High School of the Dead

Chapter 15

"Everyone almost ready to go?!" Jack yells from outside.

I lean out the front door and call out to him.

"Almost! Just one more minute!"

Jack sighs and closes the doors to the back of the van.

"Hurry it up then! We're trying to get there before everyone else does...or at least a lot of people!"

I snicker and lean back inside, looking for the last member of our three-person team. 

"Jane! You ready yet?!" I shout. 

I wait for a few seconds and look around, wondering where she might be. I hear some footsteps upstairs and see Jane rush out of Rachel's room and turn to go down the stairs, hair tossing around behind her as she flies down the steps.

"Sorry!!!" she apologizes as she stops and catches her breath.

I laugh and blush a little. Her cuteness is killing me. 

"What?!" she asks, confused and starting to blush herself.

"N-Nothing!" I stutter as I try to calm myself down.

Jane pouts playfully as I hold the front door open for her while she walks outside.

"You two love birds got your weapons?!" Jack shouts to us.

Jane and I blush even redder and head outside. It takes me a few seconds before realizing that I forgot my baseball bat, and I hurry back inside to grab it...and to hide my intense blushing.

I grab my baseball bat and look up to see Oliver walk over to me with something in his hand.

"Here," he says, handing me a small metal object. "I hope you won't have to use it."

"Thanks."

I tuck the pocket knife into my right pocket and head back outside after saying goodbye to him.

"I call shotgun!" Jack yells.

Jane climbs in back of the van. I open the driver's side door, adjust the mirrors, and turn the key to start the engine, causing the machine to roar to life. I shift the gear into reverse and back out of the driveway. I drive straight to the end of the road before turning left and making another turn the same way onto the road behind our house and neighborhood, the same road that Sam, James, and I took to get to the school. We drive past the cemetery and the road leading into the school. I slow the van to a crawl at the stoplight and look right, noticing the backup of cars in the distance. 

"Well this'll be fun..." I groan, turning right and heading towards them. We reach the back of the line a minute later and stop the car.

"Do you think we should get out and see if we can get past?" Jack asks.

"I guess. Just keep an eye out for anyone nearby."

Jack nods nervously as we both step out of the van, raising our bats defensively. I scan the area across the street on my side of the car and don't see anything moving. I don't expect anyone with camo gear and a hunting rifle, but the town we're going to pass through isn't the safest place in the world. The town up ahead is known for having a few gangs, and I don't plan on running into any of them. 

"All clear on your side?" Jack asks.

"Yep."

"Good. Let's move up a bit and see if we can drive around all of these cars. Maybe the backup stops before the bridge around the corner?"

We peer through the windows of the now-abandoned cars as we walk past them, looking for any signs of life - or death - and anything that might be of value; we don't see anything useful and keep moving. I glance back at our van and see Jane looking out at us from the front windshield. I smile and give her a thumbs up. I see her do the same as I turn around to catch up with Jack.