Night of the Zombie Chickens (20 page)
Read Night of the Zombie Chickens Online
Authors: Julie Mata
J
ust as I thought, Alyssa is upset when I decide not to reshoot the end of
Night of the Zombie Chickens
. Luckily, the more she gets to know Margaret, the less she seems to care. The truth is, it just doesn't feel right cutting Margaret out. It would be like admitting that she was just a last-ditch idea to patch together my movie. Maybe it did start out that way, but the more I look at the footage, the more I like it. It's the absolute perfect ending for
Night of the Zombie Chic
kens
.
It takes me a month, but I finally finish the entire movie, with music and sound effects and everything. My parents even offer to rent the old Roxy Theater downtown for an evening so I can put on a real premiere. At first, I didn't think there were enough people to invite to bother. By the time I make a list of everyone who acted in it, though, the list is pretty long. Then the newspaper somehow gets hold of the story. I suspect my mother called it.
A reporter actually calls up and interviews me. Their photographer snaps a photo of me holding a chicken, and I show up on page three under the headline
YOUNG DIRECTOR SETS SIGHTS ON HOLLYWOOD.
All of a sudden, everyone at school is asking about my movie and they think it's cool we have chickens. Go figure.
At the theater on the night of the premiere, my mother gives me a huge grin, then whips out a cardboard sign. It reads:
TICKETS: ADULTS $3, STUDENTS $2
. And underneath that:
TICKET SALES WILL HELP FUND KATE'S NEXT MOVIE.
“I wasn't going to charge people to get in,” I tell her.
“Nonsense. It's for a great cause. People will be happy to pay.” My mother arranges the sign on a table and places a money box next to it.
“That's a great deal,” my dad chimes in. “Your movie is worth way more than that.”
He pulls out a twenty and winks at me as he throws it in the money box.
I throw my arms around my mother and give her a hug. I'm surprised how happy she looks as she hugs me back. My dad smiles at my mom, and I can't believe that I ever thought he was cheating on her. They may have their problems, but that's not one of them. I hug my dad and he whispers in my ear, “We're really proud of you.”
I'm supernervous. I just know that no one's going to come. The reporter will take a photo of an empty theater and publish it in the newspaper for the whole town to see.
People slowly start to trickle in. Pretty soon, I can't believe how many have shown up. The picnic zombies all wave at me. Even Mr. Cantrell is there, along with some of my other teachers. A lot of kids from school make it, including Lydia and her gang. And everybody takes out their wallet like it's no big deal. After they read the sign, some even throw in a few extra bucks.
Finally, the big moment arrives. The theater goes dark. The voices quiet. I hear a loud giggle, which has to be Lydia.
Night of the Zombie Chickens
is no Hollywood blockbuster, but it gets some laughs, mostly at the right times, and it has some semi-scary moments, too. When Mallory whips off her ski mask at the end and it's Margaret, a murmur of surprise runs through the crowd. I'm happy that my twist ending worked.
My parents told me that, as the director, I should go up afterward and thank everyone who helped with the movie. So at the end, I slowly mount the stairs to the stage, feeling like my knees will give out. I clear my throat and thank everyone for coming out. When I thank my parents for their help, I can feel myself starting to choke up. A few tears prickle my eyelids as I realize it's really over. My first movie is finished. One day, when I'm a big Hollywood director, I hope people will say that
Night of the Zombie Chickens
was made during my formative years. I like the sound of that.
I ask Alyssa to come up, and when I introduce her as Mallory, everyone gives a huge round of applause. Then I call out Margaret's name. She joins us, blushing as red as her hair, and I introduce her as the other Mallory. Even the kids at school clap wildly for her. Alyssa grins at Margaret, then grabs her hand and they raise their arms up over their heads. I've never seen Margaret smile so big. There aren't any fancy actors or red carpets, but I feel like my first movie premiere ever has been a big success.
Afterward, I'm amazed as I count all the money. For my next movie, I will finally have a real budget!
Everyone except me is shocked when Margaret Yorkel gets the lead for
Annie
. Tina Turlick even mutters that it's just because her hair is red and Mr. Cantrell can't afford another wig. Then Tina hears Margaret sing and that shuts her up. Two weeks after my movie premiere, Alyssa, Doris, and I go to the opening night of the school musical. Margaret rocks the house, just like I knew she would. I like to tell everyone that I discovered her first.
Afterward, the four of us go to Twisters for a burger.
“Isn't it funny how we went through all that for nothing?” Margaret says as we wait for our food. “All that work, and the Cute Red Wig just flies off in a storm.”
And that's when an idea hits me with the force of a volcanic cataclysm. I have to catch my breath as I picture itâzombies in wigs. It's the perfect sequel. I'll call it
Red Wig in a Storm
. Now all I need is a tornado, a big glass window, and blood. Lots of blood.
Â
I wish to say a special thank you to:
My daughters, Daniela and Rebecca, for letting me listen in on their livesâthe tears, the tumult, and, most of all, the laughs.
My critique partner, Diane Swanson, for all her invaluable insights, which made this a better story, and for her most egg-cellent friendship.
My beta readers, for bravely wading through early drafts and for all their thoughtful feedback: Annika Swanson, Carly and Lauri Miranda, and Sofia and Colleen White.
Ben and Lyssa King, who provided friendship, support, wise counsel, and delicious food, all at crucial moments along the way.
My agent, Catherine Drayton, and editor, Emily Meehan, for all their talents in bringing this project to life, and for getting the humor and believing in it.
And, of course, to Henrietta, Agatha, and all the Ladies, without whom this book never would have hatched.
Â
Kate Walden Directs: The Bride of Slug Man
!
A
ll the cafeteria lunches at Medford Junior High taste like they've been boiled in a rusty cauldron, but the hot dogs are the worst. The
cafeteria lady keeps them swimming in a greasy vat of lukewarm water and by the time you bite into one, it's cold and rubbery. Normally, I squirt on globs of mustard and choke it down, but
for some reason today I just can't bite into something that looks like a leftover body part. I throw my hot dog down on my tray and it rolls off the stale bun, falls from the table, and
bounces on the floor. Alyssa snickers, Lizzy makes a sound like,
yech
, and Margaret grimaces. Doris leans down, picks it up, and puts it back on my bun.
“I am
not
eating that,” I inform her. “They're made from cow brains, you know.”
Doris blinks at me through her thick lenses. “Actually, hot dogs are a blend of pork, beef, chicken, and turkey.
Not
cow brains.” As if to prove her point, she takes a bite of
her own and happily munches away. I should know better than to argue with Doris. She's in the gifted program for math and science. Oscar Mayer probably calls her to consult on the chemistry
of their wieners.
I steal a potato chip from Alyssa's lunch, glancing around at my friends. They're all busy eating. No one has remembered. And to think I've been nervous all morning, waiting
for this moment. Margaret and Doris are talking about their brainiac math teacher's new hairdo. Apparently, it's the square root of ugly. Lizzy and Alyssa are talking about track.
Track? Since when are they interested in running around in circles? None of them seems to care that I promised to show them a script from my newest movie project today. I thought for sure someone
would have asked about it by now. I guess it's lucky they've forgotten, since I don't have it anyway. I haven't written a single word. Still, the least they could do is
seemâ¦disappointed.
I chew on a fingernail, since I don't have anything else to eat. Finally, I can't stand it any longer. “So, I guess you guys probably want to know what kind of movie I decided
to make.”
They all stop talking and gaze at me. Alyssa pops a chip in her mouth. “Oh, yeah, what did you finally decide on?”
I take a deep, dramatic breath. “I'm
completely
stuck. I mean it. I need help.”
“Make a zombie sequel,” Lizzy says right away.
I finished making my first-ever full-length movie last semester, called
Night of the Zombie Chickens
. I've been telling my friends for weeks that I'm starting a new movie, but
the truth is, I'm kind of nervous. I made
Night of the Zombie Chickens
for fun. I figured only my friends and family would see it. Then, my parents rented the old Roxy Theater downtown
for a premiere, and the newspaper wrote a story about it. Lots of kids from school and even some teachers came to see it. Now, students come up to me in the hallway and beg to be in my next movie.
Everyone wants to know what it's going to be about, which is probably why I have writer's block.
Alyssa makes a face. “No more zombies, please. I'm tired of getting splattered with blood.”
“I know!” Margaret says. “Make a musical!”
My eyes bulge at the idea. For
Night of the Zombie Chickens
, I had to work with my mother's evil diva hens, who tried to ruin my life. That was bad enough. But directing a bunch of
yowling middle schoolers?
“Sure,” I say, always the diplomat. “That could work.”
“I thought you were going to make a romance this time,” Alyssa says loudly. “Remember?”
I never said the word
romance
. When Alyssa mentioned it, I didn't say no, either. I guess that sounds like
yes
to a seventh grader who's eager to have a romantic scene
with a certain somebody. Alyssa has a secret crush on Jake Knowles, except everyone has pretty much figured it out. Even Jake, probably. Alyssa is the only one who doesn't know that everyone
knows. So, like I said, it's a secret.