Academy Murder Party

~:Chapter 33:~

Tyler blinked. He was staring at the end of a handgun, directly pointed in between his eyes. He wanted to run and flee down the hallway, yet, he felt frozen in place like a deer stuck in the headlights of an oncoming car. 

"G-Gah..." He sputtered out, his eyes widening in surprise behind his masquerade mask. The girl stared back, furrowing her eyebrows at him.

"You just gonna... stare at him or something?" The boy asked the girl, raising an eyebrow at the change.

"I'm debating whether or not I should use a bullet on him." The girl shrugged.

"You certainly s-shouldn't!" Tyler pleaded with the two. "I am n-not worth a b-bullet! At all!" He folded his hands, praying with the strange girl with the jester-styled outfit. 

"On second thought, he is kind of annoying." The girl muttered.

"H-hey!" He pouted. "I-I'm just a fragile little boy! Y-you wouldn't shoot me, would you?"

"I would." The girl shrugged, placing her finger on the trigger.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! W-Wait a minute!" The boy pleaded. "You don't have to shoot me! I'll... walk away...  You don't have to waste a single bullet!"

"He's got the point." The other boy shrugged.

"Y-yeah! I do!" Tyler added, pleading with the girl as she rolled her eyes in annoyance. Just then, the door opening behind him caught her attention as she held the gun to the open door, where Lucas stumbled out, looking around, a bit dizzy.

"Lucas?!" Both the boy and the girl remarked almost simultaneously.

"Sup." He put a hand up, leaning against the wall, he looked over at the boy, and his eyes widened as he recognized him after a delay. "Ay! Eric, my man!" He approached him, taking his hand in his own as they greeted each other. Catherine stood there, utterly dumbfounded.

"How the hell are you still alive?"

"I dunno' man! Just mad luck!" He snickered.

"Bro... why the hell are you here?" Eric asked.

"I mean... do you even need to ask that question?" The girl rolled her eyes, garnering a glare from the boy, known as Eric. "No offense." She muttered with a shrug. Tyler stared at the scene unfolding, completely confused. He wasn't sure if he should try running or stay put.

"So... uh..." He cleared his throat, gaining the attention of all three of them.

"Right, you're here." The girl said, holding up the gun to him once again.

"Wait!" Lucas shouted. "He's with me! He's chill; relax, Catherine." The guy said to the girl, who he referred to as Catherine.

"What?" She asked.

"This is my friend... what'd you say your name was again?" Lucas asked him. Tyler sighed, almost wanting to facepalm at the question.

"Tyler."

"Right, right. Yeah, this is my good friend Tyler." Lucas said with a smile.

"Yeah!" Tyler sighed in relief, grateful that Lucas covered for him. Yet, he couldn't help but feel a bit guilty that the person defending him was someone he was mere seconds away from abandoning. Hell, what a plot twist. Perhaps even some form of twisted character development? Whatever it was, he was sure that it was partially luck he was still alive.

So, the two then became four.

* * * 

"It's open..?" Zach whispered to himself as he tossed the empty syringe aside and peeked outside the door. "Hello?!" He called out but to no response. He slowly slipped through the open door and then into the hallway. Although his memory was still fuzzy, he was able to retain some memories in the last hour. He wondered if this was an aftereffect of the antidote, yet, he wasn't entirely sure.