It's Complicated: A Zombie Romance Novel

Confessions

School went the way I expected. Some of the teachers were giving us seniors dirty looks, but mostly we sat around class chatting about graduation and the After Graduation party. Since graduation was on Friday they didn't require that we attend class, so today was our last day of school.

"They still haven't announced where it's going to be?" I asked incredulously.

"No, it's a super big secret," Lee Ann said. "They aren't telling anyone. Only the principal, a few teachers, and the student council know for sure."

I nodded. "The rest of it is rumors and guesses," I filled in for her. "Well, doesn't matter, I'm still not going."

"Why not?" she asked.

"Bad things happen at parties," I said. Lee Ann just stared at me. "Ok, bad things happen to me at parties," I clarified.

"So that's why you aren't going?" Lee Ann asked again.

"I don't go to parties," I said flatly. "End of story."

"Come on, this isn't even a real party. It's like an anti-party put on by adults." I rolled my eyes at her.

"Scouts honor." She put her hand over her heart.

"I'm pretty sure that's not how that goes," I said, taking her hand. Now she was the one to roll her eyes. "And I know you were never a 'scout'."

"Give a girl a break. There will be no alcohol or driving home. It's all night, and the prizes are supposed to be epic. I've heard the student council has been fundraising for years."

"It's still a party."

"Mae, really. You've never gone to a party in your life. How can you judge this book by the cover?" Had she really forgotten about last Saturday? It'd been less than a week. There had to be some excuse, but maybe it was something simple. Like she didn't want to talk about how she'd just left me there. If I brought it up that might clear the bad blood.

"Go to one, been to them all," I said. 'And you left me there alone to rot,' I wanted to add, but didn't. It wouldn't help my case.

"It's our senior party. You can't miss it," she pleaded.

"Look, I'm not going to this or any other party ever again."

"What's the big deal?" Lee Ann asked.

"I have a phobia or something," I said. There had to be a fear of parties, right? I mean, there are fears of heights, clowns, and everything else. I read that in a book some place.

"Not good enough."

"After last week," I started to say before she cut me off.

"We didn't go to a party last week."

"Yes, we did."

"No we didn't."

"Yes. We did."

"No we did not." She insisted. I threw up my hands in aggravation.

"Regardless, I don't want to go." Our argument had gathered the attention of everyone in the room, even Gideon. I could see his head among the faces turned towards us.

'Great. Just great,' I thought.

"Well," Lee Ann started to say, a bit quieter this time. She'd realized how loud we'd gotten. She waited until everyone around us lost interest in the conversation. I watched all the faces turn away except one. Gideon still had his head turned towards us.

"Well, what?" I whispered sharply at her.

"Mom and Dad left today. They won't be back 'til Monday." This was actually good news. Now they wouldn't be around to complain about me staying longer than a week. It also meant that she'd be as alone at graduation as I was. Brian had apparently fallen off the face of the earth, along with my mom.