Redwood High

Chapter 14

Following the DECA trip and returning home, the next couple of months went by quick. We somehow found ourselves in May. Spring break, field trips, schoolwork, projects; it all went by very quick. We were now being faced with final exams. Another thing that was haunting me was that in two days, it would be a year since my parents died. They weren’t murdered. Well, they were, but not by some stranger. Either way, they were dead. A full long year went by. Huh.

Finals week was also something that went by pretty fast. The only test I really struggled with was math. It wasn’t something I was really good at.

Ethan and Carol were finally stable. Following the whole Karen issue, they got back together and talked things out. Riley and Todd were… something else. After finding out Mr. Flores and Karen were together, it just caused a wedge between them.

And Sebastian and I? We were friends. We would hang out after school at his house or my house, and just talk. He was free to go out with anyone he wanted and I was also. We weren’t together. Just friends. It was simpler then just all the stuff that went down this year.

We were in computer class, finishing up our final exam. I finished and submitted it to the computer teacher. Ethan and Carol were seated next to me, doing whatever couples do basically. They smiled at each other and he had his hand around her. I was happy for them. Riley wasn’t as happy as she was before, but she’s better. Riley and I ended up single, but it’s okay. We had each other. We were still happy.

When we all finished, Carol began working on the last school paper. It would be emailed to our houses as a look back of the year. She synced her phone with the computer and began transferring her photos to the computer.

“I don’t care what pictures you put up, but if you put the photo of me dressed as the camel, we are going to have some problems,” said Riley.

Carol laughed. “That was an amazing picture you can’t deny it.”

I looked at the photos she made public and gasped.

Carol uploaded the photos of Karen and Mr. Flores. The whole class saw it on their desktops and started to take pictures and screenshots.

“CAROL!” I shrieked.

She looked at her computer and nearly screamed.

“NO! NO! That’s not-I didn’t mean for that to happen.

“WHAT THE F%&?” We heard from down the hall. I slinked back into my chair because I knew nothing that’s going to happen next will be pretty.

Karen barged into the classroom, glaring at all of us. She rounded on Carol and leaned into her face. “Did you upload those photos?” she asked. She glanced at her computer and that was all the confirmation she needed.

“I’ll kill you!” she screamed. The teacher couldn’t get her under control so I jumped on Karen’s back.

“YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO BE ANGRY YOU WHORE!” I shouted. Sebastian tried to peel me off of her but I refused. Karen Ledvoski was going to pay.

The teacher called the office but they weren’t being connected. Next we heard sirens and honking outside. I peeled myself off of Karen to look. Fire trucks and police officers and ambulances were all outside.

“What’s going on?” asked Carol.

The beep of the intercom sounded.

“Mr. Jones?” said the intercom.

“Yes?” Mr. Jones answered.

“Initiate Code Red,” said the intercom.

Mr. Jones gasped and grabbed the tape from his door. He opened it and a strong odor of gas wafted in the door.

“There has been a major gas leak. It is coming from your wing of the school. No one leaves or enters the classroom until the authorities say so.”