The Apocalypse

Chapter 2

"Striiiiiiiike three! You're out!" I looked up from the scorebook and watched as our rival school cheered. This game would either make us the district champions for the first time ever, or give our rival school, who was in the same boat as us, one more chance at winning it all. I watched as Todd Larson, the "powerhouse"/all-state/captain of the team, broke his wooden bat in half because he had lost a huge game for us. "You're alright, Larson. Everyone strikes out in the most important game." I said while smiling. He gave me a look and said "Fuck you Manny." Everyone laughed.

Larson and I have never gotten along with each other. We've sadly known each other since I had moved here my third grade year. "Manny, I need the book." My coach said to me. I handed it to him while still laughing at Larson. My coach studied the book. He gave a nervous look and then slammed the book on his chair. "We can't use our star pitcher because he went over 100 damn pitches." I looked over to our star pitcher, Larry Longbecker, as he rubbed his arm in pain. "How about we give Manny his chance?" My pitching coach said. They both looked at each other and then to me, then back to each other. Nobody said a single thing to me the rest of the time we were at the field.

I was used to being ignored, or not talked to at all when I was on the field. I was always looked down upon because I didn't do drugs or go to parties like everyone else. I looked to the stands to remember that the one person I always got nervous in front of wasn't there. "Hey Manny, where is Jamie huh? Maybe she knew your dumbass wasn't gonna be playing." Larson said as he shoved me out of the way. Now, I'm not the biggest of guys, and compared to the behemoth that Larson is I looked like a twig. With my peach skin, brown hair and eyes, and being short made me the easy target of the whole team. I looked over to Larson and said "Or maybe she didn't wanna take pictures of the dumbass who struck out with bases loaded." He gave me a look like he wanted to punch me.

He didn't, but he turned around with the rest of the team and left. I stayed back to finish working on the field to prep it for the next game, which was in exactly a week from tomorrow. "If only that piece of shit understood why she isn't here." I said to myself. "Why are you always the last person on the field, Manny?" I looked over to see Josh, still in his costume from the play that had to have just ended. "Cause unlike everyone else I care about the field. How was the play?" "It was great! How was your game?" Josh asked. I gave him a stare then I looked down to the ground. "I'm guessing you lost?" "Yeah, cause Larson struck out with the tying run on third."

Josh shook his head in disbelief. I finished up the pitchers mound and I got my stuff and left with Josh. "Why are you still in costume?" Josh looked down at himself as if he was surprised he was still wearing it. "Yikes, I forgot." He said. Then he ran back into the theater to change. I got into my car and I sat there waiting. I had looked at my phone and realized that my doom was about to come. I read a text message from Jamie's parents asking "Where is Jamie?" "Is she with you?" "Is she alright?" "When will she be home?" "How was the game?" "Did you win?" I responded "I'm sorry, Mr. And Mrs. Brown, I will be there in a second." Josh finally came back, still with his costume on, and came into the car. "You're still wearing the costume dumbass." He looked down again and said "Damn, forgot again." But before he could get out of the car I said, "We have to go to the Browns' house." Josh gave me a concerned look. 

"What're you going to tell them?" I gave some thought into that question, I had been pretty close to Jamie and her family ever since I had asked her to date my freshmen year of high school. I got denied, of course, because who would wanna be a sophomore and date a freshmen like me? Over the two years that passed, we got to know and like each other. She had asked me to some dances, and I did the same with her. And her senior year (this year) we were planning to go to prom together. It was going to be her last and my first prom ever. 

I couldn't go last year because I had a tournament, so she went with her friends. This year I was planning on doing something special with the necklace I tossed in with her. Josh snapped in front of my face and I quickly replied, "I'm going to lie to them and tell them she is on a trip with the rest of the seniors." Josh gave me a nod of approval and we started to go to the Browns' house. When we got to their house, they were already waiting for us on the front porch. "Where is Jamie?" Mr. Brown asked. "She left early this morning to go on a senior field trip with the rest of the seniors." I replied. They looked at me, then to Josh. "Then why didn't you go, Josh?" Mr. Brown asked with a concerned face. Josh looked stunned.

Josh gave a couple of fake coughs that were pretty convincing. Mr. Brown wasn't believing us. Mrs. Brown, however, was sold on the idea that a senior trip had just came up and Jamie left with her group of friends. "Well, thank you for telling us, Manny and Josh! When will they be back?" Mrs. Brown asked. I replied, "I believe on Tuesday of next week." Mrs. Brown nodded her head in approval, while Mr. Brown still wasn't convinced. But we got lucky and Mrs. Brown let us go. When we got in the car we gave a sigh of relief. 

"We never took a picture of Jamie." I said. Josh took the camera out of his backpack and handed it to me. "Yes, I did. I did it while you were at warmup." Josh said. What we do with the pictures is we take a picture to their family as our way of telling them their son/daughter/husband/wife/friend died. Because ever since the Patient Zero incident more and more people have been lost and their families wonder where they are. "When are you going to tell them?" "Before next Tuesday." I replied.