Disclaimer: I own nothing.
From the bus, all of the students stared in awe at the huge cylinders of fire emerging from their school. While comforting Miranda, a thought crossed Lizzie's mind.
"Oh my God." Lizzie gasped. "Miranda, what about Gordo?!"
Miranda pulled back from Lizzie in fear. "We have to get off this bus!" As the two friends walked down the aisle of the bus towards the door, the bus driver stood up and blocked their exit.
"Sorry, girls," the stout bus driver said in a low voice, "but you can't leave this bus. Safety hazard, ya know."
"But we have to get off this bus! Our friend is inside!" Lizzie was screaming frantically.
"And what are you girls going to do about it? Even if I could let you off this bus, which I can't and won't, there is no way you could get close to that building, let alone inside to save your friend," the bus driver explained. "I'm sorry, but there's just nothing I can do."
With that, Lizzie and Miranda walked sullenly back to their seat in the back of the bus, thinking the worst.
"Wh-what if Gordo was on the top floor, and they can't reach him in time, and he's engulfed by flames, and." Miranda began.
"Miranda, hold on. We don't even know if Gordo is in the school." Lizzie tried to console Miranda, but her fright showed through her voice.
"He's always at school early, and definitely on the first day of high school!" Miranda argued.
"Well." Lizzie started, but knew Miranda was right. Gordo was definitely in the building, and maybe he wouldn't get out.
Then, and idea struck Lizzie. "The emergency exits." Lizzie whispered.
"What?" asked Miranda.
"The emergency exits! We can get off this bus and save Gordo!"
"Lizzie, the bus driver is right. There is no way we can get close to the building!"
"I guess you're right." Lizzie shrunk down in her seat and a tear rolled down her cheek. She glanced through the window, hoping to see Gordo running down the sidewalk in fear of missing homeroom. Instead, she saw something quite different.
Lizzie stared at a window near the formerly well-kempt garden in front of their school. She saw a book go flying out the window. And another. And another. She thought there might be someone in there, but she doubted it. Then, she saw a bright purple, oversized notebook drop from the window sill.
She recognized the notebook. She had bought it for Gordo as a joke over the summer, after he had made fun of her purple notebooks. "Gordo!" Lizzie gasped. Without thinking, Lizzie flung open the bus emergency exit in the back of the bus and started running towards the school.
From the bus, all of the students stared in awe at the huge cylinders of fire emerging from their school. While comforting Miranda, a thought crossed Lizzie's mind.
"Oh my God." Lizzie gasped. "Miranda, what about Gordo?!"
Miranda pulled back from Lizzie in fear. "We have to get off this bus!" As the two friends walked down the aisle of the bus towards the door, the bus driver stood up and blocked their exit.
"Sorry, girls," the stout bus driver said in a low voice, "but you can't leave this bus. Safety hazard, ya know."
"But we have to get off this bus! Our friend is inside!" Lizzie was screaming frantically.
"And what are you girls going to do about it? Even if I could let you off this bus, which I can't and won't, there is no way you could get close to that building, let alone inside to save your friend," the bus driver explained. "I'm sorry, but there's just nothing I can do."
With that, Lizzie and Miranda walked sullenly back to their seat in the back of the bus, thinking the worst.
"Wh-what if Gordo was on the top floor, and they can't reach him in time, and he's engulfed by flames, and." Miranda began.
"Miranda, hold on. We don't even know if Gordo is in the school." Lizzie tried to console Miranda, but her fright showed through her voice.
"He's always at school early, and definitely on the first day of high school!" Miranda argued.
"Well." Lizzie started, but knew Miranda was right. Gordo was definitely in the building, and maybe he wouldn't get out.
Then, and idea struck Lizzie. "The emergency exits." Lizzie whispered.
"What?" asked Miranda.
"The emergency exits! We can get off this bus and save Gordo!"
"Lizzie, the bus driver is right. There is no way we can get close to the building!"
"I guess you're right." Lizzie shrunk down in her seat and a tear rolled down her cheek. She glanced through the window, hoping to see Gordo running down the sidewalk in fear of missing homeroom. Instead, she saw something quite different.
Lizzie stared at a window near the formerly well-kempt garden in front of their school. She saw a book go flying out the window. And another. And another. She thought there might be someone in there, but she doubted it. Then, she saw a bright purple, oversized notebook drop from the window sill.
She recognized the notebook. She had bought it for Gordo as a joke over the summer, after he had made fun of her purple notebooks. "Gordo!" Lizzie gasped. Without thinking, Lizzie flung open the bus emergency exit in the back of the bus and started running towards the school.