It's Complicated: A Zombie Romance Novel

The Test Part 2

"Test two is quite simple," Bite My Butt said as she addressed the crowd. "Get across the field from this goal," she pointed to the goal post behind us, "to that one." She pointed to the goal all the way across the field. "Anyone who makes it across gets to move on. Simple. Duke? Hand it out."

Duke got up off the bleacher and headed towards our awkward line. He'd been standing next to Gideon. Had the two of them been talking? I looked over at Gideon. If they had he sure didn't look like he'd moved a muscle. Man that boy could stand still. Duke started handing each of us a flag-football tackle belt.

"In the real game," Bite My, well you know the rest, started to explain, "runners have a key card." She pulled a girl from the crowd to demonstrate. "For the sake of our little game the flag will represent your key card. Lose it and you lose the game." She pulled the girl's ribbon off the belt. "Same as if you're in the real thing. Got it?" We all nodded. "Good." She blew a whistle. I guess that was our cue to start, but we all kind of just stood there unsure.

"Go," she said, waving us out onto the field.

"My belt?" asked the girl.

'Oh, you lost it honey. Sorry. Now get off my field." The girl walked away in tears.

"Glad I chose her. What a wimp," Bite My said to Duke. They both laughed. I could hear the girl sobbing.

"I was saving you. You wouldn't have made it past level one!" Bite My yelled after her.

"She wouldn't even make it as a zombie," Duke laughed.

"So do you think we've given them enough of a head start?" Bite My asked her two lackeys.

"Plenty," Duke replied. Bite My waved her hand at them, shooing them on.

I watched as they went for the gaggle of girls. The five or so of them didn't even have a chance. Duke and Mike ripped them apart with ease. Two girls escaped running in opposite directions. The other three lay there stunned.

Bite My Butt looked directly at me. "What are you waiting for?" I looked down the field, ready for the reinforcements I knew lay in wait.

The sprinter should have made it by now. I watched in horror as she neared the end-zone only to be body checked by the head cheerleader. She had been hiding behind the goal post this entire time. That must have been the signal because they came pouring in from all sides.

"This," I said. I lowered my head and ran. My sudden speed threw Bite My Butt off, but just for a minute. Soon she was gaining on me. I had been close enough to hear her conversation, but not dumb enough to just run ahead like the others. Still, there was no way that I could outrun a cheerleader across a football field. That's where my plan came into play.

Bite My had thought me easy pickings. That told me how clueless she really was. I ran straight at Duke. He'd just finished off one girl and was looking for his next target. My failed attempt at running caught his attention. He took the bait, barreling after me at full speed. Good boy.

Bite My was just about to grab my flag. I side stepped to the left, letting her collide into Duke. The collision was glorious. Legs and limbs flew every which way. But I didn't have time to gloat. I was only at mid field.

Cheerleaders were chasing Barbies all around the field. Only a few of the Barbies had ditched their heels to try and actually run. Mike was after those. Bite My Butt was putting only a minimalist effort into untangling herself from Duke. Maybe she liked the guy? All the better for me.

At this rate I had a better chance at winning this thing than I thought. I weaved back and forth between the screaming Barbies. I was going slow enough not to attract attention, but fast enough to clear the field. As I neared the goal line I noticed the head cheerleader and a small group of cheerleaders gathered around Adam's Apple.