VIRUS

ONE

Chapter One: The Beginning of the End

The sharp scent of bleach hung in the air of the high school hallways, mingling with the unmistakable teenage musk and the faint aroma of cafeteria pizza. The bell rang, signaling the end of fourth period, and students spilled out of classrooms, their voices rising in excited chatter about weekend plans, gossip, and the occasional exam they had just bombed. Life at this school was predictable, routine, and for the most part, safe. That's how it had always been for Dawn Matthews, and she liked it that way.

Dawn glanced at her reflection in a classroom window as she hurried down the hallway. Pale skin, neat brown hair that hung just past her shoulders, and hazel eyes framed by a concerned expression. She was, as everyone said, a goody-two-shoes, always on time, always with her homework done, and never a rule broken. Today, though, she was rushing because something felt wrong. There was an undercurrent of panic that swept through the halls, whispers that grew louder about something happening just outside the school.

As she turned the corner, she collided with someone hard, nearly falling backward.

"Watch it!" Holden Parker grumbled, steadying her with a firm grip on her arm. His green eyes, framed by tousled brown hair, flicked over her disapprovingly before he dropped his hand.

Dawn recoiled slightly, not just because of the impact but because Holden was the last person she wanted to deal with today. Holden, the school's resident bad boy — not literally, but his laid-back attitude and habit of always seeming to barely care were infamous. He was constantly in detention, never took anything seriously, and was, in Dawn's eyes, everything she hated about high school.

"Maybe you could try not standing in the middle of the hallway," she snapped, her patience wearing thin. Normally, she would have been more polite, but the atmosphere had her on edge.

"Maybe you could loosen up," Holden shot back with a crooked grin, already turning to walk away.

But before they could exchange more words, the loudspeaker crackled to life. "Attention students. Please remain in your classrooms. There is a situation—"

The announcement was cut off by a high-pitched scream, echoing down the hall, followed by the unmistakable sound of breaking glass. Dawn froze, her heart hammering in her chest. The scream wasn't from fear, it was... pain. Real, gut-wrenching pain.

"What the hell was that?" Holden asked, his face no longer holding its lazy smile.

Dawn didn't answer, but her mind raced, her instincts screaming that something was very, very wrong. She grabbed Holden's arm. "We need to get out of here. Now."

---

The gymnasium was deserted, the echo of their footsteps bouncing off the walls. Dawn had dragged Holden here, hoping to grab something — anything — to protect themselves with. She didn't know why, but the need to be armed felt urgent, primal. Holden, to his credit, hadn't protested much, though she could tell by the way he kept glancing around that he was just as freaked out as she was.

"What are we looking for again?" Holden asked, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"Bats," Dawn replied, scanning the shelves. She knew the gym was stocked with equipment, and sure enough, she found a row of baseball bats lined up against the wall. She grabbed one and handed another to Holden. He tested the weight in his hand, nodding in approval.

"Alright. Now what?" he asked, his tone lighter but his eyes serious.

"We move," Dawn said firmly, gripping the bat tightly. "We need to get out of the school before whatever is happening gets worse."

---

As they moved through the halls, Dawn and Holden weren't the only ones on high alert. Karasi Thompson was frantically pushing her way through the crowd with Ryland Singh close behind. Karasi, the queen bee of the school, was immaculate as always, even as panic rose around her. Her dark skin gleamed, her black braids pulled tight, and her expensive cheerleading jacket remained spotless. She couldn't believe this was happening. Zombies? That's what people were saying. It was ridiculous. It had to be some kind of prank, right?

But then, she had seen it herself — a teacher lunging at a student, foaming at the mouth, their eyes dead and glassy. It was real.

"Karasi, slow down," Ryland called, struggling to keep up. He was tall, built like the star quarterback he was, but his face was pale, fear stark in his brown eyes. The dumb jock was scared.

"I'm not slowing down for anything!" Karasi snapped, shoving a locker door closed as they passed. "We need to get out of here. I'm not dying in this place!"

Just as they reached the end of the hallway, they ran into Dawn and Holden.

"Perfect. Of course it's you," Karasi sneered, her eyes landing on Dawn first. Then she turned her glare to Holden. "And you. What, did the zombies skip you because you're already dead inside?"

Holden rolled his eyes. "Good to see you too, Karasi."

"We need to work together," Dawn interrupted, trying to keep the peace. "We don't have time for this."

But Karasi wasn't listening. She was already eyeing Holden with disdain. "You're not driving. I don't trust you with anything more complicated than a mop."

Holden smirked. "I didn't know cheerleading made you an expert on cars."

Before Karasi could fire back, another scream rang out, this time much closer. Dawn swallowed hard. "We need to move. Now."

---

It was on their way to the parking lot that they found Isabel. The small, shy girl had tucked herself into a locker, her brown eyes wide with terror behind her glasses. Her tan skin was damp with sweat, and her short brown hair stuck to her forehead. She flinched as the group approached.

"Isabel?" Ryland's voice softened as he peered into the locker. "You okay?"

Isabel nodded, too terrified to speak. Ryland, ever the gentle giant, reached out a hand to help her. She hesitated, her heart pounding as she stared up at him. He was her crush, always had been, though she never had the courage to say anything. And here he was, offering his hand.

"I've got you," he said quietly, and she took his hand, letting him pull her out of the locker.

Karasi rolled her eyes as Isabel joined them. "Great. More dead weight."

Holden scowled at Karasi. "Can you just—"

"Both of you, enough!" Dawn snapped, surprising even herself. "We need to get out of here."

---

Outside, the world was chaos. Cars were overturned, students and teachers ran in all directions, and the distant sound of sirens was swallowed by the growls and snarls of the infected. Dawn's heart pounded in her chest as she clutched her bat tighter.

"There's a car," Holden said, nodding toward an old sedan parked haphazardly by the curb. "We can take that."

"How are we going to—" Dawn began, but Holden was already jogging toward it, dropping to his knees by the driver's side door. Dawn frowned as he pulled out a few tools from his pocket.

"Hotwiring cars is... a hobby," he said over his shoulder with a grin. Dawn groaned but didn't argue. They didn't have time for this.

It took Holden only a few minutes before the engine sputtered to life. The group piled in, Holden behind the wheel. Dawn sat next to him, though she still didn't like him, and Karasi and Ryland climbed into the back. Isabel squeezed in beside Ryland, her heart fluttering despite the terror surrounding them.

As they sped away from the school, Dawn took one last look at the chaos behind them. It wasn't just the school. The world was falling apart.

And this was only the beginning.