Perfectionism in Pink | A Zombies FanFiction

62

It was like moving through gelatin.

The day was a blur and all Josephine could think about was meeting Alan tonight at the park. Every now and again the gelatin-like fog would start to disperse leaving confusion, but a soft touch of the wrist or a warm nudge of hands on her neck would bring her back into the admittedly serene headspace.

"Jett?" She stopped outside of her classroom, turning towards to voice and blinking. "Is everything... okay?"

"Yeah..." Josephine's voice was even far away a small smile on her face that sent the voice into a confusion. "Everything is... okay."

"So what... last night I just..." Zed swallowed his pride with an apology on his lip because she deserved it. Last night didn't go as it should have. Quickly, he pulled his bag in front of him diving into it to grab one of his folders. "I just wanted to give you-."

"Hello, Zed."

Zed's eyes snapped up, hand on a folder still residing in his back pack, to see condescending smile wearing Alan standing beside a content-looking Josephine - his arm around her shoulders - and she didn't say anything other than released a soft sigh.

"W-what's up Alan?" He tried so hard not to stutter, to let him know he was actually effected so terrible, but he couldn't help it as he slowly took out the folder. "Jett, here you left this last night and I know you-

"Whatever it is, I don't need it anymore."

The paper felt heavy is his hands and he ignored the feeling of being shot in his nonbeating heart. Swallowing he insisted once again, taking a step forward but Jett didn't pay him no mind instead nodding happily to what ever Alan had decided to whisper into her ear. The alien's lips were just grazing the shell sending nearly imperceivable shocks down her spine.

"It seems we will be late if we waste any more time."

Zed almost crumbled the paper - he wasn't a waste of time.

"Right." Jett nodded in agreement and allowed Alan to turn her around and guide her down the hallway as if his touch was giving her life. She didn't even acknowledge Zed with any form of goodbye...

With grit teeth, he carefully shoved the acceptance letter back in the folder and took the long strides to lock his hand around Josephine's wrist, forcing her to look at him.

As soon as the cool hand wrapped around her wrist, the gel around her seemed to melt away like a sculpture of ice on a beach. She blinked at a bold face staring down at her with a mixture of sadness, confusion, regret, and a furrowed brow of concern.

"Zed?" The zombie relaxed at her voice and the way her cheeks started to relax into the usual way Josephine kept her lips. Not quite a frown, but not nearly a grin either. "What's going-?"

Quick as a whip, Alan had his lips at Josephine's ear and Zed watched in morbid fascination as the girl's eyes seemed to flutter close as she leaned towards the alien. A breathless sigh left her lips and when she opened her eyes they were back to being glossed with unfocus. His fingers tightened, but Josephine's eyes hardened.

"Let go of me, freak." Josephine spat with a cruel scowl on her face making Zed physically move back from the harshness of her words. When the zombie didn't let go, she scoffed and dug her free fingers into the hold, gripping the cool hand tightly before throwing it away from her. "Why do you think I would ever want you to touch me?"

"Jett, what's going on, I'm not-?"

"Please don't call me that, you'll make me gag." With a roll of her eyes, Joan left the unnaturally stoic Alan's arm and pushed Zed by the chest for emphasis of her words. "You don't matter to me. You're not my friend, you never were, and if you want to remain on this side of town I suggest you leave me alone before I make it my personal mission to bring segregation back to Seabrook."