Chapter 5
FIVE
Jen
The Friends of the Dead support group meets in a basement below the local community center.
It’s dark by the time we arrive, and the light on the stairs is flickering which gives it an ominous feel.
There’s no sign up, and I wonder for a moment if we’re in the wrong place.
It doesn’t help that when I push open the door and walk into the small room, a circle of greenish gray faces turns to stare at me.
A lady with a bright yellow jacket and skin the same shade of gray as Adam’s stands and gives me a smile.
“Hello. Are you in the right place, love? The AA meeting is in the community center downtow—” At this point she must spot Adam over my shoulder.
“Oh welcome. Adam? You brought a friend? How lovely. Come in.” She offers me her hand, but when I take it I can’t help staring at the visible stitches all around her wrist.
She ushers us in, and we sit on the small plastic chairs which squeak as we do. The other zombies around the circle stare at us, and I’m ashamed to say I shuffle my chair a little closer to Adam.
“I’m Rosie,” says the zombie who welcomed us. “I am the founder of Friends of the Dead.”
“I’m Jen,” I say awkwardly. No one else has spoken.
Adam has gone silent so I nudge him. “This is Adam.”
He lifts his hand and gets a few nods from the others.
Rosie sits beside me and looks around the circle. “Now, now. I think we could give Jen and Adam a better welcome, don’t you?”
The zombies mumble a greeting, and Rosie smiles and claps her hands as if her kindergarten class just learned to tell the time. “Well isn’t it so lovely to have a real friend.”
She smiles at me, and I try not to let my nerves show on my face.
A man across the circle drops his head into his hands with a sob. “I wish my wife would come with me. We haven’t talked since I died. She makes me stay in the shed.”
“Oh god. No, um, we’re not…” I look around at Adam whose face has gone even grayer. I clear my throat. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
Rosie fetches the sad zombie a box of tissues, and there’s a moment of silence.
“Well, sometimes it feels good to talk about the things that are getting us down, doesn’t it, Christian?”
Christian only sobs.
Rosie forges on. “Let’s all go around the circle and say one thing that’s been a bit rough this week.”
I’m expecting Adam to make a juvenile joke about not being able to wank, but what he actually says surprises me. “I feel bad lying to my boss about why I’m not coming into work, but I wasn’t sure how to handle the whole being dead thing.”
At the end of the session, the others gather around a trestle table where bowls of something I don’t look too carefully at are being passed around.
Rosie draws me aside. “It truly is so lovely of you to be here for Adam. The transition period can be tough.”
Adam is standing off to one side, not near the table, just sort of staring at the others. I nod. “To be honest, I’d never really heard of zombification before all this. I wasn’t sure if it was real.”
Rosie gives a sad nod. “We’re one of the most marginalized groups of supernaturals. Terribly misunderstood. But it only takes a few breathers spreading the word.”
I blink. Breathers?
She passes me a handful of fliers. “If anyone ever asks, please direct them to our website. There’s a lot of myths out there but be careful who you tell. There’re folks who’d like to make things difficult for us.”
I’m about to ask her how to find real information when Adam comes over and takes my arm. “Jen, can we go?”
“Uh, sure.”
Just then, Rosie gasps and rushes over to the table. “Never mind, Chris, we’ll just stitch it back on again. It’s perfectly normal.”
I try not to stare as Chris mournfully fishes out what looks like an ear from the bowl on the table. I’m really glad I didn’t try any of the snacks.
Adam tugs my arm. “Come on.”
As we head back up the stairs, he whispers. “I’m not like them, right?”
I hesitate. “What do you mean?”
His expression looks hurt. “Do you really think I’m like them?”
I pull away as we head back toward the subway station. “I never said that.”
“You didn’t have to.” He shoves his hands in his pockets, and he’s silent all the way home.
I’m torn. My instinct is to comfort him. I hate seeing anyone so sad. But I’m trying to get rid of him. He can’t keep relying on me to cheer him up. I can’t be nice to him or he’ll never leave!
Then I get a message from Luca right as we get to the front door.
Luca: can’t wait to see you tomorrow. I’ve got a booking in my name.
I open the front door and Adam walks past me and slumps onto the sofa. I want to reply to Luca, but Adam looks so mournful it’s kind of killing the vibe. His hair is rumpled, and I know he’s been running his hand through it. The dark circles under his eyes are even darker.
I sigh. “At least we have some answers, right? And you know you’re not the only one going through this.”
“Ugh, did you see those other poor bastards? Do I look like them?”
Sitting on the sofa beside him, I tuck my phone away. “I mean, that one guy Chris? His ear fell off.”
We look at each other for a moment and then both burst out laughing.
Finally Adam wipes a tear from his eye and leans back, collecting himself. “Thanks, Jen. You always know what to say. I guess it is good knowing I’m not crazy.”
I wish I wasn’t feeling sorry for him right now, but I have to be honest, I wouldn’t want this to happen to me. So I do.
And then, in typical fashion, he has to go and ruin it. “Hey, Jen?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you think I could sleep with you tonight?”
I roll my eyes, getting to my feet immediately. “No, but you’re welcome to go home any time you like if my sofa isn’t good enough for you.”
God, why is he like this? Just when I think we might be moving past old animosity.
I go into my bedroom and close the door, messaging Molly.
Jen: Ugh, I can’t believe I let him back into my life
A moment later she responds: Still no luck getting rid of him then?
Jen: Nope. Zero. Tonight he forced me to go to this weird-ass support group with him
Molly:...
Before she can say anything, I keep typing: Yeah, I know. I chose to go. I guess I wanted to see for myself if this is for real. Turns out there are other zombies. Who knew? Anyway, I need more ammo. I’m running out of ideas
Molly: Well are you still dating other guys? Why not bring someone home?
I stare at her message. Can I do that while Adam is staying here? Why shouldn’t I? I’m a free woman! And if there’s one thing that might work, it’s having to listen to me bang some other guy on the other side of the door.
Ha!
Jen: Great idea. I’m going to do just that.
Molly: Get it, girl! B safe tho
Jen: You know I always am