Infected
Chapter 6
Iris Maston
I stood outside the double doors of my high school and waited for Kyle to pull up. A thin sheet of sweat was starting to form across my forehead as I stood in the heat. I pulled my hair back into a high bun and peeked around the corner of the building. I could see a couple of cheerleaders practicing and gossiping about the new football player. Other than that it was quiet as the day was starting to wind down to end. Anticipation was building for the last hour of the day to get over with so everyone can go home and relax. I didn't plan on going home and relaxing though. I had homework and chores to do plus a more than likely lecture from my mom once she finds out I got detention. I pulled my phone out and looked down at the screen. He should be here any minute. "Iris?" I looked up to see a boy approaching me. He was thin and nerdy looking as he smiled at me. He looked oddly familiar but I couldn't place where I had seen him. "Yeah?" I asked. His smile widened. "What are you doing out here?" I stood quiet for a moment. He thought I knew him, he obviously knew me. "I'm not feeling well so I'm waiting for my ride to come pick me up." He nodded. "Are you okay?" He stood in front of me now a look of concern on his face. "Oh, I'm fine. I'm just a bit tired and lunch isn't really sitting well with me." His smile reappeared. "Well that's good I guess." He said. I nodded and looked down at my black converse. "So how is your essay coming for Mrs. Gregory's class?" He asked. A light went off in my head. He sat two rows away from me in Mrs. Gregory's. I nodded again. "It's coming I guess. I got a bit of a late start." "You know, I'm available." My breath caught in my throat as I looked up at him wide eyed. Just then Kyle pulled into the parking lot. The boys face went red and he scrambled to explain himself. "I meant to help with your essay." He said quickly. I nodded and smiled at him. "That's sweet and all but my ride is here. I'll catch you later..." I still couldn't for the life of me remember his name. "Josh." He said his cheeks going red again. I smiled apologetically at him. "Bye, Josh." I walked quickly away from him and got into Kyle's car. Kyle was looking over at Josh as he watched me helplessly from the entry way. "What was that all about?" Kyle asked as we drove out of the parking lot. I shook my head. "Nerd trying to help me with my essay." Kyle smiled at me. "Take him up on the offer?" I looked over at him in disbelief. "I don't think so." He made a noise that was almost a sigh. "Ire, that poor kid has been in love with you since seventh grade. You should cut him some slack." My mouth fell open. "Since seventh grade? I just found out his name today." Kyle chuckled to himself. "Then he's made progress." I became quiet as I sat there awkwardly beside him. "Where do you want to go?" He asked as we cruised down the road. I stopped and thought about it for a moment. "Mom would be home right now." I mumbled. I sat and thought more on where I could go. "We could go to your house." I said looking over at him. His face immediately darkened. "No." He said sternly. "Sorry." I whispered. I looked out the window and I heard him sigh. "Iris, I'm sorry. It's just not best you come over." I nodded and looked back over at him. "I know. You tell me every time." "Iris, my dad is crazy. I really don't want you around that. I have to deal with him every day why bring someone else into that?" "I know, Kyle." I said not meeting his eye. He grew quiet and he turned into the park. He killed the engine and we sat there in silence. I peeked over at him out of the corner of my eye. He caught me looking at him and turned towards me. "What?" He asked. I turned towards him and unbuckled my seat belt. "You frustrate me. We've been best friends since kindergarten. You know everything about me." He unbuckled his seat belt and got comfortable. "Why do you need to know?" He asked. "Because it bothers you! Kyle, I know everything about you except for this. We used to stay the night at each others house and switch shirts just to irritate our mothers. Kyle, whatever is bothering you is bothering me too." He ran his hands down his face. "Iris." He groaned. "Oh my gosh, are you on drugs?" I sat on the edge of my seat and stared at him. "Kyle, you can not be doing drugs, it tears your whole life apart!" He stared at me for a minute with a weird face. "No! I'm not on drugs!" I sighed relieved. "What is it then? Is your dad abusing you?" He shook his head. "You would never guess whats going on even if you were to guess for the rest of your life." I looked at him exasperated. He matched my expression. He sighed rather heavily now. He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "You really want to know?" "Yes, I do." He sat up now and pushed his butt back into the seat and leaned back. "Okay, my dad is testing sick people and trying to find a cure. These sick people are very very sick and some are dying. It stresses me out to see them that way. My dad is trying to find a cure for their sickness." I let it all soak in for a minute. Dr. Taylor is insane there is no way he would be trying to help people. "That's it?" I asked looking over at him. He nodded. "That's why I don't want you to come over. These people look almost deformed they are so ill. I don't want you around that or to have to see that." My brows came together in confusion. "If they are so sick then why aren't you sick?" He paused for a moment. "It's not really contagious unless you were to maybe be bitten by them or say drink after them." "Bitten by a sick person?" I asked. I was having a really hard time trying to believe what he was telling me. "Yeah, they are really sick." I leaned back into the seat. "Is that all?" He nodded. I sighed and looked down at my hands. There was still something he wasn't telling me but whatever it was it was much bigger then him. I decided not to pry any more then I already had. What he told me was all he was going to tell me and that was the end of it. I looked out the windshield to the swing sets then to the radio. We still had about thirty minutes left before I had to go home. "Want to go play?" I asked. He gave me a smile seeing that I was dropping the subject. "Why not."
I stood outside the double doors of my high school and waited for Kyle to pull up. A thin sheet of sweat was starting to form across my forehead as I stood in the heat. I pulled my hair back into a high bun and peeked around the corner of the building. I could see a couple of cheerleaders practicing and gossiping about the new football player. Other than that it was quiet as the day was starting to wind down to end. Anticipation was building for the last hour of the day to get over with so everyone can go home and relax. I didn't plan on going home and relaxing though. I had homework and chores to do plus a more than likely lecture from my mom once she finds out I got detention. I pulled my phone out and looked down at the screen. He should be here any minute. "Iris?" I looked up to see a boy approaching me. He was thin and nerdy looking as he smiled at me. He looked oddly familiar but I couldn't place where I had seen him. "Yeah?" I asked. His smile widened. "What are you doing out here?" I stood quiet for a moment. He thought I knew him, he obviously knew me. "I'm not feeling well so I'm waiting for my ride to come pick me up." He nodded. "Are you okay?" He stood in front of me now a look of concern on his face. "Oh, I'm fine. I'm just a bit tired and lunch isn't really sitting well with me." His smile reappeared. "Well that's good I guess." He said. I nodded and looked down at my black converse. "So how is your essay coming for Mrs. Gregory's class?" He asked. A light went off in my head. He sat two rows away from me in Mrs. Gregory's. I nodded again. "It's coming I guess. I got a bit of a late start." "You know, I'm available." My breath caught in my throat as I looked up at him wide eyed. Just then Kyle pulled into the parking lot. The boys face went red and he scrambled to explain himself. "I meant to help with your essay." He said quickly. I nodded and smiled at him. "That's sweet and all but my ride is here. I'll catch you later..." I still couldn't for the life of me remember his name. "Josh." He said his cheeks going red again. I smiled apologetically at him. "Bye, Josh." I walked quickly away from him and got into Kyle's car. Kyle was looking over at Josh as he watched me helplessly from the entry way. "What was that all about?" Kyle asked as we drove out of the parking lot. I shook my head. "Nerd trying to help me with my essay." Kyle smiled at me. "Take him up on the offer?" I looked over at him in disbelief. "I don't think so." He made a noise that was almost a sigh. "Ire, that poor kid has been in love with you since seventh grade. You should cut him some slack." My mouth fell open. "Since seventh grade? I just found out his name today." Kyle chuckled to himself. "Then he's made progress." I became quiet as I sat there awkwardly beside him. "Where do you want to go?" He asked as we cruised down the road. I stopped and thought about it for a moment. "Mom would be home right now." I mumbled. I sat and thought more on where I could go. "We could go to your house." I said looking over at him. His face immediately darkened. "No." He said sternly. "Sorry." I whispered. I looked out the window and I heard him sigh. "Iris, I'm sorry. It's just not best you come over." I nodded and looked back over at him. "I know. You tell me every time." "Iris, my dad is crazy. I really don't want you around that. I have to deal with him every day why bring someone else into that?" "I know, Kyle." I said not meeting his eye. He grew quiet and he turned into the park. He killed the engine and we sat there in silence. I peeked over at him out of the corner of my eye. He caught me looking at him and turned towards me. "What?" He asked. I turned towards him and unbuckled my seat belt. "You frustrate me. We've been best friends since kindergarten. You know everything about me." He unbuckled his seat belt and got comfortable. "Why do you need to know?" He asked. "Because it bothers you! Kyle, I know everything about you except for this. We used to stay the night at each others house and switch shirts just to irritate our mothers. Kyle, whatever is bothering you is bothering me too." He ran his hands down his face. "Iris." He groaned. "Oh my gosh, are you on drugs?" I sat on the edge of my seat and stared at him. "Kyle, you can not be doing drugs, it tears your whole life apart!" He stared at me for a minute with a weird face. "No! I'm not on drugs!" I sighed relieved. "What is it then? Is your dad abusing you?" He shook his head. "You would never guess whats going on even if you were to guess for the rest of your life." I looked at him exasperated. He matched my expression. He sighed rather heavily now. He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "You really want to know?" "Yes, I do." He sat up now and pushed his butt back into the seat and leaned back. "Okay, my dad is testing sick people and trying to find a cure. These sick people are very very sick and some are dying. It stresses me out to see them that way. My dad is trying to find a cure for their sickness." I let it all soak in for a minute. Dr. Taylor is insane there is no way he would be trying to help people. "That's it?" I asked looking over at him. He nodded. "That's why I don't want you to come over. These people look almost deformed they are so ill. I don't want you around that or to have to see that." My brows came together in confusion. "If they are so sick then why aren't you sick?" He paused for a moment. "It's not really contagious unless you were to maybe be bitten by them or say drink after them." "Bitten by a sick person?" I asked. I was having a really hard time trying to believe what he was telling me. "Yeah, they are really sick." I leaned back into the seat. "Is that all?" He nodded. I sighed and looked down at my hands. There was still something he wasn't telling me but whatever it was it was much bigger then him. I decided not to pry any more then I already had. What he told me was all he was going to tell me and that was the end of it. I looked out the windshield to the swing sets then to the radio. We still had about thirty minutes left before I had to go home. "Want to go play?" I asked. He gave me a smile seeing that I was dropping the subject. "Why not."