ODDS OF LOVE : SEASON 15

Episode 2

Mark Mullins wrinkled up his face as he listened to his wife Susan's phone going to voicemail after just ringing for the second time. That wasn't like her , he thought as he shoved his phone in his jeans pocket and grabbed his jacket off the back of a chair in his barber shop. She never failed to answer for him. He wondered if she was still at the pediatrician with Little Spence who had been sneezing that morning with some cold or something.

" Hey ," he called to his little brother Scout as he headed for the front door of the shop. " Mind the shop. I'm going to check on Suze and the kid. "

Scout was rereading his published culinary column in The Aura and idly waved at his brother. " Sure , sure," he said vacantly.

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Alan was feeling down as he sat in the backseat of Nicholas' chauffeur driven Rolls Royce waiting for Saunders to bring his foldable wheelchair from the trunk and then lift him into it. He wished he could just take the bus to school but it didn't have a lift to get him up and down. He was starting to wish he had just kept doing remote classes. Today was his first day back by his own demand and it had not gone well at all. Not to him anyway. He felt like everyone had looked at him funny all day and talked to him differently. They talked over him and not to him. Except for Theodore and Luci and Richie.

He had been frustrated and snapped at Theodore during lunch when his boyfriend had wanted to help him get settled at the table. He shouldn't have done that.....

As Saunders came around the car with his chair he braced himself for being helped from the backseat into it just as he got a text message.

It was from Richie.

Richie: Shit , Alan , someone's shooting outside the bus.

What the hell ........

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Alfred leaned on his walker in Gerald's office as he came to a slow stop before Gerald and Oscar who were discussing school attendance at Gerald's desk.

Gerald glanced at his fiance. " Ready to go, Alfred ? I know you were very tired earlier. "

Before Alfred could answer Gerald's desk phone rang and he promptly answered it with " Barrington Academy, Dr. HighTower speaking. "

It was the driver on one of the student routes home. The man was almost hysterical as he blurted out," Dr. HighTower , there's been a shooting ! We have students hurt! "

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As Tina ran off laughing down the street Nicole's unconscious body was flung across Luci who lay under her in confusion and pain.

" Get on the bus ! ," the bus driver screamed at Theodore as the man clutched his cell phone in his shaking hand. " Get on the bus ! I called 911 ! I'm talking to Dr. HighTower ! "

Theodore ignored him and the screaming kids spilling out of the bus to see what was going on. He was next to Luci holding onto her tightly as she held her cousin.

" Luci ! Luci ! Are you alright ! Talk to me ! ," he yelled as he stroked his friend and cousin's hair.

Luci blinked at him in confusion. " I.... I kinda.... I kinda hurt.... What happened.... " A pained expression came over her face as she whispered," Sol ......"

Then her eyes closed as the sound of sirens got closer to the bus.

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In the driveway of Mark and Susan Mullins' house a neighbor ran over to Susan who was sprawled on the ground with blood running down her pretty oval shaped face. Inside the car Spence cried as he sat in his car seat.

" Someone help ," the neighbor screamed as she dropped to her knees before Susan. " Someone help her ! "