Read Online PRIME by Samantha Boyette - Free Book Online Page B

smiled. It was a full smile lit up the yard, making everything else seem far away and unimportant. Simon savored the feeling and hoped he could find a reason to see Tessa more often, even if she did think of him as a kid.
    “Simon,” Zeke called solemnly from the front of the house. When Simon looked up the walkway, he saw Zeke standing by the sidewalk. “Dodge wants you to come with us.”
    Simon nodded. “Okay, I’m coming.” He pushed himself up from the chair and started toward Zeke. He turned back to Tessa, walking backwards a few steps. “Thanks.”
    “You’re welcome.”
    Simon turned and hurried toward Zeke. Zeke slung an arm around Simon’s neck, slapping his chest a couple times before glancing back at Tessa. “You look like a screwed up mummy.” Zeke grinned as he turned back to Simon. “Dodge said you sliced yourself up good. Damn that’s a huge bandage.”
    “She said it’s going to scar.” Simon shrugged off Zeke’s arm and touched the bandage. “Where are we going?”
    “We gotta figure out what to do with the body.” Zeke stopped to light a joint before walking again.
    “You mean what to do with Noah,” Simon corrected him.
    “It’s easier for me to say the body, if you don’t mind,” Zeke said. “We pulled it over the wall and took it to the closest apartment. Luckily no one was in there. Matt saw us carrying it in though. Him and Dodge were starting to argue when I left.” Zeke glanced at Simon and grinned. “It was like leaving a couple of coked out grizzlies in a room with a pot of honey.”
    “Great,” Simon muttered.
    “So, Tessa?” Zeke raised an eyebrow at Simon as they walked. “How’d you get her to play nurse with you?”
    “Dodge asked her to clean me up.” Simon blushed.
    “Guess he wins wing man of the year,” Zeke said.
    “She thinks I’m a kid,” Simon said. He kicked a stone on the ground. “Whatever, I don’t like her anyway.”
    “You completely like her. She makes your little preteen boy heart beat like a drum.”
    “I’m thirteen.” Simon scowled. “Teen as in teenager.”
    “I’m sorry, kid,” Zeke teased.
    Simon punched him lightly, but smiled. “I don’t like her,” he insisted again. He couldn’t like her, if he liked her something bad would happen. It was irrational, but he felt guilty to even think about liking her.
    Zeke shrugged. “She’s cute. And if you don’t start to like her soon, I might find myself liking her. Just giving you fair warning.”
    “Thanks.” Simon shook his head.
    They hurried down the empty streets toward where Noah had gone over the wall. As they drew closer all the levity drained from Simon. It was late afternoon, but the raspy breath and groan of zombies made its way over the wall. He stopped, staring at the wall.
    “Yeah, there’s more of them out there,” Zeke answered without forcing Simon to ask. “They showed up just as we got him over the wall.
    Simon nodded absently, imagining the reaching hands and half rotted bodies of the creatures on the other side of the wall. “How many?”
    Zeke squinted up into the sun. “A dozen or so when we left the wall. Who knows now.” He smacked Simon’s shoulder. “Come on.”
    Zeke pushed open the door of an apartment, holding it for Simon to step inside. Dodge and Matt were both quiet, staring daggers at each other over a rumpled, bloody white sheet. It didn’t look like there was much left of Noah.
    “He thinks you get to decide what we do about this,” Matt said bitterly when he saw Simon. “Like you were this scrab’s best friend or some shit.”
    Simon shook his head. “I hardly knew him.”
    “See? What the hell, Dodge? I say we drop this kid over the back wall and let the hostiles drag him away tonight.”
    “They’re zombies,” Simon said quietly.
    “The hell they are.” Matt wheeled on Simon. “There ain’t no such thing. They’re just sick.”
    “You are in so much denial, dude.” Zeke shook his head as he slumped onto