Chapter 3

A yawn escapes from my mouth as I walk out the front door. Avi closes the door behind me and locks it as we silently walk in the dark to my truck. As I open the door and slide into my seat, I mutter, "There should be a law against making people go to work before the sun is up."

Avi chuckles, "I agree, Chlo'!" I start the truck and start down the driveway.

"I'm also a little ticked that I have to drive today," I grumble as I turn onto the main road. "Your dad had all spring break to work on your car and he chooses today to work on it. I like my mini naps to and from work."

"I did offer to drive your truck if you'll recall," Avi says raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah, no thanks," I say. "No one touches my truck."

Avi rolls her eyes. "Besides, it's just for a day or two while he does the tires and changes the oil," Avi mutters as she pulls her Chapstick out of her purse. "Besides, he could have probably waited until the weekend if I hadn't gotten a flat tire taking you to McDonald's because you insisted."

I roll my eyes. "I just hope it's as quiet of a day as it was yesterday," I say as I lean forward in my seat, resting one under my chin as I drive with the other.

"The only reason it was quiet yesterday was because fourth and fifth grade took the state writing test," Avi says as she shakes her head.

"Oh yeah, I meant to ask how that went," I say keeping my eyes on the road.

Avi sighs, "I'm not so sure. Based on how long they wrote…my hopes aren't super high. I'm not allowed to look at their tests but about half my class finished writing thirty minutes into the test and the other half didn't start writing until they had thirty minutes left."

"Oof," I say with a small chuckle. "I know you taught them better than that."

"I did!" Avi almost shouts. She lets out another sigh, "At least it's over with. They still have their reading and math tests next month. So, you still get four more quiet days for those tests."

"Thank God," I say with a chuckle. Avi says something else but I don't hear her. The vision I saw nearly three weeks ago now flashes in my mind's eye.

"Get that gun away from me psycho!"

BAM!

The truck swerves as I sit up all the way in my seat. I stop in the middle of the road, quickly glancing to make sure no one was behind me. I feel Avi's eyes on me as my breathing quickens. "You okay?" she asks.

I take a few deep breaths trying to calm myself. Finally, I say, "I can't get that vision out of my head."

"The one from right before spring break?" Avi asks.

I nod, "Do you have any idea what it means?"

Avi shakes her head, "Honestly, I haven't really thought about it much again. I mean it bothers me but I haven't had time to analyze it. I've been slightly preoccupied with getting these fourth graders ready to for the writing test. Even the majority of my spring break was spent planning."

I nod. Glad that figuring out why you watched me die hasn't been a priority for you, I think to myself. Glad you've had something else to preoccupy your mind. With a bit of a scowl, I start driving again, returning my hand under my chin.

"What about you?" Avi asks. I turn to look at her. "Do you have any ideas of what it could mean?"

I let out a sigh looking back at the road. "Do you think it could have something to do with Max? Like maybe something she saw and is trying to show us?"

"But you didn't die," Avi says turning to me for a moment as I turn into the school's parking lot. "How could she have seen that happen? And how could she have shown us it?"

"I don't know," I say with a discouraged tone. "It just felt so real…almost like it did happen."

"I know," Avi says. "And I don't know how we both saw it at the same time and from different viewpoints." She pauses for a moment before saying, "Did you talk to Alyson about it? Maybe she would have an idea since she and Tyler have memories that they can both see and sometimes different versions of them?"

"Yeah," I say, "but theirs were of things that actually happened. This vision didn't happen…and you weren't even there for the real one." I let out a defeated sigh.

"Hey," I put the truck in park as she puts a hand on my shoulder, "we will figure this out. I know I have been a bit absent lately getting my kiddos ready for this test. But I promise to be more present so we can work this out. Okay?" I nod and Avi pulls me into a hug, "I'm sorry for putting this on the back burner."

"It's okay," I say as I squeeze her a little tighter. "I love you."

"I love you too," she says as she pulls away. She lets out a sigh as she grabs her purse and lunch box from the floorboard and puts her lanyard over her head, "Let's head to work, shall we?" I nod as we both step out of the truck and start walking toward the gate. As I unlock the gate, Avi looks at her watch and says, "Apparently fourth grade is having a team meeting in the teacher's lounge before school starts."

"I'll walk you over there," I say with a small smile. I close the gate behind me as we walk toward the teacher's lounge on the fourth grade hallway. I peer in and see the three other fourth grade teachers, Allie, Kristi, and Jessica.

"Good morning guys!" Avi says as she opens the door.

"Good morning," Allie says with a tired tone.

"We just wanted to quickly go over our plan from now until the reading and math tests," Kristi says as she writes something in her calendar.

"Sounds good to me!" Avi says as she pulls out a chair.

"And good morning to you too, Chloe," Jessica says with a smile.

"Good morning," I say smiling back. "See, finally someone recognizes me."

"Mornings are hard, okay?" Allie says with a chuckle.

"Amen to that!" Kristi says.

"Hey, would you run my purse and lunch box to my classroom for me?" Avi asks. I roll my eyes as I grab them from her. "You're my favorite custodian! Have a good day!"

"Yeah, yeah, you too," I say in a snarky tone as I walk down to her classroom. It's a good thing I love her, I think to myself as I drop her stuff off in her room and head off to the head custodian's office.

The day drags on without a hitch. I begin doing some of our routine upkeep to the campus outside as the fourth grade classes start filing out to their special classes. I wave to Avi's class as she keeps them in a quiet straight line to PE. I chuckle at the frustration on her face as she walks past. Clearly, they aren't being as behaved as they were yesterday, I think as I glance over the last flower box for weeds. Considering my work satisfactory, I collect my supplies and head back to the storage closet and grab a cleaning cart to start cleaning the teacher's lounges. I feel my phone vibrate in my back pocket as I pull it out to check it. I notice it's from Avi, but my heart jumps into my throat at the words, "He's here and I can't get to a phone. Call a lockdown." Shaking, I grab my radio and almost shout into it, "Jennison says to call a lockdown. There is an unknown male on campus." I quickly text, "Where are you?!" as I rush toward her classroom. The intercom blares as the secretary announces the lock down and the campus bustles into position before turning eerily quiet. Please have made it to your classroom, Av. I round the corner to see Avi frozen in the hallway. Just beyond her is the person I fear the most; Mark Jefferson.

"Ah, here comes the sidekick," he chuckles as he inches closer to Avi. "Even she doesn't know what to do." He looks up at me and says, "Your friend was smart to call the lockdown, but that's not going to save her."

"What are you talking about?" I growl as I step closer to him.

He steps closer to Avi, "I think we all know her appeal; why I'd want her. Nathan wouldn't shut up about her when he would call me from the asylum. Since he so foolishly wasted his opportunity, it's now my chance. And coming to the school was a brilliant choice. It's the one place she can't use her power and you can't have anything on you to defend her. And I have this," he holds his gun in the air, "to keep anyone from making any stupid choices. All I had to do was catch her at a time outside her classroom and without her students and she would be mine."

I hear doors creak open and Allie say, "What's going on?"

Jefferson notices her and says, "If you'll excuse me." He lunges forward and grabs Avi before she can react, darting through the gate and towards the parking lot.

"NO!" I shout as I race toward them. I hear yelling behind me but I ignore them as I focus on getting Avi back. I notice his car across the street as he passes my truck. My gun! I race toward my truck, thanking God I never lock it. Before I can reach my truck, everything goes black.

I crouch down at the edge of a shallow hole. The dull rotting smell fills the air as I study the hole. "Chloe look out!" I hear a voice call out.

I quickly snap my head around to see Max on the ground. I whip around and go to stand, reaching for my gun as I shout, "What the fu-" A gunshot rings out and stops my sentence as I feel a bullet sink into my skull. I feel myself falling backward, pain exploding in my head before everything slowly fades away. I'm gone before I hit the ground.

I finally come to and trip, collapsing in a heap on the ground. I look up as I see Jefferson shoving Avi in his trunk before hopping in and taking off. I pant as I go to stand up. "Chloe!" I hear Allie call. I sigh as I watch Jefferson's car vanish behind the buildings in front of the school. "Chloe," Allie says again, "you're bleeding."

I finally register her voice as I look down and notice a growing red stain on the side of my shirt. "He shot me," I say shakily. Allie walks over to me as she looks at the wound on my side. Only then do I even register the pain; gritting my teeth as she gently pulls the shirt away.

"The bullet definitely didn't go in," she says. "It just grazed the skin. I'm not even sure if it's deep enough for stitches but the nurse should know more."

"I have to go after them," I say, my voice strained.

"Chloe," I hear Jessica's voice say. I look up at her as she gives me a sympathetic look. "You can't help her if you're hurt." I nod as I let them lead me into the nurse's office.

"What are you doing?" a voice calls out as we step into the front office. I look up to see the principal, Mrs. Hedstrom round the corner. "We're on lock down!"

"Chloe got shot," Allie says. Mrs. Hedstrom's eyes grow wide as Allie adds, "A bullet grazed her and I was hoping the nurse could patch her up." Mrs. Hedstrom simply nods and walks to the nurse's office and unlocks the door. The nurse looks up with her eyes wide.

"Lay her down here," the nurse says pointing down to the kid sized bed in the corner. She grabs some gauze and bandages as Allie and Jessica talk to Mrs. Hedstrom. My mind reels from the events of the past five minutes. Two main thoughts repeat themselves in my mind. Jefferson has Avi…and what was that vision?

"You're all patched up," the nurse says. "Let me just wrap some gauze around the bandage to keep it in place."

"Just make it quick," I say. "I got to go chase down Jefferson."

"Not until this lockdown is lifted, you're not," Mrs. Hedstrom says sternly. "The police are scanning the campus now. You can't leave until we're secure." I start to argue but the principal's look makes me realize that it's pointless. "You will stay in this room until we're secure. Then you can be free to leave. But please, whatever you decide to do, be careful." She puts a hand on my shoulder and I give a nod before she leaves, locking the door behind her.

I couldn't say how long I sat in that office, my chest aching in despair. What if I can't find them? They could be anywhere by now. The vision replays over and over in my head and I cringe every time. Finally, Mrs. Hedstrom unlocks the door and I bolt out before I can hear her say anything. I charge to my truck and hop in, ignoring the pain in my side. I start the truck and begin racing out of the parking lot. I have to find her, I think to myself. I won't survive if I can't.

Life doesn't discriminate

Between the sinners and the saints

It takes and it takes and it takes

Can I keep living anyway?