Year Zero
Chapter One
February 15th 2007
“T-Tony, if we don’t go now we’ll be late”
A female voice groaned almost sounding uncomfortable as she pulled away from the nuzzling male intent on kissing the soft flesh of her neck.
The young sixteen year old, Tony, smiled mischievously with his lopsided grin before standing up from his knees where they both knelt on the grass. He extended a hand down to her level, his hands slightly pale and his short, bitten fingernails which were painted with a chipped black nail polish glistened in the sun. She took a firm grip on him as he helped her up.
Tony put his arm round her slightly chubby waist as they walked slowly towards the high school. “No rush today anyway Michelle, I heard its jabs day or something in all the schools”
Michelle nodded her head slowly agreeing with him.
Neither of the pair was too struck on the idea of the injection they were to receive at school. This had never happened before, it seemed almost every High School and Grade school in the country was getting these injections today. Something about a virus going round apparently and young people were most venerable.
Anthony ‘Tony’ Jones was just your typical sixteen year old High School student.
He went to lessons, when he felt like it and was love-struck with his first ever girlfriend Michelle Cooper whom he had met on Science lesson. He wanted her to pass the acid; it went on from there basically. Tony was placed in his ‘clique’ the minute he entered the High School, it was amazing how in Grade School he was just Tony but when he moved to High School it suddenly turned into ‘emo kid’. Tony himself didn’t class himself in that station, he did have black dyed hair which spiked up at the back of his head but he never wore eyeliner. His fingernails painted however but that was more for the reason they were turning yellow from the amount he smoked.
He had started at fourteen and had carried on till this day much to the disgust of Michelle when she first saw him light up.
Michelle’s clique was different however.
She had long brown hair curled hair which reached the end of her neck and a fair complexion for her skin tone. To Tony she was beautiful but the girls in school disagreed, she was a ‘geek’ because she enjoyed reading, mathematics and, Science. They weren’t Tony’s favourite subjects either but he wasn’t going to judge, besides Michelle was not only witty and beautiful in his eyes she also had natural intelligence.
The couple had been going out for two months now and weren’t showing any signs of splitting. They enjoyed each others company and would often find themselves laughing until the sides of their faces hurt and more commonly missing set appointments due to the fact they spent so much time together. Smitten kittens Tony’s mother had called them.
However tonight was going to be different, although the two had gone on dates before in the past to places such as the Cinema and Chinese restaurants this was the first time they were going to a concert. A concert of their favourite band: Nine Inch Nails.
Another thing that brought them closer together, both of them loved the music of Nine Inch Nails and as soon as Tony has raised the tickets she immediately ran into his arms for a hug.
Outside the large, wooden doors of the High School Tony let his arm come away from Michelle as he held the door open for her. Smiling in return she walked through first, she mouthed a thank you and he let go off the door and followed in tow.
The school was quite empty considering this place was usually a hustle and bustle, were they really that late? Or maybe everyone was in the gym getting their shots.
Michelle turned to stare at her boyfriend, “Where is everybody?”
Tony shook his head unsure how to answer that question. The hall was quiet… too quiet.
“Anthony Jones! Michelle Cooper! You were informed once you’ve had your injections you were to go home and rest so why are you still standing around here?”
An old, raggedy voice screeched making the duo jump with fright.
Mrs. Bauer, the sixty year old virgin with a stick stuck up her backside so far it was amazing it wasn’t coming out her mouth. She had a fond dislike for Tony since day one, only recently had she taken a disliking to Michelle after she realised the two of them were dating.
“Oh hello there Miss!” Tony cooed with a sarcastic smile, “My you look lovely today is that a new wig? Anyway, we haven’t had-“
“Anthony I suggest you shut up and leave now otherwise you’ll be in my classroom doing lines for the next three hours of the day! Do you understand me?!”
Mrs. Bauer snapped not allowing Tony to finish his sentence.
Tony shrugged his shoulders, “Anything you say Miss”
Grabbing a hold of Michelle’s hand tightly they both began walking quickly to the doors; they both opened them together now and walked through. Mrs. Bauer retreated to her classroom once again.
Halfway down the steps Michelle shook of Tony’s hand disapprovingly.
“Tony! We haven’t had our injections yet!”
“But we don’t need them Michelle!” Tony whined, “I feel fine, you feel fine and everybody else in the school is fine so why do we need them?”
“Because how much longer are we going to be fine Anthony?”
Michelle had said Anthony which meant she wasn’t happy with him.
Tony frowned slightly as his arms crossed across his torso, “I just don’t want my injection Michelle…”
“Tony you need it otherwise you may catch that virus”
“I don’t… I’m afraid of needles alright?!” Tony replied angrily, not at Michelle but more of the fact he was afraid of something so tiny and unneeded. “I panic when they come near… I-“
Tony’s head hung low, his dark brown eyes staring down at his shoes as he trailed off from his sentence. A warm, smooth hand was felt on his shoulders.
He looked up to the warmth of those blue sapphire eyes of Michelle.
“I’ll see you tonight”
With that she planted a gentle kiss upon his lips.
He nodded his head as he watched her return to the building. With his shoulders slouching Tony turned to the other direction making the lonely trip home.
“T-Tony, if we don’t go now we’ll be late”
A female voice groaned almost sounding uncomfortable as she pulled away from the nuzzling male intent on kissing the soft flesh of her neck.
The young sixteen year old, Tony, smiled mischievously with his lopsided grin before standing up from his knees where they both knelt on the grass. He extended a hand down to her level, his hands slightly pale and his short, bitten fingernails which were painted with a chipped black nail polish glistened in the sun. She took a firm grip on him as he helped her up.
Tony put his arm round her slightly chubby waist as they walked slowly towards the high school. “No rush today anyway Michelle, I heard its jabs day or something in all the schools”
Michelle nodded her head slowly agreeing with him.
Neither of the pair was too struck on the idea of the injection they were to receive at school. This had never happened before, it seemed almost every High School and Grade school in the country was getting these injections today. Something about a virus going round apparently and young people were most venerable.
Anthony ‘Tony’ Jones was just your typical sixteen year old High School student.
He went to lessons, when he felt like it and was love-struck with his first ever girlfriend Michelle Cooper whom he had met on Science lesson. He wanted her to pass the acid; it went on from there basically. Tony was placed in his ‘clique’ the minute he entered the High School, it was amazing how in Grade School he was just Tony but when he moved to High School it suddenly turned into ‘emo kid’. Tony himself didn’t class himself in that station, he did have black dyed hair which spiked up at the back of his head but he never wore eyeliner. His fingernails painted however but that was more for the reason they were turning yellow from the amount he smoked.
He had started at fourteen and had carried on till this day much to the disgust of Michelle when she first saw him light up.
Michelle’s clique was different however.
She had long brown hair curled hair which reached the end of her neck and a fair complexion for her skin tone. To Tony she was beautiful but the girls in school disagreed, she was a ‘geek’ because she enjoyed reading, mathematics and, Science. They weren’t Tony’s favourite subjects either but he wasn’t going to judge, besides Michelle was not only witty and beautiful in his eyes she also had natural intelligence.
The couple had been going out for two months now and weren’t showing any signs of splitting. They enjoyed each others company and would often find themselves laughing until the sides of their faces hurt and more commonly missing set appointments due to the fact they spent so much time together. Smitten kittens Tony’s mother had called them.
However tonight was going to be different, although the two had gone on dates before in the past to places such as the Cinema and Chinese restaurants this was the first time they were going to a concert. A concert of their favourite band: Nine Inch Nails.
Another thing that brought them closer together, both of them loved the music of Nine Inch Nails and as soon as Tony has raised the tickets she immediately ran into his arms for a hug.
Outside the large, wooden doors of the High School Tony let his arm come away from Michelle as he held the door open for her. Smiling in return she walked through first, she mouthed a thank you and he let go off the door and followed in tow.
The school was quite empty considering this place was usually a hustle and bustle, were they really that late? Or maybe everyone was in the gym getting their shots.
Michelle turned to stare at her boyfriend, “Where is everybody?”
Tony shook his head unsure how to answer that question. The hall was quiet… too quiet.
“Anthony Jones! Michelle Cooper! You were informed once you’ve had your injections you were to go home and rest so why are you still standing around here?”
An old, raggedy voice screeched making the duo jump with fright.
Mrs. Bauer, the sixty year old virgin with a stick stuck up her backside so far it was amazing it wasn’t coming out her mouth. She had a fond dislike for Tony since day one, only recently had she taken a disliking to Michelle after she realised the two of them were dating.
“Oh hello there Miss!” Tony cooed with a sarcastic smile, “My you look lovely today is that a new wig? Anyway, we haven’t had-“
“Anthony I suggest you shut up and leave now otherwise you’ll be in my classroom doing lines for the next three hours of the day! Do you understand me?!”
Mrs. Bauer snapped not allowing Tony to finish his sentence.
Tony shrugged his shoulders, “Anything you say Miss”
Grabbing a hold of Michelle’s hand tightly they both began walking quickly to the doors; they both opened them together now and walked through. Mrs. Bauer retreated to her classroom once again.
Halfway down the steps Michelle shook of Tony’s hand disapprovingly.
“Tony! We haven’t had our injections yet!”
“But we don’t need them Michelle!” Tony whined, “I feel fine, you feel fine and everybody else in the school is fine so why do we need them?”
“Because how much longer are we going to be fine Anthony?”
Michelle had said Anthony which meant she wasn’t happy with him.
Tony frowned slightly as his arms crossed across his torso, “I just don’t want my injection Michelle…”
“Tony you need it otherwise you may catch that virus”
“I don’t… I’m afraid of needles alright?!” Tony replied angrily, not at Michelle but more of the fact he was afraid of something so tiny and unneeded. “I panic when they come near… I-“
Tony’s head hung low, his dark brown eyes staring down at his shoes as he trailed off from his sentence. A warm, smooth hand was felt on his shoulders.
He looked up to the warmth of those blue sapphire eyes of Michelle.
“I’ll see you tonight”
With that she planted a gentle kiss upon his lips.
He nodded his head as he watched her return to the building. With his shoulders slouching Tony turned to the other direction making the lonely trip home.