“It was Mads,” Krista says, pointing. “I saw him throw it.”
Mille looks in the direction and sees the culprit four rows ahead. Mads sends her an air kiss. Mille flips him off. Mads laughs and signals for her to open the paper airplane.
Mille sighs but unfolds it. Mads has written a message in red.
Do you want to go out with me?
YES
YES
DOUBLE YES
(you may tick off more than one)
Mille can’t help but smile, but makes sure Mads doesn’t see. She finds a pen from her bag.
“What did he write?” Krista asks, leaning in.
“He’s just trying to be funny,” Mille says, adding another option to the list.
WOULD RATHER DIE FROM HERPES
She puts an X next to the line, crumbles up the paper and throws it back at Mads. The paper ball doesn’t quite reach him, so he scrambles to pick it up from the floor. He laughs out loud when he unfolds it and reads her answer.
“He’s coming on a little too hard,” Krista remarks.
“I don’t think he’s being serious.”
Krista raises her eyebrows. “Really? He’s been mad about you since freshman year.”
“What about Pernille?”
“He just dated her because he couldn’t get you.”
Mille glances over at Mads, who has turned around and is now talking with the boys sitting in front of him.
“Did Selina text you?” Krista asks, finding her phone. “She didn’t answer any of mine.”
“Nah, I haven’t heard from her. She’s probably ill.”
“That’s like the worst timing ever, falling ill today of all days! Hey, isn’t it somewhere out here she lives?”
Mille looks out at the fields gliding by. “I have no idea.”
“Yeah, I think it is. She moved with her dad recently, because he found a new wife, remember? I was there Saturday before we went out partying.” Krista’s eyes grow big. “Hey, did you hear? She made out with that electrician?”
“Who now?”
“Jonas Jorgensen.”
“Never heard of him.”
“Well, he’s a bit older and quite good looking.”
“Huh.” Mille honestly couldn’t care less about who Selina did or didn’t make out with. She’s got nothing against Selina, they’re just not that close, like Selina and Krista are. Also, Mille knows Krista is only sitting with her because Selina isn’t here.
“Of course, she pretended like it never happened,” Krista goes on, smiling wryly. “But I saw them, and I—”
She’s cut off as the bus abruptly makes a stop, causing everyone to be thrust forward in their seats and bags to fall to the floor. Her classmates let out indignant cries.
“What the fuck was that about?”
“Get a grip, man!”
“Is he drunk up there?”
“Why did we stop?”
The driver—a middle-aged, obese guy with greasy hair—honks the horn aggressively.
“What’s he doing?” Krista says, stretching her neck like everybody else. “Is someone blocking the way?”
Mille also tries to see, but she and Krista are sitting almost all the way in the back, so there’s no way of getting a glimpse of what’s going on up front. But they’ve stopped in the middle of a desolate highway, open fields to one side, a forest to the other, so Mille can’t really imagine who would be blocking the way. Except a dog, maybe. Or a deer, perhaps. It could have wandered out from the trees.
The she hears someone up front exclaim: “There’s a lady out there!”
Mille gets a glimpse of the driver getting up and pushing the button to open the door. He looks worried as he trudges down the steps and leaves the bus.
“Jeez, what happened to her?” someone calls out.
“She must’ve been in an accident,” someone else answers.
Mads has gotten up from his seat and walked halfway up through the bus. He’s peering out the front window. Then, suddenly, he shouts: “No, don’t go over there! Come back inside, man! That’s a fucking zombie!”
A few of the boys break into nervous laughter, not sure whether Mads is joking or not. And it would be typical of him to make a joke like that. But Mille can hear something in his voice which gives her the chills.
“What’s going on?” Krista asks again, grabbing Mille by the arm. “What’s happening up there?”
“I can’t see. I think—”
Something outside the window catches Mille’s eyes. She looks out to see an elderly man come staggering out of the forest. He’s dressed in his underwear, the pale, veiny legs visible. His wifebeater, which might once have been white, is now mostly brown due to the dried-up blood that seems to have spurted from the open crater in his neck. The man trudges resolutely across the road, headed for the bus.
He turns his head slightly up, and Mille sees his face, feeling a jolt of icy fear run through her body. The man’s eyes are empty and milky white. If Mads hadn’t just yelled out the word “zombie,” she might not have been able to find a fitting description for the person passing her window and steering for the front door of the bus.
One of the girls starts screaming up front. More of the students get up and start shoving each other to get to the front. Commotion ensues. The noise level rises. Confusion and fear start to set in.
Mille, once when she was very young, accidentally locked herself in her playhouse, and she panicked when she couldn’t get the door open. That same feeling of claustrophobia creeps over her once again in this moment, as she stares at her classmates tumbling over each other to get out of the bus and away from whatever is going on outside.
Got to get out of here. Right now.
No one came to help her back when she was trapped in the playhouse; she had to literally kick the door open. Surprisingly, the panic gave her strength, and she almost kicked it off the hinges.
No one is going to help her now, either, so she looks up and sees the emergency hammer. She tears it free of the holder and slams it against the window. The glass scatters but requires a few more hits before it loosens enough for Mille to push it out. Then,
