Rose
We all arrive back at Le Café at relatively the same time. After Nick, Joe and Matt stop shooting and disappear we all leave school. As kids pour out of the building my heart thumps. Have any of my friends died? Is Jake okay? Did they kill the rest of Super Six? I scan the crowd for any familiar face. Kids are crying and shaking. Did they kill anyone at all? I can’t find any of my friends. Kids hug and cry with joy. I start running to Le Café. Anyone else from Super Six that survived would be there. My mom keeps calling me but I don’t pick up. I keep running to Le Café. I throw the doors open and look around. Krys, May and B.B run toward me. Krys and May hug me tight. “You’re okay!” Krys cries happily. I nod looking for the rest of Super Six. “Is anyone else here?” I ask. “What? My presence doesn’t satisfy you?” Krys asks. I manage to force a small laugh. “Krys said John is okay but right now only you, Krys and May are officially safe.” B.B explains. I nod a little hoping everyone is okay.
We watch the news on B.B’s huge computers. No one recognized Nick, Joe and Matt as the shooters. They interviewed some survivors who burst into tears on cameras. The death toll bounced around a lot. At first it was said sixty people died. Now they’re saying only two people were killed. I try not to get caught up in the death toll until it’s official. May rushes into the back room. “Hunter’s here.” she informs us. We rush out to the main room to see Hunter standing in the doorway sobbing. He’s uninjured. “Are you okay? What happened?” I ask. “He killed her.” He whispers choking on his tears. “What? Who killed who?” Krys asks. Hunter takes a big breath and sniffles. “J-Joe. He k-killed . . .” He sobs more and falls to his knees. “Who?” I ask softly. “Katy.” He whispers as tears roll down his cheeks. “Sh-she asked me out b-before the shooting and Joe k-killed her.” He stutters. B.B gives him a tissue. Krys, May and I stare down at him. I think about Jake. I fight tears myself but I don’t let them out. I can’t look weak.
Hunter sits in a corner in the kitchen while we keep watching the news. We try to help him and offer him curly fries but he doesn’t want to talk to anyone. Eventually the doors open again. John and Steve run in and wrap us in a hug. John looks down at May. “Thank God you’re okay.” He whispers. She smiles at him. “Only cause you saved me.” she mumbles. “Is Hunter here?” Steve asks looking around. “Um . . . well . . . he’s in the kitchen but he’s going through a lot. You should leave him alone.” Krys explains. Steve nods. “I was there . . . when Joe shot Katy.” He mumbles. We all nod sympathetically. “Who’s left to arrive?” John asks breaking the silence. “Jenny, Mute, Jake and Drew.” I report. He nods. “I hope they’re okay.”
I begin to believe the rest of our group is fine. I don’t know who Nick, Joe and Matt were targeting. They killed Katy and shot May and didn’t harm Super Six. I think about Jenny and Mute. I hope they’re okay. I hear the door open. “Where are my fellow survivors at?” a high voice asks. Jenny. John, Krys, Steve, May and I dash to the main room and see Jenny, transformed, standing in the doorway with Drew. “Jenny!” Krys cries hugging her followed by the rest of us. “Why are you transformed?” I ask studying her purple and red lizard tail. “I had a little run-in with Nick.” She mutters. “He almost killed her.” Drew mutters angrily. “He fudging dangled me from a tree!” she adds. “So who’s here?” she asks. “Everyone is here except Mute. But Hunter’s girlfriend died.” John explains. “Hunter had a girlfriend?” she asks wide-eyed. “Do you know a girl named Katy?” I ask. Her face turns white. “My best friend.”
“She and I were pretty close. She always had a small crush on Hunter but I didn’t know she asked him out.” Jenny explains sitting down. Her hands are shaking. Hunter enters the room. “She just did this morning.” He mumbles. “Oh Hunter. You probably won’t agree but things happen for a reason. It was for the better. She cut herself. She was suicidal.” She explains to him. Hunter looks at the floor. He opens his mouth to say something but before he can the door opens again. Mute walks in looking somewhat prideful. Steve sighs with relief. “That’s all of Super Six!” He cheers. I think about Jake. What would I do if he died? I avoid the thought. I decide I need to go out and find him. While the rest of Super Six are catching up and reuniting, I slip out the door.
I run down the streets back to the school. It’s getting sort of dark out. John mentioned something about all of us spending the night at Le Café. I like that idea. I keep running all the way to school. I see a silhouette of a boy sitting on a bench. I run over to him. He turns to me and I see two big, teary gray eyes. Jake! I throw my arms around him and sit down beside him. “Rose! I thought you were dead!” he cries. I finally let my own tears out. “I’m fine.” I weep. “Some girl from your math class said Joe shot you.” he whispers. “He shot at me once but he missed.” I explain. I don’t mention it was on purpose. I sniffle a little. “I’m just glad you’re okay.” I whisper crying into his shoulder. I look up into his eyes. He looks back into mine. He leans forward and I do too. My heart races. Should we really do this? Is this real or just a pathetic coping strategy? My nose brushes against his. “Rose!” a voice cries. I look to see John and Mute running toward us. I quickly pull away from Jake. “Where’d you go?” John asks when he finally reaches us. He sees Jake. “Oh hey. We were worried about you.” he explains. “I’m good. I was worried about you guys.” Jake mumbles. “B.B said we could all spend the night at Le Café is we want.” Mute informs us. Me and Jake look at each other. I nod. “Let’s go.”
