Perfectionism in Pink | A Zombies FanFiction

15

Sophomore year went by without many hitches.

Josephine stayed on the bleachers after winning by a landslide all those months ago and spent her free time at the gym or learning more about what she wanted out of life. She'd explore both sides of Seabrook and even would start sitting on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forrest against a tree and enjoyed the serenity of nature.

It was three months into the school year when Josephine realized she didn't have to wear pink and discovered sewing machines, scissors, and contrast.

It was a month later when Josephine took down her mom's decorations and painted over the pink walls with a soft green and hung up pictures of plants as an accent. She even had a small cactus named Babi on her windowsill to start her collection of living green things.

Her parents were not happy.

Every weekend they came home to their daughter rebelling just a little bit more than the last and home had become a battle ground without her brother there to moderate. It was her against them, but Josephine held firm even when they locked up the home gym in anger.

She just stayed behind after school and used their gym, and on weekends she knew how to get it.

But school was good.

Addison and Zed were still together and the schools all-star couple - cheerleader and football star, the most stereotypical relationship to exist. The prejudice against zombies still existed, but it was getting better.

Zed had stopped pestering Josephine to join the football team, but that also came at a price. Their meet ups and occasional get togethers had came to a halt by the time second semester came around with Zed busy playing football, hanging out with Addison, and trying to improve life overall for all zombies.

It would be a lie to say Josephine missed their improntu meets filled with banter and the occasional ball.

It was actually a pretty... lonely year, if she was honest.

The last day of sophomore year had Josephine laying underneath the bleachers that she almost died by a murderous zombie and wondering what the summer would look like. She strangely miss having something like cheer to look forward to and her competitive nature grew antsy.

"Jett?"

Josephine lifter her head to see a confused Zed at the entrance of the hidden room under the bleachers and waved in greeting. "Hey, freak." The zombie's lips lifted into a smile and he walked over to the human to stand above her. "Man, you're tall."

"Firstly, zombie." Zed corrected pointed at himself and dodging the kick towards his shin. "Secondly, you're on the ground."

"Amazing observation, zombie. It seems that human school is doing wonders for your intelligence."

"It's called studying, maybe you should try it sometime." He teased back, kicking Josephine's leg lightly. "What are you doing out here?"

"Dreading my existence."

There was a silence and Josephine sighed. It was supposed to be a joke, but sadly it had come out more serious than intended. Zed, the charismatic zombie he was, immediately went to concern and sat down at the girl's feet who groaned. "I'm fine, seriously."

"I haven't seen you much this year. You doing okay?"

"Perfect." Josephine smiled perhaps a little to wide at the boy. Zed did not believe her and once again a groan left her as she also sat up. The two teens now sat two feet away from each other and Josephine pretended that it wasn't too close. "Look, for some of us change is hard. Things don't always go so smoothly."