It All Happened in a Blink of an Eye

final version-Edited

Warning: Mentions of death and school shootings
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Sol pov
I could feel something hitting me repeatedly on the back of my head as I was trying to take my nap. I was now fully awake but refused to lift my head. I finally lost my temper as I felt another wad of paper hit my head. I turned around to see Liam smirking as the teacher started lecturing me about sleeping in class. As she was talking I could hear Liam trying and failing to contain his laughter.

I looked up at the clock and saw that it said 2:15, I don't know why but I started to have a bad feeling deep in my stomach. I turned around again asking Liam if he was also feeling weird. He just told me it was probably the food we had for lunch today, which consisted of a sandwich and a boatload of sweets. I left it at that since it made sense. Starting to slowly slip into my earlier slumber as I was taking notes of the teacher's lecture. I tried my hardest to keep my attention on the lesson but the uneasy feeling never left me.

A few minutes go by and I can hear someone talking. I look at the clock it read 2:21 when the talking stopped and I could faintly hear the sounds of a zipper open and close. That was the last thing I heard before the round of shots were fired. I will never forget the sound of the firing rifle in the hall, the door being shot open, glass shattering, and worse of all the screams. I felt something shove me to the ground, petrified I didn't move from my spot under the desk, desperately keeping my eyes shut to not see the horrors that await me, and hands over my ears trying to block out the sounds but it was futile. For what felt like hours but was only two minutes, I finally opened my eyes, hands away from my ears, and looked around. I can see students desperately trying to call their parents, I saw someone step out of the closet, I can hear people running out of the bathrooms. I can see that some students watching a live broadcast of the events happening.

My brain was working on overdrive trying to comprehend what just occurred. As I was processing everything I froze, I can feel the color drain from my skin. I hastily turned around giving myself whiplash but I didn't care. I shot up to my feet to where Liam should have been sitting. There I saw my best friend laying in a pool of his blood. I sank to my knees not caring as I can feel them getting soaked by blood as I tried to find a pulse. I put my fingers on his neck hoping for a miracle to feel anything. I was about to give up when I could faintly feel the smallest pulse coming from Liam.

I quickly ripped off my sweater putting it over the bullet wound desperately trying to slow down the bleeding. It just won't stop, why won't it stop. I kept putting pressure with as much strength I could muster, but I could feel myself slowly feel my hope slipping away. While I keep putting on the pressure I remember every memory I've had with Liam. From when we first met on the playground in 4th grade during recess, going through our awkward middle school phases together, Liam helping me through losing my mom, our first day as freshmen, hanging out at each other's houses, to joking around at lunch today. I remember Liam telling me since its Valentine's day he was finally going to confess to the person he liked after school, like I was in elementary school again I started teasing him. The rest of the lunch was spent with jokes and making fun of each other. Everything was flashing before my eyes as tears started going down my face.

I kept my eyes trained on trying to stop the blood but to no vain. This whole time Liam has been in and out of consciousness as his eyes opened and closed. In almost a whisper the entire time I kept repeating "no please, no, no please, not him too" as though those were the only words I knew. Like a broken record those are the only things leaving my mouth, I have no idea how much time has passed. All I know enough time has passed for my white sweater to be turned completely red. I still had my hands over his wounds when I felt a hand on my wrist. I snapped my head to look Liam in the eyes as more tears fell from my eyes.

I can tell he was trying to say something but it wasn't even above a whisper. I quickly told him not to try to speak and to save his energy, he shook his head looking at me with half-closed eyes. I could tell by the way he was looking at me what he wanted to say, he wanted to say what I have been trying to deny this whole time. I vigorously shook my head not wanting it to be true. I can see that he trying to talk again, we both knew what was going to happen, so I bent down putting my ear close to his mouth. He spoke so softly that I almost missed what he said. My head snapped up looking at him with a sad smile as I said "me too". After those words left my mouth Liam drew his last breath with a small smile on his face.