12:38

Part Four: Clive Parker

12:48 pm

The fifteen of us sat silently in the storage room. It's a small space, before today I thought it could only fit six people at the max.

"What should we do, Sir?" Nina Suji asks while we sit in the dark.

"The front door is only a few feet away" Aika Li points out, "we could just leave"

I shake my head slowly. "No, I won't risk it...You are all my responsibility and if anything happens to any of you..." I pause, looking down at my suit and tie.

They should have trained me better for this. Someone should have told me that this could happen. I thought I was living in a safe neighbourhood, working at a school that had no danger. When I woke up this morning, I had no idea that I would be hiding with my students from a shooter.

"My mum is calling me" Becca Makris looks me in the eye fearfully, "can I answer?"

I nod "keep your voice down"

"Momma" Becca presses her phone against her ear, "yes, yes we're safe...Mr Parker took us to the storage room as soon as we heard the sirens"

My students and I all sat with our heads down, listening to Becca speak to her mother. I want to call my girlfriend. I want to tell her that I may not come home to her tonight. I hope to God that my students get to go home and see their families again.

I know that if it comes down to my students or me, I know exactly what my choice will be.

We haven't heard any gunshots, just the loud warning bell and the police sirens from outside. When I called the front office and they told me it was a shooter, I knew very well that the fate of my students was solely my responsibility from that moment onwards.

"I don't know where Nina is ma, I don't know, I don't know if she's safe, I don't know" tears stream down her cheeks, "...is she answering her phone? Oh...Momma, I'll call you back," Becca pulls the phone away from her ear and looks up at the ceiling. She takes a deep breath then continues to speak quietly, "Θεοτόκε Παρθένε, χαῖρε, κεχαριτωμένη Μαρία, ὁ Κύριος μετὰ σοῦ. εὐλογημένη σὺ ἐν γυναιξί, καὶ εὐλογημένος ὁ καρπὸς τῆς κοιλίας σου, ὅτι Σωτήρα ἔτεκες τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν"

I furrow my brows in confusion, looking over to the student next to her who begins to weep. Gia Alanis meets my gaze tearfully and says "she's praying"

I inhale deeply, looking to each of my students. The door is only a few feet away. If there's a shooting, why would we all just stay trapped in a classroom when the door is only a few feet away? We could get away. I could save these students or at least better the chances of seeing their families again.

"Okay," I say softly, leaning my head against the dusty shelf.

"Okay, what?" Peter Artino asks.

"Let's go" I announce.

"Thank Fuck" Peter cries while all fifteen of us stand up slowly, avoiding the windows as best as we can.

"We move quickly and quietly" I order, "if I hear so much as someone breathing in those hallways, we're staying here"

They all nod as we exit the storage room. When we get to the front door, I step out into the hallways.

Nothing.

No one.

No lifeless bodies, no blood, no shooter.

He must be on the other side of the school. I look back over to my students and nod, allowing them to follow me to the door.

After two seconds we were outside and my students began screaming in relief.

I then see Alexander Lee and a few of my other students running in our direction from another building. His jeans were ripped and clothing covered in mud.

"Mr Parker!" Alexander cries, "we jumped from the window, there was no other way—"

My eyes widen "what!"

"It's Mr Reed," he says, "he was shot! He was shot!"

"Put your hands on your heads!" Three police officers order from a distance.

I look over to the building that Alexander came from and hold my breath before looking back over to the police officers.

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A/N

A YouTube video that inspired this chapter has been linked above.

Also, the prayer that Becca was saying is this in English: Mother of God and Virgin, rejoice, Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, for thou hast given birth to the Saviour of our souls.

Thank you