We're Gonna Die In Here || Noodle Nelson **BEING REWRITTEN EVENTUALLY**

Winds of Change Part 1

Previously on Freakish.
"Who the heck are you?"
"Grover.
Grover Jones."
Now, why would you show up to Saturday detention when you don't have to?"
"Coach, it's not a drill."
"The chemical plant's on fire."
"You can't go out in that."
"I'm not getting a signal."
"Nothing wants to work anymore"
"They can't all be dead"
"All dead."

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"Lyle, what happened to you?" Violet asked under Her breath as Everyone stood around a very sick looking Lyle. "His heart's beating like a drum."

Coach said with his hand on Lyles wrist. "But he doesn't have a fever or a cough or anything like a normal sick person." Grover said. "That is not a normal sick person." Nik said. "Kid needs a hospital." coach concluded. "You don't know if the hospital's still there." someone argued. "Lyle, can you hear me? Can you tell us what you saw? Lyle, stay with me.
You gotta help us here." Violet said to the dazed boy. "Did he say anything to you?" she asked turning to Grover and Nik. They looked at each other remembering What Lyle had said "All dead." before making the silent agreement to not tell them. "He said something, didn't he? What did he say?" Violet pushed. "Well, yeah, he spoke." Nik said quietly. "We just couldn't understand him." Grover finished as Nik clung to his arm still a bit shaken up by the whole ordeal. "You're lying." Violet said simply eyeing Niks arm on Grovers. He scoffed "No, I'm not lying." He said and pulled Nik away to a bottom bunk a few away from Lyles. She sat down and Grover stayed standing leaning against the ladder on the back. "Stop." Violet said in a hushed voice "Whatever he said, I can handle it." she said and Grover sighed. "Look.
I don't want anybody in this place to panic." he said. "I'm not the panicking type." she replied.
"He, uh, he said everybody was dead." Nik said quietly staring off into space.
"You said he was trying to tell you something?" Barrett called over and Grover replied with a "Yeah." as Nik got up and moved over next to Noodle who looked at her then back at Grover then her again.
Nik tuned out the conversation of the others until Barrett started shaking Lyles bed. "Leave him alone." she said irritated and he glared at her. "He's our only link to what's going on outside." he yelled. "Hey don't yell at her" Noodle yelled and Grover came around and stood next to him as he had stood up in front of Nik.
"Guys! He's not our only link." said Natalie running into the room with a sick looking Addy on her arm. "And there's more like her upstairs." she said.

"What could have happened to them out there?" Nik asked as She looked around at all the sick people in the room.
"Staying inside was the smart move." someone said.
"The question is, for how long is it smart?" Violet countered.
"Until somebody comes to find us." Mary said definitely ending the conversation. "They smell like they've been eating trash." Zoey said scrunching up her nose. "Maybe they have been." Noodle chuckles and Nik smiles a little. "What would bring them back here?" Natalie asked in confusion. "Might be the only place left." said Violet absentmindedly. "You really think that?" Nik asked scared. "The explosion was huge." she reasoned. "Who are you, and why are you trying to scare people?" Zoey asked rudely. "I'm someone who'd rather understand reality than play pretend." Violet fired back angrily. Zoey looked like she was about to ouch Violet when Leshaen pulled her back muttering that violet wasn't worth it. "You really think nobody else is left?" Nik asked breaking the silence. "No, look.
There's no way anybody could know that." Grover reassured her.

"Anything?" Nik asked walking back to where Barrett was messing with the radio. "These old radios tend to have battery issues." he replied not removing his eyes from what he was doing.
"You seem like the kind of guy who could fix something like that." she said sitting down across from him. "You know who I am." Barrett said. "Everyone in the school knows who you are." Nik replied calmly. "A guy who ripped someone off?" he said bitterly. "I try to judge people for myself." She said.
"So what's your verdict?" he asked. "Excuse me?" she questioned. "On me.
What's your verdict on me? I haven't decided yet." Nik said with a small smile. "I know who you are too." he said and Nik looked up at him confusion washing over her features. "I've heard you sing. You're quite good." he said matter of factly.
"Thank you." Nik replied smiling.
"How long do you think before they send someone searching for us?" Nik asked changing the subject. "They're likely devoting most of their resources to the fire. It would be complicated to put out because of all the hazardous materials. And there's probably a high body count to contend with." he said with no emotion. "my dad worked at the plant." Nik said sadly. "Worry is never productive." I'm not worried I've already accepted that he's gone."
"You don't have anyone out there to care about?" she questioned.
"To answer your previous question, it will likely take them a few days at the least before anyone looks for us, probably more."

"You okay?" someone asked and Nik turned around from her spot in front of the window in a classroom to see Diesel walk in. "Why aren't you helping in the shelter?" Nik asked crossing her arms and shrugged off his question. "Well, I thought somebody should act as guard." he said back as Nik sat on a science table. Diesel walked further into the room. "Why aren't you helping in the shelter?" Diesel asked "Your little boyfriend's down there." Nik looked at him in confusion. "Aren't you and Noodle a thing" Nik sighed. "I don't know, I don't think so" she finished shaking her head. "Why do you care?" she questioned and Diesel shrugged and changed the subject. "I don't like it." he said bitterly standing directly in front of the table Nik was sitting on. "What?" she questioned and he ran his hands through his hair. "I don't like it down there." he continued "It's like a tomb." he said. "You should get some rest." he told Nik and she stiffened. "I know when I need to rest." Nik finished before moving past Diesel and walking out of the room.

"both my parents work there." Grover said as we sat next to each other on the floor a little bit away from the bunk beds full of sick people talking about anything to get our minds off of everything. Noodle had been sitting next to his cousin Addy ever since Natalie brought her in and Nik didn't want to bother him so she continued her conversation with Grover. "Smart parents." Nik said and he laughed. "Yeah." he said "They always wonder where I come from." Nik laughed at that.
The coach clapped his hands together. "All right, guys.
Tomorrow we're gonna decide what we do next.
For now, I want you all to go up and find a place to get some shut-eye." Coach said. "We can stay and help." Mary said and Nik scoffed "speak for yourself I'm dead on my feet" she said and some people chuckled.
" lWell, you're all gonna go upstairs and leave me alone in peace and quiet." coach said nicely then not so nicely "Get out." he said. Nik shuffled slowly to the door after the others with Her eyes half closed. "Here" Diesel said picking Nik up bridal style. "Seriously?" she asked placing her hands delicately on his shoulders. "What I don't want to wake up at 3 in the morning when you finally make it upstairs." Nik laughed as he walked into the lounge where everyone else was. "Nik!" Noodle said running up to the two. "Is she okay?" Diesel laughed at the way Noodle acted around Nik. He put her down. "I'm fine, just tired" she said almost falling over. Noodle wrapped his arm around her waist pulling her over to a coach. Diesels face went back to Its usual glare as he walked (more like stormed) out of the room.

Down with the coach he was settling down for a good nights sleep when one of the sick students, Addy, sat up and looked over at him.