Numerical Apocalypse

twelve

Mr. Sanchez's voice carried across the room. I pushed my hands into the pockets of my dark blue hoodie.

"You're wondering why we're gathered here." The mayor grinned at us from his position atop a chair. "And if you're not wondering that, you're wondering why we're leaving the facility that has housed us this long."

I grinned to myself. "How did he do it."

Theo shrugged. "Maybe the mutants got ahold of him and gave him superpowers."

"That's possible?" Lena squeaked.

Theo shrugged. "Maybe. Who knows."

I shushed them as Mr. Sanchez began to speak again.

"We, as in me and the group of senators and elders with us, have decided to send a few capable people to Alabama. A man by the name of Jack Alders has contacted the leaders in each state and asked for assistance in fending off the zombies that have swarmed to his state."

Theo nodded slowly. "Southeast. That's where the creatures were going."

"I wonder why?"

He narrowed his eyes. "I don't know, but something seems off."

I shrugged. "We're just going to help them. What's off about that?"

My mom rested her hand on my shoulder. "I assume you want to go with them?"

I glanced at the group Ms. Thana had assembled. "I want to, yes."

She nodded, her features taut. "Make sure you message or call us when you get a chance."

I hugged her tightly. My dad came over and joined us.

"Be safe."

I nodded. "I'll do my very, very best."

Ms. Thana was writing our names on a clipboard. "Alexandra Carson?" 

I raised my hand so she could see it.

“Jillian Key?”

“Logan Tanner?”

Ms. Thana scanned the list of all forty names.

I had counted.

“Okay. We’re using my van, Mr. Jim’s pickup truck-” 

I stopped listening to scan the room for my gym teacher, who we hadn’t seen in a while. He was leaning against the wall opposite Ms. Thana, grinning at something the guy next to him was saying.

After Ms. Thana gave directions- most of which I didn’t retain- we walked into the parking lot.

I grinned at Lena. “Look. I guess teenagers don’t know how to walk in a line.”

She giggled, glancing at the amoeba-shaped crowd.

I ended up with Lena and Theo, not surprisingly, in the very backseat of Ms. Thana’s 12-person van.

Theo spent the whole ride on his phone.

“Do you have signal?”

He nodded absently. “Nope.”

“Then how are you doing… whatever you’re doing?”

“Definitely.”

I waved my hand in front of his face. “Hey, Theo.”

He jumped. “What? I’m busy.”

“I asked if you had signal, and what you were doing.” I grinned. “Sorry, I won’t take a passive word for an answer.”