Chapter Eight: In the Hallway
-MILEY'S P.O.V-
"I think we should jump" a boy said, shaking with fear. More gunshots were fired into the room.
Something outside the window caught my eye. I leaned out and looked to my left. Some people were jumping out the window. But, one person caught my eye.
"JACKSON!" I shrieked as I watched him drop. Tears immediately came to my eyes. "JACKSON!" I felt Jake put a comforting hand on my shoulder.
I turned and saw Jake staring out the window. I leaned into him and he put his arm around my shoulders, pulling me close. I looked back out the window just in time to see Jackson slam into the ground. He rolled over twice and stopped moving.
"JACKSON!" I yelled, afraid that he might be dead. I was so scared for my brother, that I didn't even notice the gun shots stopped.
"I'm sure he's all right, Miley. But, after watching that. I don't think jumping out of a window this high up is a good idea" Jake said quietly. He paused for a moment. "Look, I hear sirens. He'll be all right."
"I-I just didn't know he was th-that close to me. He mu-must've been in the other classroom that B-Blake shot in" I choked out. Jake let out a sigh and rubbed my arm. I felt shivers go up my spine. 'Jake is so amazing. I never knew he could be this compassionate' I thought, burying my head into Jake's chest and continued to cry.
"It's ok, Miley. But, right now, we need to get out of here" Jake said quietly, slowly dropping his arm off my shoulders. He turned and quietly crawled along the floor, towards the windows.
"Jake, no" I whispered, wiping my tears.
"I'll be fine, Miles" Jake replied quietly, continuing towards the windows.
I slid down the wall until I was sitting. I had a bad feeling about Jake going towards the windows, but I found that I couldn't move. My heart beat faster in my chest and I felt warm all over.
I watched as Jake slowly got to his knees and got up to full height. He wiped his sweaty palms on his pants legs and put his hands on the blinds. He slowly drew them aside and-
BANG!
"JAKE!" I shrieked. Jake let out a choked cry and slowly fell onto his back, eyes closed. . .
-LILLY'S P.O.V-
'Oh my god, Oliver. Why god? Why him?' I thought, shaking with fear.
"Melody" I heard Lucas whisper to my right.
I looked closely at the girl. Yep, she definitely resembled Lucas. The same face and eyes. Her hair was the same shade as his only it was longer and in pig tails. I looked closer and saw that they both were injured.
"Oh god. He shot them" Aly and Amy said quietly.
"YOU BASTARD!" Lucas yelled, rushing forward.
The shooter whirled around and screamed as Lucas sailed into him. The two of them hit the floor and rolled around on the ground, kicking and punching each other.
"Aaron?" Aly and Amy cried in shock.
'How do they know who Aaron is?' I asked, backing up a couple of paces as 'Aaron' and Lucas rolled towards me. I noticed the gun in Aaron's hand and shivered. "Be careful Lucas."
"What the hell is your problem?" Lucas yelled, slamming Aaron's shoulders into the ground. He punched Aaron and his nose started to bleed immediately. "Shooting at kids. Injuring kids. Killing kids! You freak! What is the matter with you! You're psycho!"
Lucas cried out in pain as Aaron back slapped him with the butt of the gun in his hand. Lucas felt the cut along his cheek. I saw his eyes harden. I didn't think Lucas could ever get this mad. He seemed to be out of control. But, it must be for Melody.
FLASHBACK
"Oliver?" I called out over the screams. There was another gunshot and I covered my head with my arms as glass showered down on me. I jumped as someone grabbed my arm. U turned and saw a boy with dark brown hair.
"Come with me. I'll keep you safe" he said in a rushed tone. He started to pull me down the hall.
"But, what about my friends?" I asked.
"You can't stay in the halls. The shooter might still be out here" he replied.
"But, my friends-"
"Do you want to die? Cuz if you do, I can leave you out here" the boy said angrily, stopping in his tracks.
"What's your name?" I asked quietly. The boy stared at me for a moment.
"Lucas" he replied quietly. "I was separated from my twin sister Melody. The last school shooting we were in, at our old school, nearly took my life. We were separated then, too. I told her that it wouldn't happen again. I guess it did."
-
"No, we're not. I'll keep you protected as well as I can" Lucas said as he leaned against the bathroom door. "If the person. . .or persons come in here, I'll do whatever I can to get the gun out of their hands."
"Brave words" I said quietly. Lucas stared hard at me, causing me to shiver. I knew why he was trying to be brave.
"But, what if we all get shot?" another girl asked, she was crammed underneath the row of sinks. Lucas hesitated before replying.
"Pray to god that you will live. But, if you do get shot and you don't die. Don't scream or whimper or cry. Just lean over and pretend you're dead. They won't shoot you again" Lucas replied quietly.
"You seem to know everything to do" another girl commented. Lucas sighed.
"I was in a school shooting at my old school. Nearly took my life. A bullet went through my back and punctured a lung" Lucas replied, staring off into space. "You all know my twin, Melody?" Some of the girls nodded, I was included. "I was separated from her then. Same as this time. We were friends with the shooter. Melody has never been the same since."
END FLASHBACK
"Lucas!" Melody shrieked and limped forward.
"Melody, no!" Oliver cried, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her back. I bristled with anger. 'I can't be jealous of her. They're only together because of the shooting. They're not together.'
"Lucas" Melody moaned, tears coming down her face.
"They must be really close" I muttered.
"They are. They're hardly away from each other. And if they are, they meet back up with each other ASAP" Aly whispered.
Our attention got turned back to the fight when Lucas let out a loud scream of pain. Aaron was twisting Lucas's arm behind his back with one hand. The other had the gun pointed at his head. Melody turned and buried her face into Oliver's chest. Lucas squeezed his eyes shut and screamed at the loud snap as his arm was broken.
Oliver firmly pushed Melody away from him and ran towards Aaron, knocking him off of Lucas. Melody rushed over to Lucas and helped him stand. She threw her arms around him in a tight hug, cautious about his right arm that was hanging at an odd angle.
"OLIVER" I screamed as he and Aaron slammed into the ground, letting out low grunts of pain.
The gun slipped out of Aaron's hand and skidded a few feet away, in between Aaron and Oliver. Both of them looked at each other and then at the gun. Amy, Aly, and I were frozen. Watching with fear coursing through our bodies.
Aaron and Oliver got to their feet and rushed over to the gun. They dove through the air and landed on their stomachs. They crawled the rest of the way to the gun and dove on top of it. Their hands wrapped around the gun and a deafening bang erupted in the hallway.
All was quiet. Then Melody and Lucas fell. . .