"Mr. Schue please stop talking" Brittany came in to the auditorium interrupting Mr. Schue's speech. she started going on about how there was a comet/asteroid/meteor heading straight for us. What the hell. "So I am going to spend the time we have left making things right with someone I really care about" I looked to Sam who was stood next to me smiling at his delusional girlfriend. "And that person is Lord Tubbington" Sam's face dropped into a frown while Britt kept talking about keeping ourselves safe.
She walked out of the auditorium and everyone started shuffling about, picking up their things looking confused about Brittany's crazed information.
"You don't believe any of that do you?" I asked Sam as I picked up my own bag.
"Dude, why are you even questioning it? There is an asteroid heading straight for us, stop talking and save yourself!" He exclaimed before quickly leaving. I shook my head, he was just as odd as Britt.
"Weights?" Jake asked me as we left the auditorium.
"Sure" I replied. We headed to the locker room and started working out. My phone beeped so I put down the dumb bells I was currently using and looked.
-Hey Stud, IM date tonight? x-Katie
I smiled to myself and sent a quick reply saying I would be be logged at about 5:30.
"Who was that?" Jake asked from the bench.
"Oh, just my mom" I lied. Yeah Jake was my best friend but it was a bit embarrassing, talking to a girl online for months, he would probably just laugh and say it was a guy.
He shrugged and went back to the weights. I smiled to myself again and carried on lifting for a while longer before getting in the shower. After getting dressed I left the building and headed to my truck in the parking lot. I threw my bag into the passenger side before taking off down the road. I made it home in no time at all and noticed it was only five o'clock. Half an hour until I was meant to talk to Katie, she probably wont even be logged on yet, so I decided to just hangout downstairs with my brother and sister.
"Ryder, tell Robbie he's being a meanie" My 5-year-old sister, Emma wined when I came in the room.
"I haven't done anything!" Robbie yelled.
"What's he done, Emma?" I sighed, throwing my bag on the floor.
"He took the telly remote and turned off my movie, then he threw my dolly out the window" She cried. I gave Robbie an exasperated look as Emma ran into my arms.
"Well she was watching some stupid kid shit, I don't need to be watching that crap" He grumbled.
"Watch your mouth asshole" I snickered coming up behind him and smacking him round the back of the head.
"Don't tell me to watch my mouth and then call me an asshole. Practice what you preach dick" He told me after Emma ran out of the room to go play upstairs.
"I'm older than you, I can do what I want" I told him as I jumped over the back of the couch and took the TV remote and turned on the basketball.
"Two years older!" He yelled trying to get the remote back.
"Two and a half!" I yelled back, pushing him onto the floor. Brotherly love.
"You're such a douche bag" He grunted.
"Yup"
"You better not be a dick like this when I get to Mckinley next year" He 'warned' me.
"I think you'll find I will do as I please, little brother" I shrugged him off.
"You're only going to be a junior, you don't rule the school Ryder"
"No, but I am very close" I smirked at him. It was true. Even being in Glee, I still managed to have a very high status at school. I was still on the football team after all, and despite what some of the jocks think, Glee isn't as low on the food chain as it used to be. Plus being hot did help. "Now move out of the way, I'm gonna watch this game and then you can have the TV" I reasoned with him.
"Fine" He sighed and sat back on the couch.
"So how's it going with that girl in your class?" I teased him.
"Shut up" He laughed. "I don't like her"
"Of course not" I laughed before turning my attention back to the game.
The game finished with another Lakers win and after roughing up my brother some more, I ran up the stairs and opened my laptop. I logged online and saw that Katie was already on so I popped up.
-Hey gorgeous x
-Hey handsome, how you doing? x She replied almost instantly, making me smile.
We were talking for about two hours before she had to leave to go out to dinner with her parents and she probably wouldn't be back online tonight. There was something about this girl, I trusted her with everything. I mean I've told her things that no one else knows, not even my parents. I ran downstairs to grab something to eat before coming back to my phone to find my phone ringing.
"What's up, dude?" I asked Jake through a mouthful of BLT.
"Nothing, that's the problem. Are you busy?" He asked.
"Free as a bird" I told him, flopping back on to my bed.
"Good, come over and play some video games?" He practically begged.
"Sure, I have nothing better to do. I'll be there in ten" I said before hanging up and grabbing my jacket from the back of the door. I ran down the stairs, took my keys from where I left them on the kitchen counter and headed out to my truck.
Jake only lived about five minutes away but I was still hungry and he never had food, so I made a pit stop to grab some chips from the store.
"Dude you really need to get a girlfriend if you have nothing better to do on a Friday night than come play video games with me" Jake said when we walked into his room.
"You have a girlfriend and you have nothing better to do" I countered.
"Yeah but Marley is out for her Mom's birthday tonight" He said setting up the game.
"So I'm second best?" I asked dramatically.
"Shut up and kill some zombies" He laughed and handed me a controller.
"Listen dude" he started about twenty minutes in to the game. "I was serious before, I really do think you should try to get a girlfriend" I just rolled my eyes so he continued. "You need to get out more, you get asked out all the time and I don't get why you never take them up on it. Plus if you had a girlfriend it would help you move on if you were still hung up on Marley" He seemed to say the last bit kind of awkwardly so I replied.
"I'm not hung up on Marley, don't worry" I told him.
"Then why won't you date anyone? Some of the girls that ask you out are insanely hot, like that Cheerio that came up to you on the bleachers yesterday, how could you say no to that?" He exclaimed.
"I'm just not looking for anyone else at the moment. I don't want to ruin anything" I told him.
"Ruin what?" I then remembered that I hadn't told Jake about Katie. I was going to say I didn't want to ruin my chances with her when we finally meet.
"You know what dude, I just remembered I was meant to pick Emma up from her dance class tonight so I better go" I lied and stood up about to leave.
"Ryder, I know you're hiding something. From all of us, you are acting differently" He stated, standing up also and looking confused and kind of...hurt?
"It's nothing" I said moving to the door. He rushed past me and blocked the door.
"Ryder I'm your best friend, why wont you tell me?" I sighed and went back to my previous place sitting on the bed.
"You promise you wont laugh?" I asked, avoiding his eyes.
"I promise" He said sitting down next to me.
"Well, for the past like few weeks, I've been having this text-lationship with a girl I met online. And I don't know but I think I love her so I don't want to date another girl because I don't want to ruin my chances with Katie" I told him quickly, still not looking at him.
"Dude" he sighed. "You met this girl online?" He asked falling backwards on the bed.
"Yeah, why?"
"How do you know she is who she says she is? How do you know if its even a girl?" He exclaimed.
"She wouldn't lie to me" I whispered.
"How do you know that? You've never met her" He reasoned.
"I'm gonna meet her!" I yelled standing up.
"Ryder, I'm just looking out for you here" He sighed again.
"Well don't Jake! She wouldn't lie to me, she is who she says she is. I know it!" I then picked up my bag and ran from his house, jumping into my truck and driving home at full speed.
I'll show Jake. I will meet her, we just haven't really spoken about it yet. I'll find out what school she goes to, what town she lives in and I'll meet her.
-Harry Potter or The Hunger Games?
-Harry Potter. Nothing could beat Harry Potter!
-You are so right! I love that we have so much in common
-I know right! I feel like I really know you.
-I feel like I know you too
-So what are you doing now?
-Just killing some time before I have to head to Glee club
-Oh, what's your assignment this week?
-We have to sing a song to someone, or everyone as if it was the last time we could tell them something. Get everything out in the open you know?
-That sounds pretty cool, do you know what brought that on?
-One of our members seems to think there is an asteroid heading straight for us, so she wanted to tell everyone what she really thought of them.
-Awesome. Well I have to head to class, Figgins is observing my teacher today so I can't be late. Talk later x.
Wait. Figgins? Before I could respond she had logged off. She goes here? She goes to Mckinley? Why had she never mentioned that before?! Why had I never mentioned that I go here?
I looked at the time on my cell and saw that I was late for Glee, so I quickly picked up my stuff and ran to the choir room. I hadn't spoken to Jake since our argument on Friday night, but he was the only person I had told about Katie. Mr Schue hadn't started the lesson yet, so I ran over to sit by Jake with the biggest smile on my face.
"She's real" I told him.
"Wait, how do you know?" He sighed.
"She goes here. I was just talking to her and she said Principle Figgins was sitting in on her class this hour" I told him giddily.
"So what did you say?" He asked smiling.
"Well she logged out before I could respond so I think I'm just gonna go to each class room until I find her" I said thoughtfully.
"And miss rehearsal?" He asked.
I just shrugged before Coach Bieste walked in and started talking to Mr Schue.
"Welcome to our first 'Thank God the world isn't ending' Glee practice" He laughed.
"It's where I can throw junior mints at Marley again without feeling bad about it" Kitty smirked coming in to the room.
"Sit down" Schue laughed before he and Coach came to stand in front of us.
"Sorry, Mr Schue. I don't think I can stay for practice, I uh- have an essay I need to finish for English this afternoon" I lied.
"OK, Ryder. Go ahead"
I got up to leave, but before I could step down there was a deafening Bang. Everyone looked around confused before there was another Bang!. Everyone started panicking, looking around not knowing what to do.
"Everyone spread out and hide" Mr Schue ordered. Everyone was moving to sit against the walls, hiding themselves from view of the windows and doors. Blaine pushed the piano closer to the wall, concealing Artie and himself. Jake, Marley and Kitty hid behind the amps and drums. Mr Schue and Coach Bieste ducked behind a turned over lighting box while Sam, Unique and I huddled in the far corner, attempting to block ourselves with chairs.
Where was Tina? and Brittany? Joe and Sugar weren't in today I knew that, but the other two were sat with us all at lunch.
"Everyone, start texting and tweeting. Let everyone know whats going on. But don't tell them where we are, shooters have smart phones too" Mr Schue instructed. Everyone pulled out their phones and got to work. I texted my Mom, but I knew she was at work and probably wouldn't be able to use her phone.
Suddenly Sam was pushing himself across the floor, trying to get to the door on the other side of the room.
"Brittany is in the bathroom, she doesn't have her phone with her" He tried leaving to go and find her but Bieste and Schue were holding him back, covering his mouth to stop him shouting. They made him sit down with Artie and I heard Blaine say something about Tina not being there either.
I saw Kitty and Marley hugging and crying about something before Kitty quickly crawled over to me and Unique. I pulled her in when she got close enough and she gave Unique a crushing hug while holding on to my arm tightly. Sam tried to get up again but was forced back down and I felt like I needed to be with Marley and Jake.
I crawled over to them and sat panting next to Marley.
"I need to call her" I whispered.
"Ryder-" Jake started before I cut him off.
"Jake, she goes here and what if she didn't get out?" I countered. He nodded and I pulled out my phone, finding Katie's name in my contacts. "Come on, pick up, pick up, pick up" I pleaded.
"Ryder?" I heard her soft voice whisper on the other end.
"Katie?" I asked not fully believing I was finally talking to her. We had never had a phone call, it had only ever been IMing and texting.
"Ryder, somethings happening at school-" She began.
"I know. I go to Mckinely too" I told her.
"Did you get out?!" She asked frantically.
"No, where are you?" I asked worriedly.
"I'm in Mrs Windsor's History classroom. Ryder, I'm scared" She started crying quietly.
"Are you with anyone?" I asked.
"No. Everyone else got out but I was too scared to go into the hallway" She sobbed. "Where are you?" She asked.
"I'm in the choir room"
"Who is that?" Marley asked quickly. I nodded to Jake to fill her in on what was going on before I spoke to Katie again.
"I'm going to come get you" I told her.
"You can't" She said at the same time Jake and Marley said "Ryder, no!"
"I'll be there soon" I told her and hung up before she could reply.
I looked over to Mr Schue and Bieste and saw them with their backs to the rest of us. I gave Marley and Jake a look, telling them I had to do this and they nodded sadly. I quietly sneaked around to the door furthest away from everyone else. I turned back and saw Kitty and Unique looking at me worriedly, I smiled sadly at them before quietly opening the door so it made no sound and crawled out into the hallway.
I closed the door behind me and stood up slightly. Thinking about exactly where Mrs Windsor's class room was, I took off cautiously round the corner, being careful at every turn and trying to make no noise. It didn't take long for me to get to the class room and when I reached the door I looked down the hall, double checking no one was there before creaking it open slightly.
"Katie?" I whispered into the dark classroom.
"Ryder" I heard her let out a relieved breath and I opened the door the rest of the way, moving into the classroom. The lights were out and I saw a sillouhette hudled in the far corner. Standing up she began to move closer to me. I closed the distance and pulled her in for a bone crushing hug. "I didn't really picture us meeting like this" She laughed shakily.
"I couldn't agree more" I sniffed. "Come on, the hallways were clear on my way here. I need to take you back to the chior room" I told her, taking her hand.
"Ryder, I'm scared" She whispered.
"I've got you" I gave her hand a squeeze and opened the door. I poked my head out and looked down the hallway. Pulling Katie close to me I started the journey back. She flinched every time we rounded a corner and ever time she accidentally bumped into something. "We're nearly there" I whispered before poking my hand around the last corner. What I saw made me jump, but I quickly recovered form the shock and started down the hall way again. "Mr Schue" I whispered.
They all jumped and gasped. Mr Schue was leading Britt, another Cheerio and some guy I didn't recognize, back in to the chior room. He obviously went to fins Brittany so Sam didn't leave and get himself hurt.
"Ryder, come one, hurry up" He whispered after making sure the other three were safe inside. "Go hide" He nodded once we were back in the room. In stead of going back over to Marley and Jake I just sat us down in the nearest place I could find that would act as cover. I crawled behind the drum kit and pulled Katie in with me, holding her close and letting her bury her head in my chest.
I looked over to Jake who nodded at me, wearing a small smile. I nodded back and closed my eyes, letting my head fall back against the wall. That was the most scared I had been in my entire life. Not only was I scared for my own safety, but for everyone else in here. I mean what would have happened if the shooter found me in the corridor and saw me leaving the chior room. So after he was done with me maybe he would have come in here. And then what would have happened if I couldn't get to Katie?
"ALL CLEAR" Everyone looked up, like meerkats poking their heads out from their holes. "ALL CLEAR" The lights were flicked back on and everyone shakily stood up and began to come together.
