Secrets//Jake Jagielski

~70~

Brighid woke up feeling good. It was a bright, warm, sunny day in Tree Hill. She and Jake were in a good place. She spent the weekend with him and Jenny. It felt as though it was all finally starting to fall into place, her life was becoming the life she had hoped and dreamed of.

She pulled into the parking lot slowly walking to class. Passing by Rachel, Bevin and the other cheerleaders she stopped to say hi.

She walked to her locker passing through the double doors when a shot rang through the halls, taking everyone by surprise. Brighid dropped to the floor crawling to safe space. As she tried to get up to escape she lost a shoe and proceeded to step on glass bringing her back to the floor. She clutched her foot in pain trying to remain quiet while everyone ran and panicked.

"Code red. Code red. This not a drill" the principal announced. As Brighid tried to exit the halls immediately cleared out. Brighid barely placing pressure on her foot hopped along the hall.

As she turned the corner the AV door opened and Brighid sighed a breath of relief.

"Mouth" Brighid softly cried out.

"What is going on?" He asked.  Brighid immediately shushed him.

"There's a shooter in the school. Can you help me? I got glass in my foot" Brighid explained. "Is it bad?" Brighid asked lifting her foot. She could sense blood was dripping.

Mouth looked at her foot to see a giant piece of glass lodged into the bottom of her foot.

"It's not bad" Mouth lied. He wrapped his arm around her slowly helping her through the hall. As they rounded the corner they ran into Nathan.

"Brighid? What happened?" Nathan asked in a soft voice.

"I stepped on glass" Brighid explained.

Nathan quickly checked the halls before helping Mouth with Brighid. They walked over to the tutoring center.

"Is Haley in there?" Brighid whispered.

"I hope" Nathan said pulling out his ID. He slid it under the door. On the opposite side they could here people quietly debating.

"Always" Haley whispered.

"And forever" Nathan responded. Haley opened the door letting the three in.

"Oh my god. Brighid are you okay?" Haley asked. Nathan hugged Haley before wrapping his arm back around Brighid.

"Come on let's get out of here" Nathan said as he went to open the door.

"Don't" The boy said pointing a gun at the group of students. Brighid's body seized up at the sight of the gun. "Nobody's going anywhere" he continued.

Brighid winced as the numbness and adrenaline was starting to wear off. She began to feel the pain in her foot.

"Get away from the door"

"Jimmy?" Mouth questioned.

"Do it! Mouth!" Jimmy yelled. Everyone rushed away with Nathan escorting Brighid to seat at desk. She propped her foot up on a chair to see blood trickling from her foot.

"Move back Skills" Jimmy threatened still pointing the gun.

"Whatcha gonna do? Shoot me? We use to be friends dog" Skills said slowly moving away from the door.

"Yeah used to be"

"Jim you can't do this" Mouth tried reasoning once more. Brighid bit her lip as the pain continued to increase.

"It's a little late for that mouth"

"Look man just let us go. I'm sorry I called you 'fatass' alright?" One of the boys plead.

"How about you hero? You scared?" Jimmy asked pointing the gun at Nathan. Brighid fought back the tears which were a mixture of pain, scared and sadness.

"Yeah, I'm scared.

"Good! Welcome to my world" Jimmy stated before running around the classroom. He shuffled through the desk drawers for tape.

"Jimmy Edwards. You are better than this. Eight hostages in the tutor center with one injured. Come on" Haley cried.

"What's in your hand?" Jimmy yelled. Haley threw him her cellphone which had 9-1-1 on the line.

"Oh Haley. I use to like you" Jimmy said before placing the cellphone to his ear. "Listen here! If anyone comes near this school I'll start shooting students" Jimmy threatened before throwing her cellphone at the wall, ending the call.

"Cellphones now! Bat and pepper spray too!" Jimmy demanded.

Everyone tossed their cells and weapons before Nathan laid the tape down on the floor like Jimmy demanded.

Minutes ticked by and Brighid sat with a pool of blood under her chair.

"She's losing a lot of blood" Haley whispered to Nathan. The two were concerned.

"Can you let my sister go?" Nathan pleaded. "Come on man. She's bleeding to death"

Jimmy paced back and forth.

"Fine!" Jimmy said he pointed the gun at the group. "By herself" Jimmy instructed. Brighid all panicked looked at the others.

"Go" Nathan whispered. Brighid got on the floor crawling to the door where Jimmy quickly opened it and then shut it. Finally free Brighid tried to crawl as fast as possible.

She final reached the pavement outside where the SWAT team surrounded her and brought her to an ambulance.

"Brighid?" Dan called out.

"Tutor Center, seven hostages. He's the only. He has Nathan dad" Brighid muttered before being taken to the hospital.