AN: The wonderful characters Lollipop Chainsaw are not mine.

Rosalind's Ray

The constant zombie attacks were becoming a serious pain in the ass. A horde of zombies swarming the school had become the shower or thunderstorm of San Romero High School. Sure, when the first zombie attack happened at the beginning of the school year, everyone freaked out, many of the students getting on their knees and praying to the almighty father to help them, some writing down their final testaments in their notebooks, and, of course, the usual flying into hysteria and screaming madly, yanking at their own hair until they were left with handfuls of their own locks.

But, as the year progressed on and the zombie attacks became more regular, the students and faculty soon adjusted to the swarm of undead. Today was, like, the twenty-seventh attack this year.

Nick Carlyle bit his nails, not because he feared he would end up as some undead goon's snack-cake, but because he was plagued with boredom. It was the usual routine: the students would all take refuge in the school gym with the doors and windows heavily barricaded with desks, chairs, tables from the faculty lounge, backpacks, fire extinguishers, and just about anything movable. Though gunshots and yells could be heard outside, none of the students were in any kind of alarm. Point in fact, from the very time that the attack had been announced over the loudspeakers, they all just picked up their things, calmly filed out of the classroom, and reported to the gym as though it was just a regular assembly.

When it came to zombies, fear was last semester's initial reaction. The entire school seated in bleachers in the gym, were locked in conversations completely dismissive towards the chaos happening outside. The kids couldn't really be blamed. After surviving zombie attack after zombie attack, you kind of stop caring after so many times. Nick just sat at the top row of the bleachers, observing the other students casually talking to each other about things regarding their school lives. A few rows below, a group of cheerleaders were cheerfully locked in conversation.

"So, anywho, he asks me if I'm into S&M, and I go, yeah right!" the brunette one scoffed. "Could you just picture me in a leather teddy? Grody. Grody to the max!"

Nick was so desperate to find something to keep his mind occupied that he didn't see the slim girl run up to him, down the row of bleachers.

"NICK!"

Nick was then tackled onto his side and locked in a bone-crushing hug provided by none other than the hyperactive, destruction-bringing demon, Rosalind Starling.

"Oh! Hey, Rosalind," Nick greeted, partially pleased to see her okay. "Cutting off my circulation here, girl!"

She pulled back, but kept her arms locked tightly around Nick's. "Sorry! It's just been so long since I've seen you!"

"Only four days, Ross," Nick skeptically corrected.

She didn't even seem to hear him. "Well, anyways, is this, like, the HUNDRETH zombie attack we've had? So fucking annoying, right?! It's like we're caught in an endless whirlwind of zombie swarms. Muy ridiculoso, totally!"

Nick sighed. "Yeah, I hear ya. Hey, Juliet is out there helping everyone, right?"

"Duh!" Rosalind merrily scoffed. "Where there's zombies, there's Juliet. I would be out there with her, but she, like, ordered me to stay here and watch over everyone in case the zombies managed to get inside! Bo-ring! Ugh, it's like they just think of the most annoying jobs to give me! She is such a BLONDE sometimes! You get what I saying right? Hahaha!"

Nick chuckled awkwardly and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah...sure..."

"Speaking of which! I hear you and sis have been having a little relationship troubles!" she reported.

Nick's face fell. "She told you about that?"

Rosalind nodded so fast that Nick was surprised her head didn't fall off. "Yeah. You and dad got into a little disagreement, she told us. Not surprised. Daddy can be a little bit of a tight-ass sometimes. So tight, it's surprising that he can still shit! Tehehehe!"

That was the kind of joke Nick would have laughed at had his heart still been in one piece.

"Yeah...I can tell."

Rosalind's smile then faded into a frown that was at least her attempting to be genuinely concerned for him. "So...you wanna tell me what happened?"

Nick turned to Rosalind and eyed the girl. "You're not gonna post what I say on Twitter, are you?"

"Maaay~be," she sang.

Nick glowered at her.

"Kidding!" she automatically chirped. "Everything is confidential, I promise."

Nick closed his eyes. "Long story short, Gideon kept slamming Juliet on not having a zombie hunter for a boyfriend on one of the city patrols. So I lost it on Gideon. A guy can only take so much before he just...you know...blows."

Rosalind gave nick an understanding nod.

"So, Juliet decided it would be in the best interest for the both of us if we...just took a break..."

Rosalind gasped as if Nick had just told her he was dying of leukemia. "Ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmigod, that is never a good sign! That's just screaming that the relationship has only a fifty-fifty chance at recovery!"

"Rosalind-"

"Nick, if you had told me that you and Juliet had reached the almost-kiss of death, I would reacted sooner to tell you how you could fix it all!"

"Rosalind-"

"I know how much Juliet liked you! I can tell you really liked Juliet as well-!"

"Rosalind!" Nick snarled. "It's. Fine. Really. I really liked Juliet...I did. I was crushed...destroyed, when she told me that she wanted us to just take a break, but honestly, I think this is for the best. We probably are just going to start seeing other people. But it's fine. Really. She's a great zombie hunter. And I...I'm just holding her back."

Rosalind grasped Nick's hand. "That's not true. Nick, you're a really nice guy. I can tell. I mean, you're most definitely aren't that creepy football fuck who tried to slip the date-rape drug into Ms. Newton's Frappuccino! You shouldn't let what daddy says get to you. He's not one to judge! He still thinks zebra-stripes are in, for God's sakes!"

Rosalind put her finger to mouth and made a gagging sound.

Nick couldn't help but let out a laugh at Rosalind's quip.

If there was any time that Nick was grateful for the girl's company, it was right now. Sure, Rosalind's beam of happiness could have been considered a blinding ray, but, if dark enough, it could have been as warm and comforting as a ray that consisted of only the most comforting sunshine.

Rosalind hugged Nick again. "It's going to be fine, Nicky. Whether you and Juliet will end up together or not, things will work out for the best."

"Yeah, you're right, I-...wait...NICKY?! Okay, I'm just going to have to draw the line there, Rosalind!"

She giggled. "But a cute name for a cute boy! Nick's so boring, so proper, so...bleh!"

Nick rolled his eyes.

This girl.

Everyone was released after five hours.

Fires that reeked of rotten flesh greeted the students as they walked out of the gym, into the grim twilight of the afternoon. The burning leftovers of the destroyed zombies were scattered into high piles all over random places of the school's courtyard. The group of students all walked out with the police force and SWAT team all leading them off in different directions.

"Nick!" Rosalind called, running over to him. "Free at last, eh? Ugh, I thought they were going to keep us locked in there forever!"

Nick yawned. "Yeah, the lockdown for zombie attacks run long, sometimes. What can ya do?"

"So, you're okay, right?" Rosalind said.

Nick already knew what she was referring to; he didn't have to ask.

He touched her shoulder, giving her a reassuring smile. "I'm fine, Ross. Really. No worries."

Rosalind suddenly got an idea. "Hey, you know what? Let's go have some fun! I'm thinking Krispy Kreme doughnut pig-out, downtown! What do ya say?!"

Nick inclined his head. "I dunno, Ros-"

She grabbed his hand. "Oh, come on! My treat! I promise!"

Nick looked into Rosalind's energetic eyes, and for some reason was hypnotized into not saying no.

"Fine..." he sighed, giving a weary smile. "Lead the way."

Nick knew his fate was sealed as soon as Rosalind let out a happy squeal and began to pull him out of the schoolyard by his wrist, running at full speed.

"We're going to have so much fun, Nicky! I call first doughnut out of the dozen!" Rosalind jovially cried.

Nick just tumbled in her wake as she pulled him away.

"Easy! Rosalind-! Easy! Slow down!" he protested.

Everyone's eyes were on the two as they darted away.

Fin