Through the Zombie Glass - Gena Showalter, Gena Showalter (the unexpected everything TXT) 📗

the car and just didn’t remember?Could this be my mind’s way of reminding me?Momhad ended up outside, next to my dad, even thougshe’d been in the car when I’d lost consciousness.“Cole,” I said, patting the space next to me. I needed hisarms around me, strong and sure. He would comfort me,whatever the answers.The mattress was disappointingly cold. He was gone.                I thought...yeah, I remembered hearing him speak to me before he’d taken off.“I’m supposed to believe you? Just like that,” he’d said,his tone angry. No, he hadn’t been speaking to me. There’d been atense pause before he’d snapped, “Stop calling me, Justin.I told you a long time ago I’m done with you. There’snothing you can do or say to change that.” Another crackling pause. “No, I don’t want to hear the info you’vegot.”I knew of only one Justin. Either Cole had been on the phone with a boy he’d sworn never to speak with again, or my mind had played tricks on me. Right now I wasn’texactly in a mind-trusting mood.Gingerly I sat up to gaze around the room. Brightsunlight slanted through the window. The ice-bluecomforter draping the four-poster bed was wrinkled, andone of the pillows was stained with flecks of black froCole’s face paint. Oops. I’d have to clean that off before Ileft.His weapons were no longer piled on the floor, andneither were his clothes. In fact, the only other sign thathe’d been here was the note on my nightstand. I’m at the gym. Call me and I’ll come for you. X C                 Humming with sudden happiness, I brushed my teeth,showered and dressed in my winter workout clothes. Idialed his cell, and...went straight to voice mail.“I’m awake and ready,” I said. “You can come get meanytime.” I didn’t have a car. Or a license. Only a permit.If I didn’t hear from him soon, I’d walk. The gym was at a barn a few miles away. “I hope you’re prepared to haveyour butt handed to you.”When I hung up, I noticed there were eleven textswaiting for me. All from my best friend, Kat. I grinned as Iread.One:Frosty SUCKS!Two:Have I mentioned Frosty sucks it raw??Three:How do U feel about murder? 4 or against?? Before U answer,know that I have good reason!Four:If 4, do U know good place 2 hide body??The rest described the many ways she’d like to kill him.My favorite involved a bag of Skittles and a silk scarf.Mmm. Skittles.My stomach rumbled, and I set my phone on thenightstand. I’d call Kat after breakfast, when she was morelikely to be awake and I was more likely to be lucid, andfind out what happened. There was a good chance Frostyhad simply failed to call her after the fight last night, andshe’d worried. I wasn’t sure how to comfort her aboutthat. She’d made it clear the zombies weren’t a topic o                conversation she welcomed.First, though, I cleaned every inch of my room. I refusedto let Mr. Ankh’s housekeeper do it for me. I wasn’t asponge and wasn’t going to take anything for granted. Iwas determined to give back, somehow. Thankfully, water and hand soap removed the paint from the pillow.“Alice.”Emma’s voice.I turned, and oh, glory, there she was. My eight-year-oldsister. Her spirit anyway. What she’d taught me: death isnever the end. “You’re here,” I said, my heart soaring.She’d visited me before, but every time felt like the firsttime—shocking and unreal.She smiled at me, and I wanted so badly to hug her close and never let go. “I only have a moment.”She wore the clothes she’d died in: a pink leotard andtutu. The dark hair she’d inherited from our mother was pulled into two pigtails, swinging over her delicateshoulders. Golden eyes that had always watched me witadoration were bright.She’d once told me she wasn’t a ghost, but a witness.Ghosts—not that they existed—were spirits of the deadthat retained their memories and haunted. A myth probably born from zombie sightings. Witnesses were spirits thataided.“I wanted to warn you that you’ll be seeing less of me,”she said, the smile slipping. “Visiting you is becoming                more difficult. But.If you call for me, I will find a way toreach you.”“More difficult how?” I asked, concerned for her.“My tie to this world is fading.”Oh.I knew what that meant. One day I was going to lose her for good.“Don’t be sad,” she said. “I hate when you’re sad.”I forced my features to brighten. “No matter what, I’llknow you’re out there, watching over me. There’s noreason to be sad.”“Exactly.” Beaming, she blew me a kiss. “I love you.nd seriously, don’t forget to call for me if you need me.”Then she was gone.My features fell and, I was sure, dimmed. I could havecurled into a ball and cried, but I refused to let myselworry about any tomorrows without her. I’d deal with her loss when it came.Pulling my hair into a ponytail, I headed to the kitchen. Iexpected to find the housekeeper. Instead I found Reeve,ana and Kat seated at the table, sipping from steamingmugs of coffee.“—something’s going on,” Reeve was saying, twining alock of dark hair around her finger. “Dad put moresecurity cameras in both the front and backyard—and wealready had a thousand to begin with! Worse, he’s put upso many lamps, my blackout curtains are no longer able to                do their job.” Nana and Kat shifted uncomfortably.“Has he said anything to either of you?”“Well...” Nana hedged. She moved her gaze through theroom, as if hoping a distraction would present itself.One did.“Ali! You’re out of bed a week early.” Her chair skidded behind her as she stood. She closed the distance between us and drew me in for a hug. “I’m not sure Iapprove.”Kat buffed her nails and smiled, not looking at all like agirl on the verge of committing a violent crime. She didlook tired, though. There were dark circles under her eyes,and her cheeks were hollowed, as if she hadn’t eaten idays. “I would have been uptwoweeks early, but wecan’t all have my amazing bounce-back, can we?”I kissed Nana’s cheek and returned Kat’s smile. Thegirl had a healthy (and justifiable) ego and wasn’t afraidto show it. Me? I’d always been the girl with her headducked as she questioned her worth.I’d faced death and won, I reminded myself—I should probably get over that.But...just then, I kind of thought Kat was using her egoas a shield to hide her physical weakness. She sufferedfrom degenerative kidney disease.“What are you doing here?” I asked her. “Not that I’mnot thrilled to see you. I so am.” More than thrilled,                actually. From the very beginning, she’d never cared whatI looked like or how socially awkward I could be. She’dust accepted me and rolled. “I thought you preferred tosleep till two on weekends.”“I came to see you, naughty girl that you are. You never answer your phone or respond to my mind-blowing textsanymore. My plan was to lecture you until you promised tohave your phone surgically attached to your hand, but Idecided to have some coffee first.”Speaking of coffee... “I’ll take that.” I confiscated her mug as I eased into the seat beside her. I wouldn’t allowmyself to eat or drink anything from the Ankhs, whichmade coffee a luxury. But I didn’t mind taking from my best friend.“Hey!” A second later, she confiscated Reeve’s.“Hey,” Reeve said, then confiscated Nana’s.Musical coffees. Nana shook her head, but I could see the gleam oamusement in her eyes.“No need for a lecture,” I said to Kat, flattening myhand on my side. “There’ll be no more surgeries for me.”Her features softened. “My poor, sweet Ali.”“I don’t understand how you fell down our stairs andreceived such a life-threatening injury,” Reeve said.“You’re not the clumsy type, and there’s nothing sharp onthe railing or the floor.”“Of course she’s clumsy,” Kat exclaimed, covering for                 me as I stuttered for some type of response. “Ali could gettangled up in a cordless phone.”I nodded and tried not to look miserable—the claiwas only a lie if I failed to believe it. Maybe Iwasclumsy. Once, I’d stepped into Cole’s ankle trap anddangled upside down from a tree. Another time, he’d beenteaching me how to work a sword and I’d nearly removedhis head.So...yeah.“Anyway,” Kat said, quickly changing the subject, “I’msure everyone will be pleased to know we won thefootball game last night.”“Go, Tigers!” we said in unison, and burst into peals olaughter.An alarm sounded from Reeve’s phone. “Crap!” Sheumped up. “Sorry, guys, but I’ve got plans for Halloweenand they actually start this morning. See ya!” She raced outof the kitchen. Nana stood. “I’ve got to go, too. I want to lecture thatgirl’s father about the importance of being well informed.Oh, and, Ali, Cole called me a little while ago and told meyou were in need of a costume, but that you’d be too busytraining to shop. I thought he was kidding, like some kindof Halloween joke I just didn’t understand, since onlyyesterday he’d been so adamant about you staying in bed.But if he thinks you’re ready, you’re ready—and I won’task how he reached that conclusion.”                 Please don’t!And Cole had actually called Nana?“That’s sweet oyou, but I don’t want us to spend money on an article oclothing I’ll only wear once. I can make something Ialready own work.”Smiling, she patted my hand. “Darling, we’re notdestitute. We have the insurance settlement.”“But wearesaving for a house of our own.” Therewere conditions for living here, and with conditions camean expiration date. I wanted Nana taken care of for the restof her life, no surprises. In fact, I should probably find aob...though that might prove impossible, considering Iwould need to take time off for school and slaying. No. There had to be a way.“I’m getting you a costume, young lady, and that’s final.I’m looking forward to this.”I sighed. “All right, but something from the thrift storewill work just fine.”She kissed the top of my head and followed the same path Reeve had taken. Without agreeing, I realized toolate.My phone vibrated, and I checked the screen.Cole McHottie (as Kat had dubbed him): I can’t leavethe gym 2 get U, Ali-gator, I’m sorry. But we R still on 42nite. I miss UI wondered what had happened to keep him trapped atthe gym.                Disappointed, I looked to Kat.“So, where are you and Cole going?” she asked.“Hearts, I’m sure.” It was the only nightclub the slayersfrequented. “Now, about your phone calls and texts. Iwasn’t ignoring you, I promise. It’s just strange, knowingyou now know what I know, yet trying to buffer you fromthe worst of the details.”“It’s not strange. It’s terrible! I hate knowing, but I’vedecided to girl up and finally discuss the...you-knows fronow on. And just so we’re clear, girling up is far better than manning up.”“Good. About the you-knows.” Knowledge was power,and I wanted her safe. Always.The housekeeper bustled into the kitchen, spotted me,and asked if she could fix me something to eat. I declined,and she loaded a tray with croissants and cappuccino totake to Mr. Ankh. The fragrance of yeast and sugar mingled, filling the room and making my mouth water.The moment she was gone, I hopped up to wipe thecrumbs from the counter. Then I grabbed the bag of bagelsI’d bought with my allowance and offered one to Kat.She shook her head. “So...I’m sure you surmised fromy oh so subtle texts that Frosty and I are over. Or is itFrosty and me? I always forget. Anyway, it’s for reals thistime.”“What happened?” I devoured the bagel in record time,and though I craved a second one sobad, I resisted. The                longer these lasted, the fewer I would have to buy, and theless I’d have to spend.“Last night,” she said, looking miserable, “I wasn’tfeeling well—not that Frosty knew that part. I asked him tostay with me, and he refused.”“When the you-knows are out, he has to fight. We alldo, if we’re well. It’s our duty.” Our privilege.“A night off wouldn’t have killed him,” she grumbled.“But it might have killed his friends. They need all the backup they can get.”She frowned at me. “Do you have to be so reasonable,tossing out such intelligent responses?”“I’m sorry. I’ll try to do better.”“Thank you.”I studied her. She was such a beautiful girl. Petite, butcurvy. Fragile, yet resilient. Her mom had suffered withthe same kidney