One Last Breath
I got the inspiration for this fic from the recent glee episode, "Shooting Star".
"Principal—Principal Figgins, I need to go back in!" I shout hoarsely, my throat dry and rough from crying. It's getting harder and harder to talk, the uncomfortable lump in my throat growing with each passing second and with every thought of my friends- my family stuck alone in the choir room. Terrified, in the dark, trapped, and oblivious to the chaos happening outside the classrooms.
I had gone outside for some fresh air and relax before glee club was supposed to meet. I had just been with Blaine, walking down the hallway and bumping shoulders with him as we talked and laughed about God knows what. All I cared about was being close to him, and the smell of his cologne and the way his eyes lit up whenever he spoke to me. There was always closeness between us, even if he didn't feel for me the way I felt for him. Blaine was always there to hold my hand, or comfort me when I needed it most, and even if he wasn't my boyfriend I didn't care. At least I knew that whenever I desired a shoulder to lean on, his was there for me.
Anyway, I had gone outside, just for ten or so minutes just to decompress and relax after a long day of tests and schoolwork. I didn't realize that glee club had intended to meet earlier than I was told, so I stayed out in the beautiful courtyard for a while before standing up, taking my backpack over my shoulder, and turning around to see a screaming flood of students pouring out of the front doors of the school building like tiny, terrified ants. I felt my heart fall to my stomach as my hands flew forward to catch a senior boy who I knew from chemistry class. I frantically jerked him backwards, his blue eyes wide as he turned to look at me.
"What's going on?" I ask, fear rippling my words and taking control of my fast beating heart. I look up at the tall boy, waiting anxiously for him to say something for what seemed to me like hours. At last, his thin lips part and he licks them nervously, taking my elbow carefully.
"There… there were gunshots. Everyone started running… I ran with them," he says all at once, his lips curling down into a pained expression. I look to the side of him and at the front doors, seeing policemen gathering there. My mouth goes dry and I check the crowd for Blaine and the others, but I can't find them. Panicked, I look back at the boy with concern.
"Have you seen Mr. Shuester? The history teacher?" I ask him, and he shakes his head and leaves me. That's when I realize that they're not coming out. Brittany, Sam, Unique, Kitty, Marley, Jake, Ryder, Artie, Mr. Shue… and Blaine. I may not ever see them again, and the painful thought rips through me like a bullet wound. My hands fly to my mouth and I can't help but cry; the reality that my family is trapped inside the school with a terrorist is crashing down hard on me. The pushing and shoving of students is the only thing that keeps me grounded, keeps me from forgetting where I am.
It's then that I see Principal Figgins out of the corner of my eye, and I whirl around and follow him, hoping to catch his attention.
"Principal Figgins, I need to get back in!" I shout, my hands holding each other out in front of me. "It's glee practice and everyone is in the choir room, I was-"
"No way, not until the police go in and give us the all clear!" he shouts back at me, continuing to walk forward to where he was going. Within seconds he is barely visible, lost in the frantic sea of students trying to get on the buses and back home. I just stand there, letting my fellow students push past me as my hands come up to hold my head, hot tears rolling down my face unheeded. I don't know what to do; I don't know how to process all this terrifying information. I keep unintentionally thinking of Blaine, thinking of how I never told him how I really felt. I couldn't let him die without being there to hold him… the thought of any of my glee family dying cuts me to the core. I can't let it happen, I can't stand idly by while my family is being gunned down like animals in the choir room I've come to think of as my second home.
I don't know how I got here, but I pushed through the sea of my classmates and ran to an entrance not yet guarded by policemen. I throw the door open, thinking of how Artie wouldn't be able to move if the gunman came through the choir room and pointed a gun to his head, and how Sam and Jake would try to fight the man before they were overpowered and- no, I can't think of that now. I can't afford the tears and the distractions; all I know is the choir room. As I run down the halls, my bag hastily slung across my chest and banging on my back, I hear a distinct sobbing noise and I stop. I look to the choir room, which is just down the hallway, but I hear the sob again and I push the bathroom door in, walking in hesitantly and looking under the stalls for feet. "Hello?" I ask tentatively, not sure if this is a student in danger or a trick. "Is anyone there?"
Before I can react I feel a pair of arms wrap around me, and I feel Brittany sob against my shoulder. I hug her tightly to me, rubbing her back and holding onto her for dear life. A part of my family is safe.
"Brittany… you're okay, you're okay," I assure her, sniffing a little and rubbing her back soothingly. I'm close to breaking down as well, but I can't; I have to be strong now, for Brittany. I hear the hysterical sobbing recede and I pull away, holding Brittany at arm's length, looking into her puffy, red eyes and opening my mouth to speak. "Brittany, where is everyone?" I ask, and she sobs and wipes a tear from her eye before answering.
"St-Still in the choir room… I went to go to the bathroom and… there were loud noises, Tina. A g-gun, I think," Brittany chokes out, beginning to cry again. I pull her to me a second time, sighing and squeezing her against me.
"It's okay now, we're alright," I tell her, and she mutters what I think is a sound of agreement. "The choir room is right down the hall… if we're careful, we can get to the others." Brittany sucks in a sob and pulls out of my embrace, her face contorting into a frown.
"Okay… I don't want to die, Tina," she cries, bursting into tears. I can't help but let a few tears slide down my face before wiping them away and grabbing Brittany's shoulders.
"Stop that, nobody's going to die. We're going to be quiet, and careful, and we'll get to the others," I tell her firmly, taking her hand and lacing my fingers with hers. "Come on… follow me and don't make a sound." Brittany just nods, and I manage a half hearted smile for her before carefully cracking the bathroom door slightly ajar, looking out to the right before opening the door a little more and looking the other way. The coast is clear, so I squeeze Brittany's hand and quietly sneak down the hallway, keeping to the walls and we try our hardest to not make any sounds. The choir room is just within reach now, so I pushing Brittany forward and we frantically bang on the choir room door, desperately praying that Mr. Shue will open the doors to the haven for us. The door burst open and we step back slightly, Mr. Shue pulling Brittany in first.
I hear a gunshot, the sound cracks through the dry air like a hundred whips, and I feel a pooling wetness in my chest, and a searing pain. In those moments, I see Mr. Shue holding Brittany in his arms, his eyes going wide and his lips moving to scream my name. I look down at my chest and see a blossoming red flower growing on my green dress, and I briefly think that this is my favorite outfit. I hear shouting and chaos behind me, but I can't turn around to look, instead my knees buckle underneath me and I fall to the floor, hearing mangled screams mingled with my own as I collapse. They're all screaming my name, and I feel the blood pulsing out of my chest. I look up at Mr. Shue as he scoops me up into his arms, and even though he is my teacher I still lean my head into him, tears of pain running down my face. I close my eyes for just a moment, but I feel Mr. Shue shaking me awake.
"Tina! Tina, stay awake! TINA!" I hear Mr. Shue shout, and I open my eyes as he lays me on the cold, choir floor. "Blankets, does anyone have a sweatshirt? I need to stop the bleeding!" Mr. Shue screams, everyone bustling about and I hear Sam yell to Mr. Shue and I hear the ripping of fabric and I feel a hand frantically grasp mine. I wince in pain and turn my head, crying as I feel Blaine wipe the hot tears from my eyes and kiss me on the lips.
"Tina…"
"Blaine…" I trail off, laughing despite the current situation, and Blaine begins to cry as I laugh, and it's then that I feel the blood gurgle up inside my mouth, dripping down my face and leaving a red trail down my cheek. I feel Mr. Shue press down on my chest, hard, with Sam's ripped shirt, and Blaine squeezes my hand tighter.
"Tina… Tina I love you," I hear Blaine choke out, and I hear sobs behind me and I feel more hands on me; stroking my hair and rubbing my shoulders, or just crouching behind my head. I manage a bloody smile for Blaine, and he leans down to kiss me again, this time I kiss him back. I can taste his tears, and when Mr. Shue scolds him Blaine backs away, his golden brown eyes crying.
"Tina, stay with us," I hear Mr. Shue tell me, and I squeeze my eyes shut at the pain that shoots through my body. I hear boots slapping the floor and a man dressing in black and carrying a large gun pushes Blaine to the side, leaning over me and looking up at Mr. Shue. "Tina, stay with me!"
I cough again, the action bringing up blood a second time. I hear someone cry out at the sight, and I feel Mr. Shue pressing the cloth tighter onto my chest.
"Mr. Shue… it hurts," I cry out, tears running down my face. I see Mr. Shue crying too, and the paramedic takes over and holds Sam's shirt to my chest as I bleed out on the floor. "I'm sorry I've… I've been such a bitch. All I wanted was a-" I stop to cough, more blood coming up. I'm seeing black spots in front of my eyes, and I feel the paramedic press the shirt tighter to my chest. "All I wanted was a solo."
Everything hurts, and I feel my life pooling on the floor and sticking to my back, and my face contorts into an ugly frown. I'm not going to see my parents again.
"Blaine," I croak, tasting the blood in my mouth. I feel him come to my side and hold my hand and I smile at him, and he smiles back. "Tell my parents… that I love them. And tell my little sister that I'm chilling with grandma, and the two of us are up in heaven playing blackjack, okay? Tell her that… please," I plead, and I feel the tears run down my face again and Blaine is hysterically crying. I let out a sigh and the edges of my vision fade; the only thing anchoring me to this world is Blaine's hand tightly squeezing mine. I smile at him one last time before I breathe my last breath, and then everything goes black.
- the end