Never Slow Dance with a Zombie - By E. Van Lowe Page 0,47

the Winter Dance, dancing across the gymnasium floor, with the entire student body--Amanda, Sybil, Baron--all looking on. The most popular kids at school-- us. Wouldn't that be fabulous?"

"Mmmm."

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Was that a grunt of recognition? Am I getting through to him?

"Okay. Then we have to do this." I inched closer and gingerly placed myself in his arms. That's it," I said softly. I began to hum "Wonderful Tonight." It was the perfect song for a queen's dance.

Dirk folded me into his arms, allowing me to lead him awkwardly into a dance. We bumped into my desk, the dresser, my bed, but we were dancing. I closed my eyes, and was whisked away to the Winter Dance, gliding gracefully across the floor, every jealous eye in the house on me, while Eric Clapton captured my feelings so perfectly, singing of the beautiful lady on his arm who looked wonderful tonight.

Dirk's grip tightened.

"Ease up, Dirk, you're hurting me."

"Mmmmmahhh!" His lips parted and began moving toward my shoulder.

"No, Dirk! Concentrate!"

His arms were like vise grips, squeezing tighter and tighter. I struggled in his grasp, but he was too strong. There was no way I could escape. Saliva drizzled from his hungry lips, onto my shoulder and down my arm. I pulled the newspaper from my waistband, and swatted him across the nose.

"Yeeeeee!" His head snapped back instantly. He released me and retreated across the room, cowering onto my bed.

I looked at Dirk, saw the fear in his crimson eyes.

Is this the boyfriend I'd dreamed of all through junior high?

Tears welled up in my eyes as thoughts of Baron and Sybil holding hands, Amanda and her Twigettes rejecting me, fired through. I was the most popular girl at school, and yet I felt invisible.

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"We'll show them." My lips were trembhng.

I pulled a few meat scraps from the Baggie on my desk. Then I moved to the bed and held my arms open wide. "Come, darling," I called softly. "Let's try it again."

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Chapter Twenty - five

The following evening, Dirk and I were back in my room. It was a little less than a week away from the Winter Dance, and I was determined to have him hold me in his arms.

It wasn't love that drove me. I was fueled by the darkness in my soul. All the darkness wanted to do was win, achieve my manifesto, and thumb my nose at those who'd doubted me. Nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah--look at what I did! In an attempt to cheer myself up I pulled out the mamfesto;

In Margot Jean Johnson, being of sound mind

And in front of my best friends, Sybil Mulcahy and the entire world, hereby decree that my high

school experienced will for exceed that of junior high.

"Yes," I said, pumping my fist into the air. I expected a delicious satisfaction to course through me. Instead, I felt nothing.

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I will be popular

"Yes, again." I was the Salesian High it-girl. And so what if there were only two living girls in the entire school. I was the chairman of the Yearbook Committee; I was the chairman of the Winter Dance Committee; I set the trends; I called the shots. Me, me, me, me, me! I was the queen bee.

"Yes, once again." The Winter Dance would be the social event of the year, maybe even the decade. I made out the guest list so Amanda Culpepper and the undead heads were persona non grata.

With all this good news, shouldn't I be dancing on the ceiling? Instead, I was feeling worse.

I will have a boyfriend ....

I looked over at Dirk and was bathed in a certain dread. It came as a cold clamminess chilling me to my bones.

"Are you worth it?" I asked. I had sacrificed my ethics, my friends, myself to achieve ... what?

Of course he's worth it By the end of the semester you will hove realized every high school goal you ever set for yourself

Despite nearly achieving all my dreams, there was a part of me that realized it was all a sham. This was the truth I'd been avoiding, the reason for the tears in my eyes. I put the manifesto away.

"Margot! Some guys outside want to talk to you," Theo called down the hall.

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I went to the front door and found Baron and Milton bundled up against the cold on my porch, smiles as big as the Grand Canyon on both their faces.

"Guess what?" asked Milton.

"Milton, I'm busy." I had no time for geek enthusiasm,

"So were we." He pulled a small vial from his pocket