Zombie Breakdown

The Rumor

My favorite food is cheeseburgers. No matter how bad they are, like the stiff pattied, cheap cheesed, cold burgers served at lunch in school, I will always find my way back to a cheeseburger.

I drench my burger in condiments half-heartedly and sloppy-like, then toss my lunch tray at the table nearest me. Ben, a short, blond dude with shaggy hair, looks up briefly, then gets back to watching Mike play Baldi's Basics in Education and Learning. I tune in, listening to Baldi' ruler tap, tap, tapping, and then I hear it. Baldi's whistle of doom.

I smile and wolf down a few bites of cheeseburger. Mackenzie and Valentina sat down next to me with unreadable expressions.

"What?" I asked. Valentina grimaced.

"There's been news that zombies have been starting to appear in Idaho."

Mackenzie chipped in, "No one has said that it's completely true, though."

I roll my eyes. "People are just trying to get attention. Soon they'll disprove the sighting and everyone will forget about it. Right, Ben?" I said, wondering just how sucked into that screen he was. He gave a little nod, not even turning to face me.

Mackenzie wouldn't drop it. "What would you do if there was an apocalypse?"

I thought about it. Then I said, "I would probably just do what the teachers told us to do. If there were no directions, and people were just doing whatever came to mind, I would lock myself in with all the food in one of the storage rooms." The blond haired girl smiled. "I'd hide with you."

Valentina snorted. "I would grab some snacks from the room you were hiding in, then shut the outer door to the bathroom and lock myself in."

That was a pretty good idea. "Mike? Ben?" I asked teasingly. Mike rambled off, never looking up from his computer.

"I would also grab some food, all of my stuff, and then run home. It's not far from here. From there I would lock me and my family in the most secure room, with some long-term food storage and anything else we might need."

Ben shrugged. "I would go with Mackenzie and Y/n."

An announcement beeped over the intercom.

"Beeeep - All staff and students. We are in a modified lockdown situation. Staff, check your emails immediately for news of what has happened. Please continue scheduled activities."

Valentina whined. "I wanted to go outside today." Then the burnette teen's eys went wide. "Maube, this is because of the zombie rumor!"

Me, Ben, and Mike chorused at the same time, "Don't be ridiculous."

I could tell from the look on their faces, and the way they all of the sudden couldn't pay attention to their game, that they were just as worried as me and the others.