A\N: So many people have brought up similarities with this story and an episode of One Tree Hill. I, personally, have never seen the show before in my life. But I have a friend who watches it religiously and I told her the plot of my story and she told me two things. One was that it sounded like our sophomore year of high school where a kid did in fact bring a gun to school. And second, you guessed it, an episode of One Tree Hill. So she gave me the box set (season 3 if I'm not mistaken) and I watched the episode. Was I surprised? No. I was BEYOND surprised. I was slightly terrified, and then also kind of disgusted with myself. In no way shape or form am I trying to rip off the show. I have already edited all the stuff that I thought was the same feeling and I will make sure that I edit myself if it happens again, though there is a major plot key that is the same, but I really can't change that. It's one of the important storylines for this story.

I appreciate everyone that has reviewed. Seriously, it makes my day. Also, I'm going to be away for the next couple of weeks. I won't have a computer, but I will try to write so that when I come back, I'll crank some chapters out. As always, read and if you like it, review!


Chapter Four:

What if we all die young?

If someone were to tell Rachel Berry that she was about to experience the worst day of her life, odds are she'd smile slightly and disagree.

After all, she thinks that day has already happened. On more than one occasion, actually. Losing Jesse St. James to Vocal Adrenaline and then being eggs by said boyfriend was the worst thing that has ever happened to her in her lifetime. The depression that followed was even more troubling. Because the fact of the matter was, she had cared about Jesse. Love might not have been quite what it was, but there had been something between them. And she knows it goes way passed trying to put her in a deep enough funk to not show well at Regionals. And then don't even get her started on Finn Hudson and the feelings she has for him. That is a whole 'nother complicated…thing.

But at seven twenty this morning, Jesse's betrayal is but a distant memory.

Because Rachel Berry nearly slams her head into the bathroom stall door when the sound of a gunshot jolts her body into a frantic dance of duck and cover. The sound alone is terrifying. Granted, the only gunshots she's heard in her life were from the movies. And the sound that she hears now sends her to her knees with an empty, loud, echoing force.

For a second she is frozen, too terrified to even breathe and she pulls her knees to her chest and wraps her arms around her legs. Though she cannot see the door of the bathroom, her head is trained in that direction. She could be hallucinating; after all, it was only one—

Bang…Bang—Bang—Bang…Bang—Bang…

One of her hands flies up to her mouth to stifle a scream. Tears frantically spill from the corners of her eyes and she hugs her knees to her chest for all she's worth. This isn't William McKinley High School. This is a bad dream. And Rachel needs to wake up. She needs to wake up now.

But when the screams of her fellow classmates split the air, Rachel realizes she isn't dreaming. More so, she realizes that when she entered the bathroom earlier that morning, Quinn Fabray had been standing at her locker, which was just outside.

The thought alone freezes her. Even though the two had never become true friends, her stomach flips at the thought of anything bad happening to the blond. But for the love of her, Rachel can't find it in her to get to her feet. She is paralyzed and suddenly her frantic tears turn to ones of frustration. What kind of person is she to just sit there and cry?

What are you gonna do? A voice in the back of her head says. You can't help anyone if you're dead.

The voice has a point. But still, no one likes feeling helpless, let alone Rachel Berry.

So for what seems like hours, she sits against the wall in the handicapped bathroom stall and listens to the gunshots and the screams of her classmates. Never before has she heard such a deadly combination.

Shots.

Screams.

Silence.

But when she counts to one hundred twice without being interrupted by a shot, Rachel knows the shooter is gone. Whatever gone means. The though doesn't jump start her legs, though. Getting to her feet is difficult and once she is up, her world tilts. She turns quickly and throws up her breakfast into the toilet. She didn't think she had a gag reflex. But apparently she does. Maybe she can develop it, like asthma or something.

Or maybe it's just the moment. Rachel is betting it's the latter instead of the former. The action still grosses her out and after she's done, she throws a couple of handfuls of water into her mouth from the sink. She wipes at her eyes with wet hands and realizes just how badly she is shaking.

"Calm down, Rachel. You can do this. Just calm down and think this through." She finds talking to herself relaxes her sometimes. But it isn't working now. It takes everything in her to take a step out of the bathroom and into the hallway. Once she it out, she nearly loses her breakfast again.

She has never been a fan of blood. Granted, she can handle it in small doses. But the scene that greets her in the hallway is a long way from a small dose. She recognizes Karofsky on the floor to her right. He is not moving and the hairs on the back of her neck are starting to stand on end. There are others, but she cannot identify them.

Suddenly, she realizes that she does not want to go through this alone. And she wants Finn Hudson to be standing next to her. She wants him to wrap his arms around her and tell her that everything will be alright. Because if he says it will, then she'll believe him. She needs his courage and certainty.

Thinking of Finn brings Quinn into her mind and she realizes that the blond is not among the fallen. Her locker is open, and there is blood everywhere, but Quinn is not there. Sighing with relief, Rachel swallows furiously and heads towards the choir room. She is faintly aware of Figgins voice over the PA system telling everyone to exit the building or get to a designated lockdown area. The choir room is the latter.

As she starts her journey, she is thankful for her change of taste in clothing. The white Chucks she is wear now are comfortable for the situation and she has long forgotten the days when she wore skirts. The jeans that hug her legs are free-moving and adjustable. Finally, after Jesse's departure, she has abandoned her animal print shirts for plain colored ones. And she rolls up the sleeves of her navy blue long-sleeve shirt in an attempt to cool herself down.

She moves at a half crouch and is trying to be as quiet as possible. Every few second or so, she will hear gunshots followed by screams. She makes sure to move in the opposite direction of the sounds. Occasionally, she comes across a student or two who are running away. But they don't stop for her and she doesn't stop for them. There is only a silent conversation that passes between them when they lock eyes.

Rachel says: Get out to safety.

And they say: Don't go that way.

But suddenly she finds that her detours have taken her farther from her goal. Along with her realization comes voices, and Rachel Berry is suddenly very, very still.

She flattens herself against the wall, and is inching along the white brick at a snail's pace. Slowly, she reaches her head around the corner she has come to. She cannot make out who it is because of the lockers lining the walls, but they are sitting on the ground. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Rachel knows she has seen the sweater that is tied around the person's calf before, and it is only when Miss. Pillsbury comes around the corner that she finally realizes who it is.

Taking a deep breath Rachel rounds the corner and listens intently as she approaches the two women.

"What?" Miss. Pillsbury stammers. "He's looking for Rachel?"

Rachel tilts her head and says, "Who's looking for me?"

The two women spin around so fast, Rachel fears their necks might snap. But the two women keep their heads and she suddenly realizes that tears are slipping from the corners of her eyes. She's just glad to see people she knows alive. "What the hell is going on?" she whispers, her voice shaking and she wipes at her tears.

Emma Pillsbury eyes flash with uncertainty, though Rachel notices a small flame burning behind the fear. Quinn Fabray, on the other hand, looks just so completely tired. Slowly, Rachel kneels next to the blond and looks at her calf. The sweater is soaked with blood, so much so that she is surprised that Quinn is still conscious, let alone moving.

"Oh my god, Quinn," Rachel shifts her eyes to the ex-Cheerios face. "Are you okay?"

Quinn offers a small smile, though it is laced with pain. "I've been better," she pants.

Rachel's smile is tight and she hesitantly places a hand on the blond's shoulder in comfort. "It's okay. We'll get you out of here."

Quinn nods and seems somewhat relieved, though her forehead is still creased in a sheet of sweat.

"We can't move her," Miss. Pillsbury interrupts, shaking her head. "We need to stay in this room and wait for the police to clear the building."

Rachel straightens and looks around. "Okay." She starts to get up, but Miss. Pillsbury grabs her arm.

"No," the guidance counselor says in a firm voice. "You aren't going anywhere except in this room."

"It's okay," Rachel says calmly. "I'm only going to see if anyone is close and needs help, okay? I'll be back in a second."

She locks eyes with Miss. Pillsbury for a moment and finally the guidance counselor blinks and nods her head. "Okay. Okay, you just stay close. I better be able to see you at all times."

Rachel nods and gets to her feet. Because while she will never be able to forget this day and the helplessness it brought, she will always, always know that when she had the chance to, she tried to help someone. And she can live with that.

Slowly, she creeps along the wall, looking once before she turns the corner onto the guidance hallway. There is a trail of blood, and Rachel knows that it is Quinn's. Again, she is overwhelmed by the amount of red substance that has left the small cheerleaders frame. It is truly a feat of willpower that Quinn Fabray is still moving of her own accord.

Movement catches Rachel's eyes and she shrinks back into the nook of a locked classroom door as a body turns the corner farther down the hallway. Rachel holds her breath and peeks around the frame, finding the staggering body of Suzy Pepper coming towards her.

The approaching brunette's right arm is hanging by her side, blood dripping from her fingertips. There is a small bullet hole visible in her right shoulder and Rachel leaves her hiding place and rushes forward.

"I can't believe he shot me…" Suzy mumbles, stunned.

"Don't talk," Rachel orders, putting the girls' none injured arm over her shoulder. Because the traumatized Suzy is being awfully loud, and even though Rachel doesn't think the shooter is near, that doesn't mean they can relax.

They make their way around the corner and onto the hallway where their hideout classroom is. Suddenly, the hairs on the back of Rachel's neck stand on end. Someone is behind them. Rachel spins quickly and kicks out.

Noah Puckerman goes to ground, clutching his shin in pain.

"What the hell Berry!"

"Noah!" Rachel gasps. "Oh, I'm so sorry!"

Puck waves off her concern and staggers to his feet, "Yeah, yeah, it's fine." He takes in Rachel Berry and her passenger. "Oh, holy shit." His eyes grow wide at the sight of all the blood. "Are you okay?"

"Never better, Puckerman." Suzy mumbles.

"Follow us, Noah," Rachel turns and leads the two to the abandoned classroom. Miss Pillsbury is waiting for them, her face a pale white.

"I told you to stay close," she hisses, worried. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."

Rachel smiles apologetically and leads Suzy and Puck into the classroom. Quinn is lying on the ground, her leg elevated and resting on a chair. Rachel leads Suzy to another chair as Puck rushes forwards and collapses next to Quinn.

"Oh thank god," he murmurs, resting his hand against her cheek. "I went to your locker. But you weren't there. So much blood. I followed it and kept thinking I was going to find you on the ground," he shakes his head. "On the ground…well, you know…"

Quinn smiles. "I'm fine."

Puck swallows furiously and shakes his head. He glances briefly to her leg and his jaw locks in fury. "I'll kill whoever did this to you."

Quinn rests a delicate hand on his clenched fist. "No, you won't."

Rachel watches, as if in a trance, as Puck laughs through his nose and shakes his head. He leans down and kisses Quinn's hand, then her forehead, and then rests his ear against her stomach. "It's okay, Beth, dads here now. Everything's going to be fine."

Rachel's heart beats painfully. She wants Finn to be next to her. She needs Finn to be next to her.

"Who is it?" Puck asks softly. "Did you see?"

"Jacob Israel," Quinn says at the exact moment Suzy says, "Steven Murdock."

The room is silent; everyone processing what had just been said.

"There's more than one?" Rachel hisses.

Suzy's mouth hangs open, her eyes wide. After a moment of silence she says softly, "He actually did it."

"What are you talking about?" Puck asks, though his attention is solely on Quinn and her labored pants.

"I didn't think he would do it." Suzy Pepper shakes her head vigorously. "God, I thought he was just joking around."

Miss Pillsbury stands and walks over to the shaking Suzy. She sits down, but does not get any closer. There's too much blood, and she's already been down that road once today.

"Sweety, what do you mean?" She tries to keep her voice from shaking and preoccupies her hands with taking off her sweater and tying it around the girls bleeding shoulder.

Suzy wipes at her tears and looks to the guidance counselor. "A couple weeks ago, Jacob tells me that he's been thinking about doing something that will make people remember him. He said he had gotten four other people and that they were going to hold McKinley High hostage." She bursts into tears. "But you have to believe me; I never thought he would actually do it. Never."

"You knew this was going to happen?" Puck snarls. "And you didn't tell anyone?"

"Who would have believed me?" Suzy snaps. She looks to Rachel, "You?" She turns to Puck and Quinn, "Or you two?"

Rachel looks away and tries to calm the beating of her heart. Her head is light and swimming with information. Jacob Israel is a shooter and so is Steven Murdock. There are at least two others.

"He's looking for you." Quinn says weakly.

Rachel is drawn back by the blond and she blinks at the ex-cheerios captain. "What?"

"Jacob Israel," Quinn pants. "He asked me if I…knew where you were…He's looking for you, Rachel."

Everyone in the room turns to her, and she is suddenly very uncomfortable. She runs through the facts again, adding that Jacob is looking for her. She remembers her journey from the bathroom. At one point she had come across a lockdown classroom, except the handle on the door was gone and everyone inside was dead. With that realization, she knows she must leave. Because she now knows that it was Jacob who shots those students in the classroom. He shot them because he was looking for her. If she stays here and he finds them, he'll do the exact same thing.

She takes a small step backwards and Miss. Pillsbury in suddenly on her feet. "Don't you dare take a step out of this room, Rachel."

"You don't understand," Rachel shakes her head. "Nothing can stop him if he really is looking for me. I can't stay here and put you all in danger."

"We'll lock the door," Miss. Pillsbury pleads.

Rachel shakes her head. "He'll just shoot the handle off. I saw a lockdown classroom and it was just…death." She swallows furiously and takes another step backwards. "I can't let that happen to you guys."

"No." Miss Pillsbury shakes her head and takes another step towards her.

"Puck, stop her," Quinn snaps, but for some reason, the man kneeling next to her is frozen, his eyes trained on the brunette in the doorway. He always saw Rachel Berry as a self-centered, attention seeking woman. But he realizes that in dire situations, she is a human being and a true friend.

He knows Rachel's not going to sit there and let trouble find her. So he is not surprised when she turns and runs out of the room, but that doesn't mean he wants her to do it.

"Rachel!" Miss Pillsbury yells.

"Come back!" Puck bellows, almost at the same time Quinn says, "No!"

It is nice to be wanted for once, and Rachel feels that if there was any day that she deserved their respect and understanding, it is today. Because she can't idly sit by knowing that a madman is out to get her. She will not knowingly endanger her friends for the sake of her own safety.

If someone were to tell Rachel Berry that she was about to experience the worst day of her life, odds are she'd smile slightly and disagree.

If someone were to tell her she was living her last day on Earth, she'd laugh at such an outlandish thought. She'd tell them that they were being even more dramatic than her, and that that was saying something.

But secretly, she would think about it. She would go through the scenario of her supposed 'last day on Earth' over and over in her head. She would think about it and realize that if she were living her last day, she would want to spend it with the one person that matters to her most. Which means she wouldn't spend it with Jesse St. James or Shelby Cochran. She wouldn't spend it with her fathers. She certainly wouldn't spend it in a classroom with Miss. Pillsbury the guidance counselor, Suzy Pepper, Quinn Fabray and Noah Puckerman.

She would spend it with Finn Hudson, because she loves him.

And Rachel Berry doesn't think she has ever been as honest as that.