I opened my eyes innocently. “Bryce, next time don’t hold back. Give me all you’ve got. Or aren’t you man enough?”
He gave me a crooked smile and opened his mouth to respond when Master Jordan interrupted. “Like I said, keep it clean over there, Mr. De Luca. She‘s a minor.”
“I’ll be eighteen next month,” I countered.
Bryce stared at me for a moment, his face crestfallen. “Sorry,” he said. “I thought you were older.”
“So?” I shrugged. “What does that have to do with anything?”
He frowned and took a sip of water. “Forget about it,” he said. “Let’s just keep practicing.”
We spent the rest of the time practicing front, roundhouse, and tornado kicks. I could tell that Bryce still wasn’t being as aggressive as he could have been, but by the end of the class, both of us were sweating and out of breath. When we were finished, he removed his helmet and wiped his forehead with a towel.
“Wow, I’m really impressed,” he said. “You snap those kicks quickly and your balance is right on. Plus, I haven’t met that many other opponents with as much power in their roundhouse kicks as you.”
“So I was a little bit of a challenge? Even for a girl?” I asked.
His smile fell away. “For anyone. Cassie, I’m sorry for sounding like a complete ass earlier. You obviously put me in line.”
“You weren’t a complete ass,” I said dryly.
He bit back a smile. “Really, I’m not such a bad guy once you get to know me.”
I shrugged. “If you say so…”
“Well, I’ll be back tomorrow evening, if you want to stop in and practice again.”
“I’m not sure if I’ll be here tomorrow, but thanks.” I replied, removing my chest plate.
“Okay, well maybe I’ll see you around.”
I nodded. “Sure. Good luck with your next tournament.”
“Thanks.”
I grabbed my gym bag and started stuffing my sparring gear into it. Mae, Master Jordan’s girlfriend, walked over and congratulated me on getting my Black Belt.
“Thanks,” I said.
As usual, her makeup was flawless and she was dressed like she’d just stepped out of a fashion magazine. Her exotic Asian eyes glinted with amusement.
She motioned toward Bryce. “So… you like that boy?”
“What?” I shook my head vehemently. “No… he’s just an instructor.”
I could tell by her expression that she didn’t totally believe me. Neither did I for that matter.
“Cassie, you… very pretty girl. You should let me shape your eyebrows and give you manicure. I will do it, no charge. Men like beautiful nails and tidy eyebrows.” Mae owns the nail shop in the same mini-mall as the karate studio.
“Oh, no… that’s okay, Mae,” I replied, now feeling self-conscious about my eyebrows. I realized my nails were a lost cause, but I thought I’d done a pretty decent job plucking my own eyebrows.
She unexpectedly grabbed my hand and looked at my nails. “No. You come and let me do this for you. Your nails are… ugly. This is my treat for earning your Black Belt. Tomorrow night?”
Embarrassed and defeated, I accepted her offer. “Um, okay. Thank you?”
Master Jordan joined us and put his arms around her. “Better listen to Mae. She won’t accept NO for an answer.”
“Either do you,” she replied firmly.
“What can I say, Mae? I didn’t want you to miss out on having such a great guy. Besides, you know you couldn’t resist me. You finally said yes.” He was actually pretty good looking for someone in their thirties. Blond hair, blue eyes, and kicking body, he kind of reminded me of the late Paul Walker, from the “Fast and The Furious.”
She chuckled. “I gave in so you’d stop embarrassing me at my shop. How many times a week did you ask for both pedicure and date?”
“I thought you liked massaging my feet?”
She looked down at his feet. “I got tired of looking at your corns.”
Master Jordan’s face fell, but I could tell he was amused. “Corns? Mae, you’re killing me!”
Mae and I burst out laughing. She then grabbed him around the waist and dragged him away while he pretended to pout.
I walked through the locker room and into the entryway, where Nora was standing. “So, that new instructor was smoking hot,” she said. “Did you get his number?”
I scowled. “No! Are you kidding? He’s an instructor. Besides, he’s kind of annoying.”
She smiled. “Well as annoying as he was, he certainly couldn’t keep his eyes off of you.”
I rolled my eyes. “That’s because we were sparring, Nora.”
She shook her head. “No, it was more than that.”
Her words pleased me, though. I was a little intrigued with him; there was no denying that. But he was an instructor and too arrogant for my tastes.
“You need a ride home?” I asked her.
“No, Scott’s going to give me a lift.” This time Nora’s cheeks turned bright pink. “It’s no big deal. I guess he doesn’t live far from my grandma’s. Anyway, I was wondering if you’d want to hang out this weekend? My dad sent a copy of his latest CD. We could listen to it and order a pizza or something. If you don‘t have anything else going on?”
That was surprising. “I might be able to Saturday night. I’ll call you.”
Just then Scott walked up and hip-checked me. “Hey, girl, you ready for prom?”
“Almost,” I replied.
Nora’s face fell. “You guys are going to the prom together?”
“Just as friends!” we both said at the same time.
Her face brightened immediately. “Oh, well that’s cool! Have fun.”
“You’re not going?” Scott asked Nora.
She shook her head and began picking at lint on her karate uniform.
“Well, why not?” he asked.
Nora sighed and lifted her arms up. “Are you kidding me? Could you picture me at prom?”
“Actually, yes I could. I’m kind of shocked that nobody asked you,” replied Scott.
Nora rolled her eyes. “Don’t be. It really isn’t my thing anyway. Look, we’d better get going. I have to check on Grams, make sure she’s okay.”
“No problem,” said Scott. He turned to me. “I’ll talk to you at school tomorrow.”
“Bye, you guys,” I said. “I’ll catch you tomorrow, Nora.”
She nodded and I watched as they left together. When he opened the passenger door for her, she appeared surprised, then flashed him one of her rare smiles. It suddenly all made sense to me; Nora was totally into Scott, and seeing the way Scott responded to Nora, he probably felt the same way.
4
When I picked up Allie from her dance class, she was unusually quiet.
“Is everything okay?” I asked her.
“Yeah,” she replied, laying her blond head back against the seat. Normally she was a chatterbox, so I knew something was bothering her.
I turned down my radio. “Spill it… what’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong.”
Allie and I didn‘t always get along, but she was still my little sister and I didn’t like seeing her glum. “Okay. But if you need my advice on anything…”
She let out a dramatic sigh. “Well, if you really want to know…” Then she rambled on about some boy she had a crush on at school. Apparently he teased her in front of everyone, completely humiliating her. “He actually said I was high maintenance!”
It took all my will to hold back my smile. Obviously he knew Allie pretty well. “Listen, boys your age are clueless. Forget about him and focus on something else, like getting good grades, or hanging out with your friends. In a couple of years, the guys will be following you around like puppy dogs.” It was true, with her blond hair, blue eyes, and radiant smile, she had absolutely nothing to worry about.
“You sound just like mom,” she pouted.
I cringed, although I agreed w
ith my mother on this one. “Well this time she’s right.”
Allie fell silent again and took out her cell phone. A minute later she was on the phone with Kylie, Paige’s younger sister. They were close friends. They chatted for a few minutes, making plans for the weekend. When she hung up, she was her usual upbeat self.
“Kylie wants to see a movie this weekend and have a sleepover.”
“That sounds like fun,” I replied.
Allie‘s eyes lit up. “Hey, you should come over, too. We could order a pizza and swim in the indoor pool at night. It‘s so cool.”
Paige and Kylie’s mother, Kristie, just recently married this rich guy named Dan. He owned several restaurants in the area and they now lived in a huge mansion with two swimming pools, a tennis court, and a shooting range. Allie spent more time there than she did at home.
I narrowed my eyes. “Kristie is going to be gone? That could lead to trouble.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, looking cross.
Kylie was a nice girl, but she tended to attract trouble, even when she wasn’t looking for it. My mom said Kylie reminded her exactly of Kristie when she was little. Our moms had played together as children, and I guess Kristie had been a real hell-raiser growing up. Frankly, she was still pretty feisty and you never know what she’ll say or do next. Kylie had the same fiery spirit as her mom and it had gotten both Allie and herself in trouble in the past.
“Forget about it. Well, it sounds interesting, but I promised Nora I’d hang out with her Saturday night. She‘s depressed about her dad being away. She lost her driver’s license a few months ago and doesn‘t have many friends.”
“Nora? Awesome, invite her, too! I’m sure Paige will be fine with that.”
I snorted. “Unlikely. Nora scares the crap out of most people. I can’t imagine Paige being thrilled about her coming over.”
“Just check,” Allie pleaded. “It would be so much fun! I haven’t been to a real slumber-party in ages. It’s usually just me and Kylie.”
Shrugging, I said, “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to ask.”
“It’s going to be so much fun!” my sister replied all giddy. She turned on the radio and started singing and bouncing around to the music. “Hey, it’s your song!” Ironically titled, “Wild Ones” by Flo Rida, she was always playing it for me on her iPod.
“Allie, don’t forget to check with mom, too!” I yelled over the music.
She nodded, then leaned over and gave me an unexpected kiss on the cheek. Unlike me, she wasn’t shy about showing affection to anyone. “I get to hang out with my sister,” she sang. “The Wild One!”
I smiled at her. Allie was growing up quickly, but to me, she’d always be the mischievous imp dancing around in her crooked tiara and Little Mermaid gown.
***
Later that night, when my mother read the information about the flu shot, she was furious. She crumpled up the permission sheet and tossed it into the garbage. “It’s ridiculous. They can’t enforce this. I’m calling the school.”
I rolled my eyes. “Mom there’s nothing you can do. Maybe we should just get the stupid shot.”
Mom put her hands on her hips. “Are you kidding me? Absolutely not! Did you notice how our family hasn’t come down with anything yet? It’s because we don’t get those stupid flu shots. If we did, we’d probably be as sick as everyone else.”
“Sorry…” I mumbled.
Allie pouted. “Mom, I have to go to school. There’s a major test next week.” I also knew she didn’t want to be away from her friends or the guy she was crushing on.
Mom put her arm around Allie‘s shoulders. “Don’t worry about it, sweetie. I’ll make some calls and get this taken care of.”
I got up off the couch and stretched. “Well, if I can’t go to school, I’m definitely not hanging around Daycare Central,” I said.
“I’m sure you’ll find something to do. Otherwise you can run some errands for me, like picking up your prom dress.”
Although I wasn’t thrilled about wearing a dress, my mother had helped me choose one that I actually liked; a strapless, coral-colored chiffon gown that made my waist look smaller and my skin look tan.
After dinner, as my mom disinfected the daycare area of the house, I took a shower, then retreated to my bedroom and turned on the television. There were news reports on every channel covering the flu epidemic. On channel eleven, Eva King’s mother, Veronica, was interviewing a spokesperson from the Centers for Disease Control Prevention (C.D.C). I actually like Eva’s mother, who’d I met back in grade school at a birthday party. Although she was somewhat of a celebrity, she never once acted snooty or cold. In fact, she was really sweet to everyone, unlike her daughter.
Veronica definitely wasn’t herself today; she looked sick and miserable. Her normally tan face was pale, her nose bright red, and her blue eyes watery. Usually she looked so professional, with no red curl out of place.
“This is Veronica King, and if you’re just tuning in, I have Dr. William Blake from the Centers for Disease Control on satellite. We‘ve been discussing this new flu virus that people are referring to as ‘The Creeper’, because it starts out slow and then hits its victim pretty hard. Does that about sum it up, Doctor?”
“Correct,” replied Dr. Blake stiffly. He was over fifty, slim, with little round glasses and wispy grey hair that didn’t quite cover the bald spot.
“Thank you again for joining us, Doctor. As I mentioned, this virus has been spreading at an alarming rate. It’s affected the entire country,” she croaked and then cleared her throat. ”Excuse me. I mean the entire world. The big question tonight is, how do we control this growing epidemic?”
“That’s easy, Ms. King, we control it by making wise decisions; like getting vaccinated. It’s imperative, especially for our elderly and small children.”
Veronica’s eyes narrowed. “And you stand behind this vaccine one hundred percent? Earlier we heard from other medical experts stating that they don’t feel the vaccine is having a significant enough effect on this particular virus. Millions of people have still contracted severe flu symptoms even after getting vaccinated. Emergency rooms have been flooded and can’t even care for their patients properly. They’ve had to turn people away. Let me ask you this, is the CDC working on improving the current vaccine?”
Dr. Blake cleared his throat. “Yes, well, our scientists are working around the clock to evaluate and improve the current vaccine. But, these things still take a considerable amount of time. I cannot stress enough, however, how important it is to get the current vaccine that is available right now.”
Frowning, she replied, “What’s the point if it doesn’t seem to be working? What about those people who’ve been hospitalized? Countless numbers of patients who’ve slipped into comas; reports indicate they‘d all received the vaccination.”
Dr. Blake smiled smugly. “I can assure you that if they hadn’t been vaccinated, they would have probably perished. We are quite confident that the vaccine has lessened the symptoms and has saved many lives thus far.”
She released a heavy sigh. “Well, I hope you’re right. One last thing… there have been accusations from certain leaders of the United Nations, claiming the virus was created by terrorists, specifically targeting countries the U.S. supports. What are your views on this?”
He laughed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Utter nonsense. Come on, a terrorist virus? It’s just another strain of the seasonal flu. In a week or two we‘ll have a more powerful vaccine available to the public and this won’t seem like such a crisis. It‘s just the flu, nothing more.”
Veronica sniffled and grabbed a tissue. “Excuse me.” She dabbed at her nose then smiled weakly. “A flu virus on… steroids?”
“If that’s what you want to call it.”
“Okay. Thank you for joining us tonight, Dr. Blake. This is Veronica King with WCCL, reminding everyone to keep taking your vitamins and stock up on tissues.”
I sighe
d and turned off the television, relieved that it was Friday and I’d have a short hiatus from school.
There was a soft knock on my door and then my mother peeked in. “Cassie, Paige is on the phone,” she said.
“Wow… nice look, mom,” I snorted. Pieces of brown hair stuck out of a plastic cap and her face was covered with thick, green slime.
She smiled and patted her head. “Oh, you like this?”
“It‘s awesome. Dad‘s going to love it, seriously.”
Her hazel eyes sparkled with amusement. “You think? Your dad and I are going to a party this weekend and I’d hate to embarrass him.”
“He‘ll be the envy of all the other guys with you on his arm.”
She left and I could hear her giggling all the way down the hall.
I picked up the phone. “Hi.”
“Hi, Cassie.”
“So I heard about the slumber-party.”
“Yeah, but unfortunately I made plans with Nora for Saturday night.”
“Well, do you think she’d want to hang out with all of us? I don’t have any plans yet for this weekend and my folks are going out. As long as she behaves herself, we should have fun.”
I cracked up. “Honestly, Nora’s not that bad. She told Eva King off in the bathroom earlier today. It was awesome! You both might have more in common than you think.”
“Really? Well, in that case, she‘s definitely invited. Let me know what she says.”
After I hung up with Paige, I called Nora to find out if she’d be willing to go to Paige’s Saturday night. Fortunately, she liked the idea.
“So she has a swimming pool? That sounds cool. I’ll hang,” said Nora.
“Okay. I’ll let Paige know.”
“Sweet! See you in school on Monday.”
I hung up right as Allie rushed into my room.
“Excuse me? Knock before you enter,” I said.
Her eyes were large. “Oh, my God… you have to watch the news! Some hospital in France was attacked by a bunch of crazy patients. I guess they were acting like cannibals, eating each other’s flesh! Can you believe it? How gross is that?”
Zombie Games (Uncut) Boxed Set Page 3
