"Okay girls. Please try and stay as calm as possible. I just want to check that you're all here! Amy Adams?"

"Yes, Miss."

"Chloe Beale?"

"Yes, Miss."

"Stacie Conrad?"

"Yes, Miss."

"Ashley Douch?"

"Yes, Miss."

"Kori Edwards?"

"Yes, Miss."

"Cynthia Rose Lawson?"

"Yes, Miss."

"Rebeca Mitchell? Beca Mitchell? Does anyone know where Beca is?"

Chloe's head whipped round so fast she was surprised she didn't get whiplash, "What?!"

"Chloe, calm down I'm sure she's just fine." Miss Anderson circled Beca's name, before moving on with the register.

"Mary Elise Myers?"

"Yes, Miss."

"Jessica Norman?"

"Yes, Miss."

"Aubrey Posen?"

"Yes, Miss. What's going to happen about Beca miss?"

"I'm not sure Aubrey, we're going to find her though. Lily Sai?"

"Yes, Miss."

"Pardon?"

"Yes, Miss."

"Denise Williams?"

"Yes, Mi-"

Just before Denise could finish her sentence the loudspeaker system that was wired throughout the school crackled and sprung into life. An unfamiliar voice echoed around the empty hallways and across the quad where the students were lined up in their forms.

"Why shouldn't I just shoot you now? I'm armed! I didn't bring a gun in here for nothing!"

At the sound of the second voice hands of the girls flew to their mouths, a series of gasps echoed through the quad and a sob was heard from a beautiful red head.

"You didn't come here to kill me. I know you didn't."

"How? You have no idea what I came here to do!"

"You're scared right? Fucking terrified probably! I know what that feels like. You hurt? There's a pain right here, right in your chest. It's sort of an ache right? You can't explain it or understand it, you just know that it hurts, all the time. You think it's because of the bullies, the ones that chase you home after school that kick you and beat you up, they call you things that aren't any worse than what you tell yourself everyday. I've felt that! You want a reason for it, you just want it to go away? But this isn't the way to do it. I've seen your gun, there's one bullet in there. That can only mean two things. One: You've come here to kill someone specific or two: you've come here to show those bullies what they did to you, you want to end it all because you can't take it anymore. I know what that's like too. You see I didn't choose a gun, I didn't choose to do it in a public place. These scars on my arms, they're not from punching a glass door when I was a kid, they're because I got so scared and it just all hurt so much that I couldn't take it anymore. I wanted it to stop too. I wanted it all just to stop! I know what it feels like and I promise you it does get better. You hear people say it and you think 'you're wrong. You have no idea how much this hurts. You have no idea what I'm going through, no idea. You have no idea how this pain could ever get better!' But they're right. I promise you they're right. You'll wake up one day and feel like a whole different person! I whole new personality, or you'll meet a girl, like I did and they'll take your breath away. It hurts now but I'm telling you, wait a few more months, a few more days and I promise you, you'll look back and say to yourself that you're glad you made it through. You're name's Jesse right? I'm Beca, we have AP Chemistry together, I remember you. Jesse, if you stick with me, you can sit with me everyday at lunch, my friends won't mind. They're great I promise you, we won't let the bullies touch you. Spend a week with us Jesse, and if it still hurts then we'll find you a way out of this pain. One week, that's all I'm asking you for?"

"Tell me about her?"

"Who?"

"Your girl, the one you found. What's she like?"

"Her name's Chloe. She's great. She taught me that maybe people spend too much time looking for the perfect person and really you just need a person who is perfect to you, maybe not to everyone else but perfect to you. I'm not from perfect far from it, but well Chlo's best friend doesn't really like me, she thinks I'm bad for Chloe and so do I sometimes, sometimes I get down and the old voices come back and they tell me I'm no good and I try not to listen, but the thing is that when I feel like that, it's like Chlo can sense it, she never asks but she turns up at my house, out of the blue and she makes me feel amazing. She's funny, kind, she has the heart of an angel! I love her so much and that scares me sometimes, I'm so far from the person I used to be that sometimes I do want to run I want to crawl back under the rock that the old Beca came out from but I don't. I don't for Chloe, she's literally what makes my life worth living, and she introduced me to all these amazing friends who feel more like strange sisters and heck, she got me to join an a-cappella group. She's amazing, God, I'd think she was an angel if I didn't keep pinching myself every few seconds. And yes, like I said I sometimes agree with Aubrey, I know everyone thinks I'm a screw up but for the first time in my life when I'm with Chloe I feel like I'm in the right place at the right time and I love her so much. Give life a chance Jesse and I promise you, you'll find your girl too, or guy!"

"Did you mean what you said? About me hanging out with you?"

"Sure, if you want to! We'd love to have you! How about you give me the gun and we go outside. You haven't hurt anyone yet, the police have no reason to press charges. Just give me the gun and we'll get out of this school okay?"

The loudspeaker crackled before going dead completely. A loud bang resonated throughout the whole building, followed by the screams of students in the quad. Blisteringly long seconds passed before a tall figure walked out the school cradling a petite form in his arms.

"I'm not armed! Please you have to help her! It was an accident! Please! She's bleeding!"

Chloe shot forward from where she was standing before anyone could stop her she was cradling Beca in her own arms whispering sweet comforts in her ear as the brunette's breathing became slower and slower.

"Chlo-"

"Shh, baby, don't try and speak. I love you, so much. Just stay with me okay? Please, just stay with me!"

"I-I love you."

"I love you so much!"

"J-Jesse, you need to look after him. I-If I die-"

"Don't, please Beca. Please."

"Excuse me Miss, we need to access Miss Mitchell. We're going to have to get to help her?"

Chloe released Beca from her arms and could only watch with tears streaming down her face as her girlfriend was lead away on a stretcher. She felt the supportive arms of her best friend wrap around her shaking form and lift her up.

"Chloe, it's okay. Shh, she's going to be okay. Let's follow her to the hospital, she's going to get out of this Chloe, I promise you!"

"I can't loose her Aubrey! I need her!"

"I know, I know Chloe. She's strong though, she'll make it through! She has to."

The two girls ran from their spot in front of the high school to Aubrey's car before speeding after the Ambulance.

A/N: This story has more chapters. Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you think so far and drop me a review! All your thoughts are appreciated! Please follow and yeah! Hope you enjoy it so far! :) - V