The loud bell indicating lunch time rang loudly throughout the halls. Students filed through doors to run about the halls, meeting friends and going to lockers. I walked out of my calculus class to join the cattle herd of students. Breaking off, I went to my locker to put my bag up. As soon as I was able to shove the pack inside, a crowd of idiotic football players stampeded down the halls. With all the hype for the pep rally, they acted like complete animals on the way to the mating grounds.

Men.

"Yo Maxie!" Steve appeared at my shoulder. He was grinning like an idiot, "Ready for some cake?"

"Is that all you care about when it comes to pep rally lunch?" I snorted as I pulled my leather jacket out of my locker and shrugged it on, "You do realize they have spaghetti, right?"

Shutting the locker, I looked to his grinning face. Over his shoulder, I saw a group of cheerleaders head towards the cafeteria. Towards the front, I caught a glimpse of dark hair and a high pony before she disappeared. A chill ran down my spine as the back of my scalp tickled slightly. I knew exactly who that ponytail belonged to, but something else felt different.

Steve looked over his shoulder then back to me with a raised eyebrow, "You look like you saw a ghost. Let's go get food, bro."

The lunchroom was crazier than the hallways, full of people ready to cheer and scream and watch a football game. It was packed, full of kids that were healthy. It wasn't slightly empty. There was a flu going around yet everyone was here.

"Wait," I stopped, looking at all the kids in the lunch room. It wasn't right. There were too many people, "What the fuck..."

"Watch you language, Max." Steve warned me and jerked his head towards a teacher rushing to the football table of mayhem. "Craft will bust you for your potty mouth."

Coach Craft was standing in the middle of the lunchroom, watching the idiot students and ready to yell at them through her bullhorn. She looked healthy. As healthy as a fifty year old athlete. The image of her with translucent skin and black blood on her track suit made me stop dead in my tracks. She was supposed to be sick. Turning. Ready to bust in to a sophomore's throat. But there she was, ready to give me detention like the last four years.

"Max!" A voice called out. I turned just in time to see a girl wrap her arms around my neck and connect her lips with mine. Pulling away, I saw that it was Ashley. She grinned at me and let her hands rest on my neck, "How was class?"

All I could do was stare at her. Behind her was her table of cheerleaders. They all looked at us with smiles and rolling eyes as if we did this all the time. As if they knew we were a thing. I looked around the cafeteria to see other people just going about their business. No one cared. No one freaked out. Not even Ashley had a waiver of fear. She only smiled at me and let her fingers play with my hair.

"Helloooo?" Ashley laughed slightly, waving a hand in front of my face, "Earth to Max? Is the gayness keeping you from talking?"

"This isn't right." I mumbled, taking her hands in mine and looking around. Things seemed to move in slow motion. Students yells echoed and Craft moved to different tables. Every voice blended together making some kind of hyped up hormone smoothie.

Ashley furrowed her eyebrows, taking a step back, "What?"

"Ash, I wish this was real." I pulled her closer and let my hand go up to her cheek. Slowly, I leaned in to kiss her. Her lips were soft and warm. It felt just like when I kissed her in the hotel room. I caught a flash of the two of us laying in the bed, kissing for the first time in the dark. Opening my eyes, I saw her in the cafeteria as I pulled away. She looked dazed, unfocused as I continued to speak, "But it's not."

"What do you mean, Max?" Steve asked from behind me, making a chill roll through my body.

Stepping away from Ashley, I turned to him. He looked confused, but there was something else in his eyes. Anger crashed through me as I said, "You son of a bitch. I know bad acting when I see it."

Steve's face changed as the whole lunchroom came to a screeching halt. His usual happy features melted away to turn in to a cold and devious grin. He rose an eyebrow as a laugh rolled through his chest, "Aw damn. I really thought I had you with this one."

"Why are you doing this?" I demanded, "Why are you so set on torturing me like this?"

"Oh dear, I don't mean to torture you." He laughed, "I'm merely trying to convince you."

Holding out his arms, he gestured to the frozen lunchroom as he paced, "You can have all of this. The healthy shenanigans with high schoolers, a normal life of passing calculus, and Ashley." He stopped next to Ashley, who was frozen in a look of confusion. Setting a hand on her shoulder, he looked to me, "Don't you see what kind of life this is? It's the life you never had. The feeling of being with her; accepted and happy instead of pining and angry."

"But it's not real." I shook my head, "None of this is real. No matter how many damn scenarios you show me."

"You really like making things tough, don't you?" He smirked at me before looking to Ashley. Raising his hand, he moved a piece of hair off of her forehead, "It could be easy. You can have her. Have a good life with her. In here, you can live out your life. Out there, you will die."

"I've stayed alive this far." I stared at his hand on her then looked back to his eyes, "And I intend on getting back to them."

"What if you don't like what you see?" He asked, touching a finger to Ashley's neck. From where he touched, black veins webbed under her skin. She got paler and paler as spots of black and yellow appeared. Her eyes grew cloudy and bloodshot as black blood started to drip from them. Blood came from her ears and from the corners of her mouth.

Evil Steve snapped his fingers and Ashley came to life. She growled and sneered at me, watching me like some kind of animal. I stood my ground, staring right back at her. My eyes went to Steve and I shook my head, "She's not one of them. I know it."

"I know you do." He said with enthusiasm, grinning at me as he stepped forward, "Because you are one of them. You are connected to them. You are the only test subject that had success."

I furrowed my eyebrows and took a step back, "What do you mean?"

"With you, my work is complete. I have won." He took me by my shoulders roughly, "Now, all I need is for you to let the virus take the wheel. Join me and I can make more of you. You can save the world."

"Fuck off!" I shoved him away, "You're a fucking nutjob and I want none of it!" Taking a step forward, I looked him square in the eye, "When I get out of here, I will find you and I will kill you."

He only smiled at me, "And I'll be waiting, my dear."

Feeling a deep growl within me, I pounced and tackled him to the ground. Straddling him, I laid down punch after punch, letting myself give in to all the damn anger I've felt over the passed how many days he's been torturing me with scenarios. A growl echoed throughout the lunch room and I felt my shoulder start to burn. Letting out a yell, I threw down one last punch to his jaw as the pain in my shoulder became unbearable. I fell to the ground on my side, putting a hand on my shoulder. Black blood started to seep through the football jersey, spreading in to a big ugly splotch.

Releasing another yell, I held on to my shoulder and breathed through the sizzling pain of a knife pushing through my skin. I watched as Steve rose and looked down at me. His face was fine, no blood or forming bruises.

"I only want to help you and this is the thanks I get?" He shook his head, "You need to work on your gratitude."

"You're a fucking psycho!" I yelled, gritting my teeth as I felt my blood boil. Looking at my hands, black veins started to form under my skin.

"You will only make things worse." He sounded like he felt sorry for me, but his face said otherwise, "You will continue to feel this pain until you give in. I guess you technically can call it torture."

"I will never give in." I panted as I started to get to my feet. I glared at him and I rose, "I will fight. And kick your ass."

"Very well." Was all he said.

Suddenly, I felt my skin heat up. My veins felt like they were rushing with lava and poison. My shoulder started to spasm, making me rear back. I held on to it as I fell forward, coming to one knee. Groaning, I looked up at him. A wave of pain washed through me and I screamed, feeling my insides rip apart. Everything in me started to vibrate, fighting against each other. I fell forward, catching myself with my hands.

Steve knelt in front of me, "Come and find me, Max. I'll be waiting."

A hot, sharp pain ran through my shoulder, ripping it open. I screamed and fell to the ground, my face against the tile. Coughing, I saw black blood on the floor. Black spots blocked my vision as I looked up at him one last time, "Fuck... you..." I breathed out before everything went black.