A Different Blue(43)

spread through my limbs like snake venom. I kept my arm outstretched, hoping Manny would relent

and hand me the gun.

“If that's the case, then shouldn't Blue be the one with the gun?” Wilson countered mildly.

Manny's eyes shot to Wilson, a shocked look on his face. Then he looked at me, and I wiggled my

fingers, indicating he should hand it over. He seemed to consider what Wilson said.

Then Manny laughed. It was just a slight hiccup, but the sound ricocheted around the room like

another shot. I wanted to cover my head, but the hiccup became a chortle, and the chortle a full

rolling laugh that turned into wracking sobs.

All at once, Manny seemed to lose his conviction, and his arm went slack, the gun hanging

loosely from his fingers. He buried his chin in his chest and let the sobs overtake him. Wilson

stepped around me and took Manny in his arms, pulling him close as my hands closed around the

gun. Manny let me take it without protest, and I retreated gingerly, one step at a time, as I

watched Manny sob into Wilson's chest. But once I had the weapon, I didn't know what to do with

it. I didn't want to set it down, and I couldn't give it to Wilson. His arms were wrapped around

an inconsolable Manny, more to keep him contained, I think, then to offer comfort, though Manny

didn't need to know that.

“Do you know how to empty the magazine?” Wilson asked me softly.

I nodded. Jimmy had taught me. I swiftly removed the bullets as Wilson addressed the class, many

of whom had started to rise from where they had huddled beneath their desks.

“Students – I need everyone to calmly exit the classroom. Walk, don't run. When you get out

into the hallway, don't stop. Exit the school. I'm guessing help is already on its way.

Everything is going to be all right. Blue, stay right here with me. You can't go out in the

hallway with the gun, and I can't take it from you right now. We'll wait here until

reinforcements arrive.”

By reinforcements, I knew Wilson meant the police, but was trying not to alarm Manny who had

clearly come undone, and was a quivering mess in his arms.

My classmates scrambled for the door, flinging it wide as they erupted into the hallway beyond.

The corridor was silent and empty, as if classes were in session beyond the closed doors. But I

knew there were teachers trying to keep their students safe, huddled in terror behind those

doors, crying, praying, hoping that they wouldn't hear more gunshots, begging for rescue,

calling 911. Maybe everyone had run for the exits when Manny began shooting at the lights. Maybe

there was a SWAT team running up the stairs at that very moment. All I knew was that when the

police arrived, my little friend would be leaving in handcuffs, and he wouldn't be coming back

to high school. Ever again.

“Set the gun and the bullets on my desk, Blue. You don't want to be holding them when the

authorities arrive,” Wilson instructed, pulling my attention back to the now-empty classroom

and the gun in my hand.

[page]I did as Wilson asked, and as I moved back toward him his eyes met mine and I saw the

terror of what had just transpired stamped all over his young face. It was as if, now that the

danger had passed, he was replaying the entire event in his head, complete with bonus scenes and

possible bloody outtakes. Even as I wondered why I wasn't shaking, my legs would not longer hold