How To Save A Life

Chapter Thirteen

I had a history test. Studying was never easy for me but I always seemed to get good grades because I tried. But, since I first announced to my friends my plans I haven't been studying at all. My grades were going down slow and steady. I'd be failing all my classes by the time the shooting came around. Nothing seems to matter anymore.

I rubbed my head as I tried to figure out the next question on my test. Matt was in the class too, along with Josh. Our teacher had to separate the three of us early in the school year because we wouldn't stop talking. I sat in the back, Matt sat in the front, and Josh sat near the window. I was sitting the closest to Justin out of the three of us. Our assigned seats are in a random order and no matter how many times we switched around, I was always too close to Justin for my own good.

I started rubbing the side of my neck. A habit I get when I am stressed or nervous. People sometimes wonder why my neck seems to almost always be red. It is because it is caused by stress and stuff.

I turned my head partially up, same with the rest of the class when the classroom door opened and our principle and a police officer entered the classroom, making their way over to our teacher who was sitting at her desk.

Our teacher had a concerned look on her face as she stood from her seat and looked at the police officer and principle Young. "Is something wrong?" I heard her whisper. Principle Young whispered something inaudible to the teacher that I couldn't make out. The rest of the class tried to focus on finishing the test, same as me. It was awkward with a police officer in the room though. Soon she nodded and turned towards the students. "Colin Cortes and Matthew Taylor?" My eyes grew wide when my head snapped up, same with Matt. The whole class was eyeing us, stifling laughs. "Can you two come up here? Grab your stuff."

Matt and I made eye contact with each other. A look of confusion on both of our faces. I put my things in my book bag and got up. My book bag slinging over one shoulder as I bent down and picked up my test.

"Dun dun dun." I heard Justin say with a laugh from behind me as I walked down the aisle and towards the front of the room. "Somebody's getting arrested today," He said with a loud laugh. His friends laughing with him.

"That's enough, Mr. Turner," Our teacher said. She stood up front with her arms crossed. Probably annoyed that the whole class was getting distracted by what was going on.

Principle Young held an arm out to guide Matt and I outside. "Boys, follow me." We listened and followed Young and the police officer out of the classroom and into the hall. Principle Young closed the classroom door before eyeing both me and Matt with crossed arms. "Do you know why we called you out here?"

Matt and I looked at each other and shrugged. "No idea," I said for the both of us.

Young nodded and turned to the police officer. "Boys, this is Deputy McPhee. He's an officer down at the police station and is going to be our new security guard." There was silence as we waited for him to continue. "Eye witnesses said that they spotted two males, looking to be seniors, fleeing the scene on the night when the school was vandalized. Some were students who lived nearby and they described both of you running across the parking lot late that night." He sighed for a moment before continuing. "We're going to have to check your lockers."

"Isn't that invasion of privacy?" I said. Young and McPhee just gave me a stern look.

"There's no such thing as privacy in this case," McPhee stated. "Show us to your locker."

I pointed a finger pass McPhee down the hall. "It's down there."

Young moaned. "No, it's down there." He turned me around to face the other direction of the hall.