Five of our group met in the parking lot that morning, December 9th. Jacob had texted me saying he was going to be late to school, so not to wait for him.
“Well, we better head in, then. He’s not going to be here for a bit so might as well get to class on time!” said Trevor. He was always the sensible one.
“Good idea! Besides, I need to finish up my paper, its due second period.” That would be Rebecca, Trevor’s girlfriend and my best friend.
Having all decided to actually get to class early for once, Louis, Ryan, Trevor, Rebecca and I, went our own ways. Louis always walked me to class, the romantic he is, even though he had class on the other side of the school.
First period passed by, leading into our second period (that all six of us had together), and still no sign of Jacob as the bell for the beginning of class rang. Sitting in my desk, with Louis and Rebecca on either side of me, I began to get an uneasy feeling. But with the start of our history presentations, I pushed it aside. As the presentations continued, the feeling got worse, and I knew Louis could tell by the way I was gripping his hand.
Five presentations in, it was Rebecca’s turn. She stood and approached the front of the classroom, then turned to face us. Halfway through her presentation, the classroom door opened cutting off Rebecca mid-sentence, revealing a very haunted looking Jacob.
He was clad in all black; black jeans, black shirt, and a sweatshirt with the hood pulled up over his head. He wasn’t smiling like he normally does, instead his jaw was clenched tightly, and he wouldn’t look at anyone. Jacob had his hands shoved inside the pocket of the sweatshirt, and it seemed like he was hiding something.
“Well, Jacob, how nice of you to finally join us, take a seat.” Mr. Saltz said with a smile on his face. He got a kick out of our little miss-matched group.
Jacob just stood there. Not moving a single muscle, staring at the floor.
“Mr. Craig? Take a seat please.” Mr. Saltz stood up from his desk, placing his hands on his hips, as if daring Jacob to defy him. And defy him he did.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Mr. Saltz. You see, I’m here to take care of something, something that no one can stop. So I suggest you don’t stop me unless you want to join me.” Everyone’s breathe stopped short, confused as to what the hell he could possibly be talking about. Especially us five, having known everything he ever does or thinks. But before anyone could react, could say a word, Jacob pulled out his father’s 9 mm semi-automatic handgun, and pointed it. At Rebecca.
The room froze, as if suspended in time, as we watched his index finger pull the trigger, and watched the bullet fly the three or four feet that was between Jacob and Mr. Saltz, hitting him square in the chest. No one could move.
Looking at Jacob, he looked as if he was holding back from saying something, as if he was about to burst with the need to say what he was keeping inside. And what came out, we were not expecting in the least, and it made all of us jump in fear; he laughed. And that laugh was so manic, so mad sounding, that the only thing I could think was that Jacob was no longer Jacob, he had become someone unrecognizable. Someone we didn’t know, someone who was not our friend since elementary school.
After Jacob had reclaimed himself from laughing, he turned to the rest of the class, smiling like he was on top of the world, with a look in his eyes that screamed crazy. I glanced away, hiding my face in Louis’ chest, not wanting to see what was happening with my friend. Looking back over at Jacob once more, I noticed his view was on Rebecca, who was still frozen in her spot at the front of the classroom, right in front of where Mr. Saltz lay dead.
Drawing the gun up to shooting position, Jacob aimed it at Rebecca’s head, and as he did so, Rebecca let out a strangled cry of desperation, and Trevor jumped out of his seat to block Rebecca, just as Jacob pulled the trigger once more.
Trevor fell, cracking his head open on the corner of the desk in front of him. Rebecca let out a scream, but was silenced immediately by another ring of a bullet being shot into the air.
She crumpled on top of Trevor, neither of them moved.
Terror gripped us like a child latching their tongue on to a frozen pole, unable to move, and afraid of what might happen if you do move.
Unfortunately, two guys in the back of the classroom decided to try to move their girlfriends to the closet to escape harm, and were at once targeted. Four more dead. I didn’t think I was capable of feeling anymore, didn’t think I could even think right now.
