ZOE

Zoe

I woke up to the soft prod of Ava's elbow in my side. "Zoe, wake up, the bell rang," she said, her voice cutting through the haze of sleep. "We're late! Let's go." Groaning, I pulled my hood over my head, trying to block out the noise of the classroom, but I could already feel the weight of the situation settling in. I'd fallen asleep during chemistry again. Who knew how long I'd been out? Maybe only a few minutes, or maybe it had been the entire period. The comfort of my half-dreams was so much better than facing another class of dull equations.

"Zoe!" Ava's voice was louder this time, a mix of exasperation and urgency. "We're gonna get in trouble! Physics is next, and you know Mr. Anderson won't let us get away with being late."

I sighed, pushing myself up, still too tired to fully function. The last few days had been draining, but I didn't want to let Ava down, so I dragged myself out of my seat. "Alright, alright, I'm up," I muttered, wiping the sleep from my eyes as I followed her out of the chemistry lab. The chatter from our classmates filled the hallway, but I couldn't focus on any of it. My mind was still stuck in that weird, sleepy fog.

We made our way to the lockers, bumping into a few people along the way. I didn't really pay attention to them, only half-listening as Ava talked about her plans for the weekend. I wasn't sure why I felt so out of it, but everything just seemed... hazy, like I was moving through a dream.

I was so distracted that I barely noticed Alex standing at his locker until I was already standing right next to him. He was rifling through his books, and as I turned to grab my own, our eyes met for a split second.

It wasn't anything extraordinary, just a brief glance, but something about it unsettled me. His look felt different, more intense than usual. Like he wanted to say something, like there was more he needed to tell me. But I couldn't be bothered. I had enough to deal with already, and if he wanted to talk, he could make the first move. I wasn't going to chase after him, not after everything.

Ava, Leah, and I hurried down the hall to the physics lab, trying to get there before the bell rang. When we entered, Mr. Anderson was already standing at the front, waiting for the class to settle down. "Excuse me, sir," I said, voice still a bit groggy from sleep, but polite enough as I opened the door. We slipped into our seats, and I barely had time to settle before Mr. Anderson stood up to address the class.

"So, who completed last week's homework?" His question hung in the air like a challenge. I froze. Oh no. I'd completely forgotten about it. I glanced around, half-expecting to see others in the same boat, and sure enough, the room was filled with guilty faces.

Mr. Anderson's eyes flicked over us with a mixture of disappointment and resignation. "Well, it looks like nobody did it," he muttered, shaking his head. "Your final deadline is by Friday this week."

I felt a small relief that I wasn't the only one who had forgotten, but it didn't last long. As Mr. Anderson moved on, the atmosphere in the room felt... off. I couldn't shake the feeling of unease creeping up my spine. Maybe it was because I hadn't gotten enough sleep. Maybe it was just the typical restlessness I always felt during physics. But something was off. My eyes kept drifting over to Alex, who was sitting a few rows ahead of me, and I couldn't help but notice that he wasn't paying attention to the lesson at all. He was just staring ahead, lost in thought.

Then, the sharp, violent sound of a gunshot ripped through the room, cutting through the air like a blade. My heart froze in my chest, my blood running cold. For a moment, the world around me seemed to disappear, and I couldn't comprehend what had just happened. There was a sudden surge of panic, a collective gasp from the class, as everyone froze in place, unsure of what to do or how to react.

It wasn't real, was it? Maybe I was still half-asleep, caught in some kind of terrible dream.

But no. The sound had been too real. Too loud. Too close.

Students began to scramble to their feet, their chairs clattering to the floor. My hands shook as I tried to make sense of what was going on, but my thoughts were clouded with fear. Another gunshot rang out, this time much closer. My breath caught in my throat. Something was horribly wrong.

A figure dashed past the classroom door, a student covered in blood, his face twisted in fear. He screamed about someone shooting at children down the hall. The words sent a ripple of terror through me. I didn't know what to think, didn't know where to go. The world had suddenly turned upside down, and I could feel the terror in my chest rising with each passing second.

Ava grabbed my arm, pulling me towards the door, urging me to move. "We have to get out of here, Zoe! Now!" she said, her voice trembling. But I couldn't move. I was paralyzed with fear, my body refusing to obey. I couldn't understand what was happening, why it was happening, or what I was supposed to do.

Finally, I snapped out of it, my survival instincts kicking in. "We need to get to safety," I said, my voice unsteady. Ava nodded, her face pale, and we ran out into the hallway. Leah and Aria followed us, and we all tried to make our way toward the nearest exit, but panic was spreading like wildfire. The halls were chaotic, filled with shouting students, some running, some frozen in fear.

As we reached the corner of the hallway, the boys—Alex, Yash, Steve, and Josh—appeared, and for a moment, it felt like we were finally safe, like the worst was over. But the fleeting sense of relief vanished as quickly as it came.

I stopped dead in my tracks, my instincts screaming at me to be careful. Something was wrong. Something was... off. The boys, oblivious to the danger, kept moving forward, but I couldn't shake the dread pooling in my stomach. It wasn't until they reached the corner that they realized what I had sensed.

The shooter appeared before us, his face twisted in madness, his weapon aimed right at us. My heart raced in my chest as my mind struggled to process the nightmare unfolding before me.

"Please," I whispered, fear clenching at my throat. "Please don't hurt us."

The gunman's eyes flicked over each of us, but then, without warning, he fired. The world slowed down, my breath catching in my throat as I turned to see Steve crumple to the ground, blood spreading across the floor. I could hear Alex's voice, desperate and frantic, but it all felt distant, like I was underwater, struggling to hear through the muffled chaos.

I didn't think. I couldn't. All I knew was that I couldn't let Alex be next.

I stepped forward, my heart pounding in my chest. "Please don't shoot him," I begged, my voice trembling with fear.

But as the gun raised, I moved in front of him, my body instinctively shielding him. "Zoe, no!" Alex's voice cracked, desperate, but I couldn't pull back. I couldn't leave him.

The sharp click of the trigger echoed through the corridor.

The pain was unbearable. It tore through me, a violent wave of fire. I felt my knees buckle as the world spun around me, fading to black.

"Zoe!" Alex's voice echoed in my ears, filled with panic, but I couldn't stay conscious. The world went dark. The last thing I heard was his desperate plea as I slipped away.