ContamiNation

Purple Ribbon

As a group we walk to the last bus in the line. Separated from our class we would probably be considered missing as soon as they tried doing attendance on the bus.

We shove into the back of the bus. The kids sitting there are two grades below us. Assuming they watch a lot of high school shows...Yep, as soon as we neared the back they jumped up giving the back to us.

Chris had a yellow ribbon tied on his head and under his chin like little-boo-peep. He and Phil sat together on the left in the back. Lilly and I took the right side, me by the window. Josh and Brit were in front of the boys on the left. Adam and Melanie were before us on the right.

Adam jumped up and turned on his knees to look at me over the back of his seat. "Are you ok?"

"Why?" I answered, confused. "I mean, I'm fine. I want to jump out the window and make my own way home but I'm fine."

I pull out my phone, checking the map. My parents are in Etobicoke by the lake. I look to find myself and the general direction we're headed in. We're headed the right way, thankfully.

I stood up.

Ms. Aarts yelled at me to sit down. I yelled back, "Miss, I need to pick up some stuff from my house."

"No, we cannot delay this evacuation." She said back.

"But, Miss, if I can get what I need then I won't be jumping out the back of the bus to get it later. And there supplies we might need."

"Sit back down," I comply, "we are not stopping for any reason, we will be cared for at the destination. There is no need to stop and, as I said before, we do not have the time."

I said to my friends, "Ok, I have a general idea of where we're going, how long it should—how long they think it will take, and why."

Josh heard that and turned to look at me, "umm, how do you know this?'

I shrugged simply, crumpling my chin. "Same way I knew where you lived without ever following you."

"Yeah but...what is it?"

"So it really is an evac, we are headed somewhere safe but close, if we don't stop for any reason then there's also a rush to get us out either because there is a huge threat or wherever we're headed has a schedule. It won't take longer than an hour or maybe an hour and a half so that leaves airport, Niagara Falls, or Mississauga. My best guess would be airport but our school is made of idiots so we're probably headed for the border but that would take too long and ultimately they'd probably use the airport so I'm guessing we're going to Mississauga."

Brit turned to me and gave me a look, "If you're wrong about this, I'mma laugh." She had her yellow ribbon tied around her neck like Daphne from Scooby-Doo. She and Josh were matching in the style but not color, he had a blue one.

I turned to look at Lilly. "Where's yours?" I asked, holding up my arm which was wrapped up to the elbow in my red ribbon.

My friend looked past me, through the window. "I'm not wearing it."

Melanie jumped up, "Why not?" She was using her orange one as a headband. It looked beautiful and bright with her chocolate complexion and black puffy hair.

"I refuse to be branded like cattle."

"Wow," I said, "dramatic."

Lilly stared me down. "Not dramatic. I just hate that they think they know what's best, like you keep saying."

"Well, what color did you get?"

She pulled out the thin ribbon from her pocket, the brightest, shiniest purple. I hadn't seen one like that yet.

"It's beautiful." I reached for it.

"Thanks, it's mine. I didn't want one but I accidently took it from my sister this morning, I hope she's ok. When they came around giving them out I showed them this. They didn't think twice."

"Since it's your sisters I don't want to say this but it's too pretty. Can I have it?" The dark violet so entrancing that I just had to ask.

"Sure," She let go completely.

"But it's your sister's, you don't want anything of hers?"I asked, suddenly very guilty.

"I don't want it because I will see her again. I'll hold her in my arms and I won't need a ribbon. I'll have her not just some stupid thing that I... That I don't even use." Lilly leaned back into the seat, closing her eyes. The bus went over a bump and her head hit hard into the seat. She didn't even flinch.

"And what if—" I started.

Lilly's attention snapped to me, "Do not! Do not finish that sentence."

I swallowed and nodded. "Anyone have a pen?" I asked and looked up.

Chris leaned over Lilly and handed me a black sharpie pen. "Keep it."

"Thanks," I nodded to him. I looked to Lilly and handed it to her. "Can you write something? Anything at all," I said.

She took the pen and ribbon. Going to the end of it she wrote something. "Don't read it until I get my sister back or you're sure you'll never see me again."

Lilly crumpled the ribbon in her hand and pushed it into mine.

Melanie broke the silence in the back first, "So away from all this..." She gestured to me and my friend. "Never mind...I got nothin'."

I looked over at Chris and Phil. They were talking loudly about a everything from government conspiracies to video game plots to hunting games Phil used to play with his dad in the woods.

Phil glanced around, probably checking for teachers or snitches, and pulled out his hunter's knife. It had its own sheath.

"Phil," I called out.

He looked at me a crooked smile creeping up on his face, "Yeah."

"Can I see that?" He handed it over carefully. Josh, Adam, Brit, and Melanie were all silent and staring, Lilly was just ignoring us trying—or pretending—to sleep. "Thanks."

I held it, testing the weight. Wondering what would be the best and easiest way to use it on a zombie.

If you need to go for the brain then, I held it like a badminton racket, but if you go through the eye...I reversed it. Laying it on my lap, I tested my finger across the blade, then the serrated edge, it was so sharp. Its dark brown hilt looked badass against my dark blue-jeans.

Phil and Chris switched seats. Then the former switched with Lilly so he was sitting next to me and said, "I could teach you a better way to use it, you know?"

I nodded, "Teach me." We stared at each other for a while. He had nice eyes; honey brown, tones of yellow. I repeated, "Teach me."