AM13 Outbreak Shorts (Book 1): Outbreak Read online

  Outbreak

  #1 AM13 Outbreak Shorts

  Samie Sands

  Copyright © 2020 All rights reserved.

  Copyright: No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including scanning, photocopying, recording or other electronic mechanical methods, without prior written permission of the copyright holder.

  Prologue

  I’m glaring at him just as intently as he stares at me. His eyes are so familiar, which really, they should be. I’ve spent so much time gazing into them, wondering what’s going on behind them, hoping that he feels the same way I do. But now, something’s off. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it’s definitely there all the same.

  It’s not just the cold, unfeeling expression that he’s wearing, or even the red rims and the loss of color in the iris of his eyes—although I do miss the deep ocean blue.

  No, it’s much worse than that.

  I bite my lip to trying to stop the tears that threaten to spill out. I want to speak, to ask him why, what’s happening, but my vocal chords feel strangled, constricted. It’s a struggle to even breathe.

  Time passes. I’m not sure how much because nothing changes. We’re still here, everything’s exactly the same. Me verses him in this weird standoff that I just can’t get my head around. All I know for sure is that this isn’t going to end well.

  He starts getting anxious. His eyes begin to flicker from side-to-side erratically. A puddle of drool collects on his chin, and a low growl emits from his stomach—a sound that I’ve never heard come from a human being before.

  What the hell am I supposed to make of all this?

  I’m scared. Absolutely terrified. My palms are sweaty and I can feel my heart pounding in my ears. On top of that, my dry mouth is absolutely aching for something to drink. I’d kill for some water or something right now.

  But then he distracts me from my thoughts by moving. Finally, something is going to happen, and I feel a strange sort of excitement at the prospect.

  Then he dives for me and everything goes black.

  One

  This officially sucks!

  Why dad had to get a promotion which forced us to move, I’ll never know. Why couldn’t he just be the manager in the office he was already in? I might not have been particularly happy where we were, but I had a few good friends, there was always loads to do in the city, and I was just about getting by in school...

  Now I’m stuck here, in a place where I don’t know a single person, in a bedroom that doesn’t really feel like mine, just waiting for something to happen. I never thought I’d be one of those people wishing the summer holidays away, and yet here I am doing just that. The thought of starting a new school isn’t something I’m exactly relishing, but how else am going to make any damn friends?

  I’m so bored.

  I turn my head away from the TV screen and gaze outside at the village my mom described as ‘quaint’. I might not enjoy the view very much, but the sun is shining, and I hate wasting hot days inside, so I decide on impulse to head out for a walk. We’ve already lived here for five days and I don’t know this town at all. Is it weird to go out for a walk by yourself? Well, it’s not like I have much choice either way. There’s certainly no one to walk with me.

  I hop up off the bed, quickly glance at the dark messy bun piled on the top of my head in the mirror, before deciding that it doesn’t really matter how I look, as long as I’m outside. Anything has to be better than this!

  My parents don’t notice me leave, despite the fact that I thunder noisily down the stairs and I slam the door loudly behind me as I go. Dad’s on the phone to his new office—arguing with one of his new colleagues—and mom’s still constantly rearranging the house, trying to get it right. She can be so nuts about cleaning sometimes, it drives me mad. I’m glad they’re so self-obsessed though, it means I can get on with what I want to do.

  I walk through the small streets, pretending to admire the ‘sweet’ shops this tiny village has to offer, all the while confirming that living in a large, smoky city was so much better. Me and my few friends used to wander around the clothes and music shops for hours trying to find something cool and unique to buy, but there’s not much chance of that here. All that’s on offer is tacky gifts and local produce. This really could be the crappiest place ever.

  I know there’s a beach around here somewhere—mum kept harping on about it when she was pretending to be excited about the move. “Ooh, won’t it be lovely to live near a beach? We can just go whenever we like.” Although I know for a fact that she’ll never set foot on the sand, I might as well. I don’t exactly have anything better to do. I just need to work out which direction to head in…

  It takes me a little while to locate this so-called beach, and as soon as I do, I regret the wasted time. What a letdown! It’s small, grey and full of seaweed. It doesn’t look anything like the beaches you see in photos—all white sands and glistening blue sea. I feel the last glimmer of hope ebb away as I stare at the landscape in front of me realizing that at this rate, I’m not going to enjoy living here at all.

  Miserable and still feeling incredibly lonely, I plonk my butt down onto the sand. There are a few families running in and out of the sea, playing and enjoying the nice weather together, and I can’t help wishing that I was part of them. A brother or sister would have been perfect right about now—a ready-made companion to endure this hell with.

  Then, as I scan the area, just drinking it all in, my eyes happen upon him. My heart actually stops dead in my chest as I see him, my breath catches in my throat as I trail my gaze all over his body. I don’t know who he is, but he’s instantly made everything better.

  The most perfect looking boy in the world.

  Two

  I claw the sand beside me as I continue to stare at him, while a thick ball of emotion lodges itself firmly in my throat. I find myself completely unable to take my eyes off this boy. He’s unlike anyone I’ve ever looked at before, he belongs in the movies, not real life. I almost want to reach out and touch him, just to confirm that he’s nothing more than a mirage.

  His mouth opens widely as he laughs at something his companion says to him, causing his teeth glisten in the sunlight. He’s tall, athletic looking, with a cool preppy boy style, which I love. On top of that, he has dark brunette hair, which makes his gorgeous blue eyes seem to sparkle even more. He’s perfect…absolutely perfect.

  My insides dance excitedly as I imagine him wrapping his hands around the back of my neck, as I feel him pulling me closer, drawing me nearer for a kiss just as wonderful as him…

  Eventually, I have to drag my gaze away as my thoughts become increasingly untoward. He could look up at any second and catch me staring, probably with my wild imagination plastered right across my expression. How embarrassing would that be? I’d be the weird stalker-girl before I even know anyone here. I try and focus on my feet, taking note of the fact that I’m wearing my battered old green canvas shoes, which are comfy, but definitely not fashionable. Someone like that—someone so in tune with everything cool—wouldn’t look at a girl like me twice anyway, so I really should just forget about him.

  But of course, I can’t.

  I count to twenty before daring to look up again, bracing myself to find him gone, but to my complete shock, he’s standing right in front of me. His lonely shadow looms, causing my brain to completely shut down.

  “Erm, I’m um...” I splutter, wondering what the hell I’m supposed to say now—this situation is too bizarre for words. It doesn’t help that I’ve never been good at first impressions, but even so, this has to be one of my worst.
I need time to prepare, this isn’t fair!

  Luckily, he seems to sense that I’m falling apart and he rapidly takes over the conversation, much to my relief.

  “New here?” He asks, in a chocolaty smooth voice. I nod, wondering if it’s that obvious. “Yeah, it’s easy to tell the newbies when you know everyone!” I laugh nervously, the sound coming out a little more like a cackle than anything else. “Zac.” He extends his hand to me, and I shake it feeling electricity race through me. “Zac Gella.”

  “Rachael Leigh,” I reply. “Or, well…Rae. Most people call me Rae.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Rae. Please, tell me all about yourself.”

  Oh God, I hate that question, I never know what to say, but this might just about be my only chance to chat to Zac, so I have to get something out. I guess here goes nothing.

  “Okay, well my dad just moved us here this week…”

  While I talk, Zac sits next to me, so close that I can actually feel his body heat emanating off of him, and in that moment, it’s hotter than the sun. He’s making my skin prickle, the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, my pulse rate freak out…yet somehow that isn’t a horrible sensation. If anything, I kinda like it.

  After a while, I even forget to be intimidated by his beauty and manage to act like a normal person...cracking jokes and everything! I haven’t ever been close to a guy before—friendship or otherwise—but I actually find it surprisingly easy to chat with Zac. He’s just so charismatic and approachable. There’s something about his aura that’s oddly soothing, which makes me like him even more.

  After our chat, I find myself feeling much happier—almost skipping with it as I walk back to my new home. Maybe this place isn’t going to be so bad after all. In fact, this move could be the best thing to ever happen to me.

  Three

  My happiness lasts over the next few days, despite the fact that I don’t see Zac again. We didn’t swap numbers or anything—he didn’t ask and I was way too embarrassed to—so I have no way of communicating with him. I did have a quick search for him on Facebook, but he either doesn’t have an account, he has great privacy settings, or he uses a weird name. Either way, I couldn’t find him, so I quickly gave up.

  Instead, I spend a lot of time just wandering around the village aimlessly, hoping to just accidentally-on-purpose bump into him again, but so far, no luck. I’m just glad to be out of the house though. Mum and dad are driving me nuts, stressing about everything. The new house, the new job, some new health scare they have heard about on the news…it’s never ending with that pair sometimes. Now that I’ve decided that I’m going to love it here, I don’t need any of their negativity dragging me down...

  But eventually, after a week or so, the happy glow that was surrounding me starts to wane. It’s still a while until school starts, and I haven’t managed to find Zac or anyone else my age to befriend since that day. To try and curb my depression, I even attempt to contact some of my old friends from the city, but that just makes things worse when none of them bother to respond to me.

  I know my jealousy and bad feeling is misplaced—I can’t exactly expect my old friends to do nothing now I’m not there—but that doesn’t stop the frustrated tears from pricking my eyes as I see their fun-loving statuses and photographs of them all together. All without me in them. I’m gone, and it’s as if they don’t even notice. Who wouldn’t feel bitter about that?

  I just keep on feeling alone, over and over again.

  I lie in my bed, tossing and turning, feeling irritated and boiling hot, and no more tired despite the late, incredibly dark hour. I can sense that it’s going to be one of those long nights spent counting down the hours, and I hate that more than anything. It’s the last thing I need right now, I’d love some time to switch off from this dark cloud of sadness!

  I stand up, huffing, and force myself over to open up the window to try and let in some much-needed cold air, but as I do, I notice a shadowy figure standing on the street, acting a little odd. I watch for a moment, fascinated as this mysterious person shifts from one foot to the other, seemingly expecting something to happen, but nothing does.

  Then, he steps into the light, and my heart leaps into my throat. I recognize that face—it’s the one I’ve been daydreaming about for a while now—but what’s he doing out there, acting strange?

  Almost as if he senses that he’s being watched, Zac glances up to me, and his face breaks into a big beaming smile. I wave, a little half-heartedly because I’m so confused, which he makes even worse by beckoning me to come outside.

  It’s almost midnight, what the hell does he want?

  Four

  I dress quickly, throwing on a t-shirt and jeans, all the while curiously pondering on Zac’s bizarre actions. This is weird, right? I mean, I did mention the street I live on, but I haven’t seen him for days, and now…this? Maybe I should be concerned, maybe I should be worried that he’s a little unhinged or something, but I’m not. If anything, I’m desperately excited to spend more time with him.

  My palms are sweaty and my head is buzzing with nerves as I realize how out of character I’m acting for this guy who’s practically a stranger. I’ve never snuck out for anyone before, but then again, I’ve never been so intrigued by someone either. There’s just something about Zac that makes me feel a little crazy and obsessed, and I need to know more.

  As I’m creeping through the house, desperately trying not to wake anyone up—a third degree from my parents is the last thing I need right now—my body is going crazy. I keep flicking between worry, nervous, and an intense, all-consuming thrill. I’ve got no idea what Zac’s doing here, but he did come right over to me the second he saw me sitting on the beach, which has to be a good sign. And now he’s here…I have to see this as a good thing.

  The door clicks shut and I spin round to look at Zac, quickly drinking in his gorgeous appearance once more. He’s still just as beautiful as the first time I saw him, maybe even more so under the glittering moonlight.

  “Come on,” he whispers excitedly, his eyes lighting up with a gleeful joy as he grabs hold of my arm. “Let’s go for a walk.”

  A small part of me worries that my parents might wake up and totally freak out that I’m gone, but a much bigger bit of me cannot believe my luck. This just feels right, I’m far too curious to turn my back on this amazing boy now.

  Could it be possible that Zac actually likes me back?

  “Okay,” I grin brightly, feeling warm as he slips his hand into mine. “Let’s go.”

  As we walk through the now-empty village, Zac talks incessantly. I nod along, acting like I’m listening, but really, I’m focusing on his lips. I’m mesmerized by his beauty, and I keep thinking about what it would be like to kiss him. It’s difficult to hear anything he’s saying when I’m so lost in my imagination.

  Eventually, we wind up back on the beach, sitting on the sand where we were before. I wonder if this is going to become ‘our spot’—it certainly seems to be headed that way, which I really like. I’ve never had something that I share with just one person before, and I like how inclusive that feels.

  At first, Zac begins by giving me a bit of detail about the people I’m going to meet when I start school—a conversation that I really should be paying attention to, but that I’m not really. But after a while, we both fall into, what I hope is a comfortable, silence.

  I breathe deeply, trying to calm my racing heart, before shooting him a look out the corner of my eye.

  “You’re beautiful,” he suddenly comments out of the blue, sending a blush through my entire body. I give him a stunned look, wondering if he’s joking—I’m definitely only average looking! “And you’re pretty cool too,” he continues, smiling genuinely at me.

  “Oh, well…”

  Before I can even begin to formulate a decent response, his lips are on mine, claiming me as his own. I instantly freeze—I’ve never kissed anyone before and I don’t know how! I need time to prepare, what if
I do it all wrong and it puts him off?

  He pushes himself back, seemingly taking my nerves as a rejection, and I can physically sense him shutting right down. No, I didn’t want that to happen, I need to explain.

  “I’m sorry, I…” I start, but it’s far too embarrassing to vocalize. “I didn’t mean to…I like you…”

  Thankfully, those words are enough to have him pulling me in yet again for another kiss. This time I really try to relax, I try to lose myself in the moment, but I can’t stop my brain from panicking. I worry that my teeth are getting in the way, that I’m moving my tongue wrong, even that my breath is bad. I can’t totally lose myself in this moment, even though I know it should be blissful.

  But is still feels good to be so wanted.

  Eventually, he pulls back and stares at my face, smiling. He presses his mouth against mine again lightly, just for a second and then turns to walk me home.

  With that, I’m in love...

  Five

  I don’t want to do anything the next morning, my aching body is far too tired, my eyes can barely open a crack, the night hanging out on the beach with the love of my life is now absolutely crushing me…

  Yet a lie in isn’t going to happen, however much I need it.

  “Come on, Rae,” Mom screams exasperatedly at me. “Get up! You know we have the meeting at your new school. Don’t be so damn lazy.”

  That’s almost enough to have me yelling back. If I felt any less worn out I’d be telling her that she hasn’t paid enough attention to me since we’ve moved to start calling me names, but I really can’t be bothered. An array of grunts burst past my lips, but that’s about it.

  “I don’t exactly want to waste my morning meeting the new head teacher either,” she continues while tossing ugly combinations of clothes at me. “Not when you probably won’t be starting school for a few months anyway. I’d much rather be getting ready for this quarantine…”