The Guide Runners

Everything around me was new. New smell, new clothes, new school, new house, new teachers, and maybe some new friends if I'm lucky. I died my hair and cut and bought a whole new look. Everything is new. I'm not used to being the new kid. I looked around me and realized that everyone was staring at me. But one girl stood out to me more than the rest. She was more familiar to me than anyone else; maybe because she reminded me of Alice from back home. I walked up to her and smiled. She smiled back, thank God. "Hi! I'm new here and I was wondering if you could help me out? I have no idea where I'm going." I asked the girl.

"Yeah sure. I'm Rebecca, what's yours?"

"Victoria, I just moved here two weeks ago from Phoenix."

"Phoenix huh? That's quite a move. Why are you here? I mean- why did you move here?" She seemed nervous. She was very pretty. She wore a black leather skirt, red lace top, red lipstick with beautiful, wavy, raven colored hair.

"Oh my dad's work. He works for the CDC. They transferred him here and we had to come with him I guess." I tried to laugh. Rebecca laughed too. She is interesting to me. She is just like Alice. I miss her, but maybe Rebecca will do just fine.

Even the way she walked was like Alice. The way she smiled, the way she laughed, even the way she flipped her hair of her shoulder. The only difference was her height and her name. Obviously it's not Alice because Alice died three weeks ago from a disease that no one could accurately diagnose, let alone cure. They called it some weird name, mortuis resurrexerit. Alice seemed like she died from starvation. She was hungry. Hungry for meat. Hungry for things that no one could explain.

A few people died from the disease. Alice was the first. She had some kind of flu, then her temperature was through the roof, and she died for four minutes until she snapped back to life. Then an elderly man down the road named, Edwin Con was next. A little girl named Agiela Connor was next. That was the saddest one because she died a few days before her 9th birthday. There were 11 people in two weeks that died from this. My dad inquired for a transfer to keep us safe because they weren't sure how it was spreading. The government suggested bioterrorism. It's me, my dad, my mom, and my five year old kid sister Hannah. My parents didn't want any of us to get sick, so he got transferred to this new town, Jamestown.

Jamestown is a nice little town, but so different from the big city like Phoenix. I used to her sirens all through the night. It might have been too populated in Phoenix, but Jamestown is in the country. Small town high school, small town people, and small town market. There was only one gas station, one library, one high school, one elementary school, four churches and seven farms.

"So what grade are you in?" Rebecca asked, interrupting my thoughts.

"I'm a junior. You?"

"Same! That's awesome! Let me see your schedule!" She snatched my schedule right out of my hands. I noticed her long, black, acrylic nails. "We have four classes together. You can sit with me." She seemed overly enthusiastic. For as dark as her aesthetic looked, her personality was way too preppy.

She walked me to the first class. Of course it had to be calculus. I have already taken all of the classes I had. Not entirely sure why my credits didn't put me into higher classes. But I guess with being in advanced classes and taking college course credits, the only way to go any higher would to make me a senior. I suppose I could become a senior, but I was already quite young for the grade I'm in now. I'm only 15, but I'll be 16 in a few months.

"What do you think of Jamestown so far, V? Can I call you V, or do you have a nickname you prefer?" Her smile was bright. She could light up any room that she walked into. Maybe even the entire town, a town as small Jamestown that is.

"It's okay. There's just not a whole lot around here. I guess I'm used to having 800 people in my graduating class, and I'm pretty sure that makes up the entire student body here." I laughed at the idea of going to a significantly smaller school than what I was used to.

"Actually, there's probably only 600 in the entire school. Our grade alone has 78, now 79 students with you added to it. But I'm willing to bet that at soon as people turn 18, that number will start dropping down like flies. Some of these kids aren't exactly school material if you know what I mean." I knew what she meant. There were plenty of kids at my old school that were that way.

"Oh and people call me Tori just so you know. V works too though."

"Okay Tori, V. Whatever I say, I'll call you. Victoria is just too many syllables." She chuckled. I don't quite understand that, but okay.

She was entertaining. I enjoy watching her. She's graceful when she walked. It almost seems like she just glides by, not even making a Mark on the earth below her. She is more graceful than Alice ever was. Maybe she's a dancer. "Do you dance?" I blurted out, not having control over my own mouth.

"Yeah, actually. How did you know? Are you a dancer too?" She seemed interested in my question.

"Yeah. Never in a studio though. I did tap dance when I was three, ballet when I was eight, and hip hop when I was 13. But I'm mostly self taught. I learned mostly through gymnastics. I never liked being in a studio. I liked doing my own thing, my own style." I said shyly. She smiled her big and bright smile.

"There's a talent show coming up soon. You should try out for it! We love to see new blood on the stage. Who am I kidding? We love to see new blood in school and in this town." That was a very interesting statement. 'New blood.' Not something you hear very often. "Here's our first class. Room 215. Our teacher is kind of weird, but super sweet. Her name is Mrs. Bailey, but everyone calls her Ms. B."

I walked in and all eyes were on me. "Hey Rebecca? What makes her weird?"

"Call me Bec. But she she talks about her cats all the time. There's two of them: Angelina and scooter. She refers to them as if they were actually in the same room as us. She is funny though. Kind hearted. I think she's a good teacher, just a little weird I guess. You'll like her, I'm sure. Here, you can sit by me." She gestured to the open seat next to her. Her long black nails rested firmly on her notebook. She sat up straight on her chair. It was obvious she did ballet given her posture. She is very statuesque. She almost seemed like a dream. Then he walked in. The most attractive guy I have ever seen.