Right. Heads up, Trent, your Gwen's a dead girl walking.

Gwen broke the speed limit as she drove to school. Usually, she'd never do that, but at that moment, she didn't care. Better that she had a speeding fine than the whole school died because she was too late. She didn't know how much time she had, but Trent wouldn't have more than a minute on her. She had to just hope she got in on time. And if she didn't, she was going to die with everyone else. But then, maybe she deserved it, she thought. Only her and the monster she'd turned her ex into.

As she walked into the school, Blaineley suddenly rushed up to her. "Oh my goodness, Gwen!" she said in a fake overdramatic way. "I didn't expect to see you arriving. I just saw Trent coming in late. He told me you'd committed suicide."

Gwen looked at the ground guiltily. "I'm not sure where he got that idea. I guess he made a mistake."

"Well, it's a good thing I hadn't announced it to the school yet," Blaineley said, but she looked sour. "I mean, the effort I made to throw together a tribute to you was-"

"Sorry to interrupt," Gwen said, "But there's something very important I need to know. Before the pep rally, so I don't miss out. Is there a room under the gym?"

Blaineley looked surprised, but something in Gwen's voice made her reply. "Well, there's the boiler room. That's directly underneath the gym. But why are you asking? Is there something going on?"

"I'm not going to commit suicide - honestly," Gwen said immediately, guessing what she was thinking. "I just have something really important that I need to do, and I might be a little late to the pep rally, but I'm on my way there." But with that, she walked away, going as fast as she could without being held up by being yelled at for running. She had to get to the boiler room ASAP.

Luckily, her hunch was right. Trent wasn't completely finished setting the timer on the small homemade bomb by the time the heavy door opened. He didn't even look up when Gwen arrived and began to walk down the stairs. "I heard everything you told me this afternoon. About what you're doing. I think you know what I'm here for."

Trent glanced up at her, then went back to setting it. "And I thought you had stopped playing suicides and wanted to get serious when I saw what you'd done. I guess I should have noticed that cord was too loose. Or did you change your mind and wanted to come back to me?"

Gwen narrowed her eyes at him, wondering if he was insane. Did he honestly think anything had changed in the last two days, when she'd literally faked her own death just to make him leave her alone less than half an hour ago? "Please," she said in a gentler voice, "Don't do this. Leave it alone. The school hasn't done anything wrong."

"And they won't ever get the chance to," Trent replied, matching her tone. "You don't understand. This is a statement to everyone. People will look at the ashes left here, and they'll realize that the society of high school was what killed them. Maybe then they'll be able to save other high schools. But let's be honest – the only place Heathers and Emmas will respect each other is heaven! And is that wrong? To want them to be released from hell on earth?" He began to raise his voice.

Gwen didn't know what to say. Trent was barely making sense at this point. Finally, she found her voice. "I have some idea what you're saying. I mean, after what happened with your mom-"

"Don't you dare talk about my mom!"

"I'm sorry, but you have to hear this," Gwen insisted, without missing a beat. She had to say things she knew Trent would protest at, but there was no way she could save her school if she didn't. "I wish she'd stayed around for you. Or that your dad had been there for you. I know adults don't really understand us. But life doesn't have to be a war, or a crusade all the time. You could switch that timer off, not let this bomb detonate, and walk out of here with me."

Trent spoke quietly. "What if I don't want to? I'm happy to walk out of here with you. I always planned that part. I'm not suicidal. But you're too late for the timer. It doesn't switch off. In four minutes, this school will stop existing."

It was time for last resorts. Gwen launched herself at Trent, scrabbling underneath his coat, trying to reach his gun. She wasn't planning on what happened. She just wanted to get it off him, maybe make him cut the wires at gunpoint.

Trent guessed what she was doing. He was taller and more muscular than she was, and stronger. But she had the element of surprise on her side, and after a brief scuffle, she had the gun in her hand. Before she knew what was going on, the trigger suddenly went off and Trent slumped to the ground, clutching his shoulder in pain.

"Didn't that feel good to you?" he asked in a voice barely above a whisper. "It kind of sucked for me. But now you know what that kind of power feels like. And why I craved that rush."

Gwen felt sick. The last minute had passed so quickly, she wasn't sure what she was doing. She hadn't meant to pull the trigger, and she certainly didn't feel powerful. She wasn't getting a rush of pleasure, like he was talking about. Just a feeling of being out of control.

"It's over," she managed to say. "Which wire do I cut?"

Trent didn't reply. When Gwen looked at him, his eyes were only half-open. He didn't seem to see her anymore, or even hear her. She couldn't help feeling worried. Had she killed him? She'd hit his shoulder. Surely that wouldn't mean he was dying? Or at least, that he wasn't dead yet?

Gwen asked the question again. But again, Trent didn't answer.

The timer was ticking down to only two minutes. Gwen would have to act fast, and she didn't have enough time to ask Trent the question a third time, especially as she was pretty sure she still wouldn't get an answer.

One tear trickled down Gwen's cheek, but she brushed it away. "I'm sorry," she whispered to Trent, and kissed his forehead, even though she didn't think he could hear or feel it. Then she picked up the bomb and took the stairs two at a time, running out of the school, way out to the football field. Now there was only one and a half minutes left on the timer. The one bomb, way out, was too small to hurt anyone without the other bombs it would trigger. Except for the person who had to detonate it. And there was only one person who could do that.

Gwen stood there, rooted to the spot, and closed her eyes. Waiting for it to happen. She only opened them when she heard heavy footsteps, and whirled around, meaning to tell the person to leave immediately, not wanting anyone else to be taken down.

It was Trent. He was still alive. Injured, but alive. Something in his eyes had changed, though.

"You don't have to do this," he said in a raspy voice. "You've won. I've lost. Please. Please step back."

Gwen stared at him for a moment. "..what? Why are you-"

"You said it yourself," Trent interrupted her. "Life doesn't have to be a war or a crusade. You know that. I don't. I don't build things – I destroy them. And if I live after today, I still don't think I'll ever learn to build. But you can. You're better than me."

That was the look in his eyes that had changed. Guilt. Despair. And he still loved her enough to sacrifice himself for her.

"But…" Gwen protested. She hadn't wanted anyone to die, not even Trent. "Please don't do this. You don't have to atone. You can change – we can work on it together. Find someone who can unravel everything and help the healing process. I can still be there for you if you want me."

Trent didn't seem to be listening. He was smiling now, even though there was no happiness in it. "Leave me here, Gwen," he said softly. "I don't mind it – I probably deserve to die by my own standards. Once I'm gone, you can be the one to unscrew all the screwing up I've done. I just hope you'll miss me."

Gwen knew she would. But this time, she obeyed, walking just out of range of the bomb as he'd asked her to. She took one last look at the scene. "Say hi to God," she mumbled, and turned away. She heard the bomb go off, but she didn't look back.

It was time to go back to the school.

*Sobbing* That was so, so hard to write! And yes, this is the penultimate chapter. One more to go!