Animals We've Become/School's Out

**School's Out**is the pilot episode of Animals We've Become.

## Plot

I woke up to the sound of the bell ringing. I opened my eyes, the entire classroom was empty.

“Damn… did I sleep in again?”

I raised my head to see drool all over my notebook. I got up, got my backpack and went outside to the hallway. I could see my friend, AJ Miller, waiting for me for lunch.

“A-a-about time you showed up b-b-buddy. It’s lunchtime! M-my f-f-favorite t-time of d-d-day.” AJ said with his toothy grin, “Let’s g-g-go!”

AJ was my best friend. He suffered from cerebral palsy, something they always would bully him for. But I knew better than that, I saw his real values.

The two of us headed down the hallways of our high school, the Bronx High School of Science. Both AJ and I wanted to be top class scientists. My grandfather was a great inspiration to me, one of the greatest scientists in all of New York.

“You think there’s a free table today? We got lucky last week.” I say, checking my lunch bag. My mom had packed fruit and whole grain bread. Typical.

“I-I-I D-don’t know b-buddy. We were awfully s-slow today.” AJ responded, “I just ho-ho-hope that dick J-Jason isn’t there to-today.”

“Yeah, you and me both.”

We turned the corner, to see a table in the distance, almost shining like an angel in the night.

“Holy crap! It’s a free table! Run dude!” I started sprinting for the table immediately.

I rush towards the table but stop when AJ hits the ground. I forgot AJ can’t run. I approach his still body and reach out to him.

“N-N-NO! I-I-I CAN DO T-THIS!” AJ gasped, “G-go get OUR t-table!”

I nod and make a run for it. I am almost by the table until suddenly someone grabbed my collar from behind.

“Where do you think you’re going, Glenn BITCHardson?” he taunts me.

“It’s RICHARDSON.” I say, angered.

He lets me go, and I turn around, only to see Jason, the worst school bully.

“Sorry, Bitchardson. The table is ours.” he laughs at me, along with his friends behind him, including Sarah Fox, the most popular school cheerleader.

I knew a battle was lost when I saw one. I just shook my head and headed back to AJ, their laughter still following me.

“Guess we’re going to the janitor’s again… come on AJ.”

“A-Aw man. I-I don’t like the janito-or-or. He always sm-smells like ch-ch-cheese!”

A little later, we turned the corner to where the janitor was located. Most would say it’s weird we eat with the janitor, but most people also judge him without getting to know him first. I knock three times on the door of Esteban Gonzales Venezuela’s janitorial closet.

“Hello?” a disgruntled voice calls out. Esteban was wearing his signature blue jumpsuit as always.

“Hey Esteban. We’re here for lunch again.”

“Ok. Fine. Come in.” he opened the door for us, and let us in.

The closet wasn’t huge, it had all the stuff a janitor would need. There were three chairs for us, which we sat down on.

“Anything good today? I forgot mine. Again. Sorry.” he mumbled.

“Only whole grain bread. My mom doesn’t know how to pack snacks.” I sighed.

“Neither did my mom.” Esteban said with a sigh.

“M-My mom got me Lunch-Lunch-Lunchables m-mini tacos and a roo-roo-root beer.”

“Sweet!!” Esteban almost yelled. “Tacos are my favorite!”

Just as he said so, they all heard a scream outside.

“What was that?” I stand up and listen closely to the door.

I can hear another scream, from the same person.

“Should we go investigate? What do you say, AJ?”

“Does-Does-Does a B-Bear crap in the w-w-woods?” AJ responds grabbing hold on his crutches.

“You boys go, I’ll guard the food!” Esteban says.

We head out, making our way down the hallway. Around the corner, we can see Jason, struggling with someone, it looks like they’re fighting.

“What’s going on over there?”

Suddenly he falls over, and the person on top of him starts eating his arm.

“Z-Z-Zombie!” AJ cried out in horror. “W-we gotta get out-ta here!”

“Holy shit… you’re right. It’s a damn zombie!”

The zombie suddenly caught its attention on us, and slowly made its way towards us.

“Fuck!! What do we do??” I say nervously.

“D-Don’t worry!” AJ said, “I-I’ll take it from here.”

AJ stumbled over to the zombie, grabbing hold of his right crutch he smacked the zombie’s head. It fell to the high school floor and began to growl at him. AJ uses both crutches and smashes them into the zombie’s head going straight through. “I’m n-not h-handicapped, I’m h-handicapable!”

I cheered, seeing my best friend absolutely demolishing that zombie. “Way to go, AJ!”

We walked over to Jason, almost lifeless on the ground. He weakly looked at us.

“I-I’m sorry that… I was such an asshole to you. I was just… jealous of your scientific skills... “ he groaned from the pain of his bleeding arm. “I won’t survive… please… just… end it.”

I look at AJ, and he looks at me. He gives me a nod and I open the nearby locker door and take a final look at Jason. He closes his eyes.

I start smashing his head between the locker with the door, swinging it with incredible force, leaving his head in bits at the end of it.

“That’s what you get for shoving me in those lockers all the time.” I turn to AJ, watching in horror. “Always go for the head, that’s what I’ve learned.”

We start heading back to Esteban, but on the way we hear a crowd of roaring around the corner. I look at AJ questionably, and we sneak over. I peek around the corner, to see Esteban’s closet being swarmed with zombies. Inside, I hear him yell for help.

“Shit! Esteban is trapped in there! What do we do?” I ask AJ.

“T-They’re p-probably a-attracted to the c-cheese smell. We sh-should g-go w-while we still h-have the chance!”

“AJ! Glenn! Is that you!? Help me! I’m trapped!” Esteban roared out in horror. “I let you eat lunch with me! We were lunch pals!”

“I think you’re right… we gotta go before we’re noticed… I’m sorry Esteban…” AJ and I sneaked off towards the main entrance, heading outside to freedom, away from the horrors inside.

To be continued...