Free My Zombie Summer (Book 1): The Undead Road by David Powers King

light from the low sun, but I couldn’t help but notice that her skin wasn’t pale, as it was before. “How come you’re only eating the beef?”
    She took another bite. “It’s the only thing I’m hungry for.”
    I respected that. When you crave, you crave.
    Something orange and black flew around Kaylynn and me. The buzzing of small wings made me scurry back. Kaylynn stayed still. My skin itched as the insect landed on her arm. It flexed its legs. It moved its antennae. Its mouth was pinching. Why did I have to confront my most irrational of fears at that moment?
    “What’s with you?” Kaylynn asked.
    “There’s a bee on you. I hate bees.”
    She looked at the insect like it wasn’t a big deal. “You allergic or something?”
    “Well . . . no,” I said, feeling stupid. “They have it in for me. They’ve done nothing but sting me since I was two.” I told her of the bee that flew into our car when I was a toddler. It landed on my nose and stabbed me with its butt—my earliest memory. From then on, bees just terrified me. I ran away and they followed. One way or another, they found me and did their business. “Even dead ones have it in for me,” I added. “I can’t go barefoot in the grass. How are you so calm?”
    “It’s no wonder they sting you,” Kaylynn laughed. “You’re scaring them.”
    “ I’m scaring them ? How does that work?”
    “Well, bees are very sensitive. They react to fear.” Kaylynn picked a clover from the grass and held it in front of the bee. “When people freak out, they release a scent—a pheromone. Bees like it. So when you run, they follow. If you swat at them, they get scared.” The bee made its way up Kaylynn’s arm and onto the clover. She guided the little creature onto a small blossom and left it alone to inspect the white petals. “They won’t harm you unless you let yourself become afraid.”
    “Since when did you become a science girl?”
    She laughed again. “I’m not bad at science.”
    Baseball, biology, and a knockout. Jackpot!
    “Listen . . .” She had her lips pressed together, looking as nervous as I felt. “I like your family. I bet you’re a great guy—not many sisters get along with their brothers like you two.” The bee flew away. Was she confessing? Did she like me, too? I hoped, but then she looked down. “It’s better if you don’t come again.”
    And there went my hopes. Why was she pushing me away? I was about to ask when Chloe growled.
    “Look!” Big Thomas said. “Two turds in the park!”
    I can’t remember the last time I turned around so fast. Kaylynn stood up, looking just as pissed off. Thomas walked up to us with four of his lanky goons.
    I was compelled to reach for Kaylynn’s bat.
    “I didn’t know the new kid had a girlfriend,” Thomas continued. “Aren’t they the cutest couple?”
    “You have your boyfriends here,” I said. “I’m not making a fuss about it.”
    I can be a real smart ass when I want to be.
    Thomas’s face went pink. “What’d you say?”
    “You should clean the lard out of your ear.”
    Kaylynn took my hand. “He’s not worth it, Jay. Let’s go.” Her advice—and her hand—made more sense than anything. I returned her grasp as she led me to the fence. Big Thomas wasn’t about to give up. His posse had funneled us to a stop. He was clearly trying to bait me into a fight, but I knew better than that.
    “We didn’t see any of you at Sunday service. You people atheists or something?”
    He pushed the right button. “Seriously?”
    “Yeah, seriously . You deaf or something?”
    Kaylynn gripped my arm too late. “Nope. My ears are fine. And if you must know, I’m agnostic.”
    Big Thomas let out a belly laugh. His goons joined in with forced gusto. “That’s atheism for pussies!”
    I snorted back. “Said the fatty with his flunkeys!”
    That sent me to the ground faster than a lead brick. Thomas had me pinned next to the dugout, his cronies cheering as he punched my