Page 95 of 10 Things I Hate About Zombies

Zoey laughed as Romero jumped from Nick’s arms and started headbutting her leg. ‘Why wouldn’t I be all right? I’m at Laurelhurst Park with my favourite guy and my favourite girl and my favourite likely cat-mayor-elect. Although I’m in a terrible outfit. Was I sleepwalking? I haven’t done that since I was eight and peed in the laundry basket.’

Nick sucked in a breath. ‘You don’t remember the whole zombie-transformation thing?’

Zoey’s eyes widened, and she lifted her pyjama cuff to her tongue to wipe off the suddenly foul aftertaste that was growing there.

‘Oh my God. The bite from June! And then … your sisters!’ Zoey’s eyes widened as flashes of memory came to her. ‘They must have thought I was a complete deviant. An inebriate! A lush! A sartorial disaster.’

‘Good to see the vocabulary is making a quick comeback. Bodes well for the spelling bee I’ve signed us up for at the Kennedy School Hotel.’ Nick’s tone was light, but she could see the relief in his eyes. He kissed her gently on the forehead, tucking her hair back the way she loved.

‘I’m so glad you’re all right. You wouldn’t believe how worried I was. How worried we all were.’

Zoey flushed.

‘And also, my sisters will love you, Zoey. When they get to know you properly. The real you. Not the zombie you. Although she did have her charms. And very strong opinions about brains.’

Zoey groaned. ‘I really did the whole brains thing, huh?’

Nick winced.

‘Too soon?’

He nodded. After a moment he gently ran a hand over her hair, coaxing the rattiest parts of it back into something somewhat socially acceptable.

‘There’s always a beanie,’ he said eventually. He touched her face softly, as though trying to convince himself that she was truly there. ‘I was so scared I’d lost you. And not just because you’d escaped the house.’

‘I had Find my iPhone turned on,’ she said helpfully. ‘You could’ve used my laptop. If you needed a thumbprint, Romero’s paw also works.’

She waggled said paw, and Romero mrowed grumpily.

‘So, what’s with the sharps container?’ she said momentarily. ‘Although judging by the tie-dye strap, I’m guessing it’s something to do with Reba. Does she have you injecting hard drugs? Because I was only zombified for, what, twelve hours?’

‘She tried,’ said Nick, with a grin, ‘but I remembered my D.A.R.E. training.’

He explained the vegan-tattoo-ink antidote, and the fact that a small posse of women was presently roaming about the city stabbing zombies with ink-filled syringes.

‘Wow,’ said Zoey. ‘I did not have that on my bingo card. Although I probably should have.’

She reached for Nick’s wrist, rubbing her thumb over the small Toad tattoo he’d got at InkWell. ‘Frog and Toad really saved the day, huh?’

He grinned. ‘Are you really so surprised?’

‘Never. Although now I’m regretting my reticence.’

‘We’ll have Joaquin hook you up when this is all over. I have discount cards and everything.’

Zoey stiffened. ‘Wait, Nick …’

Something was lurching through the cemetery. Two somethings. One tall and bony, the other taller and bonier. It was like being stalked by twin grim reapers, if one of those grim reapers was clad in head-to-toe Lululemon.

‘Braaaains,’ they moaned. The smaller one said it with a touch of self-loathing, while the taller one said it with a touch of general loathing.

‘Is that … June? And Nate the Hater?’ whispered Zoey, scooting behind Nick, who produced an ink-filled needle from a patch-covered backpack slung over one shoulder. Holding it between his teeth, he pulled out another one and passed it to Zoey.

‘Here,’ he said. ‘The logistics are a pain, but we’re not reusing sharps. How are you with needles, by the way?’

Zoey gulped. ‘I once watched someone at a fancy restaurant use one to add some foam to my dessert. But that’s about it.’

Nick nodded. ‘Just jab and depress. It’s all about that thumb action. I believe in you.’