I want to dedicate this to all the people who have had to cope with the loss of a friend or family member to suicide. My prayers go out to you.
I woke up and stretched. Today was going to be a wonderful, perfect, beautiful day. I climbed out of my loft bed and turned on the light. I got out a light purple t-shirt and gray skinny jeans and went to the bathroom to shower. As I got dressed I could hear one of the most beautiful sounds ever:
Silence. With the faint sounds of morning outside my window. I grinned as I thought about my crush, Jack. I had no idea why I had suddenly thought of him, but I didn't complain. I put my hair in a towel and went to get breakfast. I poured myself some cereal and grabbed a book, preparing to read until my mom came downstairs.
As I finished my cereal I decided to get started on my school, instead of read. (Yes, in case you were wondering I am homeschooled.) I sat down at my desk and turned on my computer. When I opened my school I groaned as I looked at the screen. You know those days when it seems like you have a test or quiz in every single subject? Well today was one of them.
I clicked on one of the quizzes and couldn't help but let my mind wander as I took it. I was fairly confident about this subject. High school Health. I had an A 99% overall grade on it and it just seemed to come naturally. I thought about my friends at the public school and stopped right in the middle of my quiz and prayed for them. I prayed for them to do good in school and for them to realize to realize they were sinners in need of a Savior.
I exited my quiz and sent a quick prayer of thanks to God for my perfect grade on it. I went back to the bathroom and brushed my waist-length blond hair. As I brushed it I heard the sound of my family getting up and starting their day. I put in my contacts and brushed my teeth waiting for Anna to come pounding on the door. Sure enough, right when I was about to open the door she started pounding on it.
"Elsa, can I come in?" I quietly walked up to the door and quickly pulled it open. Anna screamed and jumped back. I smirked at her as I walked past. I went back to my room and closed the door. I took another quiz and a test getting good grades on both of them. I glanced at the clock and saw that it was 11:21. I went into the kitchen to get a drink and on my way back went to the living room to ask my mom something.
When I walked in she was talking to Kristof, our foreign exchange student. I heard her say something about a lockdown at the school and stopped abruptly. "The schools are in lock down?" I asked in disbelief. I was shocked. Oh sure schools go into lockdown all the time now, but not in Pinedale. Our town only has 2,030 people in it, and things like that don't happen in our town.
My mom nodded and offered some additional information. "There is a kid missing with a weapon. The schools are in a strict lockdown with no one coming or going." I went back to my bedroom and sank to my knees. Never before had I been so glad to be homeschooled, but I was worried about my friends at the school. I prayed for them to feel safe and fir this kid to not hurt anyone, including him or herself.
I started on my school as I let what I had just learned set in. I couldn't believe that a morning so beautiful an promising could turn into something so sad.