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  “My lips were dry, so I tried using one of Allie’s lip gloss tubes. Bad choice.”

  “I guess,” she replied, trying to hide a smile. “Do they hurt?”

  I pursed my lips and nodded. “They burn a little.”

  “Just use Vaseline next time. That’s all I use.”

  “Oh.”

  She pushed her hair behind her ears. “Did you watch the news this morning?”

  “Are you kidding? In my house you won’t find anything but Dora or Elmo‘s World on the television.”

  “Well, the media is all over this flu virus. It’s amazing how fast it‘s spreading. Many people are actually getting so sick they’re being quarantined in different countries. It’s like the Black Plague.”

  “Most of the little kids in my house are sick. If this keeps up, I swear I’m moving out.”

  “Hah, you wish. Anyway, it’s getting so bad, that in Europe, they’ve closed down a ton of schools. Wouldn’t it be awesome if ours was shut down? We could hang out at the mall and check out hot guys all day long.”

  I laughed. “Yeah, fat chance of that happening. They won’t even close when we have ten feet of snow.”

  “Well I, for one, am sick of school; sick of all the uptight bitches, juvenile jocks, and dumb-ass tests. Seriously, I wouldn’t mind if school shut down for the rest of the year!”

  I raised my eyebrows. “Wow. Having a rough week?”

  She shrugged and stared out the passenger window.

  "Ok, spill it. What’s wrong, Paige?”

  She looked at me, her eyes moist. “Eva King. She’s such a lying, two-faced bitch. You know, she pretended to be my friend just so she could get closer to Kyle.”

  Kyle used to be Paige’s boyfriend until he broke it off with her last month. I thought she’d gotten over it already since she seemed to have a crush on someone new every week.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I saw them kissing in the halls yesterday. She is such a conniving bitch!”

  Eva is actually one of the most popular girls in school. Although Paige is much prettier and likeable, Eva’s mother is a famous news anchor and she gets treated like she’s some kind of a movie star herself. Eva’s also head-cheerleader and owns this super turbo-charged Mercedes convertible. Most of the guys at school are hot for her car.

  “And he’s a prick… they deserve each other.”

  She wiped away a tear and sniffled. “Well… anyway… there is this new guy, Jeremy, who’s really cute. He sits next to me in Biology.”

  I chuckled. “I can see you’re truly heartbroken.”

  Paige placed her hands over her heart. “I‘m sure Jeremy could help mend it.”

  We both burst out laughing. Little did we know that in the next couple of days, our lives would turn into a living nightmare, and that we would have given anything to have such trivial problems.

  2

  I spent most of the day at school trying to avoid those who were sick, which was almost everyone. Many kids were absent, and the halls were unnaturally quiet, except for the consistent coughing and nose-blowing.

  During last period, my math teacher, Mr. Hogan, a balding man in his fifties, blew his nose loudly and said, “Keep taking your vitamins, everyone. This flu takes no prisoners!”

  In answer, many of the students wiped their own noses or coughed. I shrunk down in my desk and took out a small bottle of antibacterial gel, rubbing some on my hands. A girl next to me noticed and snorted.

  I glared at her. “It’s called keeping your hands clean. You should try it sometime.”

  She gave me the finger, muttering something obscene under her breath.

  Toward the end of class, our principal, Mrs. Davis, made an unexpected visit and handed Mr. Hogan some forms. They spoke quietly for several minutes and then she left, grabbing a tissue on the way out. I watched as Mr. Hogan removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose while examining the paperwork she’d dropped off.

  Finally, he looked up and cleared his throat. “Listen up, people,” he called. “This week, the school is giving free flu shots to all of the students. I am going to hand out all the information regarding the vaccination. Take it home, have your parents read it, sign it, and then bring it back as soon as possible.”

  A few of the students moaned in protest.

  He smiled wryly and leaned back in his chair. “I understand your enthusiasm. You may not be excited about getting vaccinated, but it’s for your own good. The school is urging everyone to have this flu shot. In fact, anyone who doesn’t get permission will be required to stay home the following week, until we get this influenza epidemic under control. So, this vaccination is necessary if your parents want to keep you in school and out of the house. And… for those of you who don’t get permission, we can email you your assignments.”

  Great, I thought. My mother will never agree to this flu shot, so I’ll be stuck at home next week. My parents don’t believe in messing with “Mother Nature.” They feel that flu shots lower the immune system, making one more vulnerable to other illnesses. That could also explain why our family has avoided this particular flu. My mother’s daily handful of vitamins and my green-peach tea addiction doesn’t hurt, either.

  The bell rang and I stopped into the bathroom to wash my hands. I glanced up into the mirror and found Eva King standing right next to me. She looked miserable.

  “Hey, Wild. God, I hate this frigging cold,” she mumbled and blew her nose, which looked painfully red.

  Trying to forget the way she screwed over my best friend, I forced a smile. “Bummer you’re sick, too, huh?”

  She nodded and smoothed down her long, red hair. “Yes. You know,” she said, turning to me, her blue eyes wide. “Sometimes I wish I were more like you. Your mom’s not famous and you get to blend in with everyone else at school. Nobody expects you to look perfect when you walk in every single day. It must be nice. I mean, I have to look amazing all the time. It’s a lot of work having my background and social status. Even this sick, I don’t get a day off.”

  I bit back my laughter and replied, “Yes, I don’t think I could handle living in your world, Eva. It must be very stressful.”

  Her eyes narrowed, but before she could respond, Nora Biggs slammed out of a bathroom stall, an unlit cigarette hanging from her mouth. Nora was fairly new in the school and most people shied away from her because of her unusual punk style, short temper, and rebellious attitude.

  “Hi, Nora,” I said.

  Nora nodded and then began washing her hands. We have karate class together and I’ve driven her home a few times. We weren’t exactly friends, but she was civil to me.

  Eva stared at Nora’s nose. “Nora. Wow, I just love your nose ring! Is that a real Zirconia?”

  Even sick, Eva was a complete bitch.

  Nora‘s eyes burned with fury and I waited for the explosion. Instead, she removed the cigarette from her lips and smirked. “No, it’s a diamond. Your boyfriend gave it to me last night after we made out.”

  Eva’s lips formed a tight line. “Classy,” she mumbled, grabbed her purse, and turned to walk away.

  “Hey, Eva,” Nora said, grabbing a paper towel.

  She turned around and snapped, “What?”

  Nora smiled coldly. “You do realize that this is only high school? Being popular here doesn’t matter in the real world.”

  Eva scowled and stomped out of the bathroom.

  I giggled. “Nice.”

  Nora shrugged. “Well, she deserves it. She thinks she’s so much better than everyone else. What she really deserves is to get knocked on her ass. I just wish I could be the one to do it. But hey, you know that code of honor thing-a-ma-jig.”

  One of the principle rules of karate is that you can only use it for self-defense. Ever since Nora joined the class, she‘s stopped getting into fights. I’m sure it‘s been challenging for her.

  I nodded in agreement and picked up my backpack.

  “You sick?” she
asked, running her fingers through her long, black hair. Streaks of bright blue framed her pale face. I imagined without the heavy Goth makeup, dyed hair, and various piercings, she might look like the girl next door.

  “No. Not yet, anyway.”

  Nora threw her head back and laughed. She knew about my phobia. “That must drive you insane; being around these germy bastards. I’m not sick yet either, but my old man is.”

  Nora normally lives with her dad, Ivan Biggs, who’s a guitarist for Death Row, a popular rock band. Unfortunately, he’s on tour in Europe right now, so she sees very little of him. Instead she stays with her grandmother, Iris, who has some kind of dementia and is frightened of leaving her house. She can’t even take a step outside she’s so scared of something awful happening to her.

  “I heard almost everyone is sick in Europe.”

  “Yeah, he’s in Germany right now. They’ve all been getting vaccinated. I don’t know what the big deal is, it’s just the flu. Tell you one thing; nobody’s giving me a shot. My old man isn’t around to sign the sheet and I would rather take a week off from this crap-hole. What about you?”

  I cleared my throat. “Well, I won’t be getting the shot, either. My family never gets flu shots.”

  Nora jaw dropped. “No shit? With you being so paranoid about germs and your mom being a Daycare Lady, I thought you‘d have gotten your shots for next year’s flu season by now.”

  I stared at her. “Um…I’m not that paranoid.”

  She snorted. “Whatever, Wild. Listen, I’ll see you at karate class later.”

  I watched as she strutted out of the bathroom in her heavy black boots and then looked in the mirror. I’m not paranoid, I reminded myself, just very cautious...

  3

  My stomach was growling by the end of the day, so on the way to karate class, I stopped by a McDonald’s drive-thru and ordered a cheeseburger, extra pickles. As I handed the cashier the money, she sneezed all over the bag without apologizing. As horrified as I was, I held my tongue and choked down the food; I was that hungry.

  It was just after four o’clock by the time I made it to the dojo. Nora and Scott were already there, joking around and stretching out. I thought back to my dream where Scott had turned into a zombie, killed my neighbor’s dog, and viciously attacked me. Fortunately, his skin was clear and his green eyes were as lively as ever. He caught me staring at him and smiled curiously.

  “Wow, small class today,” stated our instructor, Master Jordan, as he entered the room. He’s a sixth-degree Black Belt and has trained for over eighteen years.

  “Everyone must be sick,” replied Scott. I noticed he’d gotten a crew cut, which didn’t surprise me because I knew he had plans to join the military after graduation. We’d been really good friends for the last two years, and although we’d gone out on a few dates, both of us agreed that we were more comfortable in a platonic relationship.

  Master Jordan sighed. “Well,” he replied, rubbing his chin. “Since it‘s such a small class, why don’t we just practice sparring?”

  All three of us loved to spar, so we naturally agreed. I quickly stretched out and then suited up in my dark gray sparring gear, which consisted of a helmet as well as mouth, shin, foot, and chest guards.

  “Nora, you and Scott will partner up. Cassie, you’ll be sparring with Bryce De Luca. He should be arriving any minute.”

  I removed my mouth guard. “Who’s Bryce De Luca?” I asked.

  He smiled. “Bryce is a new instructor from our Hugo location. They’ve shut down because of the flu.”

  I glanced through the large window facing the parking lot just as a guy in a weathered leather jacket pulled up on a motorcycle. He removed his helmet, ran his fingers through his wavy black hair, then hurried inside carrying a sports bag.

  Master Jordan patted him on the back. “De Luca! I was starting to get worried about you.”

  Bryce was tall with intense blue eyes. When he smiled, his dimples heated my insides.

  “Sorry, the traffic was bad. If you‘ll excuse me for a minute, I just need to change,” he replied.

  “No problem,” said Master Jordan.

  I stole another glance as Bryce walked toward the bathroom. He was just as interesting to look at from behind.

  Nora strolled by me casually, a smirk on her face. “Hey… wipe your mouth, there‘s drool,” she teased.

  My cheeks burned. “Whatever,” I mumbled turning away from her.

  When Bryce stepped out of the bathroom, Master Jordan motioned him over to where I was warming up. He stood several inches taller than me, had broad shoulders, and lean, muscular arms. Intricate tattoos of dragons peeked out from under his black sleeves. He caught me staring and rolled up his sleeves to show more.

  “Very cool,” I said, admiring the details of the dragon’s scales, face, and fiery breath.

  “Listen, Bryce, after you warm up, I’m going to have you practice sparring with Cassandra Wild here. She just received her Black Belt last week.”

  He nodded with approval. “Congratulations, Cassandra, you should be proud of yourself.”

  “Um, thanks,” I replied, trying not to blush. His belt reflected that he was a third-degree Black Belt and I prayed that I wouldn’t embarrass myself by forgetting anything I’d learned up to that point.

  Bryce looked at my instructor. “I can’t tell you how relieved I was when I found out you were open today. I have a tournament next weekend and really need to practice.”

  “After this class, stick around and I’ll practice atemi with you,” replied Master Jordan. “I’ve heard you’ve pretty much mastered it.”

  Bryce shrugged. “Yeah, I have to admit… I’ve got a pretty good grasp of it but could always use more practice. I’d appreciate it.”

  Atemi is an advanced type of martial arts technique that involves blows to different areas of the body to break an opponent’s concentration or balance. I had personally never used it, but Master Jordan promised to incorporate it into my training this summer, especially if I was interested in entering the more advanced tournaments.

  “That’s what I’m here for. Just remind me after class.”

  Bryce nodded and then turned back to me, studying my face. “Cassandra Wild, huh? You know, I don’t recall seeing you at any of the tournaments.”

  I shook my head. “You probably haven’t. It’s been awhile since I’ve competed. Now that I’m a Black Belt, though, that’ll probably change.”

  “Great. You’d be a good distraction for some of my opponents.”

  I didn’t know how to respond to that, so I just smiled.

  “Okay, you two. Better get going, time’s-a-wasting,” said Master Jordan. “Bryce, if you could work with Cassie on some of her kicks? She may need a little encouragement keeping those legs high up in the air.”

  I just wanted to fade away when I noticed Bryce’s devilish grin.

  “You know, I’m just going to let that one go,” he replied softly. Unfortunately, it wasn’t soft enough because Nora snorted from across the room, and oh how I wanted to punch her.

  “Keep it clean, De Luca,” said Master Jordan. “You don’t want to mess with that one, her kicks are lethal.”

  He chuckled. “Sounds like an interesting challenge.”

  “Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you, buddy,” replied Master Jordan. He then winked at me and stepped into his office.

  Bryce must have thought I was anxious about sparring with someone more advanced, which wasn’t really the case. It was the way he looked at me that started my heart pounding madly in my chest.

  “Hey, Cassandra, I was just kidding. I’ll go easy on you,” said Bryce.

  “No, don’t. I can handle it,” I replied breathlessly.

  His piercing blue eyes met mine. “Look, I don’t want to hurt you. I’m obviously twice your size and much farther along in my training. You don’t have a chance against someone as formidable as me.”

  My fantasy of him being a total Adonis
crumbled, and I stared at him in amazement, wondering if he was for real. I cleared my throat. “You’re serious? You think I’m not going to be challenging enough for you?” I asked.

  “Most women aren’t,” he stated confidently.

  His arrogance irritated me. I’d worked hard on earning my Belt and prided myself on being just as good if not better than many of the guys in my class. Chauvinism was something I simply had no tolerance for. I stomped out the small fire he’d created in my stomach and ignored how cute his butt looked in his uniform. “Well, I think the only thing you should go easy on is your own ego.”

  He gave me a surprised look then chuckled. “Ouch. Man… you are a little wild one, aren’t you?”

  You’re going to soon find out, I thought as I put on my helmet and mouth guard.

  Bryce took his time putting on his own gear, glancing at me occasionally with a wry smile. I refused to let him bother me, though. I couldn’t wait to wipe the cocky grin from his face.

  “Ready yet?” I snapped impatiently.

  “Oh, I’m ready alright. The question is, are you ready for me, Wild?” he replied, jumping fluidly to his feet. I had to admit, with his height and combat gear in place, he was intimidating.

  “I’ve been ready. And by the way, I prefer to be called Cassie.”

  He laughed at that, adding more fuel to the fire. I pushed aside my anxiety and let his irritating personality feed my adrenaline. We tapped gloves and I charged after him before he had a chance to study my fighting style. I started with a burst of fast charges and strikes, which took him a little by surprise. I bit my lip to keep from smirking as I circled around Bryce, waiting for his move.

  Bryce nodded his approval then came at me with a roundhouse kick, which I quickly blocked and countered with a couple of moves that would show him how challenging I could be. I jumped up and did a combination roundhouse with an ax-kick. I swiftly followed that move with a hard side thrust kick. This time I couldn’t hide my satisfied grin when I heard him grunt.

  “Okay, not bad,” he said.

  “Told you,” said Master Jordan, who was now standing outside of his office, watching us. “She may have just gotten her Black Belt, but she’s always been a natural martial artist. Her strikes are quick and solid.”