GED Class, 1:15 PM -- the back of the room
Of course it didn’t work that way, and standing there shaking like a leaf didn’t help anybody. If Marina was bleeding, they would need something to try and stop it. With a quick glance around, she grabbed a sweatshirt off some student’s chair, thinking that they could use it to wrap up Marina’s leg, or put pressure on the wound, or whatever people did in this situation. A tourniquet, maybe? There was so much Maizie didn’t know.
While Sasha was headed for Marina and Maizie was grabbing a sweatshirt off a chair, Noa was watching the shuffler. It was still moving slow, but if they didn't move themselves they wouldn’t outrun it. “C’mon, quick,” she called out to the trio, already slowly headed backwards down the aisle between the desks, towards her bag and the exit. If there was more trouble in the hall she wanted to have a weapon on her.
Marina held her hands up, warning Sasha not to touch her. She didn’t know if she’d gotten blood anywhere besides where she was bit but fuck it if she was going to risk infecting him. “Turn your ass around, I’m right behind you. Go--” she said, her voice more forceful this time.
While every part of him wanted to argue and help Marina anyway, Sasha knew that tone, knew it wasn’t one he should argue with -- even if he wanted to. “Fine.” With a resigned sigh Sasha did as he was told, turning around and moving towards the exit. Marina had never said anything about looking over his shoulder though, which was what he did as they wove their way through the few desks and chairs that were between them and the doorway into the hall.
God, Sasha was admittedly freaking the fuck out inside. What if there wasn’t any help to be found once they got out of the classroom? Would Marina let them help her then? What if she didn’t? Would she bleed out before they even had to wait to see if she turned? Fuck. He didn’t need to be thinking about any of this, and yet he couldn’t seem to turn his brain off.
One eye on Marina and one on the shuffler, Maizie slowly inched back toward the door. Screw her bookbag, because with her phone stuffed in her pocket, she had everything she needed. Now they just needed to get out of this room and put some distance between themselves and the zombie -- as long as there weren't any others lurking out in the halls, and as long as Marina’s injury wasn't about to go critical. How fast did people turn, anyway?
Pushing the thought out of her mind, Maizie reached out to Sasha as he drew near and grabbed onto his hand with a tight squeeze. It was probably a bad strategy in case they truly had to run or whatever, but in the meantime it felt a little less terrifying to know that her friend was right there.
“Fast is better than slow,” Noa repeated, her eyes on the teenagers only briefly as she wrapped her fingers around the strap of her bag and hoisted it, her butterfly knife in her other hand. She spared a look at the shuffler and Marina, but not more than that before she ushered Maizie and Sasha towards the door.
She could hear feet in the hallway once they were closer, but there wasn’t any noise that might indicate real trouble, and with a look back she noticed the shuffler was still moving the same direction they were. “We’re going to run,” she said, before she stepped out into the hall and chose the direction that had the closest exit.
Marina didn’t argue with Noa’s plan and followed everyone out of the classroom. There were still students still trying to scramble out of the room, so with the door left open, they all cleared the area and began heading towards the exit.
“Give me that,” Marina said through gritted teeth and grabbed the sweater out of Maizie’s grasp. She didn’t really give a fuck if she was about to put it on, the bleeding bite on her leg seemed more important to take care of. Hastily tying it around the bite, she began moving again. “Anyone want the pleasure of taking me to quarantine?” she asked, trying to snark her way out of this.
“You two should find somewhere safe,” Noa interjected before either teen could answer Marina. “I can make sure she makes it to quarantine safely.” They were down a quieter hallway, the noise growing fainter and fainter behind them. “Find a teacher or a soldier and stay with them.”