Dangerous fellows - One shots and stuff

Ethan - a different introduction (1)

(This AU is kinda like maybe how you knew Ethan sorta before the apocalypse, and this is kind another rendition of how the gang met sorta)

I was on the yearbook committee, with my friend Judy. Quite the duo. I was more of the shy person, compared to Judy's giant personality.

So occasionally I got to photograph the various sports that your school hosts. Like soccer, or football. But I liked baseball the most for a obvious reason, and Judy knew why too.

"Try not to get too many pictures of him, we're here to shine a light on ALL of our athletes."

"Shush Judy! The walls have ears." I said, as we were sitting outside, making the metaphor really ironic, "And I haven't even taken any pictures of Ethan so I don't even know who your talking about!" I stammered.

"You just said his name! You totally know who I'm talking about! Don't try to play coy with me!" Judy and I both sat in the stands, watching the varsity baseball team practice. In the bright daylight and in the blazing sun. "But that baseball getup does make his butt look great!"

"Shut up Judy!" I exclaimed, but Judy just giggled at the fact she got a rise out of me either way. With all the noise we were making, was sure to warrant a few distracted/annoyed glances your way. Which we both quickly noticed and calmed down. I more embarrassed than Judy, who was still giggling a little bit.

Ethan was a bit of a jokester in class. Always dozing off, making snarky comments to his friends and getting scolded by the teacher seemed to be a common occurrence. I guess he just liked the attention.

He was sorta popular guy. That just made him feel much more untouchable to me.

∆∇

It's been about two weeks since all hell broke loose. I have been on my own, not by choice. Ducking in between gas station stores living off of potato chips and jerky. Loneliness set in, my thoughts seemed to spiral out of control sometimes. It sometimes felt like paranoia or anxiety ruled and overwhelmed me. It was hard to keep myself grounded.

One day, a couple Zombies wondered into the department store. At first, I hid myself in the fridge they kept in the back, terrified. But after a while, I convinced myself eventually I had to get out of here. These walls were suffocating me.

Eventually, when I had enough courage, I pulled out one of the wooden trays to defend myself in an effort to reclaim my territory.

I smashed the first Zombie over the head with the tray, SNAP, the tray broke in too and the zombie crumpled to the floor.

Everything became a blur, as another one got closer to me I picked up the broken pieces of the tray, and stabbed the zombie several times before it went down. Suddenly, the situation weighed on me.

These were people.

I froze. Another zombie came quickly towards me but I hesitated and it pushed against me, attempting to bite at my flesh.

It was heavy and was overpowering me, I could smell the rotting flesh in its breath. The flies on his face. I was terrified.

"Help!!" I screamed, suddenly my body started violently panicking and couldn't hold against it much longer, and I just screamed bloody murder with violent tears.

Suddenly the zombie was ripped away from me and I was pulled into my feet. I immediately hugged whoever it was in an effort to shield my eyes from the man who was murdering the zombie that nearly killed me.

I could hear a metal bat being repeatedly and violently smashed against a skull, until I heard just squishing sounds.

"It's okay, don't worry. It's over now." I herd a mans voice comfort me and put his hand my head to comfort me, "Stay close to me, we have to move." I heard Lawrence's voice.

Lawrence? The man with all AP classes and a full ride scholarship? How on earth did he manage to find you.

"Ethan, did you find anything useful. No? Okay, let's go then. I'm sure all that screaming caused quite the show. Let's go."

Hold on. Ethan?

∆∇

Eventually the boys hurried me inside a gate, where Ethan and a boy named 'Zion' then quickly shut it and locked it.

I looked on ahead. I was facing a school, my school. I remember when the virus hit, I were sitting in class. I don't want to think about it anymore. I shudder a bit.

I felt much safer, but my entire body was shaking from the experience I went through, and the panic was just now starting to leave my system. I relaxed, and fatigue set in.

The group had a moment of silence to catch their breath. Lawrence had his hand clamped around my wrist the entire time, and it was starting to really hurt. He had a death grip it seemed like.

"Anyone hurt?" Lawrence called out. I looked over to Ethan, and He suddenly had a look of recognition and surprise. Then, I suddenly passed out due to complete and udder exhaustion.

∆∇

When I finally entered the entire classroom went quiet. I was covered in bruises and fresh cuts that were covered in bandages, some I already had from scavenging by myself, some I got on the dash over here. I saw the five boys who had saved me sitting in desks or standing around them.

I quickly scanned the room, avoiding all the staring eyes, but I stop at Ethan. I could tell there was something different about him now. Something profoundly changed, and he wasn't that fun-loving popular jock anymore.

Suddenly I hear a gasp and looked over in that direction. I notice Judy standing over on the far side of the classroom with someone, but her attention goes to me. She covers her mouth with her hand in shock, but then runs and hugs me so much so I almost fall over. Tears stream down her face as she Explains how glad she is to see me again, in words so quickly spoken my head starts to spin.

(Just maybe an explanation as to why Ethan is so quiet? I always saw it as an oprutunity on the writers part to put some character development or depth as to why he preferred to be quiet, but they never went this route. I found it to be really interesting though.)