Me: I’m doing okay, all of the kids are safe. We’ve barricaded the door with furniture, and I’ve got them in the safest area away from the door and windows. Please stay safe, but also make sure they don’t hurt anyone.
It felt like hours, but it was only minutes when my phone buzzed again.
“Are we okay?” one of the girls whimpered through her gentle sobbing, breaking my heart.
Reaching over, I grabbed her hand and squeezed it. “We’re good, honey. The Police are dealing with it, and it’s all going to be over soon.”
“My— My boyfriend’s in Miss Waite’s room this period. Is he okay?” she croaked.
Ignoring the text from Logan for a moment, I sent one to Tamsin to double check. “I’ve just texted her, so I’ll be able to give you that answer in a second. I’m almost certain they are, though. She’s damn smart, isn’t she?”
“You both are,” she replied. “We all think you and Miss Waite are the shit— Sorry, we think y’all are great. You talk to us like we’re humans and our opinions count, and you teach us stuff no one thinks about.”
I wasn’t sure if that last one was a compliment per se, but I’d take it.
“Thanks, honey.” Then my phone buzzed with a message from Tamsin, and I relaxed slightly. “Okay, she says they’re all great, and the boys are playing poker.”
There was a gross sniff which made me regret eating a cinnamon roll on my way in, but then she giggled. “That’s just like Drew.”
Scrolling down, I opened Logan’s message.
“I just need to check on my boyfriend now. If he’s playing poker, I’ll kick his butt,” I told them, smiling when I heard quiet chuckles.
Logan: We’re behind the school. There are shells on the ground, but no one’s here. Stay where you are until we know more.
Was that advice really necessary? Of course I was going to stay where I was until they found the asshole.
Sending a message to tell him that I stayed alert in case the person was in the school.
The next update came through from the school system.
Piersville HS Emergency: Remain in classrooms until further notice. Parents have been informed and told to stay away from the property. Zero casualties reported so far.
“Jesus,” I breathed, getting the kids' attention. “So far, they haven’t found anyone who’s been injured. That’s great news.”
“Is your boyfriend helping out with it?” Lamar asked, his maturity shining through as he watched over the others.
“Yeah, so we know we’re in the best hands.”
“My mom says that y’all’s relationship is like a real life romance book,” Ashlienne, one of the girls, said. “Everyone knew y’all would get together when you were kids, so they’re happy you finally got your asses into gear.”
I would not laugh, I would not laugh.
I laughed, but I still managed to say, “Don’t say ass.”
“Are you getting married?” someone else asked, and I realized they were doing it to distract themselves and everyone else from our situation from hell.
“Maybe one day,” I shrugged.
“Has he asked you yet?”
I was relieved the room was dark when I blushed, remembering this morning. “Uh, no, he hasn’t asked.”
“Will you say yes?” one of the girls whisper hissed.
“I’ve never been someone who wanted to get married, but I guess if he does it on the right day, I’ll say yes. I can’t make it too easy for him, can I?”
For the next hour, we discussed things like my relationship and the kittens while I kept an eye on the updates coming in.
I was so killer at multi-tasking that I even managed to play a game of I spy with Tamsin while we were in different rooms. Crazy but true, and it helped to keep me calm and level-headed.
Then we got the message we’d all been waiting for.
Piersville HS Emergency: Police have cleared the school, and parents have been updated. Students are being released immediately. Police will be in attendance to ensure the safety of all people on campus. An update will be given to all staff once we have one.
It took a hell of a lot more strength to lift the filing cabinet and bookcase back up again, but we finally managed it and cautiously made our way to where DB, Raoul, Alex, and Logan were standing at the front doors.
“Good afternoon, we’re your friendly escorts this afternoon,” DB greeted, smiling widely at them.
Hopefully, the students didn’t notice how pissed off he was, but for me, it was evident in the clenching of his jaw and the hardness in his eyes.
“Now, your parents are going to meet you, and you’re to get into the vehicle quickly. We’ll walk you down and make sure everything’s okay, but the sooner we get y’all home to recover from today, the better.”
Amazingly, it all went smoothly. I was shocked that none of the parents stopped to demand answers, but maybe the updates they’d received told them they had to be quick.
Within an hour, everyone was out, leaving just the faculty behind.
Holding a hand up, Principal Teller got our attention. “We have no answers aside from what our law enforcement officers have no doubt told you. There’s no damage to the school, but they found casings on the football field, just out of sight of the security cameras.”
Then, almost like he was talking to himself, he added, “Which we’ll be sorting out tomorrow. Who sets up security cameras that don’t get the whole property. Waste of fucking money and an absolute risk to our safety and the safety of the students. I better speak to John Tafferty about organizing something with Tamsin to help the students.”
“Who decided on placement and arranged the funding for it all?” DB asked, interrupting his planning for what sounded like therapy for the students if Mr. Tafferty was involved. He was a psychologist who worked with Tamsin to educate the kids on the subject and touched base with them about mental health when a student needed it.
“Mayor Kirkwood. We had a new security system put in
