AM13 Outbreak Shorts

Outbreak - Six

I can't actually believe it, I don't really know what to think. I can ignore things when my mom is on about them non-stop, but it's a whole other story when it's a girl I actually think is pretty cool saying them to me. I don't know why, but the impact is the exact opposite.

I need to more about the virus, which is why I flick the computer on the instant I get home from my new school to discover all that I can. I even leave my bedroom television running in the background, just on the off-chance that something interesting might crop up. There's something in this, there has to be, and now I'm desperate to find out what.

I type in 'New Virus' to the search engine, followed by 'Deadly Outbreak' and other variations of the same thing, just trying to equip myself with at least some information. Even if this isn't bad enough to leave us all quarantined and missing the first few days of school, it will be the sort of thing everyone else is talking about.

I don't want to be the only one who doesn't know anything.

The words that circle around in front of me send an odd spike of ice cold fear racing right down towards my heart. The websites are very specific and incredibly morbid, and if it's freaking me out, then no wonder my highly strung mother is a mess. This is the sort of thing that could potentially send her spiraling into a breakdown.

Death toll growing by the day.

Low chance of survival.

Victims displaying worrying symptoms. Flu-like, organ failure, aggression.

I sigh deeply, and rub my eye lids hard, trying to rid all the mortality rate words out of my mind for a moment. Maybe I'm getting lost in this because it's easier to deal with than the other potential issue I've unleashed. It's horrible to read, but it doesn't feel real, whereas he really does.

Zac bloody Gella.

He's a player, Emma pretty much told me that, and I've kissed him. Before even setting foot in a classroom, I've probably made a million enemies, I'm going to have a terrible reputation, and even worse I've screwed up my chance at finding an actual nice boyfriend. No respectable lad will want to come near me after knowing I've already kissed Zac.

It's official, I'm an idiot.

I flop down onto my cool bed sheets, listening to the hum of the TV as my mind whirs like crazy. All the potential issues that await me flood my mind and I don't like the look of any of them. This is a freaking nightmare, I need something for damage control.

Or a damn time machine. Maybe if I could go back in time, restart in this damn town, then I could do everything really different. I could actually to use it to be the fresh start it was supposed to be.

Still, it's too late for that now. I'm just going to have to find some way to turn this all around. I can do that...can't I?