The Quiet Game

The Quiet Game

It was a normal Tuesday, just another school day. Me and my mom rushing so we could get out the door, like usual. Same route, she drops me off at school, and then she goes to work. I walk into my first period class, and get ready to take notes on the cell membrane. Same boring day, just as normal. Right?

“The cell membrane, also known as the plasma membrane, is a double layer of lipids and proteins…” says the teacher going on and on for our notebooks. I kept dozing off so I decided to take a bathroom break to splash some water on my face. 

I have my headphones in as I’m walking to the bathroom, in my own world. I accidentally bumped into a boy my age, I kind of recognized him, but barely. He was carrying a duffle bag and looked spooked. I said sorry for bumping into him and he replied with a nod and kept on walking. I did the same.

I walked into the bathroom and saw Alexis. I’ve known her since around 3rd grade but we haven't talked very much. I took out an earbud and said “Hi!” with a slight smile. She said “Hey Emily.” with a wave. We both stood at the sink awkwardly not having anything to do or to say.

I turned the faucet on so I could wake myself up a little bit. I cupped the water in my hands and let it hit my face, it was so cold. I grabbed a paper towel and started to wipe down my face. As I threw it away and got ready to go back to my class, an announcement came through. 

“Code red. I repeat code red. Stay where you are and follow the guidelines pasted on the wall next to the classroom door.” 

Me and Lexi looked at each other not really knowing what to do. It was just a practice run, we do them all the time.

“Should we stay in here, and just wait?” said Lexi with a confused voice.

I responded “Probably, all the classroom doors will be locked so there's not really a point trying to go back to class.” 

I walked over to the bathroom door and locked it. I looked over at Lexi still doing her makeup so I just pulled up a game on my phone to pass time. 

We were just sitting in silence until a loud gunshot broke it. I jumped and looked up at Lexi, she dropped her lipstick on the floor. We just sat there and looked at each other for a minute. The longest minute of my life. Waiting to see if we hear anything else or if we were going crazy. 

The silence was broken again with another gunshot, and this time a few screams followed it. I stood up quickly and whispered to Lexi that we needed to get into the stall now. She was in shock, her eyes had fear in them. She was trying to say something to me, but her words wouldn't come out.

I pulled her from her arm and quickly got us both into the big stall. I remembered that we’re supposed to turn off the lights too during a lockdown. But I was too afraid to leave the stall. 

My mind began to race. I was in panic mode. It felt unreal. I’ve seen it happen on the news before but it felt like something that would never happen to me.

More gunshots made up for the lack of noise throughout the school. I couldnt stop thinking about all my friends, all the people I grew up with, the teachers who have families. 

I took out my phone to message my mom:

“Hey mom, I know you're at work but I just wanted to tell you how much I love you and how much I appreciate everything you do for me.”

I looked over at Lexi and asked if she had a phone on her. She shook her head no, still looking like she couldn't speak. I asked her if there was anyone she wanted to text before my phone died. She nodded yes. I gave her my phone and she typed for a while.

She handed me the phone and looked me in the eyes and said “Thank you.” 

She looked like she had finally processed the situation we were in. With every shot she would flinch. Every scream a tear would drop. 

On the outside it may not have seemed like I was scared, but on the inside I wanted to scream. 

All I could hear was screaming, and police sirens, and of course… you know. But then I started to hear something else, it sounded like footsteps. Yes, definitely footsteps. 

My eyes widened, I looked over at Lexi and silently put my finger up to my mouth shushing her. She was crying loudly. She tried to hold in the noises but she was shivering and couldn't help it.

I grabbed her hand and held it tight. We both looked at each other sincerely. Using her other hand she wiped her face and got herself together. 

The footsteps had passed the bathroom. We both sighed in relief. 

Ding* Ding* Ding*

Messages from my mom came through. 

The footsteps trailed back towards where we were hiding.

The text message read: 

“I love you. I’m outside the school. You’ll be okay.”

A tear finally slipped from the corner of my eye. 

There was a knock on the door. Then someone trying to push it open. 

I held my phone that was open to my mom's messages close to my heart with one hand, and still squeezing Lexi's hand with the other. All I could do was wonder how a normal morning turned into this. A long round of the quiet game, hovering over the bathroom toilet with another girl, that depended on our life. 

There was another gunshot, we heard the lock break. Then the door opened. Footsteps inside the bathroom, and we could see his shoes from under the stalls. 

Me and Lexi silently cried together, huddled and holding hands. Our stall door opened, we looked up to see the same unrecognizable face I bumped into in the hallway. Except this time I could never forget his face. 

We closed our eyes and knew it was over. Bullets pierced our skin, and we fell onto the bathroom floor. When I opened my eyes I could see the boy walking away. I heard the door close behind him. 

My ears were ringing and all I could feel was pain, and when I looked around I saw red. Red all around us. I looked down to see Lexi and I were still holding hands. Neither of us had let go. I looked her in the eyes and she knew exactly what I wanted to say if I could.

 Now here I am thinking back to the beginning of what seemed to be a normal day, wondering why this happened. We started our day not knowing each other, and ended it as family.