The hallways of the school were completely empty. Notebooks, papers and book bags lay scattered on the ground. Lockers were left open and it was easy to imagine kids running through the halls, opening their lockers and grabbing something, not bothering to shut it. Santana glanced around at everything she saw laying spread out in the hallway. She stepped over someone's book bag, glancing behind her. She hated being out in the open like this where anyone could see her. She remembered hearing them, the ringing of three shots through the hallways. Now flashing back, she recalled immediately getting her phone out to call Brittany. In that terrifying moment, luckily the blonde had answered.
"Hello? Santana?" Brittany asked, the signal was terrible in this school so her voice was cracking with static.
"Britt. Are you okay? Where are you?" Santana asked, hurriedly. She hoped that her girlfriend would be able to hear her.
"Yep. I'm fine…I'm in the hallway right now though because everyone else ran out so I went too." Santana could tell that Brittany was running now. "I don't know why they're all running… and now they're all trying to get through the front exit. They can't all fit at once."
"You're by the exit? Get out Britt! Get out now!" Santana exclaimed into the line, trying to keep it simple for her. There was more shuffling on the line and Santana could hear Britt panting heavily.
"I'm out. Gosh…all these people are breathing down my neck." Brittany said and Santana could almost picture her girlfriend rolling her eyes. She longed to see her and be out of this school, but she wasn't sure how and if she would get out.
"I love you, Britt. You know that right? Don't forget that…ever." Santana told her, just in case this ending badly. She had to make sure that Britt knew that she loved her before she hung up.
"W….ha….t?" The signal was getting worse.
"I love you Brittany!" Santana yelled into the phone, glancing around. She didn't see anyone so she turned her attention back to her phone as Britt replied.
"I…lo…ve….you….to…o…." Santana was confused at first because it sounded too choppy to understand, but seconds later she figured out what Britt had said.
"Okay I'll text you." Santana hung up the phone and glanced down at the messages that she already received. The cheerleader couldn't help, but find herself smiling. Even during a school shooting I'm STILL popular. She thought, smugly. She sat down against the wall where all the other students had huddled and started reading through all the texts.
From Quinn: Where are you?
From Brittany: I love you! :P
Santana rolled her eyes at the text that Brittany had sent her; it was incredible that in no matter what situation it was Britt would be totally oblivious of what was going on. It was almost refreshing. As she thought about her girlfriend she totally forgot to text Quinn back.
To Britt: Is anyone else outside?
Santana was curious if anyone else had gotten out. She clutched her phone tightly in her hand and glanced at one of the boys next to her as footsteps clanked down the hall. It sounded like boots, but she wasn't completely sure. It was hard to tell when they walked so slowly. They started to slow down as the person, whoever it was..., stopped in front of their door. Santana immediately sprang up remembering that this classroom was one of the classrooms that had a door connected to the classroom directly next door. She stepped over to the teacher's desk as quietly as she could and grabbed the master key. With shaking hands she managed to unlock the door and go into the next room, a couple of the kids followed but others stayed where they were, too paralyzed to move. Just as she shut the door behind her and locked it, she saw one of the shooters turn the doorknob to the door of the room they had just left. From where they were they could hear what he was saying.
"Where's Santana Lopez?" His voice was rough and unfriendly. "She's supposed to be in this class right now!" He exclaimed, "Someone tell me. Do any of you know?"
Santana's heart was beating rapidly in her chest and she hoped none of the other students would give away where she had gone. Luckily all of them were still to frozen with fear to reply. The gunman shook his head and let out a frustrated sigh.
"You guys are worthless!" He yelled, loudly before shooting off his gun and walking out of the room. His shoes walked a little ways down the hall before he stopped in another room down the hall a little bit. Santana opened the door again and poked her head into the room.
"Who's hurt?" She breathed to the closest person, who just shook their head with a terrified expression on his face.
"He just s-shot it at the wall. He…he didn't h-hit anyone." The guy told her and she nodded, thankfully. She didn't want to be the reason that someone got shot, imagine that being on your conscience. She re-entered the room she had previously been in and was going to check her phone again when she heard a shot ring down the hall. It made her flinch and she closed her eyes tightly. The sound of boots started to get fainter and fainter after that until she couldn't even hear them at all.
That was when she had stood up and left to try and find the exit, to end up where she was now. Scared, tired and completely alone. She clutched her phone tightly in her hand and kept moving down the hall. She was getting close to the exit in the front of the school now, closer to her girlfriend and her friends. Her phone let out a small beeping noise and she looked down at it.
From Quinn: This is Sam. Quinn's hurt. We need help. Find Puck.
Quinn. Santana closed her eyes and brought her hands to her face. She let out a quick sigh before continuing to the exit. There was no way of knowing where Quinn was so the best thing for her to do was to get out and tell the police. She glanced behind her quickly, but still saw no one. To her left was a classroom and to her right were the doors to the gym. As she passed, she heard what sounded like yelling. It made her freeze in her tracks.
"...Stay awake! Please!" That was all she could hear, the rest was too soft. She walked over to the window of the door, thinking that the voice sounded familiar. Her heart dropped at the sight. Sam was on his knees next to what she could only assume was Quinn. There was blood on the ground and she closed her eyes for a split second before pushing the door open.
Sam whipped around when he heard the sound, but immediately recognized her. "Santana." He breathed out in relief.
She was at a loss for words; one of her best friends was laying on the ground next to him with a red stain growing on her shirt. For the first time in a long time her eyes filled with tears. "Sam…" She sniffed, "What the hell happened?!"
"It was my fault…I should've protected her. She…the shooter came in and…he told us to pick which one of us to get killed. I volunteered, but he shot her instead…" Sam's head was hung low and he brushed Quinn's hair out of her face. "It was my fault."
Quinn's hand moved to touch Sam's and her mouth opened. "You…didn't…know." Her voice was so soft that Santana could barely hear it. Her eyes flickered open for a moment as she heard Santana walking over. "Santana?"
"Yes. I'm here." Santana took her friend's hand, trying to hold in the tears that were threatening to fall.
"Don't leave…" Quinn whispered, shutting her eyes again.
"I won't. I promise."
"Is…Puck…okay?"
"I don't know…" Santana looked at Sam with pleading eyes, but he just shrugged. This brief moment of piece didn't last long because all of them heard the sound of boots clanking down the hall once again.
"Come on!" Sam whispered, rapidly. He scooped Quinn up into his arms, trying to ignore the fact that her arms were hanging limply at her sides. "Let's go into the weight room." He jogged over to the room and through the door. Santana ran in behind him and pulled the heavy door shut behind them.
The sound of the large gym doors being opened made Quinn stir. "Who…?"
"Shhh…." Sam pleaded with her, still holding her petite body in his arms.
Santana gulped as the sound of the footsteps stopped directly in front of their door. She held her breath as the person outside started pushing the door open. She sent up a prayer to whoever was listening. All she wanted, more than anything, was for that door to stay closed.
You can't always get what you want.
