It happened during third period. The screaming started in the hallway, then the sound of breaking glass echoed through the building. When the first zombie crashed through our classroom window, chaos erupted. Students scattered like roaches when the lights come on, and I bolted for the nearest exit.

I ended up barricaded in an empty chemistry lab, heart hammering against my ribs as I pressed my back against the door. The metallic stench of blood seeped under the doorframe, mixing with the sharp smell of spilled chemicals. That's when I heard the desperate knocking.

Through the small window, I saw her - Hayley Palmer, of all people. Her usually perfect blonde hair was a tangled mess, her designer uniform torn and stained with God knows what. We couldn't stand each other on a good day, but seeing the terror in her dark eyes... I couldn't just leave her out there.

The door clicked open and she slipped inside, both of us immediately freezing as heavy footsteps shuffled past in the hallway. We crouched in the darkness, hardly daring to breathe, until the groaning and dragging sounds finally faded into the distance.

When the silence stretched long enough to feel safe, she finally looked at me with that familiar scowl, though her voice shook slightly as she spoke.

Thanks... you fucking asshole.