Tanner | Tate's Son

Chapter 4

* Abigail's POV *

For my second day at school, my father surprisingly offered to drive me. What a caring, loving father.

Jk. He only offered since he had to leave for work and pass my school anyways.

He worked as a law enforcer. This meant that everyday he left for work in his dark blue cop uniform with gadgets and harmful weapons buckled around his waists.

That also meant that I felt 10x safer knowing that there was a cop in my house all the time.

With his black and white car parked in front, it made our house seem more intimidating.

"Alright, have a good day Ab." He said as he stopped right in front of the main doors where the drop off line was.

"Yeah, see you." I solemnly replied, slinging my bag over my shoulder as I stepped out.

"Love-" before he could finish, I slammed the door in his face and headed to school.

Oops.

Walking in the dimly lit hallways, I stayed to the edge of the hallway- almost touching the wall- to avoid any and all contact with other people.

My shoulder suddenly pressed against a poster, the edge coming off from the sticky tab.

Stopping, I faced the poster and pressed the edge back to where it was.

Looking at the poster that I banged into, I felt my heart skip a beat.

"You'll always be in our hearts. Stop gun violence!"

Looking down from the title, 15 faces of the deceased with their names stared back at me.

On the bottom, read Mr. Carmichael, librarian hero.

I then realized there was no birth and death date by his name.

Was he still alive?

To my surprise the library was a few doors down.

I didn't care what time it was or if I missed class, I was curious to find out what happened.

Opening up the library doors, the first thing that caught my eyes was a memorial plaque.

Walking up to it, the same 15 names were engraved, with "IN MEMORY OF OUR FALLEN BROTHERS AND SISTERS".

A shiver ran down my spine, with a deep sense of horror.

"New student?" Said a deep, frail voice behind me.

Turning around, well looking down, was a very old man that sat in a wheelchair. His balding head was grey, with saggy skin and brown sad eyes.

He wore a blue plaid shirt with brown pants and leather shoes.

His hands were tightened around his wheels, and he stared up at me with a glum face.

"Uh- yeah I'm new... um-"

"School shooting." He said plainly.

"Wow. That's... awful. Why do they call you a hero?"

He scoffed, looking down at his wheelchair. "All I did was try to block the door from the guy coming in, and I get called a hero. Though, they call me that because they feel guilty that I got shot and paralyzed from it."

I gulped. "I'm sorry that happened to you."

"Shit happens." He mumbled, as he began to roll away.

"Uh- wait." I called to him.

He turned back.

"Who did it?"

"A boy. Named Tate Langdon. He shot me and killed five of the fifteen victims right in this room."

More chills ran down my arms.

"What happened to him?"

"Dead." He quickly said.

"Anymore questions?" He asked, though by his face it was obvious he was done.

"No. Thank you." I quietly replied.

Once he rolled away, I looked up at the rows of books to catch someone staring at me.

It was the boy I saw yesterday.

He stared at me intently, holding a opened book in his hands as he stood in the last shelf of books.

I awkwardly looked away, feeling my cheeks get hot once again. Of course he would be in here. He just seemed like the reading type.

Deciding to skip first period, I walked up to one of the tables, and placed my backpack down.

Realizing I had no homework yet, I decided to look at some books hoping the boy would come up to me and start a conversation. Since I was to awkward to make the first move.

Skimming the names of novels I've never even heard about, a felt a sudden coldness touch the edge of my arm.

Looking up nobody was there.

Great, a haunted library now? Well... it would make sense... I mean 5 students did get brutally shot in this exact room...

"Abigail Faye, please report to first period. Abigail Faye, please report to first period." Robotically said a women through the speakers.

Shit!

Running back to my table I grabbed my bag and headed out the doors. Now everyone knows I tried to skip class.

Running to my first period, I stepped inside to have rows of eyes glance up at me at the same time. The teacher awkwardly stopped talked, and slowly glared at me from his chalkboard.

"Take a seat, Abigail." Said his grim voice.

A couple of laughs arose from the class, along with a few hushes.

"God, shut up. I'm late to class what's so funny about that?" I blurted out at them.

They suddenly became quiet.

"Abigail! Please sit down." Shouted the teacher.

Rolling my eyes I walked up to one of the empty desks and plopped down.

At home, I ran into my room and tackled my bed. Another day of sitting alone at lunch, with the group of cunts still laughing at me from behind. When would they stop?

Rubbing my face out of exhaustion, I sat up and opened my bag to start some homework.

Rummaging my hand inside I felt something very soft, silky, and fragile.

Gripping it softly, my hands began to pull out the light object that hid in in the crease of my books.

Laying in my pale hands, was a dark green stem that lead to a perfect, shiny black rose.