BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! Mrs. Miller's megaphone rang through the hall way as she blew commandments threw her horn.
"Rise and shine, Yankees! Meet down at breakfast in thirty minutes for a day of fun!" Mrs. Miller popped her head in our door.
I sat up and wiped my eyes and pat down my hair. Megan groaned loudly and threw her pillow at the wall. Kariann, who was already up and ready, threw the pillow back at her face.
"Come on you guys, get up and get going!" The early bird stretched out her yoga mat and stretched on the floor.
I laughed and grabbed my phone and unplugged it and pressed the button on top to watch it light up. The picture of Ross lit up the room and my memory.
"Ross is here!" I remembered suddenly, "I've got to find him!"
"Jordan, you don't have time! You need to get ready to go sight seeing!" Kariann reminded me.
"Crap!" I sat back against the fluffy white pillow and pulled the comforter over me. I bit my lip and thought hard for a moment. I did a sly grin and buried myself far down in the covers with Ashleigh getting up beside me.
"What are you doing?" She asked.
"Suddenly I don't feel so well!" I threw my hand over my forehead dramatically, "Is it hot in here or is just me? Why, I think I have a fever!" I gasped fakely.
Kariann rolled her eyes.
COUGH! " I think you should call Mrs. Miller and tell her I simply musn't leave the hotel! I am far too sick to get out of bed!"
"I agree!" Megan mumbled and threw a pillow over her ears.
"Oh be quiet! You're just lazy!" Kariann shoved Megan out of the bed.
"How come Jordan gets to play hooky?" Megan whined and climbed back in the bed.
"Because she's in love!" Kariann shoved her off again.
Megan stood up and pouted, "Hello? ROCKY?!" Megan threw her arms up.
"Hello? ROSS!" I mocked her.
"Yeah! It would look suspicious if you both were 'sick'." Lynn pointed out from her book she was reading curled up in a chair in the corner of the room.
"Very true!" Ashleigh agreed.
KNOCK! KNOCK!
We all jerked our heads as Mrs. Miller opened the door to our hotel room.
"Knock! Knock! I hear one of our little tourist is sick!" Mrs. Miller came in with her fanny pack and visor and a billion brochures of New York attractions.
"Yeah love sick!" Lynn mumbled.
Kariann elbowed her and Ashleigh as they giggled.
"Yeah we can't seem to get Jordan out of bed!" Kariann came over and felt my forehead, "She does feel a little more heated than usual."
"Uhhh....." I grumbled, "I feel awful, Mrs. Miller! But, I think I can make it!" I flipped up the covers and tried to stand up, but crumbled to the ground.
"Oh honey!" She helped me back into the bed, "You have all week for New York! You just get some rest ok?"
"If you insist!" I pretended to close my eyes and go to sleep.
"Well girls," Mrs. Miller turned to my friends, "I just don't know what to do! I can't leave a sick person unsupervised! I guess I'll have to get an adult to come check on her every so often!"
My eyes widened.
I sat up abruptly and mouthed "No!" to my friends and crossed my hand under my neck.
Mrs. Miller did a confused face and turned around to see me peacefully napping. She turned back around and I sat up and gave them a begging glance.
"I could stay with her! You have my cell, and you can just call to check up on us whenever you need." Megan volunteered.
"Great idea, Megan!" Mrs. Miller compromised, "Let's go girls!" She took the rest of the group and headed out the door. Pausing before she left, she instructed, "Call me if you need me!"
Megan nodded and gave a thumbs up as everyone left us.
I sat up, "Why would you give up a New York day to 'watch' me?" I questioned her.
"I got two very attractive words for you!" She sat down on the end of my bed, "Ro-cky!"
I shook my head and laughed at her and threw a pillow at her face.
"Hey!" She took the pillow in her arms, "You'd better get ready! You don't want Ross to see you like that!" She joked.
Angrilly, I threw another pillow at her.
"There she is!" Ross rubbed his hands together as Roxanne was in his sight. His brothers were probably at the pool or somewhere, but Ross had her all to his self.
He grinned as he began to approach her.
"Hi!" He stopped and looked down at my straight brown hair and greenish brown eyes.
"Uh.... hi..." He responded, slightly annoyed.
It's him! What do I do? What do I say?! I freaked. Great! He looks perfect as always! You know, there really is something about seeing celebrities in person. He was just so adorable in person. It was pretty much like watching him on TV or Youtube, except 3 dimensional! And now you knew they were real and not some figment of your imagination that you dreamt up for your teenage girl pleasure. I just wanted to reach out and touch his flawless face. I sighed and snapped out of my moment in thought, realizing we were just standing there without speaking or associating with each other.
"I'm Jordan." I held out my hand, but he kept looking over and around my head at something, so he didn't see it.
"Ross." He responded, still not paying any attention to me.
"I was wondering if you'd sign my pink converse?" I pointed down to my favorite pair of shoes.
"Maybe some other time."
"Oh... ok." I frowned and paused, wondering what to say next.
"I know you get this a lot, and I don't wanna come across like another obsessed fan, but I just love your music! And you're amazing on Austin and Ally! I just love you and R5... and you!" I bat my long eyelashes at him and smiled a girlish grin.
"Yeah... that's great, but listen, I really need to-!"
"You know, I'm a musician too! Maybe someday you could listen to some of my songs and tell me what you think! I love writing music! Music is just... Ross?" I was getting a little annoyed at his disinterest or lack of pretending to be interested in me for five seconds of his perfect little rockstar world, so I glanced behind my shoulder to see the model bodied blondie.
I sighed, understanding now that Ross wasn't the least bit interested in what I was saying. He didn't care, he just wanted to talk to this fake girl who obviously didn't know him like I did.
"Listen, you seem very nice and I appreciate your interest-," He began.
I held up a finger at his face, "Say no more!" I looked over at her again, "Go have fun, sorry for wasting your time." I scoffed in disgust and walked away.
Ross shook it off and headed over to talk to Roxy again.
I slowly walked up the stairs towards the elevator, but paused with my hand lingering on the golden railing. I turned on the red carpeted stairs to gaze back at Ross one more time. He was flirting it up with the hot blonde girl. I sighed and shook my head.
"I'm not that girl."
I headed up to the main elevator and pressed the button. I stood their impatiently and crossed my arms. I glanced back at Ross and the girl again to see her laughing flirtatiously with her hands on his shoulder and arm. I rolled my eyes and-
DING!
The elevator doors opened and I turned to go inside, but paused to let the janitor out. He seemed pretty young for a janitor and pretty attractive to.
"Pardon me, miss." His eyes looked strange, but I guess it was just the lighting because they went back to a deep brown as he exited the elevator. He pushed his cart out and made eye contact with me the whole way.
The light in the monotone styled elevator flickered once as he left. I brushed by him, feeling a little spooky as I entered the elevator alone.
He stood and watched as I entered the elevator and pressed the button with a 6 on it. I gave him a wondering expression as the cold grey doors slowly closed and left him behind them.
"GUESS WHAT I GOT?!" Megan slammed the door with her legs because she was hiding something in her arms behind her back.
I sat in front of the TV eating out of a tub of ice cream from the fridge while watching a soap opera, "Please say it's not lung cancer like Michael?!" I cried.
"What?" Megan came and muted the TV, "AN AUTOGRAPH FROM ROCKY!" She jumped up and down, "What'd you get from Ross?" She asked.
I fell over on the bed, "A fat stomach and a broken heart!" I cried, "I'm gonna be alone just like Grumpy Gertrude on One Life to Enjoy!" I sobbed into my pillow.
"What are you talking about?" Megan sat down on the edge of the bed.
I sat back up straight and grabbed a tissue, "Ross doesn't love me just like Antonio dumped Angela for Destiny!" I whined and fell over again.
"Speak in real world language and not soap opera drama terms!"
"Ross left me for this hot chick!" I sat up and took another spoonful of icecream.
"Well maybe he just-!"
"WAIT TURN UP THE VOLUME AND LOOK!" I leaped up in the bed and pointed at the screen.
Megan grabbed the remote and pumped up the volume.
"We interrupt this regular broadcasting, to bring you an emergency warning for the state of New York."
Megan and I exchanged worried glances as a dark black haired reporter came on the TV, appearing to be in NYC!
"There appears to be an outbreak of some kind of monsters! We can't tell what the source or cause of these monsters is but they appear to be originating here in New York City! If you can watch or hear this you need to get inside and lock the doors! Their disease is contagious and we are not sure how to stop these creatures! Just please, head my warning! Go inside and stay-!" Suddenly the poor reporter was oblivious to one of the monsters creeping up behind him.
I gasped as the human like monster grabbed his shoulders and bit his neck.
"AHHHHH!" The camera man hit the monster to death with the creatures, "They appear to be... unliving.... almost like.... zombies?!" The camera man mumbled with the camera angled on the zombie that had attacked the man. The creatures skin was flaky and yellowed as if it was rotting at the core. Blood was all over it's clothes and face. His eyes faded to a strange color like almost a grey blue color.
"Uhhh....." The reporter groaned behind him. The camera man flipped the camera around to the reporter whose eyes were glowing the bright blue color.
"Rob?" The camera man beckoned, "You ok? Rob?"
The reporter leaped on top of him and the camera crashed to the ground, "AHHH!"
BEEEEP! The screen went blank and Megan shut the TV off.
"Is this some kind of joke?!" Megan panicked.
"I don't know...." I stared at my feet confused, "But I do know that our friends are still out there, and if this is true they need our help!" I stood up and headed towards the door.
"What are we going to do?! We could get killed!" Megan jumped up also.
I sighed and stared at the ground before slowly making eye contact with Megan again, "That's a risk I have to take."
"AHHHHHH!" A woman screamed off into the distance as the group from school marched through the city on their way back to the hotel for lunch.
"What was that?" Patricia turned her head to look around.
Suddenly all the giant screens went blank and a newscast came on the screen.
"There appears to be an outbreak of some kind of monsters! We can't tell what the source or cause of these monsters is but they appear to be originating here in New York City! If you can watch or hear this you need to get inside and lock the doors! Their disease is contagious and we are not sure how to stop these creatures! Just please, head my warning! Go inside and stay-!"
"AHHHH!"
Mrs. Miller rushed the kids, "Run kids! To the hotel! Try to stay together, but go! GO!" She commanded, making sure to stay behind all of them.
They all ran so close to the hotel, but it was too late a rush of zombies were breaking out everywhere around them. The group paused with no hope seeming to be there.
Lynn's heart seemed to stop as she watched as zombies attacked more and more pedestrians around them. Kariann came by and put her hand in Lynn's, "We stick together." Kariann turned and grabbed Jeffrey's hand too, "All of us."
Jeffrey and Lynn nodded as they tried to help their friends make it back to the hotel that was so close yet so far. It was right across the street.
I darted down the hotel stairs in a hurry and headed to the larger entrance.
"Sorry mam, no one's allowed to leave! We are under attack!" One of the employees stopped me at the door.
Megan came running behind me, "Someone stop that girl!" Another employee pointed at Megan making a break towards me.
Megan felt strong hands link onto her arms and pull her back, "Let me go!" She tried to break away but she was too weak. She pulled with all her strength but twisted around and fell into the arms of Rocky.
"I said let me-!" She blushed as she realized she was in Rocky's arms, "go...."
"Hi!" Rocky smirked.
"Hello..." Megan smiled.
Ross laughed softly at the two and then noticed me, the girl he ignored earlier, trying to escape, "You know that girl?" Ross asked Megan.
"She's my best friend!" She replied, "And your biggest fan!" She didn't look away from Rocky, still in his arms.
"Why is she trying to leave?" He continued and walked closer to hear what I was saying.
"My friends are out there! I have to help them!" I pleaded trying to shove my way past the guards.
Ross tilted his head confused.
"What use will you be to the if you're dead?" The man told me.
I shook my head, "So I'm supposed to just let my friends die while I sit here safe and sound? Thanks but no thanks." I stared at the guards with an angry glance, "I'd rather die knowing I tried to do something than live wondering what would have happened if I would have tried to help them."
The guards sighed and let me past, "Thanks!" I ran out side.
"Come back!" The worker yelled.
Ross stood there in shock, what a strange girl
I paused outside the hotel in awe. It was horrifying! Cars were abandoned in the street, covered in blood and dead bodies. There were rotting carcasses of dead humans and zombies. People were being killed or infected by the minute. I gasped, not knowing what to do. My mind and body seemed to be disconnected, but my heart told me to find my friends so I started to run.
I ran dodging past people and hiding from zombies. I saw a group of zombies heading towards me, so I ducked behind a corner and waited for them to pass.
"Guhh..." A zombie slowly came to a stop by the corner. He inhaled deeply, sniffing the air.
I held my breath praying he wouldn't discover me. I heard the rustle of footsteps and closed my eyes, is this the end?
"Ah!" I felt someone... or something pull me back into the darkness of the ally.
"What's wrong with you?! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!" The familiar voice of Jeffrey relieved my heart that was beating out of my chest.
"Jeffrey!" I hugged his neck tightly, "I've never been so glad to see you in my life!"
He wrapped his arms around my waist, "I thought you were sick!" He laughed.
"Yeah, yeah!" I pulled away from him.
"Why are you here? Why didn't you stay in the hotel where it was safe?"
"I couldn't just wait there, wondering if you guys were ok! I wanted to help!" I explained.
"Awww!"
I hit him on the arm, "Come on let's go find everyone else!" I grabbed his hand and headed back for the street.
"Lynn and Kariann are at the hotel, I saw you running and came over here." Jeffrey told me as he followed behind.
"What about everyone else?" I asked him as we got to the street.
"AHHHH!" We turned and saw Michelle being chased by Sandra and Patricia who were already infected.
"Michelle!" I cried.
"Jordan, shh!" Jeffrey put his hand over my mouth and dragged me into the shadows, holding me back, "It's too late! Look!"
Sandra grabbed Michelle and threw her on the ground as Patricia grabbed her arm and bit into it. Michelle shrieked in pain, but her screams were cut off as Sandra cracked her skull on the cement and bit into her head, revealing her squishy brains. Patricia and Sandra dug into them and grunted in pleasure.
I sobbed wildly and fell on the ground. Jeffrey sighed and tried to comfort me enough so that we could get back to the hotel, but I couldn't take it.
Do you know what it's like to watch one of your close friends, a person you grew up with, die before your very eyes? To watch them suffer and not be able to do anything about it?
It hurts.
"You have to let me go! My girlfriend's out there!" Ratliff yelled.
"Dude, calm down, we'll find her!" Riker tried to soothe his best friend.
"No you don't understand! I love her!" Ratliff cried, frustrated.
BANG! BANG! "Help! Ratliff!" They heard a muffled cry.
"Kelly?!" Ratliff searched around, "Kelly?! Where are you?!"
"Ratliff! Let me in!" He turned to see his girlfriend banging against the window.
He darted to the window, "Kelly! Here I'll help you!" He struggled, trying to unclapse the window.
"Hurry!" She begged, "I think I'm- AHHHHH!"
"KELLY NO!" Riker and Rocky pulled him back.
They watched as a zombie dragged her down and blood squirted all over the window.
"Kelly!" Ratliff slid on the ground and sobbed, "No... Kelly..."
"Jordan, we have to get back to the hotel! There's nothing we can do about them! But we can still make it back alive!" Jeffrey kneeled down in front of me.
"Come on, Jordan! We need you..." He held out his hand.
I wiped my tears and took his hand, "Let's get out of here!"
We stood up and ran off towards the hotel.