• Own the night • Wyatt Lykensen

t w o

"Can't let those monsters change this town, cuz. Ew." Bucky began, signing an autograph as Ariel and Addison walked beside him, his assistant captains trailing after them.

"They're just going to school like us." Ariel shrugged, Addison silently nodding from beside her as they continued to walk up the stairs of Seabrook high.

"Like us? People love me, okay? I got jazz hands." Bucky said, demonstrating his jazz hands, "Those freaks are nothing like us. They tried to eat our grandfather."

"It was just a small bite." Addison chimed in, trailing off at the end of her sentence. Bucky ignored her statement, instead grinning his signature grin.

"Cheer tryouts today after school, everybody. Let's go, Mighty Shrimp!" He announced, making the students around cheer. One girl, however, seemed to be very hyperactive, Ariel noticed as she bounded over to them with a wide smile.

"Go, bottom feeders! Wait, you know, 'cause shrimp. They eat the... The waste of the ocean at the bottom? No? Whoo! Go Seabrook! Hi, I'm Bree, and I've always dreamed of being on the cheer squad because I really want to be a flyer. Tossed high in the sky." The girl, Bree, ranted on, making Addison smile widely and Ariel give her a small smile at her excitement. Bree had dark skin, chocolate brown eyes, ebony black hair and wore an outfit of all pink.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Addison, and this is my sister Ariel." Ariel gave Bree a kind smile, waving at the girl as Addison excitedly smiled at Bree. "And I love cheer, too. Ariel isn't as fond of it, but she's really good! Did you know the creator of the wave... Was from Seabrook?" Bree seemed to know many things about cheer, as she already knew the answer to Addison's question. Ariel nodded from beside her, knowing the fact from their cheer-loving mother.

"Yes! That is so amazing! I cannot wait to try out for the cheer squad!" Bree exclaimed as the trio walked side-by-side, Bree and Addison chatting animatedly to one another as Ariel chipped in when the topic interested her.

Not long after the trio were settled into class, the Z-alert sirens rang through the school, making Bree and Addison shoot up in fear, alongside everyone else. Ariel stood up much slower, not at all panicked by the Z-alert. She wasn't terrified of the zombies, there's no real reason to be afraid of them.

Everyone was running around the halls, yelling and screaming in fright, but Ariel exchanged a glance with Addison, the pair sharing a nod. Addison wrapped her arms around a panicking Bree, trying to keep her calm as Ariel silently went ahead of the pair, looking for the zombie as well as the nearest zombie safe room. There was one just along the corridor, making Ariel notify Addison of the fact, the trio making their way to the saferoom.

"Okay, I know this is scary, Bree, but there's a zombie safe room right there. It's gonna be okay." Addison led Bree to the saferoom, trying to keep her calm, but she screamed and ran away from the pair, who stood confused at her act.

"I think he went this way. Get him! He's not getting away that easy. We've got to get that zombie!" The members of the football team were running around the corridors, yelling between one another, and looking for the zombie. Addison rolled her eyes, going ahead of Ariel into the saferoom.

Ariel only looked back at the direction that the boys had went, shaking her head, muttering, "Idiots." She followed her sister into the saferoom, closing the door behind her. It clicked closed, Ariel standing beside her twin, examining the saferoom.

"Zombie safe room secure." The robotic voice of the saferoom echoed around the room, the pair walking forward ever so slightly before they stopped, frozen, at movement on the other side of the room.

"Hello?" Addison called out, stepping forward.

"Hello?" The movement stopped, a boy's voice responded, making the girls slowly exchange a look.

"Hey mysterious person? Come somewhere where we can see you." Ariel said lowly, stepping just in front of her sister.

"Why, hello." The boy's voice sounded amused, the figure moving closer.

"Don't get any ideas, buster. The only thing more deadly than our high kick is our low kick." Addison said flatly, making Ariel hold back a laugh, nodding over at Addison.

"I'm sorry," The boy apologised, "This just isn't how I was expecting my first day at a new school to go." He said as the trio moved closer to one another.

"You weren't expecting to be trapped in a zombie safe room?" Ariel mused, her eyebrow raising.

"Oh, no, that I expected. That happens to me all the time. It's sort of my thing. So, I'm not gonna get low kicked?" Addison giggled at the boy, Ariel looking at her sister in disbelief at the boy's words.

"You're safe, for now." Ariel interrupted, "But there's still a chance of the high kick instead." Her tone was joking, amused at the boy.

"Good. 'Cause today's a big day. I'm trying out for the football team." He admitted to the girls, Ariel giving a nod and Addison giggling at him.

"Well, we're all having big days. We're trying out for the cheer squad." Addison smiled, excitements lacing her words.

"That's a tough gig to get." The boy sighed, Addison nodding but Ariel only clicked her tongue.

"It's a guaranteed win. Bucky told me that most years they're only his fans, and that they're terrible at cheer. But unlike them, I'm not Bucky's biggest fan, nor am I terrible at cheer." Ariel's voice was laced in arrogance, but there was a hint of pride. As much as she hated the sport, she was proud with herself on how good she was.

"Yeah, unlike what my sister said, I think it's a tough gig, but I love it. Our parents have had me in cheer camp since forever." Addison tried to recover herself from her sister's words, trying to make herself seem less arrogant than Ariel.

"My dad doesn't even think I'm gonna make the team." He admitted, making Addison roll her eyes, smiling supportively at the boy who she still hasn't seen.

"What? No, sure you will. You just need someone to cheer for you. And soon, fingers crossed, it'll be, like, my job." Addison supported the unknown boy, the trio moving closer to where they eventually stood facing one another. The boy was taller than them both, standing at around 6'1. Addison was 5'2, and Ariel 5'4.

"I'm Zed. What's your names?" The boy, now known as Zed said, introducing himself to the girls.

"Addison. Nice to meet you." Addison smiled, nudging Ariel to introduce herself too.

"I'm Ariel." She said simply, nodding up at the tall figure.

"All clear." The saferoom's robotic voice echoed in their ears, the lights flickering on around the room. Zed's face was revealed, the pair gasping at his dark green hair, pale skin, and red ringed eyes. Zed was a zombie.