The Chronicles of High School: The Girl, The Goth, & The Drama

Chapter 24

Hey, so now that this couple is finally a go, i'm gonna add some new characters to give the story some depth. i was gonna wait on this one, but i just have to get it out there. sound good? shweetness, enjoy! xx

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2 MONTHS LATER....

I close the driver's door of my truck and nearly have a heart attack.

"Eli, you need to stop sneaking up into my truck like this, it freaks me out." I shout at him, trying to sound angry, and yet not being able to contain a small smile. He reclines back in his chair and laughs at my scared look.

"It's so much fun, though!" he says, still laughing at me. I pretend to be annoyed and shove the keys in the ignition, but my hand is pulled away from my keys. When I turn to ask him what he's doing, my question is answered with his lips crushing onto mine. He pulls away after a few seconds and peers at me.

"Sorry. I've wanted to do that every time i've seen you for the past few months, and now that I actually can, I'm taking advantage of it." he says, grinning. I lean forward and peck him one more time before starting up the truck, heading for school.

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Well, so far, school is much different than a few months ago.

Now that Eli and I walk down these halls hand in hand, half of the girls hate me, the other half suddenly want to be super awesome best friends for life.

LOL, no thanks.

I walk up to my locker, regretting the fact that I'd have to let go of Eli's hand to open it.

As I rummage through my locker, looking for my biology notebook, I look over at a very content-looking Eli leaning against the neighboring lockers, staring at me.

"Hmm?" I ask him, trying not to sound to eager as to what's on his mind.

He blinks. "You're beautiful." he says warmly.

I bury my face deeper into the locker so he wont see my beet-red face.

"Shut up." I say, trying to keep the lovesick hysteria out of my voice.

Of all the time I've known this boy, I never could even imagine him being so....well, like this. I still haven't and never will get used to it.

He leans his back against the lockers and crosses his ankles, still peering over at me intently. 

I finish scrambling though the rubbish in my locker and softly shut it, wondering if the blush had escaped my face yet. I take a risk and look up at him, waiting to be met with his signature grin. But all I see is a hollow shell. 

His face is suddenly completely stolen of any emotion whatsoever.

"Eli?"

No answer.

"Eli, did I do something?"

No answer.

I stomp forward and study his face closer.

"Eli, answer me, dammit! I can't help you if you shut me out!"

He slowly moves his hands firmly over my shoulders. Not taking his eyes off of whatever's behind me, he whispers, "Baby, i'm gonna need you to get out of here. Right now." 

His voice quivered slightly at the last sentence.

"What? Why?" I ask, trying to turn around and look, but he held my shoulders firm.

"You walk behind me, you don't turn around, and you leave out the front of the building. I'll be right behind you, I promise, okay? Promise me, now." he asks, serious and calm.

"You're scaring me, Elijah."

"Promise me."

"Fine." I say shakily. 

He looks down at me with a sort of pained expression, and gives my shoulders a squeeze. 

"I love more than anything." he says.

I've never gotten the 'more than anything' part before, and If I hadn't been so confused, I would've jumped on him and just kissed him forever.

"And I love you just the same," I say with a questioning look. 

It was sounding like goodbyes.

Following his orders, I take a step around him and begin for the front of the school, knowing he's close behind. Slowly, the sound of the footsteps behind me are replaced with 2 more feet. And 8 more feet. And then a stampede of kids screaming and scrambling around me form, and i'm pushed through the frantic hallways, unable to control it. In all of the madness, I'm pushed to the front of the school, where I follow Eli's orders and run outside.

Apparently, I wasn't the only one.

Shrieks and cries were sounding form inside the school, along with the shuffling of frantic feet towards the exits. 

Teachers try to group us together and keep us calm. Which was a lost effort, considering they were hysterical as well.

I turn to find Eli and ask what's going on, but he's nowhere to be found. 

I call for him, and still nothing.

Darcey comes running up to me, her eyeliner mixing with her tears as it rolls freely down her cheeks.

"What's going on?!" I scream over the panicking students, getting a little hysterical myself.

"There's a kid inside. He was sitting in my pre-calc class. He--" she paused to catch her breathe, "He just stood up and pulled out a gun. A huge fucking gun, Autumn. And he shot at the teacher's foot, so we all ran. But he kept a couple of them surrounded in a corner. He's taking hostages or something!"

My heart goes into palpitations.

The police sirens begin ringing , speeding down the street.

"Did you see Elijah?" I ask, trying not to panic.

She swallowed hard and wiped one of her many tears.

"The kid was standing in the hallway, and anyone who looked at him to got the gun pointed at them, telling them to get in the math room with the others. You just left him there, Autumn, what the fuck?!" she asks, sounding disgusted and surprised.

"I-I didn't know! He just told me not to turn around, and to leave the school!"

Tears literally erupt from my eyes as the realization hit me;

He knew he wasn't following me out the building. He had probably just saved my life.

My phone vibrates in my boot and I reach down for it, thinking it could be my mom hearing about the shooter and making sure I'm not face down in my own blood.

It's a text from Eli.

Eli Goldman: You already know I love you, Autumn. Promise me you'll never stop painting. Or being you.

My fingers can't scan over the keys fast enough, trying to type escape routes to Eli as fast as I can.

And then, the first deafening gunshot was sounded. 

I dropped my phone.