The Friend Zone

Chapter Thirty-One: Bleeding Out

"Did you tell your boyfriend?" she asked after I handed the packet of papers back to her.

"No, but I left a copy with him in the car and told him he could read it while I was in here," I replied, "It's really, really hard for me to talk about."

"What did you tell him?" she asked.

"He knows where she was and why she was," I replied, "He's the only one here at school that knows. Everyone knew back in Buffalo, it was a big deal, you know? He never made fun of me or gave me shit about it, I didn't want him to stay away from me because of my screwed up mom."

"But you know now that he won't leave, right?" she asked.

"Yeah," I replied, "I just don't want him to see me as a victim."
"You aren't a victim, you were a victim twelve years ago," she replied, "Remember that, please."
"What was that?" I remarked as a few loud bangs went off in what sounded like the lobby.

"I don't know but I don't like it," she said, standing up at her desk, "Get back here and sit under the desk while I go make sure everything is okay."

No sooner had I gotten under the desk, the door flew open and Dr. Robins tensed up.

"Where is she?" my mom's voice asked, her voice was shaky and sounded like a complete and total psychopath, but then again, I was fairly certain she really was certifiably insane anyway, so I don't know why I was so surprised.

"Leslie, please put the gun down," Dr. Robins said calmly.

"I said where is she Dr. Robins!" she exclaimed, "I know Tessa had an appointment with you at 11!"

"Leslie you need to put the gun down," she said calmly.

"Where is she!" she yelled as I cringed under the desk, tears flooding my eyes as my body began to shake out of terror, "I need to know what lies she's been telling you!".

My mom had a gun, my insane mother had a gun and she was looking for me. I let that run through my head a few times before trying to keep myself calm and not burst into tears as I crouched underneath the desk and silently prayed that I would make it out alive.

"Leslie you know that what Tessa tells me is confidential, just like what you tell me is confidential, I can't tell you," Dr. Robins replied, still calm as ever.

"Tell me where she is!" she screamed, waiting a few seconds then firing off two shots, sending Dr. Robins to the ground next to me.

"Mom put the gun down," I said, trying to stay calm.

"Tell me what you told her!" she yelled as I watched Dr. Robins bleed profusely on the ground next to me. She didn't move much, only moving her arm to reach for the gun holstered at her hip.

"I told her the truth Mom," I said, tears threatening to escape my eyes as I reached for Dr. Robins' gun.

"Liar!" she screamed as I took the gun in my hand.

"Mom please put the gun down," I cried, standing up behind the desk.

"You're a liar!" she screamed, "You're the reason I went to that hellhole because you told the jury exactly what your father wanted you to tell them!"
"I told them half the truth!" I said, my voice shaking, "If I would've told them everything you would still be in prison."

"Liar!" she screamed, firing off two more shots, hitting me in the leg and causing me to fall to the ground.

"Please put the gun down," I begged as I tried to sit up, only to have her walk over to me with the gun in hand.

"It's too late now," she said, shaking her head.

"I don't want to do this Mom," I begged.

"I'm sorry Tessa," she said, lifting the gun from her side.

"No Mom, I'm sorry," I said, my voice and hands shaking before I shut my eyes tight and started firing the gun until I heard her body hit the ground.

I sat there momentarily, tears streaming down my face as I sat there with blood seeping out of my leg and my body shaking because of the fact that I just shot my mother.

"Police!" an officer yelled as three officers stormed into the room, "Is anyone conscious?"
"I am," I cried as an officer crouched down beside me.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Tessa Walters," I cried, "That, that's my mom, L-Leslie Walters, she, she stormed in here with a gun."

"It's alright Ms. Walters we'll get you to the EMTs in a moment," he said.

"Take them first, please, they're, they're bad," I cried.

"We'll get everyone the medical help they need, don't worry," he said, "EMTs are on their way in here to get you up and treated."

"Thank you," I said as a group of firefighters came in and helped me up off the ground and carried me out to the parking lot that was now filled with police cars and a firetruck.

"We only have the two ambulances available at the moment, so we're going to stop the bleeding here, alright?" the firefighter said as they sat me down on one of the trucks.

"Okay," I replied, a blank look on my face and blood covering my hands from trying to stop the bleeding in my leg.

"Are you looking for someone Miss Walters?" he asked after constructing a tourniquet from a long piece of gauze.

"My, my boyfriend, he, he was waiting for me in the car," I replied, searching the parking lot, "Taylor McCarthy."

"He called it in," he replied, "I'll have someone find him for you, okay?"

"Okay," I replied, pulling the blanket they had given me tighter around my shoulders.

"Tess!" Taylor yelled from across the parking lot as he caught my eye, "Oh my God I was so worried," he exclaimed as he ran over and took me in his arms, "Are you okay?"

"She, she shot me," I stuttered, feeling lightheaded and my world beginning to spin and he took me in his arms.

"But you're going to be okay," he said, as my vision began to blur before my world went black and I collapsed into his arms.

###

***