Book 3: Saving Scars {BoyxBoy}

Chapter 1

Casey had never heard a more horrific sound in his entire life, the loud, ear shattering crack that echoed in the hallways and made the students scream louder. The sound bounced around the walls, and the teens started to run towards the doors. Casey fought them, fought the crowd, desperately searching for Lex, his breath gasping in and out as he was shoved violently against the wall, knocking the wind out of him.

He pressed himself up against the lockers as he looked back and forth for any sign of his friends. It scared his entire class when Rick and Denise crashed into the room, screaming that someone at the school had a gun, their faces pale, Denise's mascara running. Mr. Creed had dropped what he had been holding, unable to move or calm his hysterical class as they started to scream. Sam had jumped up instantly, shoving people aside and hurrying from the room, phone in his hand as he dialed Chris' cell phone number.

Casey understood why he had left so suddenly. Chris had been out in the hallways, retrieving something from his locker, so hearing there was a gunman out there, with Chris, had caused Sam to panic, pushing aside all common sense in order to reach his boyfriend. Casey understood. He wanted to do the same thing, rush to his lover's side and make sure he was safe. Lex was uncomfortable around guns, surely he was freaking out as much as anyone else. Casey had to get to him. He had to find him.

As he managed to get away from the large crowd, he felt someone snag the back of his shirt, and shrieked out of habit as he spun around, ramming hard against Cal's chest, the taller boy's hands coming down on his shoulders to steady him before a finger was brought up to his lips, motioning for Casey to keep quiet. He reached back and grabbed onto Annabelle, who was holding Jaimie tight against her side, and started down the hallway, away from the crowd.

"W-where's Lex?!" Casey asked, his voice high pitched from his panic.

Cal squeezed his hand as he pulled him down the hall, "He's okay, angel, he and Seth are in the science room this period. Just around the corner."

They turned the corner Cal had motioned to and came face to face with Seth and Lex. Relief washed over Casey, and he threw himself at his boyfriend, arms wrapping tightly around his waist and face burying against his chest. Lex wound his arms around Casey's shoulders and looked back and forth between his friend's faces.

"The hell are you doing here?! You were closer to the exit, you should have left! Where the fuck are Sam and Chris?!"

"S-S-Sam ran out of the c-class," Casey whimpered, "Chris had to g-get something from his locker so he w-wasn't in the room when it h-h-happened."

Lex cursed and tightened his hold, his head lifting when a heart shattering scream echoed through the halls. Fear pulsed through each one of them as they started to run towards the scream. It was an uncontrollable urge to follow those screams, as they were all familiar with the pain, and wanted nothing more than to comfort the victim. The sound was hurting more than it should have, though, and Casey tightened his grip on Lex's hand.

"Lex, that's Sam!" he screamed out, eyes wide.

The group turned one last corner of the school hallways they all knew so well, and Lex, who had been in the lead, jolted to a stop, Casey ramming against his back, the other four slamming up against the couple and stumbling to stay standing as their eyes lifted to what Lex was looking at.

A few yards in front of them, collapsed onto his knees, was Sam, his hands covering his face as he leaned forward, screaming horribly, so loud that he was sure to ruin his vocal cords. Nearby was Brad, who was sitting on the ground, an odd look on his pale face, something red sprayed across the left side of his face. That wasn't what the group had zeroed in on, however. What they saw was much worse.