Valhalla High (A Magnus Chase Fanfic)

The White Flag of Surrender

February 20

    Friday morning began normally enough. My friends and I stayed in the corralled cafeteria, chatting as Coach Thor and Sif tried to keep the calm. When the early bell rang, we hurried to English class. After finishing our drama unit, we'd moved onto reading biographies. We started with a funny memoir called Close Encounters of the Third Grade Kind about a teacher and the crazy stuff that happened in his classroom. Now, we were reading Anne Frank's Diary.

Reading someone's diary felt intrusive at first, but I could see why others liked it. There were few things as intimate as reading the thoughts someone had penned down on paper so they didn't stay swirling around in their head forever. I briefly considered writing a diary, but I quickly discarded the idea. The last thing I needed was for other people to read about my life.

The bell to let us out of first block rang. "Remember to read through page 150 by Monday," Odin reminded us as we got to our feet.

The hallway was crowded and noisy as I made my way to my US Constitution class. I was nearly there when I heard a loud sound that caused me to jump. I wasn't the only one. The normally loud hallway grew quiet. "What was that?" a student asked, their voice quavering.

TJ, who was headed the same way as I was to get to his shop class, stiffened. "I think," he said, wetting his lips. "That was a gun."

There was more silence and then the noise broke out — a hundred babbles at once. "Who would bring a gun to school?" someone asked.

"We're done for," a nervous freshman whimpered.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you," a junior said to someone who appeared to be her you her brother.

TJ squeezed my hand. The intercom crackled. "All students head to the nearest classroom and shelter in place! We are on lockdown."

Students streamed into classrooms. TJ and I went together into my US Constitution class and I didn't recognize half of the people in there. What I did recognize was the wide-eyed stares of fear and the nervous murmurs that rose up in the air like a swarm of bees. Forseti quieted us all down by putting up a white flag of surrender; I wondered if that was his idea of a joke.

    The classrooms were being locked now and my stomach churned. Where was Alex? Was Sam okay? Blitzen? Had Hearthstons learned what happened; he could not hear the intercom. I hoped Halfborn was not trying to play hero and that Mallory was safe with him. What about Jack and Amir?

     TJ must have seen the worry in my face because he squeezed my hand and I squeezed his back. It was a moment of comfort amidst a sea of panic. I was not sure how long the lockdown lasted. It seemed like forever. My legs fell asleep and my throat grew dry and itchy. Some students had fallen asleep, while others were nervously eyeing the door, which Forseti had barricaded with desks.

    We'd been told to turn our phones on airplane mode, so there was not much we could do. We couldn't talk because that might alert any intruder. We couldn't read because the lights were off. We could only sit there and ruminate on what might have happened or be happening. It was maddening.

    After what seemed like eternity, the intercom crackled. "The lockdown is over. We are all clear. All students go to your second block class where your teacher will take attendance."

      Forseti flicked on the lights. TJ and I helped him move the desks and TJ said goodbye to me. I pulled out my phone, turned off airplane mode, and texted to the group chat: is everyone okay? I waited for a response, my heart pounding in my throat.

Eventually, they replied back and I exhaled in relief and sank into a chair. My friends were alright. I put away my phone as Forseti took attendance. "Are we having class today?" a student piped up.

Forseti chewed his lip. "I think you guys have had enough craziness today. I have an optional lesson today, but otherwise you can text your friends or family. They'll be worried about you."

The optional assignment was on the civil lawsuits and I finished it pretty quickly (I was sn easy watch a video and answer questions worksheet). I texted my mother and told her I was okay and asked my friends where they'd been holed up.

    Before class ended, the intercom crackled again. "The suspect has been detained and the gun secured. No students are missing and all injuries are minor. However, school will be let out early today for an emergency teacher meeting."

    There was s flurry of conversation in my classroom and Forseti waved his white flag of surrender again. "I'll see you guys next Tuesday. Take care."

       We filed out of the classroom. I texted my friends and we agreed to meet up outside the library. When I got there, Alex gave me a long look. "You're not hurt," she said.

   I smiled. "You sound relieved. It's almost as if you care about me."

    Alex rolled her eyes, but instead of making a joke, she squeezed my hand. "You're my boyfriend. Of course I care about you."

     "This is just too cute," Halfborn said.

      "Hey!" Mallory said. "You ruined the video!"

        "You can always cut that part out," Halfborn grumbled.

      "Wait, what video?" I asked.

      Mallory and Halfborn exchanged smirks. "We're you filming us?" Alex asked, putting her hands on her hips.

    They exchanged sheepish glances. Alex placed one hand out. "Hand the phone over."

      "You're not going to delete it, are you?" Halfborn asked as Mallory handed her phone over.

    Alex tapped the phone a couple times and then handed it back to Mallory. "Of course not, I was just sending it to myself."

   Jack gaped at her. "Who are you and what have you done with Alex Fierro?"

     "My sister is simply thinking ahead," Sam said.

     Alex nodded. "I'm making a senior memories video to send to us all."

    I stared at her in amazement. "I didn't know you could edit."

    Alex shrugged. "I'm multi-talented."

     "Speaking of multi-talented," Blitzen said. "Hearthstone saw what happened."

    We all turned to him and he signed: I know whose gun went off. It was Utgard-Loki's.