Chapter Fourteen-Finding the Light in the Darkness
"Mag? I was looking everywhere for you," X-Ray said with a sigh once he looked around the room and saw his Hispanic friend sitting on a desk. Glare was next to him and they both had worried looks on their faces. "What's wrong with you two?"
"There's someone in this school with a gun," Glare responded. "Someone got shot. They say it was a girl but they won't who she is or any other information like that."
"What're you so worried about then?" X-Ray asked as she sat on a table across from them.
"It could be my sister, man!" Glare shouted. "She could be dead for all we know! I have to go find her!" He jumped up and made his way towards the door but Magnet and X-Ray grabbed him by the arms. "Let go of me! I have to see if she's ok! I have to! I have to!"
"And getting shot along the way isn't going to help matters!" Magnet groaned as he and X-Ray managed to pull Glare back in his seat and keep him there.
"Your sister is not dead and she won't die," X-Ray reassured him. "She's smart, she'll know what to do if she does get put in a bad situation, got it?"
Glare just stared at his hands as they slowly let go of his shoulders. He didn't want to think that it was his sister who got shot, but he couldn't help thinking it. He knew that, if confronted, Icy would end up talking her way to death. She always talked her way into bad situations and…He shook his head to get the thought out. Suddenly, there was a loud bang on the door and everyone fell silent. There was a loud bang and a groan of pain. They turned to see blood seeping out of a guy's chest before he fell to the ground.
Girls started to scream and back away as the door started to rattle on it's hinges from the battering of the door. Glare jumped up and, with some of the guy's help, propped a table up against the door and held it. Glare felt small pieces of the door hit the top of his head where bullets shot through the door.
The noise stopped as footsteps faded in the distance. Glare stayed by the door as his chest heaved from the mixture of fear and adrenaline. The other guys stayed with him by the door as a girl walked over to check on the bleeding boy.
"H-He's dead," she whispered as she looked up at them all. He recognized Jennifer, the girl that Squid was seen talking to a lot lately. "Oh my god, we're going to be next! I don' want to die!"
"Shut up!" X-Ray snapped. "We're not going to die, but we'll bring the killer back here if you don't stop screaming!"
"What're we going to do, X?" Magnet asked as he looked over at him.
"We're going to plan our escape, that's what." X-Ray responded. "Close the blinds and stay away from the window. You guys by the door, whatever happens, don't let go of that door incase the shooter comes back. The rest of you, come with me to the back so we can plan our escape."
"What about Lucas?" Jennifer asked as she bit her thumbnail and stared at the unmoving figure on the floor.
"We have to worry about ourselves right now," Magnet said gently as he led her over to the group that was at the back of the classroom.
'Dear God please let me survive this.' Glare thought as he slumped slightly against the table.
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"Damn! Damn! Damn!" Squid cursed every time he came to a door that wouldn't open. He was beginning to get frantic as he searched for a place to hide while the school was under lockdown. He couldn't get into classrooms and he couldn't get out the front door. Hiding in a locker or the bathroom wouldn't help him either. "The Library!" He turned on his heel and ran down the hallway as fast as he could. He entered the library and closed the door behind himself as quietly as he could.
He rushed past the shelves before ducking down behind the librarian's desk. He heard slight movements of people around him as he tried to catch his breath and slow down his beating heart. 'I'll make it out alive. I'll see Ally again.'
"Squid?" A familiar voice asked softly.
"Twitch! Zero! Caveman!" Squid sighed with relief as he rested his head on the side of the desk. "Where's Armpit?"
"We don't know? We got split up when people stared running for a place to hide," Caveman responded from behind the fax machine. "Do you know who's doing this?"
"No," Squid responded as he shook his head. "But we'll be fine," he paused and added, "who'm I kidding? This is worse than Green Lake, and that was hell."
"You can't compare this to Camp Green Lake. Nothing as dangerous as this has happened while we were there!" Twitch hissed.
"Save it, Spazzy!" Squid spat with a sneer. "I don't have to listen to a backstabber like you!"
"Are you guys still arguing over Icy?" Zero asked as he looked at them. "I thought you were over her."
"Guys, we have better things to think about," Caveman interrupted. "Like out lives!"
"I'm getting out of here before Twitch ends mine by backstabbing me…again!" Squid declared as he crawled out from under the desk and made his way towards the door.
"Squid don't be stupid! You'll be killed!" Caveman cried out.
"It's better than being in here!"
Ignoring the shouts coming from his friends he left the room by pushing open the door with so much force that it banged against the opposite wall and created a hole. The bang echoed down the hall as Squid turned in the other direction and stomped down the hall, muttering under his breath. 'Why'm I still so mad about Twitch and Icy? I'm 100 percent over her…I think. God, I gave away the best thing that has ever happened to me.'
"Squid!" He whirled around only to be knocked into lockers by the force of the hug he received. A familiar scent of coconut and vanilla drifted up to his nose and he instantly recognized who it was and hugged the person close to him as a familiar happy feeling washed over him. "I'm so glad you're ok," Icy said as she pulled away from him.
"I'm surprised you care about my well-being," Squid couldn't help but say as he looked her over, making sure she was ok. She had a couple of scratches and bruises but other than that, he saw, she was fine. He couldn't help but feel relief wash over him. "Wait a second, what're you doing out here? Don't you know there's a gunman on the loose?"
"I could ask you the same thing," Icy stated as she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. "Excuse me for caring about my friends so much."
"So, even after we broke up, you still consider me your friend?"
"This isn't the time for this conversation, Squid. We have to get out of here now!" Icy turned and started rushing down the hallway, towards the front of the school. Rolling his eyes and cursing under his breath, Squid followed her. They made their way down the hall as quickly and as quietly as they could. Something was nagging at the back of Icy's mind but she pushed it away as they turned the corner…and she tripped over a metal trashcan. "Shit!" the sound of metal hitting the floor echoed down the hall as Icy scrambled to her feet. As Squid grasped her arm and helped pulled her to her feet, footsteps came towards them at a rapid pace. "NO!" She screamed as the gun shot echoed down the hall.
"Uh…" Squid gasped as she staggered backwards before falling to the ground, blood coming out of his side.
"No! No no no no!" Icy cried as she moved to his side. She looked up and locked eyes with Miles as he shakily lowered his hand. "Miles…don't do this anymore, please!" She sobbed as she untied Squid's do rag and pressed it against the wound on his side. "Miles…please, put the gun away and leave the school."
"I'll be…sent to jail…won't I?" He asked as he slowly lowered his hand to his side and held her gaze. She just nodded as she tucked her hair behind her ear. "I'm…Icy, I'm…I'm sorry…about this…about Nikita…"
"You shot Nikita?" Icy demanded as she glared at him.
"I-It was an accident…I…I never meant…" Miles was sobbing to hard to finish his sentence. He looked back and forth from the gun in his hand to Icy's tear streaked face as she checked if Squid was still breathing, his still eyes staring up at the ceiling. "I'm sorry…" he muttered before holding the gun to his head and squeezing his eyes shut. He pulled the trigger and there was a low pop as he fell to the ground, lifeless.
"No, no, no, no!" Icy muttered as she pressed harder on Squid's wound. "HELP! SOMEONE HELP!" She called as she looked over at Miles and saw blood coming from the hole in his head. "Squid…c'mon man, c'mon. Don't die," she said as she shook him. He stirred slightly and groaned in pain.
"Don't worry, Ice…I won't leave you," he said slowly as he gasped for air, his breaths coming out ragged from the pain. "Because…well…I still love ya, Ice."
"Even after everything I did to you?" she asked in a shocked voice as she checked his wound.
"Yea…I never got over you. You're the first person I loved, you kinda can't take that away from someone," he responded as he laughed a little. Then he squeezed his eyes shut at the pain. "But…you're with Twitch now…"
"Yeah…" Icy said softly as she sat back and waited for teachers to come. Once they arrived they immediately called the paramedics. Icy was taken away for questioning by a news crew as students were being released from the classrooms. She stopped when she saw the sad look on Zigzag's face and immediately went over to him to give him a hug. She automatically knew what had happened and wanted to make him feel better, although she knew a hug wouldn't help. Zigzag held her tightly as he rested his cheek on her head, trying to keep the tears from falling from his cheeks.
She led him outside where they met up with the rest of D-tent, minus Squid, Armpit, and Nikita. Ally, Shorty, and Maggie came over from the other school to see what has happened. Ally burst out crying and went into hysterics once she figured out that Squid was one of the five people who were shot.
"C'mon guys," X-Ray said after a while of them standing around in silence. "Let's go to the hospital and check on them. The sooner we go to get the news the better we'll be able to handle whatever news gets sent our way, aiight?"
"C'mon Mags," Zigzag said as he picked his little sister off of the ground and made their way to his car. Ally followed him but not before giving Shorty a quick hug. Glare picked her up and held her close as they slowly left the school. They walked to Nikita's place and picked up Leon, told him the news, and walked with him to the hospital. They walked in and had to sit in the waiting room a while before any information on their friends were released. Nikita got a bullet in her leg, but she would survive. The bullet that hit Squid missed his organs and he would be fine too. Armpit was in the worst condition; he got shot and the bullet punctured his lung. Since he was found later than he should have been, he had a fifty fifty chance of surviving.
"Niki! Niki!" Leon called as she walked into the waiting room on her crutches. He nearly knocked her over. She stumbled a little bit on his crutches but caught her balance and hugged him back, telling him not to cry. She looked up and smiled as Zigzag moved closer to her. "Hey baby."
"I'm so glad you're ok," he said as he squeezed her tightly and kissed the top of her head. "I'm just sorry you got hurt."
"I've felt worse," Nikita said as she shrugged it off. "Not that I don't appreciate you caring so much, I'm worried about Armpit and Squid. What's the doctors say? Can we see them?"
"We can only see Squid, but we can only go two at a time," Magnet responded. "Glare is visiting Squid with Ally, and then Shorty and Maggie are going while we wait for news on Pit."
"Where're Twitch and Icy?" Nikita asked as she looked around. "Icy I at least figured would be here to greet me."
"Twitch is breaking up with her," Zigzag responded in a surprisingly calm voice. "Turns out he didn't love her like Squid loved her. I guess he fell in love with the fact that a girl wanted to be his friend. I don't think she loved him all along either."
Before they could say anything Glare, Ally, Shorty, and Maggie walked back into the waiting room. Ally had dried tears on her face but she was smiling either way and was talking quietly with Shorty and Maggie. "Squid wants to talk to Icy," Glare announced as he looked around the room. "Where is she?"
"Right here," Icy responded as she walked back into the waiting room, Twitch following close behind. Nikita peered closely at Twitch's face and surprisingly saw a look of relief on it. Icy walked past them and went straight through the doors that led to the patients' rooms. She asked a doctor for directions and walked to Squid's room. She knocked on the door and waited to hear his muffled 'Come in.'" Once she did she hesitantly pushed open the door and walked inside. She paused n the door way when she saw the acoustic guitar on Squid's lap that he was playing and was singing softly.
I found a line and then it grew
I found myself still thinking of you
I felt so empty and now I'm fine
But still it's burning, when will you be mine?
Too much of the same stories in our lives
I think it's time for change, don't you?
Too much of the same stories in our lives
(I think it's time for us to walk away from here)
Stories in our lives, we keep them all inside
Look at me still in your mind
Our memories so intertwined
Well you broke through and found your way
And so did I no need to stay
The same old picture, tried and true
Been through there, let's look for something new
Too much of the same stories in our lives
I think it's time for change, don't you?
Too much of the same stories in our lives
(I think it's time for us to walk away from here)
Do you remember lying on the beach so late at night
Do you remember running through the sprinklers that night
Do you remember all the songs that I have wrote for you,
All the songs that I have wrote for you
(For you)
I remember, the way you made me feel when I was with you
I remember, the smile that always brought me back to you
That look in your eyes, I never thought that this could be untrue [x2
Too much of the same stories in our lives
I think it's time for change, don't you?
Too much of the same stories in our lives
(I think it's time for us to walk away from here)
(Untrue
Do do da da
do do da da
do do da da
do do da da
do yeah yeah yeah)
Too much of the same stories in our lives
I think it's time for change, don't you?
Too much of the same stories in our lives
(I think it's time for us to walk away from here)
"Just the girl I wanted to see," he said once his eyes landed on her and he put the guitar on the ground. "Sit," he added as he pointed to the chair that was next to the bed. Icy remained silent as she sat down in the chair. "Now, why did Twitch break up with you?"
"You know why," Icy responded as she ran a hand through her hair.
"Icy, I've been through enough pain in my life, don't do it to me again," he said as he stared intently at her. "Look, I love you, and I hope you love me in return. I will do anything I can to protect you, along with Ally. You two are the most important, and only, girls in my life and I don't want to lose either of you."
"Squid," Icy started with a sigh, but he held up his hand to silence her.
"I'm not done yet. You see that on the table?" He pointed across the room. Icy turned to look and nodded. "Bring it over here and open it." Giving him a puzzled look, she did as she was told and crossed the room. She sat back down the box her in hands and looked at him. He gave her an encouraging nod and she ripped the paper off of the box. She opened the other box that was in her hands and her eyes widened.
"Y-you…" she stuttered as she tried to make a sentence.
"When I turn eighteen I plan on leaving this city with Ally, and I want to take you with me, so we can start our own lives. That's why I'm giving you that ring; I want to marry you, Icy." Her mouth opened and closed as she tried to answer him. He stared at her expectantly as she reached over, grabbed the pillow that was behind his head, and hit him with it. "Ow! What the hell?"
"You idiot!" She practically shouted. "You could've been killed! When were you planning on asking me?"
"A couple of days ago."
"And how come you didn't?"
"I got cold feet?" Icy couldn't help but grin at his answer. She leaned over and pressed her lips against his in a passionate kiss, which he returned with the same intensity. Once they pulled away he kissed her forehead and held her hand. "I want to be with you forever."
"But what about your mother and father?" Icy questioned as she stared at him. "They would battle you for custody and, judging by how they're older than you, they'd win."
"They can't beat me," Squid said as he shook his head. "I have one thing that they don't: love. Love for Ally. They just throw her around like some rag doll and I won't let them do it ever again!"
"Do you know how long it will take to get a court case in session?"
"Why're you trying to stop me from doing this?"
"What I'm trying to do is help you see the facts and not rush into it and blow your chances! You have to go into this logically so you have a great case to get Ally to rightfully be your responsibility!" Icy sighed and continued. "I know all about this Squid, so trust me. I've been trying to get away from my father for years but I never won a case. Partly because I was just a kid and partly because I didn't know what I was doing and he always had something against me."
Squid just stared at her as Icy stayed silent, letting the words sink in. Before he could say anything the door opened and Icy turned her head to see X-Ray walk in. He smiled a little and gave Squid a wave, which he returned as X-Ray asked, "How're you feeling man?"
"Like a million bucks besides the bullet in my side," Squid responded with a chuckle. "How's Pit?"
X-Ray took a breath and responded surprisingly calmly, "He's gone…"