This is the first time I dealt with a serious subject in a fanfiction but I
feel something like this should be talked about. I got the idea from angel
Raye's breaking point series but this is based on an episode of Static
Shock. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and the Chibi Scouts belong to
Angel Raye. Important notes on the bottom.
In Less then a Second
by Richforce
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Raye asked her sixteen year old daughter Annika. "I mean after what she put you through."
"I'm sure Mama." Annika said. "Nothing she put me through compares to what happened to her."
"You're right but still if you feel uncomfortable around her they can have someone else talk to her."
"I think I'll be fine." As Annika walked to the school office Raye thought about how big Annika's heart was.
Annika went into the office and saw a girl she hadn't seen in years until recently even though they now went to the same high school. "Hello Miyaki."
Miyaki turned around from the window she was staring out of. "If you want to get back at me go ahead. I deserve that and more."
"We were kids and I'd rather talk about what happened last week."
"Why are you doing this?"
"It looked like you were really hurt; I know what it feels like." She showed Miyaki the scars on her wrists from when she tried to commit suicide. "Can you tell me about Akira?"
"What can't I tell?" Miyaki said with a blush. "I met him when I entered junior high school; a joker through and through. I like to think he taught me that I didn't have to make others feel small to make myself feel big; my teasing you was more about that than anything else."
Annika could tell Miyaki had a crush on Akira. "What about Dekao, how well did you know him?"
"Not very well, no one did; that was probably part of the problem."
"Can you start from the beginning?"
"Well..."
###
[Miyaki: It started about two weeks ago. I was late for study hall and who should be teaching it but Mrs. Sakurai.]
"Ms. Toriyama! You were supposed to be here ten minutes ago! Report yourself to the principle's office after class!"
"Eagle Eye Sakurai does it again." said Akira.
"The same goes for you Mr. Miyamoto!"
Things were quite after that until Nozomi asked Miyaki a question. "I don't get this computer question can you help?"
"Afraid not, I'm totally spaced." Miyaki said.
"What about Dekao?" Akira said. "It seems like he knows a lot about computers."
Dekao sat by himself with his laptop, but before they could ask him anything...
[Miyaki: Then Arashi and his two buddies came in.]
[Annika: I heard about him. Daisy and Maggie told me he was voted best personality in the yearbook last year.]
[Miyaki: If you ask me they should have had a recount.]
"Hey dweeb." Arashi said to Dekao. "Dating online cause no girl wants to get close to you?"
"Just leave me alone!" said Dekao.
After that Arashi and his flunkies did things like close the laptop and unplug his mouse then smash it to get to Dekao.
[Miyaki: When I picked on you it usually stopped at teasing, but after Dekao starting ignoring Arashi's taunts, he found other ways to attack him. It was like some sick game to him and he was winning. The thing I don't understand was how Eagle Eye Sakurai didn't notice. Of course I could have told; I wish I did. The next day Akira, Nozomi and I decided to cheer him up.]
"Hey Dekao!" said Miyaki. "Nozomi has a little something for you."
Nozomi gave Dekao a mouse. "You bought this for me?"
"Actually I got from my brother, but he won't miss it. See this layer of dust, non-use."
"Well...arigato."
Then Dekao's mother drove up. "Who are your friends here?"
"Ummm..."
"I wanted to ask Dekao to help us set up Frightfest at school this week before Halloween." said Nozomi.
"Why don't you come over then? It's so good that he's making some friends."
[Miyaki: It was hard not to say no. But it was fun to start with.]
"And this is my room..." Dekao said. It was a large, dark room filled with movie props and posters.
"Why do you need a room this big?" Miyaki asked.
"I...don't do too well in small places."
"Cool!" said Akira who was a sci-fi fan. "Is this a model of a blaster from 'Star Patrol'?"
"No, a real movie prop. I got it in an online action."
"Well this is awesome." said Akira.
"I can show you something even cooler, a real gun." Deako's voice got a little harsher.
"What?!" said Miyaki.
"My dad got it, for protection. I know where he keeps it, wanna see?"
"No way! I hate guns! My grandma was killed by one!" Miyaki then left quickly.
[Miyaki: I knew that I was being rude but I just wanted out. I just didn't want to see his dad's stupid gun. Little did I know I would see it; but it wouldn't be protecting anybody. By the next day all that really seemed to be on anyone's mind was Frightfest. Nozomi was very persuasive to just about any one she knew, including Akira and me. We turned the gym into this spooky maze each of us adding our own personal touch. But Dekao really got into it; he had this knack for making special effects. Nobody ever asked him, he just did. It was like he operated in his own little world I don't think he talked to anyone that week. Except Nozomi, he really liked her. After a week of neglecting our homework we were finally ready.]
"Nozomi wants us to be in costume for tonight." said Miyaki.
"Have you seen her? Dekao asked.
"I think she's at the other side, try not to get lost."
"What?"
"Try not to get lost; it's a maze and...never mind."
Akira picked up a witch mask from a box after Dekao went into the maze. "Hey check this out!" He put it on and tried to make his voice sound like Mrs. Sakurai's. "Ms. Toriyama you are five seconds late! You no running in the halls! One week's detention, care to try for two?" everyone, especially Miyaki, laughed until he turned to Arashi and his pals. "And you...you..."
"Later chumps." said Arashi as he went into the maze.
"What are you guys doing here?" Miyaki said.
"Nozomi said we could be monsters." said one of the goons.
"Could be?" Akira whispered. "They aren't now?"
At the other side of the maze Arashi got to Nozomi first and Dekao listened in. "So how about you and I take a drive after this kiddie show is over?" said Arashi.
"Actually we were all going to go out to the Crown Fruit Parlor after we were done."
"Does that include your new boyfriend Dekao?"
"Hey, I'm not interested in Dekao!"
Dekao was startled enough to knock over a plastic skeleton. Nozomi then saw him. "Dekao I didn't mean to..."
"You little weasel!" Arashi said. "You were spying on us!" He chased Dekao through the maze trying to get away from Arashi ran into his masked friends.
"Trick or Treat!"
Arashi grabbed Dekao and took him into the locker room. "Time for you to get what's coming."
He stuffed Dekao into a locker. Dekao's claustrophobia was getting to him. "Let me out! Please let me out!"
Miyaki, Nozomi and Akira came in. "We'll get you out!" said Akira.
Akira forced open the locker. Dekao then rushed out of the locker room and the gym.
"You guys are creeps!" said Nozomi as she left.
[Miyaki: It was a really bad scene I didn't think it could get any worse; boy was I wrong. Dekao never showed up for school the next day. I went to change out of my uniform before we tore the maze down.]
"The only thing scarier than Frightfest is cleanup day." Miyaki said to her father as they drove to the school.
"Miyaki I'm glad you're helping out so much." Her father said. "When you were younger your mother and I were worried about you."
Miyaki saw that they were near Dekao's house. "Can we stop here? There's a friend I want to pick up."
They found Dekao's father in the front yard. "I'm one of Dekao's friends is he home?"
"I haven't seen him since he left for school."
"But he never came to school today."
"Maybe he's in his room."
Miyaki went into Dekao's room and saw he left his computer on. "Interesting screensaver." It had rockets and bombs going off like fireworks, we she moved the mouse she saw something Dekao was writing. "The Battle Journal?" she then read the last entry.
"All I wanted was to be left alone, but they wouldn't even do that! They picked on me, humiliated me, tortured me! Well tomorrow I'm going to put a stop to them, once and for all!"
"Dad!"
Miyaki showed the computer journal to both her father and Dekao's. "I didn't think he was this upset." Dekao's father said.
"Your son is depressed." Miyaki's father said. "This isn't something we can just ignore."
Dekao's father then rushed to his room and looked through a locked drawer on his nightstand. "It's gone; my gun's gone!"
"You had a gun where a kid could get to it?!" Miyaki's father said.
"I didn't think he would use it!"
"Miyaki where do you think he would go?"
"To the school gym."
"Call the Police and stay put! We're going to the school now!"
"But Dad..."
"I mean it, stay here!"
[Miyaki: After they left I called the police but I didn't stay put. I felt like I had to do something. I probably wouldn't have made it there if not for what happened next.]
[Annika: I heard about it.]
Cosmic Mars and Cosmic Venus were looking for a Youma that got away from the cosmic scouts. They decided they should split up and then call the others if they found it. "Doesn't look like its anywhere near here." said Cosmic Venus.
Miyaki turned a corner and saw them. She was amazed to actually see them, of all the cosmic scouts Venus and Mars were her favorites. But right now she had other things on her mind. "You got to help me!"
They turned around and Cosmic Mars was surprised at the girl she hadn't seen since elementary school. {Miyaki?}
"You got to help me! There's a guy with a gun heading for the school and someone could get killed!"
"Slow down!" said Cosmic Mars. "What's this about?"
"Dekao, I think he wants to get back on Arashi. He's got a gun; you got to help me get there!"
"Ok, ok!" said Cosmic Mars.
Cosmic Venus used her Communicator. "Minna, Cosmic Mars and I have to break off our search. A situation is brewing at the high school."
"Me and Cosmic Saturn just beat the youma after it got the drop on us." said Cosmic Uranus. "We'll meet you there."
"You have to take me with you!" said Miyaki.
"But..."
"I've got to do something!"
"Ok." said Cosmic Mars. "Hold on to me, we'll get there as soon as possible."
[Miyaki: It was amazing going with them and faster then I thought possible. I would have probably had fun if weren't for what was happening at the school that very moment...]
Arashi was enjoying tearing down the maze; his friends were there as well as Akira and Nozomi, who wasn't speaking to him, as well as a few others. Just then Dekao came in. "Hey locker boy actually came back!" Everyone gasped as Dekao pulled out the gun. "What is that?!"
"A gun." Dekao said with tears in his angry eyes.
"Put it away, this isn't funny!"
"A lot of things aren't funny! Messing with my computer wasn't funny, stuffing me in that locker wasn't funny!"
"Dekao listen to me." said Akira in a clam but obviously frightened voice. "Don't do it. Sure it hurts now but by next week it won't even matter. Please, don't ruin your life over this."
Cosmic Mars and Cosmic Venus burst in along with Miyaki. Dekao panicked as at that moment Arashi's thugs rushed him. "Get him!"
It took less than a second but time seemed slowed down as Dekao pulled the trigger without looking were the gun was pointing. The shot was clearly heard but no one knew here it went until time seemed to speed back up and Akira was screaming and cradling his thigh, a puddle of blood under it.
"Akira!" Miyaki screamed.
"It HURTS!! Not like on TV, aggggggh!!"
Cosmic Mars used a small amount of her power to knock the gun where no could get to it without her stopping them.
"Somebody call 9-1-1!" said Cosmic Venus.
Dekao seemed to be more shocked than anyone else as everyone looked at him. "No, no, Nooo!" He curled up started crying.
[Miyaki: Until the ambulance, police and the other cosmic scouts arrived all I could do was look at Dekao; and he looked really hurt and confused.]
###
"There was nothing you could have done." said Annika. {And even with all my power there was nothing I could do.}
"I just don't get it! Akira was supposed to be his friend! Why did he get shot?!" said Miyaki. She was crying heavily.
"Weapons can't discriminate between friend and foe, they hurt everyone. We're just lucky that Akira is going to be ok."
"I feel so torn up! I'm mad at Dekao for shooting Akira, I'm mad at those jerks for how they pushed Dekao into doing it, I'm mad at myself for not telling anyone sooner, I'm mad at everybody!"
"It's ok to feel angry; it's what you do what that anger that matters."
"Ever since then I've had these nightmares, I was back in elementary school teasing you, then you pull out a gun try to shoot me but miss and kill someone else! Someone died because I was cruel to you!"
"It was just a dream."
"Oh come on; how I treated you wasn't that different from how Arashi treated Dekao!"
"But I talked about how I felt with my friends and family, Dekao tried to bottle it all up inside. I got better; I'm making friends more easily." Annika reached out her hand. "And I would like you to be one of them."
"After everything I did to you?"
"That's in the past; we should be looking toward the future. I know you're really sorry and I forgive you."
Miyaki dried her eyes and took Annika's hand. "Arigato."
They left the office and saw Raye and Nozomi sitting on a bench. "You too Nozomi?" Miyaki asked.
"Hai, everyone involved is getting consoling, including Dekao."
"I don't think he deserves Juvee though."
"It's more to keep others safe then to punish him." said Raye. "He'll get out when he gets better, but that could be a long time."
Then a door opened and Arashi's parents came out looking angry, Arashi followed with a scowl on his face. "What about him?" asked Annika. She looked mad.
"Suspension." said Nozomi. "He also has to do some community service, same as his buddies."
"He got off easy." fumed Raye.
"At least he won't be winning any more popularity contests." said Miyaki.
[One week later.]
Annika and Gloria were talking before homeroom when they saw Miyaki. "Hi there." said Gloria.
Miyaki was a little surprised. "You're talking to me?"
"If Annika could forgive you then I suppose I could too."
Just then they heard applause and turned to see Akira coming down the hall on crutches and his leg in a cast. "Arigato minna! It's great to be back! Hold your applause, just throw money!" Everyone, especially Miyaki, laughed.
"May I sign your cast?" asked Miyaki.
"I left a space just for you."
"They're going to married someday." said Gloria as Miyaki signed the cast.
"Were you talking with Pluto?" asked Annika.
"No, my mom always had this talent for knowing when people were in love and how far it would go. Guess I inherited that talent."
"Akira I was wondering; there's going to be a dance in three weeks and I want to know if you could take me."
"Sure thing, the doctor said this cast can come off in two weeks." Akira got serious. "I was lucky, if that bullet hit any higher..."
"I don't even want to think about it. I just hope someone learned a lesson from all this."
At that moment a couple of bullies knocked down a student and scattered his books and papers over the floor. "Loser!"
"Nerd!"
Annika was going to go over but Miyaki passed her and bent down and started picking the books up. "Here, let me help."
{You learned a lesson from all this.} Annika thought. {And I can tell that because of that we'll be good friends for as long as we both live.}
The End
AN: In this story I talked about the issue of gun violence. This is a serious issue in America. According to the Illinois council against handgun violence web site.
In 2001, 2937 children 19 and under, on average 8 young people a day were killed by gun violence.
48% of gun-holding households do NOT regularly make sure that guns are equipped with child-safety locks.
More than 3500 students were expelled in the 1998-1999 school year for bringing a gun to school; that's an average of 88 per week.
59% of students grades six through twelve know where to get a hand gun if they want one and two-thirds of them say they could do it within 24 hours.
Overall in industrialized countries in 1998 gun violence killed 373 people in Germany, 151 people in Canada, 57 in Australia, 19 in Japan, 54 in England and Wales and 11,789 in the United States.
If you are a parent and are considering buying a gun for protection
keep in mind home security systems stop more burglaries while a gun at
home is 22 times more likely to hurt a family member than stop an
intruder. If you already own a gun make sure that it has a child
safety lock and that you keep the gun and ammunition locked away in
separate locations. If you're a kid and friend wants to show you a gun
don't touch it, don't even look at it! Tell your parents or an adult
you trust. Let's all do our best to increase the peace.
In Less then a Second
by Richforce
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Raye asked her sixteen year old daughter Annika. "I mean after what she put you through."
"I'm sure Mama." Annika said. "Nothing she put me through compares to what happened to her."
"You're right but still if you feel uncomfortable around her they can have someone else talk to her."
"I think I'll be fine." As Annika walked to the school office Raye thought about how big Annika's heart was.
Annika went into the office and saw a girl she hadn't seen in years until recently even though they now went to the same high school. "Hello Miyaki."
Miyaki turned around from the window she was staring out of. "If you want to get back at me go ahead. I deserve that and more."
"We were kids and I'd rather talk about what happened last week."
"Why are you doing this?"
"It looked like you were really hurt; I know what it feels like." She showed Miyaki the scars on her wrists from when she tried to commit suicide. "Can you tell me about Akira?"
"What can't I tell?" Miyaki said with a blush. "I met him when I entered junior high school; a joker through and through. I like to think he taught me that I didn't have to make others feel small to make myself feel big; my teasing you was more about that than anything else."
Annika could tell Miyaki had a crush on Akira. "What about Dekao, how well did you know him?"
"Not very well, no one did; that was probably part of the problem."
"Can you start from the beginning?"
"Well..."
###
[Miyaki: It started about two weeks ago. I was late for study hall and who should be teaching it but Mrs. Sakurai.]
"Ms. Toriyama! You were supposed to be here ten minutes ago! Report yourself to the principle's office after class!"
"Eagle Eye Sakurai does it again." said Akira.
"The same goes for you Mr. Miyamoto!"
Things were quite after that until Nozomi asked Miyaki a question. "I don't get this computer question can you help?"
"Afraid not, I'm totally spaced." Miyaki said.
"What about Dekao?" Akira said. "It seems like he knows a lot about computers."
Dekao sat by himself with his laptop, but before they could ask him anything...
[Miyaki: Then Arashi and his two buddies came in.]
[Annika: I heard about him. Daisy and Maggie told me he was voted best personality in the yearbook last year.]
[Miyaki: If you ask me they should have had a recount.]
"Hey dweeb." Arashi said to Dekao. "Dating online cause no girl wants to get close to you?"
"Just leave me alone!" said Dekao.
After that Arashi and his flunkies did things like close the laptop and unplug his mouse then smash it to get to Dekao.
[Miyaki: When I picked on you it usually stopped at teasing, but after Dekao starting ignoring Arashi's taunts, he found other ways to attack him. It was like some sick game to him and he was winning. The thing I don't understand was how Eagle Eye Sakurai didn't notice. Of course I could have told; I wish I did. The next day Akira, Nozomi and I decided to cheer him up.]
"Hey Dekao!" said Miyaki. "Nozomi has a little something for you."
Nozomi gave Dekao a mouse. "You bought this for me?"
"Actually I got from my brother, but he won't miss it. See this layer of dust, non-use."
"Well...arigato."
Then Dekao's mother drove up. "Who are your friends here?"
"Ummm..."
"I wanted to ask Dekao to help us set up Frightfest at school this week before Halloween." said Nozomi.
"Why don't you come over then? It's so good that he's making some friends."
[Miyaki: It was hard not to say no. But it was fun to start with.]
"And this is my room..." Dekao said. It was a large, dark room filled with movie props and posters.
"Why do you need a room this big?" Miyaki asked.
"I...don't do too well in small places."
"Cool!" said Akira who was a sci-fi fan. "Is this a model of a blaster from 'Star Patrol'?"
"No, a real movie prop. I got it in an online action."
"Well this is awesome." said Akira.
"I can show you something even cooler, a real gun." Deako's voice got a little harsher.
"What?!" said Miyaki.
"My dad got it, for protection. I know where he keeps it, wanna see?"
"No way! I hate guns! My grandma was killed by one!" Miyaki then left quickly.
[Miyaki: I knew that I was being rude but I just wanted out. I just didn't want to see his dad's stupid gun. Little did I know I would see it; but it wouldn't be protecting anybody. By the next day all that really seemed to be on anyone's mind was Frightfest. Nozomi was very persuasive to just about any one she knew, including Akira and me. We turned the gym into this spooky maze each of us adding our own personal touch. But Dekao really got into it; he had this knack for making special effects. Nobody ever asked him, he just did. It was like he operated in his own little world I don't think he talked to anyone that week. Except Nozomi, he really liked her. After a week of neglecting our homework we were finally ready.]
"Nozomi wants us to be in costume for tonight." said Miyaki.
"Have you seen her? Dekao asked.
"I think she's at the other side, try not to get lost."
"What?"
"Try not to get lost; it's a maze and...never mind."
Akira picked up a witch mask from a box after Dekao went into the maze. "Hey check this out!" He put it on and tried to make his voice sound like Mrs. Sakurai's. "Ms. Toriyama you are five seconds late! You no running in the halls! One week's detention, care to try for two?" everyone, especially Miyaki, laughed until he turned to Arashi and his pals. "And you...you..."
"Later chumps." said Arashi as he went into the maze.
"What are you guys doing here?" Miyaki said.
"Nozomi said we could be monsters." said one of the goons.
"Could be?" Akira whispered. "They aren't now?"
At the other side of the maze Arashi got to Nozomi first and Dekao listened in. "So how about you and I take a drive after this kiddie show is over?" said Arashi.
"Actually we were all going to go out to the Crown Fruit Parlor after we were done."
"Does that include your new boyfriend Dekao?"
"Hey, I'm not interested in Dekao!"
Dekao was startled enough to knock over a plastic skeleton. Nozomi then saw him. "Dekao I didn't mean to..."
"You little weasel!" Arashi said. "You were spying on us!" He chased Dekao through the maze trying to get away from Arashi ran into his masked friends.
"Trick or Treat!"
Arashi grabbed Dekao and took him into the locker room. "Time for you to get what's coming."
He stuffed Dekao into a locker. Dekao's claustrophobia was getting to him. "Let me out! Please let me out!"
Miyaki, Nozomi and Akira came in. "We'll get you out!" said Akira.
Akira forced open the locker. Dekao then rushed out of the locker room and the gym.
"You guys are creeps!" said Nozomi as she left.
[Miyaki: It was a really bad scene I didn't think it could get any worse; boy was I wrong. Dekao never showed up for school the next day. I went to change out of my uniform before we tore the maze down.]
"The only thing scarier than Frightfest is cleanup day." Miyaki said to her father as they drove to the school.
"Miyaki I'm glad you're helping out so much." Her father said. "When you were younger your mother and I were worried about you."
Miyaki saw that they were near Dekao's house. "Can we stop here? There's a friend I want to pick up."
They found Dekao's father in the front yard. "I'm one of Dekao's friends is he home?"
"I haven't seen him since he left for school."
"But he never came to school today."
"Maybe he's in his room."
Miyaki went into Dekao's room and saw he left his computer on. "Interesting screensaver." It had rockets and bombs going off like fireworks, we she moved the mouse she saw something Dekao was writing. "The Battle Journal?" she then read the last entry.
"All I wanted was to be left alone, but they wouldn't even do that! They picked on me, humiliated me, tortured me! Well tomorrow I'm going to put a stop to them, once and for all!"
"Dad!"
Miyaki showed the computer journal to both her father and Dekao's. "I didn't think he was this upset." Dekao's father said.
"Your son is depressed." Miyaki's father said. "This isn't something we can just ignore."
Dekao's father then rushed to his room and looked through a locked drawer on his nightstand. "It's gone; my gun's gone!"
"You had a gun where a kid could get to it?!" Miyaki's father said.
"I didn't think he would use it!"
"Miyaki where do you think he would go?"
"To the school gym."
"Call the Police and stay put! We're going to the school now!"
"But Dad..."
"I mean it, stay here!"
[Miyaki: After they left I called the police but I didn't stay put. I felt like I had to do something. I probably wouldn't have made it there if not for what happened next.]
[Annika: I heard about it.]
Cosmic Mars and Cosmic Venus were looking for a Youma that got away from the cosmic scouts. They decided they should split up and then call the others if they found it. "Doesn't look like its anywhere near here." said Cosmic Venus.
Miyaki turned a corner and saw them. She was amazed to actually see them, of all the cosmic scouts Venus and Mars were her favorites. But right now she had other things on her mind. "You got to help me!"
They turned around and Cosmic Mars was surprised at the girl she hadn't seen since elementary school. {Miyaki?}
"You got to help me! There's a guy with a gun heading for the school and someone could get killed!"
"Slow down!" said Cosmic Mars. "What's this about?"
"Dekao, I think he wants to get back on Arashi. He's got a gun; you got to help me get there!"
"Ok, ok!" said Cosmic Mars.
Cosmic Venus used her Communicator. "Minna, Cosmic Mars and I have to break off our search. A situation is brewing at the high school."
"Me and Cosmic Saturn just beat the youma after it got the drop on us." said Cosmic Uranus. "We'll meet you there."
"You have to take me with you!" said Miyaki.
"But..."
"I've got to do something!"
"Ok." said Cosmic Mars. "Hold on to me, we'll get there as soon as possible."
[Miyaki: It was amazing going with them and faster then I thought possible. I would have probably had fun if weren't for what was happening at the school that very moment...]
Arashi was enjoying tearing down the maze; his friends were there as well as Akira and Nozomi, who wasn't speaking to him, as well as a few others. Just then Dekao came in. "Hey locker boy actually came back!" Everyone gasped as Dekao pulled out the gun. "What is that?!"
"A gun." Dekao said with tears in his angry eyes.
"Put it away, this isn't funny!"
"A lot of things aren't funny! Messing with my computer wasn't funny, stuffing me in that locker wasn't funny!"
"Dekao listen to me." said Akira in a clam but obviously frightened voice. "Don't do it. Sure it hurts now but by next week it won't even matter. Please, don't ruin your life over this."
Cosmic Mars and Cosmic Venus burst in along with Miyaki. Dekao panicked as at that moment Arashi's thugs rushed him. "Get him!"
It took less than a second but time seemed slowed down as Dekao pulled the trigger without looking were the gun was pointing. The shot was clearly heard but no one knew here it went until time seemed to speed back up and Akira was screaming and cradling his thigh, a puddle of blood under it.
"Akira!" Miyaki screamed.
"It HURTS!! Not like on TV, aggggggh!!"
Cosmic Mars used a small amount of her power to knock the gun where no could get to it without her stopping them.
"Somebody call 9-1-1!" said Cosmic Venus.
Dekao seemed to be more shocked than anyone else as everyone looked at him. "No, no, Nooo!" He curled up started crying.
[Miyaki: Until the ambulance, police and the other cosmic scouts arrived all I could do was look at Dekao; and he looked really hurt and confused.]
###
"There was nothing you could have done." said Annika. {And even with all my power there was nothing I could do.}
"I just don't get it! Akira was supposed to be his friend! Why did he get shot?!" said Miyaki. She was crying heavily.
"Weapons can't discriminate between friend and foe, they hurt everyone. We're just lucky that Akira is going to be ok."
"I feel so torn up! I'm mad at Dekao for shooting Akira, I'm mad at those jerks for how they pushed Dekao into doing it, I'm mad at myself for not telling anyone sooner, I'm mad at everybody!"
"It's ok to feel angry; it's what you do what that anger that matters."
"Ever since then I've had these nightmares, I was back in elementary school teasing you, then you pull out a gun try to shoot me but miss and kill someone else! Someone died because I was cruel to you!"
"It was just a dream."
"Oh come on; how I treated you wasn't that different from how Arashi treated Dekao!"
"But I talked about how I felt with my friends and family, Dekao tried to bottle it all up inside. I got better; I'm making friends more easily." Annika reached out her hand. "And I would like you to be one of them."
"After everything I did to you?"
"That's in the past; we should be looking toward the future. I know you're really sorry and I forgive you."
Miyaki dried her eyes and took Annika's hand. "Arigato."
They left the office and saw Raye and Nozomi sitting on a bench. "You too Nozomi?" Miyaki asked.
"Hai, everyone involved is getting consoling, including Dekao."
"I don't think he deserves Juvee though."
"It's more to keep others safe then to punish him." said Raye. "He'll get out when he gets better, but that could be a long time."
Then a door opened and Arashi's parents came out looking angry, Arashi followed with a scowl on his face. "What about him?" asked Annika. She looked mad.
"Suspension." said Nozomi. "He also has to do some community service, same as his buddies."
"He got off easy." fumed Raye.
"At least he won't be winning any more popularity contests." said Miyaki.
[One week later.]
Annika and Gloria were talking before homeroom when they saw Miyaki. "Hi there." said Gloria.
Miyaki was a little surprised. "You're talking to me?"
"If Annika could forgive you then I suppose I could too."
Just then they heard applause and turned to see Akira coming down the hall on crutches and his leg in a cast. "Arigato minna! It's great to be back! Hold your applause, just throw money!" Everyone, especially Miyaki, laughed.
"May I sign your cast?" asked Miyaki.
"I left a space just for you."
"They're going to married someday." said Gloria as Miyaki signed the cast.
"Were you talking with Pluto?" asked Annika.
"No, my mom always had this talent for knowing when people were in love and how far it would go. Guess I inherited that talent."
"Akira I was wondering; there's going to be a dance in three weeks and I want to know if you could take me."
"Sure thing, the doctor said this cast can come off in two weeks." Akira got serious. "I was lucky, if that bullet hit any higher..."
"I don't even want to think about it. I just hope someone learned a lesson from all this."
At that moment a couple of bullies knocked down a student and scattered his books and papers over the floor. "Loser!"
"Nerd!"
Annika was going to go over but Miyaki passed her and bent down and started picking the books up. "Here, let me help."
{You learned a lesson from all this.} Annika thought. {And I can tell that because of that we'll be good friends for as long as we both live.}
The End
AN: In this story I talked about the issue of gun violence. This is a serious issue in America. According to the Illinois council against handgun violence web site.
In 2001, 2937 children 19 and under, on average 8 young people a day were killed by gun violence.
48% of gun-holding households do NOT regularly make sure that guns are equipped with child-safety locks.
More than 3500 students were expelled in the 1998-1999 school year for bringing a gun to school; that's an average of 88 per week.
59% of students grades six through twelve know where to get a hand gun if they want one and two-thirds of them say they could do it within 24 hours.
Overall in industrialized countries in 1998 gun violence killed 373 people in Germany, 151 people in Canada, 57 in Australia, 19 in Japan, 54 in England and Wales and 11,789 in the United States.
If you are a parent and are considering buying a gun for protection
keep in mind home security systems stop more burglaries while a gun at
home is 22 times more likely to hurt a family member than stop an
intruder. If you already own a gun make sure that it has a child
safety lock and that you keep the gun and ammunition locked away in
separate locations. If you're a kid and friend wants to show you a gun
don't touch it, don't even look at it! Tell your parents or an adult
you trust. Let's all do our best to increase the peace.