"Quite the sad meal you got there."

Upon sitting at the picnic table with a tray full of fries I bought from the food truck not too far from here, I said to Nora who was eating a pitiful thing called a salad.

After listening to lectures half-assed and somewhat alleviating my hangover, it was finally lunch time.

"I gotta watch my figure. Last week, I found out I gained an extra pound. I'm trying to lose it."

"If that's the case, why are you stealing one of my fries?"

I retorted. The whole time she was talking, she took a fry from my tray, dipped it in ketchup, and ate it.

'Yeah, you're trying to lose a pound alright.' 

Is what I want to say but since I know the issue of weight is a sensitive topic among women, I'll keep my mouth shut.

"...I don't know what rude thing you were thinking but I commend you for not saying it out loud."

"How could I ever say such things! I'm a man of chivalry and honor!"

I puff out my chest and say with pride. I'm a man who upholds his principles! 

"It's good you think that way because if you said it, this fork would've been in your eye."

Nora said as she looked at me with a lovely smile. I would've been starstruck at this smile but instead of having my heart skip a beat, my back was covered in cold sweat. While her mouth was smiling, her eyes weren't. They were serious. Dead serious.

"..."

It looks like my intuition saved me once again! It's what saved me from getting blown up by IEDs, ambushes, and neighborhood guard dogs.

When in doubt, trust your gut!

It's a code I live by and it never fails!

...Well, it failed that one time when I was trying to sneak out that one night with Nate to drink but that was because my stomach was hurting from eating all that chocolate. Resulting in me shitting my pants and having no choice but to call mom to pick us up.

Nate and I were grounded for two weeks and I became the talk of the neighborhood for a while.

Shitboy Mcoy is a name I'll forever hate!

"Nate's coming."

Nora said as she nudged her head behind me.

"Yo, EZ! You want some?"

Plopping down beside me with a handful of chips, Nate offered me a bag. 

"Thanks."

Taking a bag of salt and vinegar flavored chips, I said thankfully.

"No prob. What about you, Nora?"

Nate offers Nora a bag of barbeque-flavored chips.

"No thank you. I'm trying to lose weight."

"My fries say otherwise. I didn't even get a chance to eat them. Sigh, A buck-fifty, gone in the blin-"

All of sudden, the sharp sensation of a high-heel stabbing into my foot could be felt.

"Ouch! What was that for?"

Grabbing my foot, I asked in pain. 

"If you don't know then don't worry about it. Hmph!"

Turning her head away from me and looking at the crowd of students as they walked by, Nora replied with a snort.

"So, Nate, how'd you hold up in your classes with no books?"

Putting my throbbing foot down, I jokingly asked Nate who was eating some plain chips.

"One word, boring. I couldn't even draw a doodle to keep my mind from zoning out. To make things worse, one of my professors said that some of the stuff he taught us today is going to be on the test….Talk about being unlucky."

Nate had a sullen expression as he said this. Feeling sympathetic to his plight, I tapped on his shoulder and said to him with a bitter smile.

"Don't feel too bad. I'm in the same boat as you. Because my head felt like it was going to explode, I just laid my head down the whole time. I'm pretty sure I got a project coming up."

Which thankfully eased my headache a little. It still throbs here and there but it's not as painful as it used to be.

"After watching you two and seeing the consequences of what happens to you get drunk, I'm glad I don't drink."

Smirking, Nora makes fun of us a little. 

"I'll admit, we partied a little too hard last night. But thanks to my best friend EZ over here, it became a night I won't remember." 

Wrapping his arm around my neck, Nate says happily. 

"Same. I just hope my 25th birthday can be as wild as yours."

"You know it is! I couldn't celebrate all your other birthdays because you were overseas but from now on, don't you worry! Every birthday is going to be like a sequel to the Hangover!"

"...As long as I don't get a tattoo on the side of my face, I'm all for it."

"Great! Oh, and of course, Nora can come too. The more the better!"

"That's fine. But I'm not drinking."

"You can be the designated driver then. We'll take my car."

Nate then glances at his car parked in the parking lot. It was an old beat-up car with a couple of dents and dings in it. 

Betty, he called it.

He could've gotten a better, up-to-date vehicle, he had the funds for it. But he ultimately decided to go with that one.

It was his mom, Ms. Witherspoon's, car.

He didn't want to burden her with buying him a new car when there was practically a free one in the garage.

Instead, he wanted his mom to get the newer car.

'Rather than me getting a new car, I'm fine with the old one. It's not like I'm trying to prove a statement to anybody. Mom, on the other hand, needs a new one. No one is going to want to talk business with a woman who's pulling up in an old hoopty like this.'

Although it took a lot of convincing, Nate managed to make his mom get a new car. It was one of the newer BMW M2's.

When me and Nate saw his mom stepping out of the newly bought car at their house, I swore he looked prouder than she was.

"... I may not care that much about appearances but pulling up to a club in that old thing over there is a no-go. Don't think I don't remember it backfiring that one time."

Eating some more of my fries and looking at Betty, Nora said bluntly. Although it only happened once, there was a time when we were riding with Nate and the car suddenly backfired, scaring Nora so bad that she spilled the soda she was drinking everywhere.

"Pfft!"

Just remembering what happened made me burst out in laughter.

"Haha!"

This in turn, caused Nate to laugh as well.

"That's not funny, you guys!"

With her cheeks turning slightly red, Nora said. And as she did so, she discreetly tried to stomp my feet with her high heels once again.

Luckily, I was on guard and dodged the attacks with ease.

"Haha! Well, since my fries are gone, I'm leaving. If you guys need me, I'll be in the library study rooms sleeping."

Picking up my now empty tray of fries, I adjusted my backpack, got up, and said.

"Skipping classes are we? Aren't you afraid of missing something important?"

Popping another chip in his mouth, Matte remarked. Shrugging my shoulders, I replied.

"It'll be alright. I'll ask somebody for notes. Oh, and Nora, I'll be expecting some fries later."

"Sure, what kind?"

"I want a large fry from WcDonald's."

I said without remorse. Those fries are some of the best fries in the world!

"...Since I ate all your fries, I guess I can do that."

Nora said, albeit a little begrudgingly. She can't eat all my fries and offer nothing in return. She isn't that heartless.

"Appreciate it. I'll see you guys later."

"Later."

"Peace."

I throw my trash away and start walking towards the library. 

***

"This is Officer Penny, I have a suspect in custody. Also, please send an ambulance. Me and one other person have been injured, over."

"10-4. An ambulance is on the way, over."

"Roger that."

Looking at the two teeth marks on my bloodied hand, I radio to dispatch.

I was called to a house about a woman suddenly assaulting her boyfriend. Upon arriving on scene, I saw a man holding a PVC pipe trying to keep the girl away from him. His shirt was torn and hanging off him, and I saw scratch marks all over his back, neck, and a partial bite mark on his chest. 

He was quite ragged.

Seeing this, I assumed he was the boyfriend and pulled out my taser.

Seeing me arriving on scene, the boyfriend immediately runs towards me shouting for help. And upon doing so, the woman charged towards us.

I gave her a warning but she kept on coming. This I tased her once. 

To my surprise, unfortunately, it wasn't enough as she tackled the boyfriend to the ground and once again started attacking him.

Having no choice, I reloaded my taser and shot her again. This time, it caused her muscles to momentarily stiffen. Using this chance, I throw her off the boyfriend and try to handcuff her. To which, she vehemently struggles, biting me on hand when I went to pick her up after cuffing her.

Seeing as I needed at least one other person to help put her in the car, I called back up earlier and they helped me put her in the SUV.

They're watching over her as I question the boyfriend.

"Tell me, when did she start acting like this?"

Knitting my eyebrows a little due to the pain in my hand, I ask the boyfriend. 

"I-it started three days ago after she got back from a concert she was attending down there in Texas. At first, we thought it was a cold. She was sweating and shaking a little bit. Then, on the second day, he started running a fever and lashing out at me. It was only after giving her sleeping medicine did she finally calm down. She slept all day yesterday and most of today. Only waking up two hours ago."

"Did she start attacking right then? Or…"

"No. It was probably around forty minutes after waking up. Her face was awful. Her eyes were red and her skin was really pale."

"Why didn't you call 911 then?"

"That's what I was going to but she suddenly started convulsing on the floor. I ran to her before she could injure herself but before I had a chance to get close to her, she suddenly started attacking me. Leading to the situation we have now...Sigh, I don't know what's wrong with her."

The boyfriend looks at his girlfriend with eyes filled with worry. The woman was thrashing all-around in the backseat of the SUV and occasionally putting her face against the window.

She'll tire herself out eventually...

BANG! BANG!

"We got shots fired on 36th Avenue. Available possible units respond."

"Hey, Mussel, you can respond to that call. I can take care of things over here."

Hearing the sound of gunshots followed by the call over the radio, I said to Officer Mussel who was telling the girlfriend to stop with her antics.

"Your hand looks pretty bad there. Are you sure you can handle these two?"

Officer Mussel asked, a little hesitant as he stared at my bitten hand. 

"I'm fine. The ambulance is on its way. You go on ahead. 36th Avenue is only ten minutes away."

Nodding my head in assurance, I said to him. Just a few stitches and I'll be fine.

"...Okay. Dispatch, this is Officer Mussel, I'm ten minutes away and heading towards the location, over."

Running to his car, Officer Mussel said to dispatch.

"10-4. three other officers are headed your way, over."

"Roger that."

Cranking up his car and turning on his lights, Officer Mussel drives away in a hurry.

After he left, I couldn't help but mumble.

"Is it me, or is it just that crime has gotten a lot more frequent lately? This is the 8th shootout this week. Not to mention, there are cases of people being attacked and bitten. What the hell's going on?"

"What was that Officer?"

Hearing my mumbles, the boyfriend asked. To which I shook my head and said offhandedly. 

"Nothing. Now, let's continue with the questions…"

While I say this, the thought of these widespread acts of biting kept flashing through my head.

What's happening?