Chapter 26
Hero Of The Day
Mama they try and break me
The window burns to light the way back home
A light that warms no matter where they've gone
They're off to find the hero of the day
But what if they should fall by someone's wicked way?
Still the window burns
Time so slowly turns
Someone there is sighing
Keepers of the flames
Do you feel your name?
Can't you hear your babies crying?
Mama they try and break me
Still they try and break me
Excuse me while I tend to how I feel
These things return to me that still seem real
Now deservingly this easy chair
But the rocking stopped by wheels of despair
Don't want your aid
But the fist I make
For years can't hold or feel
No, I'm not all me
So please excuse me while I tend to how I feel
But now the dreams and waking screams
That ever last the night
So build the wall, behind it crawl
And hide until it's light
So can you hear your babies crying now?
Still the window burns
Time so slowly turns
And someone there is sighing
Keepers of the flames
Did you feel your names?
Did you hear your babies crying?
But now the dreams and waking screams
That ever last the night
So build a wall, behind it crawl
And hide until it's light
Can't you hear your babies crying now?
Mama they try and break me
Mama they try and break me
Mama they try
Mama they try
Metallica
As the bell rang and the students found their seats Haley sighed heavily. She had already had a terrible morning and she wasn't sure she was ready to face more of an awful day. She had tried to talk to Jack's brother. She wanted him to know what a great young man Jack was and she felt that if she told his brother what a terrific job he was doing with Jack maybe he'd stop and think before he beat him again. She expressed her concerns about what type of fight Jack had been in but she didn't let on that she knew his brother was the one that had left the guys face in such a mess.
When the class had taken their seats, Haley stood up and greeted them and then brought her notes to the lecture podium.
"Okay class, let's talk about Romeo and Juliet. What was Shakespear's goal in writing this romantic tragedy?"
Before anyone could answer, the door to the classroom swung open and X stood there with a gun, Haley could tell by the look in his eyes that he was definitely not joking around. 'Oh God' she thought.
"NOBODY MOVE!" he yelled. "Ok Mrs. Scott, you want to butt your pretty little nose in my business? Let's see just what you think about me butting mine in yours" he said as he grabbed Haley around the neck with his arm.
"WOAH Man! Take it easy!" Q said. "What the hell are you doing? Let her go"
"Kid if you don't want your brains blown out you better sit the fuck down and shut the fuck up. NOW!"
….
"CODE RED CODE RED THIS IS NOT A DRILL! I REPEAT CODE RED!" Principle Turner announced over the intercom.
…
"What the hell?" Lucas said as he moved out of his office. He knew exactly what the code was for and in a flash the memories came back immediately of that faithful day.
…..
This just in: Currently there is a gunman inside of Tree Hill High School. Authorities are on the premises and negotiations are beginning at the present time. It is asked that you do not travel to the school. Let the authorities handle the situation.
….
Nathan pulled into the school parking lot and had a feeling of déjà vu. He saw the students running from the school. Total chaos surrounded the property. He jumped out of the Range Rover and finally saw someone he recognized. Tommy Jones, one of the varsity players was running towards him in a frantic flee.
"Tommy! TOMMY! Man what's happening here?"
"Someone's inside with a gun coach. The guy just walked into the school waving it around like an idiot." Tommy yelled.
Nathan felt a lump develop in his throat. "Where?"
Tommy swallowed hard.
"I said, WHERE DAMNIT!"
"Someone said he went into Mrs. Scott's classroom coach"
……..
"Ok, now everybody sit down in your seats. DO IT!"
"Listen to him guys" Haley said and he continued to tighten his arm around her neck. "Everything will be ok. Just do what he says ok?" Haley sounded calmer than she felt. She continued to take deep breath's trying to slow her heart rate back down. She'd been here before and she was truly scared to death but she couldn't let her students know that.
"Man Ms. HJS has never done anything to you and you know it. You need to let her go. She's pregnant" Quentin tried.
"Look kid I told you once already. You need to shut up. This is between me and this meddling bitch here. It doesn't concern you!" X yelled at Quentin.
Haley's eyes finally locked with Quentin's, silently telling him that it was okay, he needed to calm down because she didn't want anything to happen to him. She briefly gave him a slight nod of encouragement to listen to the man.
Quentin raised his eyebrows, questioning, 'are you sure' back to his teacher. When he saw another slight nod of Haley's dead he returned the gesture and took his seat warily.
"Ok Mrs. Scott! Now you and I need to have a little chat" X said as he moved his arm and placed his hand around Haley's neck pushing her back up against the wall. "You think you were so fucking smart this morning don't you? Coming to my house telling me what a great job I was doing with Jack. I know you know I beat him up. I also know how meddling bitches like you work. My mother was one. You're pregnant huh? Wonder if the maker is ready to meet you and your kid?" X evilly laughed.
Haley continued to take slow deep breaths. She had to figure away to get control of this situation. There was no telling how long it would be before this guy totally went off. He was like a time bomb at the moment.
"I had no clue who did that to Jack. I thought he had been in a fight after school" Haley lied.
"Yeah, right. I know my runt of a brother. Did he tell you our Mommy dearest just left town when I was sixteen? She told me to take care of my brother and I never saw her again. That ungrateful little shit ruined my life. Do you get it now TEACH?" X said as he pushed Haley harder into the wall.
……
Nathan found the police stationed outside of the front of the building. He looked around to try to find the guy in charge. "What's going on?" he muttered.
"Who are you?" the detective asked.
"My name is Nathan Scott and this lunatic is in my wife's classroom!" Nathan shouted.
"How do you know that?" Detective Matthews asked.
"It doesn't matter how I know. Alright one of my players on the basketball team told me as he ran by me. Now you're going to tell me what you're going to do and how fast you're going to do it. Otherwise I'll go in and get her myself. It won't be the first time!"
"Mr. Scott I assure you, we will get your wife out of there."
"No! You're going to wait and game plan while my pregnant wife and the mother of my two small children, is in that school in danger. Now what the hell is the plan and how fucking fast are you going to execute it" Nathan raged.
….
Lucas walked around the edge of the school. His eyes immediately found his brother's. He ran towards Nathan as one cop held him off of another. "Oh, no! not again!" Lucas thought to himself.
"Nathan! NATHAN! Man you gotta calm down!" Lucas screeched.
As soon as Nathan heard his brother's voice he stopped fighting the policeman and shrugged his arms away. His eyes quickly filled with tears. "Lucas she's in there" he muttered, barely loud enough for anyone to hear him.
"Hey! She's going to be ok. Just like last time Nathan I promise you!"
"Lucas we went in and saved them last time. I can't get in there now!" Nathan said as the tears began to spill onto his cheeks.
……
Peyton was walking into Clothes Over Bro's humming Mia's new tune. When she made it to the counter Brooke slowly turned around with tears in her eyes.
"Have you heard? Someone's in the high school with a gun Peyton." Brooke said breathlessly.
"Luke?"
"I don't know. They say the gunman is in a classroom"
"Oh my god!"
……
Dan Scott walked through the gates finally a free man. "I gotta get my family back" he muttered. He'd missed so much with Lucas, Jamie and Nathan. "Hell I'll even be nice to Haley if that's what Nathan wants. I know he loves her. There's no way to break the two apart anyway so I might as well accept my daughter in law as part of my family. I don't want her to leave Nathan. He won't make it. Hell I won't make it. Haley will certainly keep Jamie and I need to be on her good side for sure"
……
Jack walked slowly down the hallway. He knew X was in the building and he knew he was looking for Mrs. Scott. He had to find her before X did. He was extremely pissed when he left the house and Jack was really scared for the lady that had been kind enough to help him. He moved quickly to the English teacher's room. When he finally reached the door he knocked on it. "X? Come on man. You gotta let Mrs. Scott go. She didn't do anything wrong, X"
As the man heard his brother he quickly moved Haley away from the door and wrapped his arm back tightly around her neck. He opened the door and let his younger brother into the room.
"Oh X what did you do? You gotta get out of here. There are cops all over the place man"
X pulled Jack in the classroom and quickly pushed him up against the wall as he had Haley. "You don't tell me what to do kid! You got that?"
Haley was fighting to keep the man's arm from tightening around her neck as he dealt with the younger boy. Her eyes found Q's and she knew that he was trying to figure out a way to help her. This scared Haley. She didn't want him to get hurt. Nathan and Quentin had gotten pretty close recently but the main person on her mind was Jamie. Jamie loved Quentin. He idolized Quentin. Haley didn't want something to happen to her son's idol because of her. Jamie might never forgive her.
….
"Okay, we need the swat team here, here and here. I want someone in there to get a bead on this guy. Take him out! Dead or Alive" the detective instructed.
As Nathan heard this he again made his way over to the man while Lucas did everything he could to hold his brother back. "You better take care of my wife and unborn child you ass! The damn legal system in this town has already let me down once, I don't intend to lose more of my family so it can happen again. Do you understand me?"
The detective just gazed over Nathan and turned back to the leader of the Swat team. "Make sure you watch out for the hostages!" he reminded.
…..
X still had a hold on Haley's neck. He was pacing now and she was desperately trying to keep up with him. After many trips back and forth in front of the door Haley finally stumbled and nearly fell.
Quentin and Jack both jumped out of their seats and tried to make it over to Haley, both intending to help her up and make sure she was alright.
"You people don't understand ENGLISH! You want the bitch to die?"
The gun went off……
…….
"Shots fired! I repeat! Shots fired" the detective said over the radio.
Lucas turned his head slightly to look at his brother and didn't miss the haunted look in his eyes as the tears had already begun to roll down his cheeks.
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