Interim(126)

“Ms. Griffin, we can do this.”

Her teacher nodded once, expelling the last of her energy.

Regan grunted and strained, pulling as hard as she could, sliding her teacher slowly down the hallway. She made it a few yards before stopping.

“Ten second break,” she said to herself, counting One banana two banana three banana . . .

She heaved and moved again. Several yards this time, her survival instincts kicking into overdrive: I am not dying today! Neither is Ms. Griffin!

“Ten second break,” she said again, breathing heavily.

“Regan, it’s all right,” Ms. Griffin whispered. Barely detectable.

Another pull. She wouldn’t stop until she made it to classroom 10B. Grunts and groans and mental determination got her there. She peeked into the classroom. Lights off. The chances of the door being unlocked were slim. She jiggled the handle.

It opened.

Screams and cries from inside.

“It’s okay!” Regan called. “It’s okay!”

But she knew they were sitting ducks. No teacher. No key.

She dragged Ms. Griffin in the room.

“Help me!” she screamed, and the students closest to the door sprang to action.

They slammed it closed once Regan and Ms. Griffin were safely inside.

“We can’t find the key. We don’t know where Mr. Howard is,” a girl said. It was Jamie—a fellow soccer teammate.

Regan took a quick inventory of the room then looked at Jamie, who was staring at her bra. She’d forgotten she was half naked.

“Here,” Jamie said, pulling off her jacket and thrusting it in Regan’s hands.

“It’s really bad,” Regan said low, zipping up. She pointed to Ms. Griffin’s leg. “Find the First Aid kit. Wrap it better.” She dropped her voice even lower. “Lots and lots of pressure. I think—”

“I got it,” Jamie said, and ran to the storage cabinet.

“What can I do?” a boy asked Regan. He was hunched over the teacher.

Regan thought a moment. “Make signs. Post on the door. Post on the window. Really big. As big as you can.” She pulled him close and whispered in his ear, “Teacher bleeding out.”

He nodded, and bolted to Mr. Howard’s desk.

Regan searched the room and settled on a student in the back.

“You! Do you have a cell phone?”

She nodded.

“Call 9-1-1. Tell them a teacher is hurt in room 10B. Be specific!”

The girl shook her head. “I’ve been trying. I can’t get through.”

“Keep trying!! Remember, 10B!”

“Okay okay, 10B, 10B, 10B, 10B,” the girl repeated to herself.

Sirens in the distance. Instant elation.

“Shut up!” Regan shouted. “Shut up and help me bar this door!”

But then a new realization hit her—something she was too distracted from discovering until now. She was in the wrong classroom. These students weren’t sitting ducks. The sitting ducks were in the lab: Brandon, Casey, Ethan, Alexia . . . all of Hannah’s tormentors.

“Oh my God,” she whispered.

Hannah planned it all along! This was no random shooting! She knew their schedules. She knew when they’d all be together—easy targets clumped in one space—at the far end of the building where it would take police longer to access. The lab could already be the picture of a mass murder for all Regan knew. She may be too late.

“I’ve gotta get out of here,” she said, shoving a desk aside from the doorway.

“What?” Jamie cried.

“It’s not here. It’s not happening here,” Regan replied.

“I don’t understand,” Jamie said.

“Ms. Griffin! Where are your keys?”

“Huh?”

“Your classroom key!” Regan cried.

“Purse,” Ms. Griffin breathed.

“Where’s your purse??”

“Drawer.”

“What drawer, Ms. Griffin?”

Time ticked. Precious precious time.

“WHAT DRAWER?” Regan bellowed.

“Right drawer,” Ms. Griffin said. She drew in a long breath. “Hidden under the files.”

Regan dropped to her knees and kissed her teacher’s cheek.

“Thank you. You’re gonna be okay,” she said, and bolted from the classroom, yelling a last set of instructions as she left.