ABOVE THE INFLUENCE
11:04 A.M
"We dead?" Rivers sticks his head out.
"They didn't shoot at us dumb-ass." Lynn glares out the window. She clutches her stomach mumbling, "Damn it too."
"Maybe it's a trick? I mean what if their joshing us?" Ziggy peeps out the window.
"You mean like using verse psychology? Making us think we're safe, then BAM! Gets us when we're all standing up in view of the window? That sort of thing?" I lift my ski hat up over my eyes.
"You guys done with your made up shit of surprise attacks? Look out the window. The NYP moved away from the school, an' back behind their vehicles." Rodney pulls the blinds up. "Their waiting on something."
"Probably for a chance to come into the school." Lester gets up off the floor. "We have to do something about the stairwells."
"I know of a place where we can get chains and locks." Ziggy gets up, then makes his way over to the door. "We can easily lock the gates to the stairs, then throw furniture or things down them."
"A'right then. Go block the stairwells." Lester sits down on a chair facing Jackson taking out the gun. "I'll watch him." I crawl my way out from under the desk, and run after Ziggy and them toward the Teacher's lounge.
11:07 A.M.
"Here." Ziggy places six chains and five locks into my open arms. Walking toward one of the stairwells, Rodney and Rivers sprint pass me, causing me to drop some of the locks.
"Jesus." I bend over trying to balance the locks in my arms, and grabbing them off the floor.
"Gwen." Stephanie comes over, and snatches them up. "Look at them." She speaks softly handing me the locks. "I swear. You give guys a gun, and chains. An' they act like their three in candy store." I stare at Rodney and Rivers, who are throwing desks and chairs over the gates. "Let me help you."
On opposite sides we each grasp a rusty old gate and head toward each other. Screech. I try hard not to flinch, as the metal moans against the broken tile. We are about half way when they come to a sudden halt in the middle.
"Kind of looks like those gate things from Titanic. The ones that block the stairs." I thread a chain between the half closed gate.
"Yeah, but there's enough space to slid through."
"Hmm?" She is right. There is enough space to slide through between the gap.
"Y'know we still have a chance." Stephanie kicks at the door with her toe. "I probably still can get a scholarship, even though Armstrong suspended me. Maybe even you." I slide the chains off my arm, dropping them to the floor.
"Steph. Even if we where to get out now… what about the officers outside? I don't think they will let us go freely." She only nods her head. "An' Jackson. What do you think Lester would do? Or Rodney? Anyone of them could kill him. An' I know you don't want that to happen, and neither do I." I pick up the lock I let hanging from the gate, and start threading it again.
"Gwen? What's with the sudden change of staying?" My hands come to a sudden halt. "You didn't want to stay before. Maybe you should go." Trevor comes back into my mind that instant. My own words stabbing me. An anger opens up.
"Violence won't get us a scholarship to any school outside of Queens Step. If we go out there," I gesture to the stairs, "They probably wouldn't give us one, 'cause holding someone hostage won't look good one our reassumes." I turn to face her, then whisper, "However if we work this situation to our advantage, and say that we are witness hostages, they can clear us up like an honest mistake."
"Your acting selfish." She gaps at me.
"Selfish. Stephanie look at you. Your thinking of leaving out this door, trying to go an get a scholarship for yourself, when you want to stay here with Jackson."
"Well maybe I might go." She tugs the chain off the door.
"Y'know I have other reasons for staying here. Maybe it's 'cause I do want a scholarship, or maybe 'cause I don't want someone to get hurt, 'cause they don't disserve it." I stomp off down the hall, slaming the door as I walk into the "media room."