I decide, I will tell you, diary.Sincerely, Michelle

(Olivia POV)

The school is huge, a big flat building with another stacked building in front of it. The tall one is probably the dormitory, and the long one is the campus. I take a deep breath and make my way towards the campus, as there's a short seminar regarding this school before we can settle into our dorms. I make a beeline for the ramp that goes up to the front entrance so that I don't have to carry my bag up the stairs. When I reach the top, I grab my student I.D out of my pocket and swipe it across the keypad. The door makes a beeping noise, and I push the door open. The sound of chattering students fills my ears. Everyone is packed into the main hall, chatting in small groups, or standing alone, playing on Nintendos, IPods, and their flip phones. I melt into the crowd, standing off to the side and leaning against the wall. I let my bookbag slide off my shoulders, exhausted from the amount of lugging heavy things I had done.                                                                                     ###The seminar is taking place in the AUD at the main entrance, so when a teacher comes out and starts leading us to the auditorium, we walk straight ahead into the massive room. People flood into it, the old, cracked leather of the chairs squeaking as people sit down. I sit down far in the back, as this seminar was not all that small. After everyone is seated, the seminar begins. It drones on and on, and I zone out for a little while, thinking of what my parents are doing right now. Both my brother and I went to boarding school, so they're alone. I wonder how my mom is going to cope with this, and what my dad is going to do without my little brother. I lean my head against the back of the chair, lost in thought. Time passes by slowly, but eventually, the seminar is over, and we file out of the auditorium. We'll take our luggage to our dorms, and then we will go to our afternoon classes after lunch. I grab my suitcase and book bag off the floor where I left it and walk out the front door and follow the crowd down the ramp. My schedule says that I'm in room #408, the GT dorm. I got accepted by scholarship and I got into the highest classes, and since this class was recently added back in the 80s, there's a separate dorm. The school was built in the late 60s and was remodeled in the 80s. I walk to the small building add-on at the far end of the dorms and swipe my ID. I walk down the hallway, consisting of twelve rooms, of which seven are occupied. The brown wood floor creaks under my weight, and I walk down the short hallway, passing a kitchen and a living room, before reaching the dorms. I walk up to dorm #408 and take a key out of my pocket. The lock clicks, and I push the door open to reveal an empty room, consisting of a desk, a small twin bed, and a dresser. Another door in the back indicates that I have a bathroom. I close the door behind me and walk into the room, tossing my bag onto the bed and walking further into the room. Everything is clean, even though this building is really old. I got a scholarship to go to this school until I graduate, so my stuff was here prior. Three boxes sit in the corner, boxes full of my room's decorations. My room back home was cleaned out, and I had to sleep on the floor for a week. We have an hour to get settled before we have to go to lunch, so I toss my suitcase onto the bed and unzip it, opening drawers to the dresser and organizing my things. After I finish unpacking my suitcase, I grab a pair of scissors out of my bag and cut open the first of the boxes.                                                                                                ###My timer goes off, indicating that it's time for lunch. I press the silence button, grab my phone, and walk out my door. I close it and lock it, watching as two others make their way out. A blonde-haired girl and a blonde-haired boy walk down the hall together, chatting. The girl notices us and her eyes light up."Wanna join us for lunch?"

A/N-Since this takes place in 2001, yes, those are flip phones, and yes there are games on them (for people who grew up with smartphones--like me)