Lucas

Nathan and I were late! Really late! Before you question, it was totally his fault. He was talking to Haley till late hours of the night and refused to wake up. Anyway, he was speeding the car now with the aim to get us to school before the bell rang. It seemed impossible with each passing second though.

"Nathan, look!" I yelled as he parked the car in our usual spot.

"What in the world?" He expressed, as dozens of kids swarmed out of the corridors and ran around while screaming their lungs out. I just stared, completely confused, trying to comprehend why they looked so scared.

We stepped out of the car and walked towards the entrance of the school.

"What is going on here?" Whitey asked as he stepped out of a school bus which had just reached.

"Coach! Somebody has a gun, and they are shooting!" Mouth yelled as he ran towards us.

"What!" The three of us screamed in unison.

"My God! Everybody, get on the bus right now!" His voice echoed even in the open.

Most of the kids had already started running his way as the shoved their way inside.

"Haley!" Nathan yelled. "She came here with Brooke in the morning. They're inside."

My face immediately lost its pallor as ghastly images haunted my mind.

"I have to go save her!" I said aloud. However, Nathan was quicker than me. He had already made it halfway to the main doors.

"Boys! Boys!" Whitey yelled as I chased behind Nate. "Mouth, get in the bus! Nathan, Lucas, get back here!"

However, neither of us paid heed to his calls as I tried to catch up to my brother.

I did turn around though, to see Whitey sighing as he slammed the doors shut.

"Move on! Gary, go, go!" He yelled to the driver who was quick to follow his instructions.

"So, you got a plan?" I asked Nathan as we entered the office. He was lifting a baseball bat.

"Yeah, I'm going to go to the Tutor Centre and rescue Haley." He said with so much seriousness on his face that I almost believed his plan, but that was only for a second.

"You're kidding, right? That's your big plan?" I scoffed.

"You got a better one?" He sneered. In all honesty, his expressions surprised me given that we were in a very dire situation.

"And what, you're gonna stop a bullet with a baseball bat? Hey, Nathan, someone has a gun in here." I glared at him.

"Lucas, I know that. OK? I know this is stupid... but what if something happens to Haley, huh?" He gritted his teeth.

"Most heroes are dead Nate!" I spoke without thinking as he was making his way out.

"It's Haley Lucas." He simply stated before walking out.

"Wait up!" I whispered.

However, I ended up bumping into Nathan as he stood there mesmerised by the floor somehow. It was when I peeked over his shoulder that I realised what was holding his attention.

There on the floor a pool of blood.

"Nathan, what if it's Brooke's?" I said. I didn't have the appetite to complete that sentence.

"No Lucas. Don't go there!" Nathan instructed.

"Well, somebody is in the library and by the looks of it, they are hurt." I concluded.

"I have to look for Haley who I think must have run to the tutor centre which is down the hall. I really hope she is there and safe." He spoke with emotion.

"Nathan?" I looked at him big eyes. I tried to get the words out, but was at a complete loss as to how was I supposed to cough them out.

"Yeah, you too man." He said, understanding what I meant, which I was grateful for.

We were quick to split ways.

I steadily made my way towards the library, grabbing the handle of the door and swinging it gently. The library doors don't lock, which made it even more daunting.

Just as I had suspected, there lay another puddle of blood. The red liquid formed a clear trail, indicating that somebody was shot.

Taking my time, I steadied the bat and followed the murky trail that the victim of this cruel violence had left behind. Or so I hoped.

I heard somebody whimper, making my nerves tingle even more with fright. However, I was determined to follow the sound. Walking around, I tried to locate the shelf behind which the person was hiding. The soft cries became even more audible as I ran the the far right of the room.

That's when I saw a figure. My bat was ready and my brain had informed my hands to reflex and hit at even the slightest doubt.

A strong snivel made its way as my alert hands aimed to take the action. But, they immediately stopped as the saw a broken and confused figure trying to hold it together instead.