A List of Best Intentions

Nick’s “guild” was having its meet-up (which was annual, I learned) at the baseball field near Tanglewood High. Cody got his dad to drive us there.

We had to clue what we were doing, really. We never met any of his friends other than the three dorks – er, kids – who made the movie with us. So it was one of those things where it was like, “Why not?”

Cody and I didn’t dress up, either. Nick didn’t say we had to, so we just dressed normally. (Remember that now.)

His dad dropped us off right by the entrance to the field. It was already dark outside at 6:30; the streetlights were on. The park had an ominous glow to it, as if something magic was happening right in this very area.

We passed by the concessions stand and walked nonchalantly wherever we thought would be right. I knew this place from my years of being in Little League. Even though it had been a while, I still recognized most of the place.

“Where are they?” Cody asked.

I looked around some more, over toward the teenage-league field. In the distance, I could see a fire, a brilliant blob of orange and red with smoke billowing upwards toward the night sky. To match it, I heard talking, too. Chatting – some damn loud chatting.

I pointed. “That way. S’go.”

We shuffled in that direction. Excitement ate away at the inside of my stomach; I walked faster than Cody.

“Hurry up, man,” I told him.

He let out some kind of grunt. “Eh…Kevin, I’m not sure if I wanna go through with this…”

I stopped. “What? Why not?”

He itched the back of his head. “Um…I just…”

“You’re not scared of them, are ya?”

“No! God, no,” he denied. “…Kev…that movie’s gonna suck, man.”

“So what if it does?”

“I don’t wanna have my name attached to something like that,” he said flatly.

I shrugged. “Come on, Codes. Who cares?”

Cody paused and hesitated, but half-smiled. “You know what, Kevin?”

“Yeah?”

“Someday that attitude’s gonna get you in trouble.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yes, mother…”

“Now c’mon. Let’s go watch us a shitty movie,” he laughed, changing his mind.

There weren’t many people gathered around that fire, but I could clearly make out a movie projector as we got closer. In front of it was a screen. To this day it beats me how they managed to keep it from bursting into flames.

“There they are,” Cody sighed.

I squinted. Something seemed askew – they were all dressed up in some way. And as we walked closer, I saw Nick in his cape, looking all happy. And Nethrezar, Magathis, and Ryannathorn were there, too. That wasn’t all, though.

Cody and I walked through the dugout gate toward the pitcher’s plate, nearing the chaos. The group was hooting and hollering, celebrating Nick’s new movie.

It was kinda contagious, all that joy.

Nick saw Cody and me and pointed. “They’re here! Finally, we can start.”

And I swear to God, some of them started howling like wolves. Not kidding.

We eventually were sucked into the crowds and ended up right next to the fire, hot air pricking at our skins while we were surrounded by about twenty people we didn’t even know.

“I didn’t know we were supposed to dress up in costumes,” I laughed nervously. “But Halloween is next week, so…”

“These aren’t costumes. They’re our lives,” one tall, muscular mofo said darkly.

Awkward silence.

“So how about this movie, huh?!” Cody cheered to get the ball rolling. I owed him a big thanks later on.

Nick stepped up in front of the crowd onto a milk crate, making him seem ten feet tall. He was absolutely beaming and for that I kinda had to smile too.

“Calm yourselves, my guild! We gather at this field tonight,” he led, holding his arms up, “to celebrate. Celebrate the dream I’ve finally been able to achieve.”

He raised the tape up over his head.

“I hold in my hands the story of Ray Freeman – the everyman, struggling to make it through the daily grind of his pencil-pushing job – and his desperate attempt to free himself from the zombie outbreak,” he continued. “This is the story I’ve been waiting to tell since I was ten and it has finally come.”

I started clapping; applause rippled. Even Cody went along with it.

“This night will go down in history…when I’m a major filmmaker when I’m older, I’ll always remember this night. And none of this would be possible without any of you – especially Ray Freeman himself – the living embodiment of my dearest character – Kevin Slater.”

I blushed.

“All of you, my fellow comrades, will have the viewing pleasure of my movie. So without further ado, let us watch!”

Now, in all honesty, the quality of the actual tape could’ve been better. But that…that, honestly, was the only downfall of the movie. The camera work was hella steady; the zombie makeup was perfect. And I didn’t do a bad acting job, either.

Zombie movies weren’t the norm back then. I had to admire his desire to go against that.

Every now and then I glanced at Nick to see what was up, and every time I did, he was grinning from ear to ear.

And that made it all worth it.