Chapter 21

I can feel someone grab me from behind and my hand is ripped from it's grip on Pacey. I turn to see who grabbed me and I'm in disbelief. Pacey turned at the same moment and the expression on his face mirrors my own. Before I can speak Pacey points the gun he has at the person holding me by my hair. It's Eve, without rhyme or reason she's back.

Pacey has his gun pointed at her, Matt has his gun pointed at Pacey and Doug's gun is pointed at Matt. Everyone is frozen where they stand. I see Pacey and Doug exchange a look and a nod. Pacey gives me a look ad I know what I have to do. That's when everything happens.

Pacey yells, "Now!"

I reach behind my head and jerk my hair from her hand and I hit the ground. Then I hear the shots. Eve hits the ground next to me. Pacey stumbles and falls forward and Matt falls. Doug runs to Pacey as the officers file in along with paramedics.

I crawl to Pacey. He's been hit in the shoulder.

"Oh Pacey!" I begin to sob.

"Potter, I'm gonna be just fine," he smiles at me, but I can tell it's forced.

"You did good little brother," Doug says, as the paramedics begin to check Pacey and load him onto a stretcher. I look around as Eve and Matt are also being loaded up on stretchers. What was Eve's part in this whole thing anyway? I'm startled from my thoughts when Doug puts his arm around me.

"C'mon Joey I'll take you to the hospital to be with Pacey. We'll call Bessie from my phone she can meet us there."

I nod and let him lead me to Sheriff Witter's parked car. He helps me into the front seat. Then he walks around and gets behind the wheel. He rolls down the window as Sheriff Witter walks over.

"I'll meet you at the hospital as soon as things get wrapped up here." he tells Doug.

"Alright Dad, I'll let Pacey know you're coming."

"Doug, please let those at the command center know what has happend and have Gretchen go get your mother and take her to the hospital. I don't want her driving after she hears about Pacey."

Doug nods. He starts the car and we head toward the hospital. I hear him on the phone, but I'm not really listening. I'm thinking about Pacey. How scared he looked when he saw Eve, the blood, the pain in his eyes after he was shot. I keep telling myself that he's going to be ok, but my heart aches for him.

"Bessie and Bodie will meet us at the hospital, Mitch has agreed to drive them. Dawson, Andie, Jen, Gale, and Mr. McPhee are all already at the hospital. We'll wait with them until we can see Pacey."

I just nod. We reach the hospital, I climb out of the car and follow Doug inside. He walks to the front desk, the receptionist tells him something and he motions me to follow him to the elevator.

The ride up three floors takes only seconds but it feels like an eternity. As soon as the doors open I see my friends, Dawson, Andie, and Jen. I run straight to them and they wrap me in a hug. We all begin to cry. I'm so thankful that we're all still alive. We stay in our group hug for several minutes. Then we all go to sit on a nearby couch.

"How's Jack?" I ask.

"He's out of surgery and in a private room, my dad is in with him now." Andie tells me.

"We're going in to see him in a few 'll be happy to know that you and Pacey made it out." Jen says.

"So what happened? How's Pacey? No one had much information to tell us." Dawson asks, with genuine concern in his voice.

"Matt Caulfield was behind the whole thing, but he had a partner. He locked me and Pacey in the pantry of the cafeteria. Doug got to us because he knocked out one of the gunmen and took his gun and mask. He snuck in and got us out and gave Pacey the gun. When Sheriff Witter announced that the school was surrounded and the officers had orders to shoot, the other gunmen surrendered. Then it was just us and Matt, or so we thought. Matt pointed the gun at me and Pacey when Doug pointed his gun at him. That's when someone grabbed me and pulled me away from Pacey by my hair. It was Eve."

Everyone looks at me in complete shock.

"Eve?" Jen asks.

"What would Eve be doing back here and with Matt Caulfield?" Dawson asks.

"I don't know! Everything happened so quickly. Pacey pointed his gun at Eve. I jerked myself away from her and the guns went off. Pacey shot Eve, Matt shot Pacey and Doug shot Matt."

"Oh my...that must've been so terrifying." Andie says grabbing my hand and giving it a squeeze.

They have no idea.