Endure for Today

EIGHT

"We have to get inside somehow," Nalani mused out loud to herself, eyeing the building that encased them on all three sides. Across the courtyard, the athletic hall sat, the windows allowing no view within the double-story building. She didn't waste time wondering if there was anyone inside gazing out at them. They needed to move before night fell later, when it would be too dark and dangerous, and the temperature would plummet in the autumn weather. "I could try throwing something across the courtyard, but I doubt it'd free up enough space for us to drop down and run through the cafeteria."

Then again, the zombies below were attracted to the banging and yells of the ones attempting to break into the kitchen after her and Chelsea. They seemed sensitive to sound. If she could distract the milling bodies in the cafeteria away, they could run through...

"No, too dangerous," she muttered, biting into her lip. "It probably wouldn't draw all of them out, anyway."

"We could go through the window," Chelsea piped up from where she sat on the roof. With both backpacks and Nalani's skillet tucked beside her, the girl sat crisscrossed feet away from the broken middle window, twiddling her thumbs. At having the attention directed towards her, though, she straightened from her slouch and shrugged. "We wouldn't have to jump down or climb the walls if we go through there."

Eyes jumping to the window that the girl gestured at, Nalani huffed out a sigh and walked over to drop in front of her. "The only issue is that the windows lock from the inside," she told the girl, smiling so she understood that her suggestion wasn't being outright rejected. "I've considered it, but I'm coming up with ideas in case it's locked. Back-up options, no?"

"Well, we should try it first, shouldn't we?" Chelsea asked, looking up at her as if she wanted to know if Nalani thought her idea was good.

Nalani had actually contemplated doing so, but she didn't want to make too much noise and attract any attention from inside. She wasn't blind. The running forms of students and teachers – rushing desperately for any hint of safety they could find – and the zombies hunting them had darted past periodically since they've been up here. At one point, a whole wave of blood-covered bodies sped by, going to the left, and she had dropped them both to the floor to hide beneath the waist-height window.

The only possible way she could think of getting in was by breaking the window. That wasn't ideal for obvious reasons.

"I don't know how to open it without breaking it," she explained the problem to the girl, who furrowed her brows in thought. Peering down the length of the roof they were stuck on, Nalani tilted her head and once again began to voice her thoughts out loud. "I don't know if it opens up or to the side, I don't know if it's locked, and I don't know how to open it from out here. We're kind of stuck, yeah?"

At the myriad of emotions that crossed the girl's features – ranging from a flash of fear, to a spark of realization, all the way to a sheepish wince – Nalani narrowed her eyes at her. Chelsea was obviously contemplating something about the window. What it was, she didn't have an inkling of a clue, but she had a feeling that the eighth grader was gearing up to talk about it. Nalani only hoped that it wouldn't involve a loud noise that would give away their spot of momentary safety.

"I... I think I can open it," Chelsea spoke softly – quietly – as if she was worried about being overheard. After a nervous pause that Nalani waited patiently through, the girl peeked up at her shyly and gave an abashed shrug. "I sneak out of my room to hang out with Zayd at the park, or his house. I always close my window when I leave because my mom looks at it when she checks on me, so when I come back, I have to slide it open from outside. If this window is like mine –" her hand waved awkwardly at said window, "— then I can open it."