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CHAPTER 19

People could be fooled by the dead silence lingering in the halls of tree hill high, almost like a day off, but the large crowd surrounding the outer campus gives that idea away. This includes a bunch of reporters, a police squad, many worried parents and students who were fortunate enough to escape the deadly interiors of their school. Most of the students managed to escape on time to the relief of their parents but they refused to go home, too worried about the ten students caught inside. The police are still looking over the layout of the school having no clue about the actual location of the shooter, if the offender is still inside the premises. They haven't ruled out the possibility of the shooter escaping and might currently be one among the crowd right now.

Ten minutes ago at the soccer ground...

Haley decided that it was finally time to get up and face the real world. Although she would to sit at the bleachers all day she has a class to attend. She already missed the first period and that was not good for tutorgirl. Haley was passing by the door to the locker room when she remembered that she left some of her things in her locker in the girls' dressing room. She had been so occupied by the news of her getting knocked up she had forgotten to retrieve her stuff.

As she entered the room, an eerie feeling settled within her. She felt like she should just walk out of here because she was in dangerous territory. She even stopped walking for a moment before an aisle of lockers but shook her head at her silliness and started entering into the aisle but didn't get very far as she slipped and fell on her back with a huff and a loud thud. She stayed down on her back unmoving for a few seconds trying to calm down a little bit, still shocked. Her back was wet and she knew she found the culprit for her fall. Some idiot must have spilled water and jus left it like that. However the sight she came across when she rolled onto her front was the last thing she expected. Her heart rate soared up and her breathing was shallow. She could feel the tell tale signs of a panic attack closing in on her as her mind tried to comprehend the sight before her. There was blood everywhere! Lying right next to her was Paige's body. She had a wound on her forehead which looked like a bullet wound and her blood was everywhere. Haley looked back down at her hands and the front of her t-shirt which were covered in blood. Paige's blood! Haley's whole body was shaking with fear and she could feel nausea seeping in. As if on alert her mind snapped, all control and boundaries of understanding flew out the window as she let out the most blood curdling scream.

At the library...

Lucas cursed the school for building such a huge library. He always loved the large area especially the extra aisles when he wanted to make out with Brooke in a secluded corner but considering the situation he's in, he hated it. He walked noiselessly with the baseball bat held tightly in his grasp his body high on alert. Just when he was about to enter into another section, he heard the most terrifying scream. Overwhelmed by shock, the bat accidentally slipped from his hand. With shaking hands he picked it back as quick as possible and ran towards the source of the sound. While most people wouldn't be able to tell, he knew that the voice belonged to his best friend. Fear for Haley and the baby took over his body and this gave him more strength as he picked up his pace and ran into the locker rooms where Haley's sobs could be heard.

He ran straight into an aisle where she was still heard. The sight before him was the most horrifying ever as he came across a hysterical Haley drenched in blood sobbing her heart out and the body of Paige a few feet away. Lucas stood in place too shocked to move hoping that he would somehow wake up from this nightmare.

Meanwhile at the tutoring centre...

Nathan was in hysterics. He didn't know what happened to Haley but he knew she was in trouble. She sounded distraught and he prayed to God that she and the baby were okay. Although Jimmy's declaration that there are no other shooters in the premises calmed him down a little, he still wanted to see her. They are his world and he cannot live with himself if something happened to either of them.

Mouth, Skills and Peyton looked on helplessly as their friend broken down right in front of them. It was shocking to see tough guy Nathan Scott so weak but then again if they were in his position, they would react the same way too.

"You are not this person Jimmy", a teary eyed Mouth said, "we used to be friends remember? What happened?"

"You happened!" Jimmy shouted, "you and all your friends happened. Once the popularity set in all of you forgot about my existence".

"So you just go around shooting people? Is that your solution?" Markus chipped in.

Jimmy looked unsure for a moment before responding in a calmer tone, "Do you know that this is the first time in months that anyone has ever acknowledged my presence? Not even my so called friends would notice me".

"You closed off Jimmy", Mouth tried to explain; "you just started distancing from us. We just thought you didn't wanna be with us. It's not like we didn't want you around!"

"Bullshit!"Jimmy yelled.

"No it's the truth", Mouth retorted, "Jimmy please just let us go. This is not you!"

"Well then maybe I've changed", Jimmy's calm demeanour returning.

"Nothing's changed", Skills spoke for the first time, "we were boys together and it can be like that again. Just let us go dawg", by now jimmy was crying, "it's not too late".

"But it is! It is too late", said Jimmy still sobbing for what he did to Paige.

Mouth had a very bad feeling about the way Jimmy was acting. "What did you do?"

"I didn't want to do it but she just kept pushing me, I couldn't take it anymore".

At the use of the word 'she' Nathan's heart dropped. As if reading his thoughts Jimmy quickly reassured him "It's not Haley".

"Then who Jimmy?" Skills yelled out, "please don't tell me you used that on someone", indicating his gun.

Jimmy sobbed louder which answered Skills' question as everyone could feel panic set into their system. "Just... just get out of here", Jimmy exclaimed as everyone looked on surprised. They thought he was messing with them. As if to prove his point, he walked over to the door and opened it. The occupants of the room were rooted to their spot, not sure if he was serious or not. As if sensing their reluctance Jimmy said, "what are you waiting for? This is what you guys want now get out of here".

Nathan looked at his friends once before dashing out of the room instantly to continue his mission to find Haley. The others followed him but a little more cautiously. Skills and Mouth were reluctant at first to leave Jimmy at such a vulnerable time but didn't want to push their luck. Before completely exiting, Mouth turned around with teary eyes. "You can come with us you know", he said brokenly but Jimmy stood rooted to his spot not moving a singly muscle, not even to look at Mouth.

Nathan turned around a corner, still in a sprint, and banged into another body which happened to be a person from the police squad. "Please put your hands behind your head and get down on your knees", called out the policeman who was surrounded by three more.

"No no no you don't understand. My girl is in here somewhere, she's five months pregnant and –".

"Listen calm down son, we will make sure every one of you get out of here safely but you need to do what I'm asking you to do", the policeman cut him off.

"But-", Nathan tried to argue but by then the rest of the team who were caught in the tutoring centre had reached the scene and they were all immediately frisked and ushered outside the main entrance despite Nathan's constant protests. Nathan and the rest of the group had just made it out of the door before he felt his whole world crumbling right before his eyes. At a good distance, he could see a few paramedics shifting an unconscious Haley into the stretcher. She was drenched in blood and she wasn't moving an inch. Nathan barely noticed his brother holding Haley's hand, as he took off into a sprint towards the ambulance that Haley was in. He tried to yell out to them as they closed the doors but his voice was sore and Lucas didn't notice. Before he could reach the ambulance, they took off with ever thing he held precious in his life. He stood rooted to the spot where the ambulance used to be and looked on while some people were completely baffled by his behaviour while others understood what had happened.

...

"You gave us quite the scare young lady", said Dr. Evans with a stern look on his face while removing his stethoscope from his ears.

"I told you I was fine but you wouldn't believe me", replied Haley, "I just passed out from the shock". The paramedics were shocked to see her drenched in blood and immediately took her to the doctor. Dr. Evans also thought that she was shot until Haley gained consciousness and explained about the blood. While telling the doctor what had happened reassured Dr. Evens, it had only stressed out Haley. "Doctor, do you know anything about what happened at the school? Is everyone fine?" she asked. She mostly hoped that her friends and Nathan were alright although that makes her sound selfish. Between Paige's dead body and running into a panicked state, she didn't think about Nathan. It all hit her like a ton of bricks while she was forced into the ambulance that Nathan could be in danger.

"I don't know much", said Dr. Evans, "but I do know that two people were shot dead", he said cautiously, "Haley your blood pressure seems a bit too high for my liking. I would really want to keep you here under observation".

Haley could feel her heart sinking. She knew one of them was Paige but who was the other one? What if it was Nathan? She could feel the beginnings of a panic attack and tears burning at the back of her eyes but before they could make it any further, the door swinging open interrupted her thoughts. It was like the heavens had heard her prayers because there, right in front of her, stood Nathan healthy and fine with a grief stricken face and a nurse at his side trying to stop him from entering further into the room.

He took in his surroundings. She looked fine and breathing and that's everything he hoped for. "Haley", he choked out more like a reassurance to himself that she really is okay. The sight at the school had broken him and he knew he'd never be the same after this.

The doctor was about to send Nathan away when he heard him call out for Haley. He turned to his patient and asked, "You know him"?

A tear rolled down her cheek "Yes he's the father", whispered Haley thanking the heavens for not harming him.

"I'll be back in a moment", he said knowing that they needed some privacy. The nurse took her queue and followed the doctor out.

Nathan was still rooted to his spot, not moving an inch. So many emotions were running through him relief being more prominent. That is when he realised that he could never live without Haley no matter what. Without wasting another moment he started towards her.

Haley was beyond relief as she started to say, "I'm so glad you're-", but she didn't get to finish as Nathan's lips landed on hers. Her mind was still a little hazed but she could still feel the familiarity and warmth of him surround her as she kissed him back.

And what do you think? Do you think they should get together right away or maybe that would cause problems for them all over again? Let me know what you think. Remember, it's no fun without the reviews so leave me some love and/or hate guys.