Murder Music
A/N: Inspired by true stories that we hear on the news every so often.
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An intruder manages to break through the foundations of East High. If hostages are to be taken, what will the students and faculty do in order to restore safety? Would they risk their own lives for the safety of others?
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Minor Troyella and Chaylor. I do not claim anything from HSM. This is also my second HSM fic, first one that I'm planning on being longer than one little drabble. Bear with me please! (:
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Hearts in the Clouds: My god--I'm so sorry to hear that xx It's happened to me before and I hate the feeling! My apologizes ): I'm glad you like it though; hope it meets whatever standards you'd had set.
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Three: Darkess Can't Be Eluded
Chad could hardly breathe. Troy wasn't breathing.
"Alright, my men," the grim gunman muttered, slinging the gun casually beside him. "Rules."
The dozen or so boys in the class simply blinked; limbs numb and feeling rather cut down by the man's cockiness.
"Each one of you is gonna pick a girlie. You take her back to a desk and sit by her."
Everyone got up at once.
"One at a time!" he snarled for clarification. Everyone shrank back again. Silence rang out uncomfortably before the man lifted the barrel of the gun and pointed to the teenager closest to the door. "Pick," he ordered gruffly. The boy didn't waste time as he jumped up and grabbed one of the fifteen girls by the hand and took up two desks at the end of the first two rows.
Again the man lifted the gun, picking another random boy. The same thing followed through, and another girl was pulled from the line. The 'game' continued until three boys were left, consequently leaving seven girls. "This wasn't going to end good," was the single thought running through everyone's heads.
"Up," the gunman barked at Zeke, casually tossing the gun up to point at him. The basketball player rose stiffly and pointed at the girl beside Taylor. They both took their seats.
Back at the end of the classroom, against the bookcases, Troy and Chad sat in dead, still, silence. Neither even had to look to each other to know what was up between them. They knew the ultimate end of this, and they would be to blame. Up at the front, Taylor and Gabriella took hands, their fingers trembling. Among the ones sitting in desks, Sharpay and Ryan stared ahead, both with tight throats. The four seats left were front and center of the multiple rows.
"'fro-man. Up here," the man chuckled, holding the rifle in a stance that it looked like he would shoot. Chad didn't hesitate, but he moved slowly.
A sudden thought flicked across his mind as he got up though. "911," he whispered beneath his breath to Troy. The captain looked up at his friend, but he'd already made his way through the rows. Troy hadn't thought of this option, but wouldn't be surprised at this point if the administrators had already called. Never the less he slowly retrieved his phone, being extremely delicate to not disturb the silence..
Chad had taken Taylor's free hand, seeing her linked with Gabriella. When the three began to draw away from the diminishing line of girls, Chad stood frozen when a rifle barrel was put to his throat. He suddenly staggered over breath, feeling his windpipe had shut off from the simple touch of metal to his skin.
"One," the man snarled, finger hovering on the trigger.
Chad looked to Gabriella, guilt apparent only in his eyes. She gave a short nod and reluctantly returned to her place in line with tears rising to her eyes again. Taylor began softly crying as Chad turned to take the more direct center seat as she sat to his side, their hands still together over the aisle between the rows.
"..East High…a guy with a gun broke in…" Troy barely breathed into his cell phone.
A gunshot reverberated in the silent air just left of Troy; this being more proof for the emergency call, but it also started Troy beyond belief.
"Put the damn phone down, now," the man barked, aiming the next shot for Troy, intending not to spare him this time. Troy's hands shook as he laid the phone on the ground, still on the line with the operator.
"I hope it's alright that this girlie's death is going to be on your conscience," he snarled again, twisting the gun to point on Gabriella. She gasped as if it already hurt, but didn't move otherwise. Taylor's eyes flashed up along with Chad's instantly.
"I didn't get a turn," Troy said, his voice surprisingly strong.
"You're pretty enough to pass for a lady. You don't get a turn," the attacker laughed acidicly. Troy's heart skipped a beat as he looked desperately to Gabriella. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath, so that there was no noise. "These last few winners are getting the grand prize…" he smirked.
Chad leapt up suddenly and a gunshot was fired. Taylor and Sharpay screamed. Gabriella shied back, nearly tripping over herself. Troy had practically jumped over a desk, leaving his phone behind, to get to the front. A silent plan had formulated between the group without any words prior.
Standing just as tall, if not, only mere inches shorter than the attacker, Chad had actually managed to force the gun too high for a good shot at anyone. This of course was a surprise not only to himself and the students, but the gunman as well. The students hadn't expected him to jump up. He hadn't expected to be strong enough to attempt the stunt. The gunman snarled almost ferally as he fought the teenager for the grip of the gun, firing another shot that just barely missed a section of the desks near the window.
"God damn kid--" the man grumbled, eyes lit with fire. Now, the problem for Chad was getting away. The unnamed attacker elbowed the teenager roughly in the chest, knocking the wind from him as he recoiled, which could be heard if listened to closely, then wheeling about and hitting him broadside with the gun's blunt end.
Taylor jumped up and snatched Gabriella's hand as this had taken place. Troy jumped over another desk to join Chad; the latter of the two sporting a bloody nose and wheezing partially. The rest of the class was stunned. Then Troy had suddenly cried out at the succession of another bullet; though it had landed firmly in the wall behind the friends. Had it not been for Chad jerking Troy back, the shot would have done much more than just grazing high on his arm. Teenagers fighting back wasn't exactly the definition of brilliancy.
Taylor and Gabriella had bolted for the door, clawing at the knob frantically to pull it open. As soon as the heavy door had swept open and Chad and Troy had stolen a glance back at their escape there was a loud, almost crashing sort of echo in the hallway as all light shut off entirely, section by section.
With a succession of clicks, two shells plinked to the linoleum floor. It was going to be the last soft sound for quite a while to reach East High's ears.
Screams reverberated wildly in the room. Another pair of bullets exploded from the gun in the growing darkness of the now overcast light of the room. The screams however, weren't only elusive to Ms. Darbus's room. No, their echoes carried from nearly every direction outside the confusion of this classroom.
Again Chad and Troy had turned forward to play dodge-bullet now. This was merely a distraction, for both Gabriella and Taylor screamed as stealthy, dark hands unexpectedly plucked them right out of the class from the looming darkness of the hall. The hands had closed around their mouths, and unfortunately numbed their screams to a degree--
"Troy--" Chad barely uttered. When they'd both looked back the girls were gone entirely.
