Tw: school shooting, guns, death

            It had started out as a normal day. Any other day. Why did it go so wrong? What did we do?

             I had been walking to my next class, which was math. The intercom came on, blabbing about a fire drill later. Before abruptly stopping mid-speech. I thought nothing of it. The intercoms had glitched before. It was an old school; with old technology.

            I felt a hand on my back.

            I whipped around, expecting some sort of murderer. I was met with the surprised face of my best friend Dylan.

             I sighed in relief as he gave an apologetic smile. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you,"

              I gave a slight chuckle. "It's fine, no harm done right?"

              He nodded and we walked and talked about nothing that really mattered. I made mental note of every person that passed.

              Each person had their own life. Their own secrets. Their own stories waiting to be told. Their own hopes and dreams. Families and friends who would die for them.

              If we were being honest. I might've died for them too. I really don't know though. I've never had a 'spur of the moment' reaction like some people would. Some people were heroic.
      
             I was not.

             One particular person caught my eye as he walked past. His hood was pulled over their head. His eyes glued to the ground. His steps were quick and well thought out. He had a place to be and he knew it. I had a feeling nothing would stop him.

             He carried a case for some sort of instrument. A dull black with a gold handle and buckles. There was a symbol on the case I didn't quite understand. A bird flying out of a kind of cage. It was probably from a band he liked.

            Dylan continued to talk on and on. I eventually tuned him out.

            Over the endless chirping of people having fun and talking to each other, I could faintly make out music. It came in and out of my hearing, so it was hard to tell which song. It was eerily familiar yet it felt like the first time I heard it.

           There was one thing definitely   heard above the roaring crowds.

           BANG.

           Immediately every person at least within my view was panicking. Running around finding places to hide.

           I grabbed Dylans hand and pulled him into the bathroom. They probably wouldn't check here right? It was such an obvious spot...

            But it's the best we have.

            BANG.

            Another gunshot. It sounded like from the other side of the school though. I felt panic rising up in my chest. Choking me. Holy shit this is really happening.

             I don't know why the realization had hit me on the second gunshot.

             The music was much louder in here, you could almost not hear the chaos going on outside.

            I could hear Dylan sniffling beside me. My brain could hardly register anything at the moment though.

             This is real. Why does this have to be real?

              I had read stories about things like this happening before online. I didn't think they could actually happen to our school.

              As soon as the main part of the song came on, I recognized it.

              All the other kids with the pumped up kicks. Better run better run. Outrun my gun.

              There was sobbing coming from just outside the bathroom walls.

              BANG.

              The sobbing continued. They weren't here yet. But the gunshot was noticeably closer.

              Terror-filled screams rug through the school.

              BANG.

               He was definitely getting closer.

                BANG.

                 So close.

                 BANG.

                  The sobbing had turned to pleading which was cut off.

                  The squeaking of the door clashed with the once enjoyable song. Now turned into a real-life nightmare.

                  The kid I took interest in earlier stepped into view. A gun in hand. Who knew what type and frankly who cared. It was a gun none-the-less.

                   He stepped towards Dylan and I with a crazed look in his eyes.

                   Dylan whimpered as the kid lifted him up easily with one hand.

                   "Say bye bye,"

                   "Please no! He's everything I have!" I begged. It was true too, my only friend. My family was distant with me. He was my everything.

                   "I love yo-" his last words were cut off as a gunshot echoed around the room.

                   I watched helplessly as my best friend of seven years slumped to the ground.
   
                   He was dead.

                   He was gone.

                   I had nothing left.

                   Memories of him flashed through my mind. All the good times. All the bad times. The vacation we took together. The countless sleepovers.

                   No more memories to be made.

                     He hadn't even done anything wrong. Probably the most innocent person in the school.

                     Dylan was dead.

                      I clutched onto his lifeless body. Refusing to ever let go.

                      The kid turned his gun towards me. "Say bye bye,"

                      I was dead.

                      This event wouldn't be remembered.

                      It was too uneventful.
    
                      Stuff like this happens everyday. Slowly it's becoming the norm.

                      There's a reason I didn't get a name. It's because nobody would remember anyways. We would fade into the thousands of others whose death revolves around a school shooting

The end

As a Canadian I want to help put a stop to events like this which happen almost daily.