The moonlight streaming through the windows illuminated the hallway. It had dark marble floors and white walls, not a hand print or a scruff mark anywhere. School must have closed early the day the virus started to spread.
The doors to the classes are a glossy black, numbered with silver digits that match the globe shaped handles. There were posters of different colours hanging on the walls, yet the overall impression of the space was of drabness.
The sound of my footfalls echoed through the hallway. Laughter sounds somewhere down the hall, joined with excited conversations and shouts. Clareta and Liam ran past me as she muttered something excitedly while Amber and Kyle ducked into a classroom. The game had already started. We had two minutes to hide.
There were fourteen hiders and four seekers. I was one of the hiders. Hae In, Daniel, Wesley and Tara were the seekers. The whole idea of staying in one place and waiting to be found felt really childish right now. I don't know why I agreed to do it anymore.
I opened the door of a classroom that had the numbers two-one-two on the door and stepped in. The walls were grey and the tiles were a checker board pattern. A whiteboard was at the left side of the room and the desks in the classroom were arranged in a U shape. The windows were really large. They were triple-glazed and so clear that it reminded me of a high definition screen at a movie theatre.
I miss movie theatres.
I sat in the chair of one of the vinyl desk-for-one. The tape at its side had peeled, revealing the medium density fibreboard underneath. I took in a deep breath before I realized that everywhere was quiet. They must have all found somewhere to hide.
I could see the school's football field from the huge windows and for a brief moment I imagined one of those infected that ran on all fours, running towards me on the field and my heart jumped. I quickly got up from the chair and my head whipped back when I heard the door of the classroom open.
"Hey," Faye muttered as she stepped in and slumped onto one of the chairs.
I narrowed my eyes at her as kicked her long legs onto the table. I watched her take a sip from the can in her hand before she threw her head back and let out a harsh breath. I didn't know how to respond since I hadn't talked to her in two weeks and decided to just walk out of the classroom.
"Enny," she called out when I got to the doorway. "I'm sorry."
I knitted my brows as I turned around and stared at her. She was definitely drunk.
"I'm not drunk," she stated like she knew what was going through my mind.
"How many drinks have you had?"
"Not enough," she replied as she brought the can to her lips again.
The idea of Faye and I having a civil conversation seemed to make me uncomfortable and I turned to leave but she called my name again.
"I'm really really sorry."
"Why? What for?" I glanced at her over my shoulder.
"For saying you were dead," she said and I pressed my lips together as I tried to understand what she was talking about.
"When we were leaving the infested town," she added.
"Ah," I muttered. "Doesn't matter."
Her lips curved into a frown. "Well it matters to Dan."
So she's not apologizing because she wants to but because of Daniel.
"Take it up with him then," I stated as I left the classroom and stepped into the hallway.
"He hates me... Enny, wait."
I kept walking till I got to the double doors at the end of the hallway that led to another hallway and she didn't follow me. The doors led to another hallway with lockers on one side and huge windows on the other. Zeke was sitting on the floor and he looked up when he heard me approaching.
He gave me a weak smile as I sat next to him. "Hey Enny," he murmured as he leaned his head on my shoulder and I lightly tapped his cheek.
"You drank too much."
"And I'd do it again," he said and let out a laugh.
We fell into a comfortable silence after that and Tara passed by us a few minutes later. She gave us the finger guns and winked as she passed us.
"Zeke," I said when he didn't say anything after a while.
"Hmm."
"I thought you were asleep."
I thought about asking him what he wanted to tell me in the morning before he lifted his head from my shoulder.
"Enny, do you remember being sick?" His words were a bit slurred.
I turned to face him. He already said it wasn't the flu.
"No. What do you mean?"
"When you were eight, we were all really sick. You, me, mum, dad, Ezra and his parents. You must have forgotten. I remember Ezra was still sick long after we'd recovered. We didn't see him for a year."
That rang a bell. I don't remember everyone being sick but I remember not seeing Ezra for a long period of time. We couldn't even talk to him over the phone but mum told me it was because he was in boarding school.
"He was at boarding school," I told him and he furrowed his brows at me.
"Ezra never went to boarding school."
Eh?
"Mum told me he was at boarding school."
He laughed before he fell silent and dropped his head. I frowned. I really don't remember everyone being really sick and it sounds like something I should remember.
"Zeke." I nudged him and he groaned. "Sick like what?"
No answer.
I waited for a little bit before I nudged him again and he looked up suddenly like he didn't know where he was. He blinked at me twice before he dropped his head again and I rolled my eyes.
I should just forget it... Let me try one more time.
"Zeke," I poked his arm. "Sick like what?"
"... Sick like the infected."