Death Screams
I needed was Clyde to pop in for a little convo with Miss Chen in attendance.
    Chen looked at them. "Less is more, boys. Right now, you're in hot water." She looked at Archer, who had gotten off the floor and was wiping off the seat of his pants. He made his way to the sink and washed his hands laboriously while we all watched. He acted like there was no amount of soap to clean him. The incident was permanently emblazoned on his psyche.
    I felt Gale approaching before she entered the restroom, Garcia on her tail. Her eyes met mine and took in the scene. She smiled at me and I had a small amount of pride.
    It was the first time they'd arrived at a scene without zombies.
    *
    We'd shuffled out in the hall and I said, "Let the cops ream Carson and his dipshits. I need to pulse my mom." The gang looked at me but immediately began discussing how righteous it would be with the ass-hats on vacation for a couple of weeks.
     
    I pressed my thumb on the pad and thought, Mom : Initializing .
     
    Where are you? AH
    modulation stress detected there was a little issue here at school Mom. - CH
    sighs - zombies ? AH
    Not this time. - CH
    What ? AH
    Can I have some friends over? I'll explain it all then .- CH
    Yes...how many? AH
    A lot. - CH
    Okay...I'll make more chili. - AH

    Great, Flatulence Central.
     
    Feedback, honey. - AH

    Right. I jerked my thumb off. I never seemed to get a whole pulse out without keeping my thumb on the pad and then someone heard a random thought. Not good. A vision of some of my thoughts about Jade rose to the surface and I shuddered, envisioning Mom getting some of that feedback.
     
    See ya soon .- CH
    K, honey .- AH
     
    I crammed the pulse into my back pocket and explained to the friends.
    Lewis shifted around uncomfortably, "Thanks, Caleb. I mean, I can't say I'm not flattered to be included at your place but... I don't really know you."
    I nodded, true. "Here's the deal. I can't stand those mouth-breathers. If they don't like you, well, that gets my vote."
    Archer's eyes flicked to Jonesy.
    " What?" Jonesy said, a tad too innocent. We all looked at him.
    " I was thinking that Jonesy may be a bit too homophobe to put up with my gay presence."
    " What?! I'm a modern dude. I can handle that your door swings the opposite way."
    John smacked his forehead. Bry grinned. The girls looked on with horror. But like with any good train wreck, we were all there for the duration. It was comical. Archer had twin pieces of toilet paper stuck up his nose to stem the blood flow and light bruising under his eyes, while trying to defend his sexual orientation. Surreal.
    Broken nose for sure. All that because he was gay.
    " I know you're not real comfortable about the homosexuality, Mark. You've got a rep around school. You're a player, we all know that."
    " I don't have anything against gay dudes."
    The girls looked at him with identical expressions of disbelief and Archer noticed. He started to back away saying, "It's okay. I understand. I wouldn't want the bull's-eye on my ass either. Hanging out with some gay guy, it could get you noticed." He began to walk away with a stiff gait, speaking to injuries we couldn't see.
    Jade rushed to him, "Wait!"
    Lewis turned and she hugged him. I would have been jealous if I hadn't been so stunned. He looked down and gave her the most serious look I'd ever seen on a kid. "Thanks, Jade."
    " I know you," she said as we all made a loose circle around her.
    " You do, do you?" he asked with a smirk. "Who am I?"
    " You're the boy that's going to save my life."
    He took a step back and so did we. Jade looked at him and he returned her gaze. "Did you... are you the one...?" he began, stammering.
    She nodded. "I saw what they were going to do to you."
    " You saved me," he said simply.
    She nodded. "And you will save me."
    " How do you know?" he asked, dazed.
    That made two of us.
    She tapped her temple in a sad way. "Miss Tulle says I have a dash of Precognitive."
    He suddenly grinned and we were

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