Orthodontics in the Zombie Apocalypse

1. Officer Roadkill (1/2)

About eight weeks later...

The sun is bright, as far as I can tell from the way it filters past my sheer, white curtains and lights my room up like a match on steroids. I feel as though I finally got adequate sleep; something I haven't felt in several months, which I guess is a perk to scheduling an orthodontist appointment an hour into the school day. It would have been pointless to go for not even the full first period.

Even if it were rainy and I had to wake up an hour early, today would still be good from the start. Today my braces come off. Finally. Forever. After eight dreadful years that I have slaved away to take care of the metal in my mouth.

It's an understatement to say that I've been intensely awaiting this day for years.

And now it has come.

I make an effort to wear something fashionable today, which I normally don't do often for school. I want the world to know how good I feel today, right down to the long knit socks and tan boots I wear.

The blue dress floats just above my knees, and I silently thank my parents for the thousandth time that we live in California. I even curl my dark hair in the minutes I have to spare. Then, I find my way downstairs to the kitchen.

"Uh, Mom? What are you doing home?" I ask, startled to see a figure standing by the stove.

"Behhh," she replies in a throaty croak.

My eyebrows knit together. "Okay then." I grab a perfectly ripe banana off the counter on my way out the door. Something takes hold of my arm, and I turn back to see a gray-green figure dripping saliva from the mouth that vaguely resembles my mother. The worst part about it is that I can see the brainlust in her bloodshot eyes. (Yes, I just made up a word. Deal with it...my mom is a freaking zombie!)

"Mom? Oh shit!" I shriek when comprehension finally hits me like a semi truck, and I smack the hand away. The slapping sound of shoes against pavement echo through the desolate streets of a normally very busy neighborhood. The newfound version of my mother follows me with a speed I was hoping zombies didn't possess. I jump into my car and lock the doors as quickly as possible. I have to say, I thought I would be much more out of shape than my recent sprinting excursion showed. But, hey, I'm not complaining, since it let me get to my car before that surreal thing I used to call "Mom" got to me. Speaking of which, that thing bangs its fists against my window, causing minuscule spiderweb cracks to form and grow with each blunt impact. I start the engine, throw the gear in reverse, and slam on the gas pedal.

Gasping for breath at this point, I watch closely around for any more signs of the creatures. My used-to-be mother runs behind for quite a while; until the distance between us grows too much for her to be seen any longer.

"What. The. Hell," I breathe. "I'm dreaming. I've gotta be dreaming. What's the term for being in the middle of a nightmare?" I begin rambling to the empty car. I finally stop myself and take several deep, cleansing breaths.

Maybe it's just a joke...

"Very funny," I mutter, "let's all prank Piper."

Which means the orthodontist probably isn't infected. And I can still get my braces off.

"I am getting my braces off, once and for all. I don't care what it takes."

I slam my foot down on the gas pedal and drive like a maniac down the eerily silent highway. It's a speed with consequences, I'm afraid...

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A/N
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