Undead School

Chapter Three: What's Your Backstory?

Dinner was interesting on the first night of the Apocalypse. We had no way to cook anything so we ate fresh fruit and cold canned beans and canned pasta. It was not the best meal, but we were all too happy to be alive to care too much.

The whole group sat around in a circle and ate, no one saying a word, just thinking to themselves, probably about the old carefree life that they were leaving behind. Maybe about the rest of world, how the outside was fairing. It was some overwhelming thought for a bunch of middle schoolers.

After we were done eating, everyone moved their cans into the locker room to store them for future use. There was no waste in the Apocalypse. We would use our resources wisely no matter what happened.

Once we stored away our cans, we all sat in a circle quietly until Will suggested that we tell about ourselves to everyone else. Most everyone didn't respond, but Will started anyways. "I have had a normal life I would say." Will started. "My family have always been into sports. My dad was a retired NFL player. My mom a swimming coach, and my brother in every school sport he could join."

Will paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "I was the odd one out. I would study and read all the time, and my parents treated me like I wasn't even their kid..." I could see Will begin to tear up, but he kept going. "No matter what I couldn't do sports. I was never even really interested. They would call me a disgrace and a wimp all the time."

Will finished talking and everyone was silent for a long time before Drake started talking. "I was... very obese." Drake said and took a breath. "Girls would tease me all the time for my weight, calling me fat, and ugly. I quit school for a long time after that, and almost starved myself to death in trying to lose weight. When I did eat, I would even force myself to puke it up afterwards."

Everyone was completely shocked. None of us had ever seen Drake like that or even could have guessed that that was what he was like at his old school. "Finally I found the error in my method when I collapsed in public and was taken to the doctor. The doctor told me that my body was not getting any nutrients and that I would die unless it was fixed."

Drake was silent for a long while before he decided to finish what he was saying. "I was hooked up to a machine for five days while I was basically in a coma. Eventually my body was ready to function again. I worked myself for a long while after to become the way I am now."

After Drake finished I told my story. All about my mom's death and my dad's problem. While Rae and Carmen had known, it was a surprise to the boys, and even Jason had given me a serious sorry look.

Even after the three of us finished telling our stories, it was hardly time to sleep, and I didn't even know if I would be able to sleep anyways. No one else wanted to say anything, so Drake took the conversation into his owns hands with something that we did need to talk about eventually.

"Alright everyone, we need a leader here if this is going to function well at all." Drake addressed everyone, and I figured he had changed his mind and proposed himself as leader. I hoped that was the case at least.

"I nominate Evelyn for the position. She is decisive and strong." Drake said, and my heart both lifted and sank at the same time. It felt good that someone thought of me like that, but on the other hand I didn't know if I could trust myself to keep everyone here together and safe.

"Sounds like someone has a little crush." Jason smirked at Drake, but Drake ignored him altogether.

"I agree." Rae said, "With what Evelyn has been juggling, she can definitely handle this the best out of any of us." The fact that these people had so much faith in me was both scary and heartwarming, and I mumbled a thanks to Rae.