Never Die Alone

Chapter 1: School

"We are getting more reports on the raging fungal disease, Caro Mortua, break out in South America." The reporter on the television says. "More and more people are contracting this epidemic and doctors are so far unable to find a cure. It is said that-"

The TV goes black as Megan switches it off with the remote. She rolls her eyes. "Yeah right, this is just trying to get people all worked up. It's just like Ebola, Swine Flu, and all those other diseases that never 'took over' the world like the reporters said it would. It's all just a bunch of bull."

Megan glanced at the clock, 7:44 AM. Already! She hurried to the entryway and slipped her runners on.

"I don't wanna be late for school!" She muttered.

"Megan, are you going to school?" Asked Kaelan, her four year old brother as he stepped into the entry way. His soft brown hair was a mess and his eyes were sleepy.

"Yup." She replied shortly.

Kaelan rushed forward quickly and hugged her. She looked down and noticed he had jam on his hands. "Kaelan! You stained my shirt! Go away!"

"I'm sorry." He looked at the ground and walked away.

Ignoring her conscience that was telling her she was a bit mean, she pulled on her runners and slipped on a coat. She stepped outside and walked briskly down the country dirt road to the bus stop. The late October air was cold against her bare rosy cheeks. Ten minutes later, she stood on the edge of the highway, anxiously waiting for the bus's flashing lights to alert her of its approach.

She was alone at the bus stop today. Good. She thought. No one's here to bug me. It never crossed her mind that the next time she was alone, she would be pining for company.

The yellow lights came around the corner and pretty soon she was boarding the school bus. She sat in the first empty seat near the front and immediately proceeded to plug in her ear buds. She put her music on shuffle and the first song that came on was "Good To Be Alive" by Skillet. She pulled out some homework from the night before that she hadn't finished and started working on it.

Twenty minutes later, the bus pulled up to the local high school. She thanked the bus driver for driving her and then she climbed out of the bus. Her eyes scanned the prison-like building she was about to walk into. It was a basic grey rectangle with no color.

She swung the door open and pushed it so it would stay open long enough for the girl behind her to catch it on her way in. The door she came through was on the side of the school building and it opened up into an area with lockers. She hung her backpack in her locker and fished out her Science textbook and binder.

"Megan!" She heard someone call behind her. She turned around and looked at the smiling face that had called her name.

"Hi Quinn." Megan smiled back, secretly wishing Quinn wasn't so tall and shutting her locker behind herself. "How are you today?"

Quinn sighed tucking her curly brown hair behind her ear, "Oh, I'm alright. I'm kind of sleepy. I went to bed at ten last night so I only got eight hours of sleep."

Megan smirked, not bothering to mention that she had gotten half the sleep Quinn had, if that. Quinn interrupted Megan's thought train by asking, "Is Taija here? I've been looking for her.

Megan shrugged, unsure. "I don't know. I just got here."

"Maybe I'll check the library." Quinn thought aloud.

"The library is the last place you look for Taija." Megan said. "She hates libraries."

"Well, you never know." Quinn said, turning on her heel and walking away.