Memoir - A School Shooting

Chapter 2: Sahalia's POV

2: Sahalia's POV

It had seemed like such a normal day. Well, I guess everything starts like that.

I had been sitting in class, doodling henna patterns on my blank homework sheet. When Mr. Walker had seen I hadn't done my homework for around the 17th time in a row (I'm trying to set a personal record here) he just shook his head and got that disappointed look in his eyes. I stared right back and waited until he broke his gaze.

History class is boring, and when in my life will I need to know the date Caesar was assassinated? Art school doesn't command memorized dates or long essays.

Art is such a beautiful thing. And no, I don't mean just a pretty thing to look at. Art is expression, it can be anything you want. The beauty of it is that while it means one thing to the creator, every viewer interprets it a different way. Isn't that an amazing thought?

Mr. Walker hadn't seemed to think so. He droned on about Ancient Rome. Please, I knew everything there was to know about Ancient Rome. Though in my opinion, Ancient Greece was far more interesting. I ignored most of his teachings, he ignored my presence when I raised my hand to interject an opinion.

My opinions often aren't exactly valued in most of my classrooms. What I consider a different perspective, teachers consider "a disruption to classtime".

I don't like school. I hate it if I'm being honest. Don't get me wrong, I love learning. Just, I prefer learning new things. I'm not a fan of ceaseless review, memorization, and testing. Call me crazy. (You wouldn't be the first.)

I look up when I hear Lily's voice. Lily is one of my best friends, and probably my oldest as well. We've been inseparable since kindergarten. She asks to leave for the bathroom, and Mr. Walker waves her on. He doesn't really acknowledge her as she walks towards the door.

Our eyes meet and I tug at my earlobe, our friend group's secret gesture. It means so many things. If we wanna talk, to offer reassurance, or congratulations. It's pretty cool. I see Summer and Madelyn do the same thing.

As Lily's slight figure slips out the door, Toryn lets out a low wolf whistle. That asshole. She closes the door quickly. Lily is super self conscious. We're similar like that.

But Lily is very pretty. She's petite and has hair the color of the night sky. Her sapphire blue eyes are timid and drive guys insane.

She doesn't know she's pretty though. And she struggles with depression (like me) and a couple other disorders I won't go into.

Maybe Toryn does find her hot, but I know he's only doing that to mock her. I can see his smirk from here, the asshole thinks he's funny.

Toryn and I were friends when we were little. Now I'd rather distance myself from him and his calculating eyes as much as I can. Something is wrong with him.

His friends are all right though. Aaron is loud, but then again he's hilarious and pretty nice when you talk to him. And Jem is quite shy, but seems like a sweetheart. He just has that vibe.

Finally, God shows me mercy and the bell rings. Madelyn stays to talk to Mr. Walker. Toryn is first out if the classroom, with Aaron and Jem at his heels. Summer is just behind them. She has a massive crush on Aaron, a massive secret crush.

I'm at the threshold when it happens.

It's all over so fast but at the same time happens in a blink of an eye.

I hear a loud noise. Almost like a gunshot. But that's not a gunshot. It can't be. This is school. Shootings happen at other schools. To other people. Not me. Not us.

Toryn.

He's falling, falling, falling, slamming his face into the ground. Blood explodes from his nose, splattering the fading tiles of the hallway.

His nose is broken. I want to help him but I'm stuck in place. My feet just won't move, goddammit.

An inhuman noise rips out of Aaron's throat. A scream that sounds like Toryn's name.

It's too late, I want to say.

There's a bullet in his back.

There's blood on the floor. Everywhere. Blood. It's darker than you expect.

Aaron's screaming and Jem is running towards me and Summer is shoving me.

All I see is Toryn's eyes. He's dead, it's obvious at this point. But his eyes are open. That's not right. You're supposed to die with your eyes closed.

When you're old.

Not in 10th grade. That's not right.

I'm very detached from all of this. I know it's happening but I can't process it.

What's this called again?

Shock. I'm going into shock. Ok.

Jem slams into me and shoves me to the floor. Summer lands on top of me and is up and running again. I'm in the classroom.

Aaron is tearing across the hallway.

Aaron, you're not fast enough.

He trips and skids. In his best friends blood.

Oh.

He's in the threshold and hands are pulling him in, grabbing fabric and hair and skin and whatever they can and tugging until he's in he's finally in and the door is slamming and desks are being shoved in front of it and the lights are off and there's half a second of silence.

And then the screaming begins.