Free Zombie High Chronicles (Book 1) by Amy Miles Page A

care jack squat about me or my baby.” She crosses her arms over her chest but the pose looks awkward in respect to her swollen stomach. “We both know that you want something from me, otherwise, you'd have tucked your tail between your legs and ran long ago.”
    At this point, I have to remind myself for a second time that it probably isn’t a good idea to take a swing at a pregnant girl, especially around here.
    “Who told you about the Dead Head?” I ask through gritted teeth, trying to let her snide comment roll off. I've knocked out guys for less, but she isn't a guy, and she is right...I do need her.
    “Caught that, did you? Maybe there are some brains buried under all of that muscle, after all.” When she smiles, looking me up and down, I stare her down. Let her look. Most people like to underestimate me but if we are going to be partners she needs to know that I can take a punch. I earned my thick skin a long time ago.
    “Let's see,” she taps her lips as she thinks, “I think Darby blabbed to me, but I’m pretty sure she heard it from Gracen who was shadowing Austin at the time he was pulling details out of Vaughn. You know how that guy likes to talk.”
    “Of course.” The urge to hit something mounts with each name that she mentions. “So, the whole school knows, then?”
    “Pretty much,” she nods but her smile deepens when she leans in close enough for me to smell baby powder on her. I am pretty sure that is supposed to be used after the baby is born but whatever. “But that doesn’t mean we don’t believe you.”
    “Why should you? You just said that I’m a mentally damaged punk conspiracy theorist.”
    “I did.”  She walks several steps beyond me and waves at one of the soldiers standing guard inside the building. I hear a buzz before the door lock clicks and she grabs the handle. “But I also think aliens killed JFK so I guess I’m gullible enough to believe you too.”
    With that she opens the door and is gone, leaving me thoroughly confused as to whose side she is really on as I head back toward the front. I get in line, do my morning shuffle, wave to Short Stack three lines over, berate the soldier and doctor just for the hell of it as they take pleasure in jabbing the needle straight through my arm and then exit the rear of the building with a feeling of having been violated.
    As I stand off to the side, waiting for the bus and adamantly not meeting any of the numerous gazes that glance my way, I try to formulate a new plan. If I’m going to stick around here and let my mom do whatever it is that she needs, I’m going to have to work to get Teegan on my side as an inside man...err woman.
    She can see parts of the lab that I have zero access to. Without her knowing it, she may have already seen a clue that can make all of this make sense. Besides, I saw how uncomfortable my questions made her. She was scared that I was right and I’d bet a week’s worth of MRE’s that she isn’t planning on handing her baby over without a fight. I am also  confident that she could take out a couple of nurses on her own if given a reason to. She’s pretty fiery for a preggo.
    The hour-long bus ride to school passes in a blur as I sift through my thoughts along on the back seat. There are many of them, scattered in so many different directions that I am sure I look spaced out. Even Sammy seems to take a hint and goes to pester Bex, the goth girl he is hot after.
    This time, when I walk up the front steps to Zombie High I barely even look at the spray painted lettering.
    “Earth to Roan. Come in, Roan.”  I look up to see Ember standing directly in front of me, waving her hands before my eyes.
    “What do you want?”
    “We need to talk.”  She falls into step with me as we walk by a new guard station that’s been erected at the front door. A metal shark cage looking thing sits off to the side, filled with guns, ammo and grenades. I can hear welders working down the hall and glimpse two