Fast Times At Clairemont High

14

Vic's POV

"The thesis statement is the sentence that clearly states the point you're going to prove in your essay. It ties all of the supporting details together in a way that makes the reader understand why each point is included. So now you're going to write a strong thesis for your Othello essays. Let me know if you need any help." I handed out the sheet of paper that had sample thesis statements on it. I knew most of the students already knew all this but some of the underclassman still weren't clear on it. I returned to my desk and looked at my phone. I had a text from Mike.

I'm soooo bored can you call me down to guidance??

No pay attention I have a class right now anyway

Ughh but Mrs. Swayne is killing me

Focus Mike

But I can't it smells weird in here

"Mr. Fuentes, can you help me with my thesis?" I looked up and saw Cameron leaned back in her chair, pouting at me. I got up and walked over to her.

"So what's your topic?"

"I want to write about how Iago used love to manipulate the other characters and take advantage if their own jealousy and greed. These are my points." She showed me a paper that had a few good points on it with quotes that she had found.

"Alright, well, you could say something like 'Iago uses greed and deception to manipulate the characters by threatening what they love to do whatever.' Find a commonality between these three points and use it to explain why." She nodded.

"Alright, do you think my points work?"

"I think they'll be fine but it really only depends on whether or not you can prove them well." I paused and scrunched up my nose. "Hey, do you smell that?" I inhaled again and a pungent smell practically made me choke.

"Only you're sexy cologne."

"Not now Cam, really."

"Oh wait yeah I do." She sat up straighter and whispered something.

"What?" Lights flashed in the hallway, and an alarm started blaring.

"Fire!" Cameron said louder. Everyone stood up and rushed to the door.

"Whoa, chill guys! We're all getting out. Don't freak!" Someone swung the door open and almost immediately the room was engulfed in black smoke.

"Time to freak yet!?" Cameron asked from beside me.

"Oh shit. Oh my god Mike!" I whisper-screamed.

"Come on!" I jumped at Cameron calling me. She ran out the door and I chased her out. I locked the door like I was supposed to and glanced around quickly. Almost everyone was out already. A few students continued down the stairs, but it looked like my whole class was out. I couldn't see Mike anywhere. He should have been in a room a few doors down. I turned to go in that direction, but as I took a step, a room crashed in from above me and there was no way I could get through. Dear god let him be okay. My lungs burned as I raced down the stairs and joined the other students and teachers on the football field. Everyone was covered in black dust and a lot of people were coughing. My class met by the end zone and I called attendance. Everyone was there, except Cameron. Damn that girl.

"No one's seen her since you got out?" I asked. No one responded. "Crap, everyone stay here." I ran over to the department head. "I'm missing a student." I said, a bit rushed.

"Who?"

"Cameron Stewart."

"Alright, go back with your students, we'll let you know if she turns up."

"She will turn up, right?"

"Vic, we can only wait. Don't worry I'm sure she's fine." I nodded.

"Is it alright if I go check on my brother?" The department head nodded and I turned to go. I found Mrs. Swayne and her face was pale when she saw me.

"Oh, Vic..."

"I-Is Mike out?" She dropped her head. "Tell me you saw him!?" She shook her head and my eyes filled with tears.

"It was the classroom next to us, the science lab. It was an experiment that started the fire. A wall started falling in. I got out as many kids as I could. I...I tried."

"Y-You saw him, i-is he d-dead?"

"I didn't see him when I left, I thought he got out, but Vic, I just don't know. I'm sorry." I felt my heart break. Mike...dead? No, nononope he can't be. Nope he can't.

"Hey! Look!" I heard a kid yell. I spun around. The firefighters were bringing two people out of the school. Mike! God please let it be him please! I turned back to Mrs. Swayne.

"Can you watch m--"

"Yeah just go." She ordered, waving me away towards the firefighters.

I dodged past students and ran back to the firefighters. They were gathered around the back of an ambulance. Some of them moved when they saw me. I saw Mike sitting there with and air mask over his face, breathing heavily. He was covered in ash and some of his hair was singed. He looked up at me and took away the mask.

"Vic!" I hugged him so hard I thought I'd kill him.

"Shit Michael! What happened?"

"The wall came down and My foot got stuck. I couldn't breath and passed out. Cameron got me out."

"Oh, thank god. Is she okay? Where is she?" Mike nodded to a second ambulance where I saw Cameron fighting with one of the paramedics. Damn that girl. "Oh okay. Are you alright? I have to go see her, she was in my class, I have to make sure she's okay."

"Yeah, I'm fine, just a little dizzy."

"We will take care of him, Mr. Fuentes." A paramedic said. I nodded and started walking over to Cameron. There were a few other teachers around back here checking on anyone who got caught in the building.

"Just let me go I'm fine!" Cameron shouted at the paramedic. She wrestled the air mask out of his hands and shoved it over his face. "Yeah doesn't feel so good having air blasted down your throat now does it?"

"Cam let the man go." She noticed me and dropped the mask. She hopped down from the bed of the ambulance and stood in front of me. "Are you okay?" I asked her.

"Yeah, I'm good." I knew she wasn't. Her voice sounded raspy and she was breathing heavily. She was also covered in cuts and burns.

"No you're not."

"If you were going to come to a conclusion on your own then why'd you ask?"

"Just let them help you, please?" She shook her head although it looked like she was still struggling to breathe properly.

"Nope, don't need help. Really I'm fine." The paramedic turned to me.

"Are you her teacher?"

"Yes."

"She needs medical care. She inhaled a large amount of soot and we need to get her esophagus and lungs cleared out in order to facilitate her breathing." Cam rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. I nodded.

"Whatever you have to do." The paramedic nodded and jammed a needle into Cam's neck. She became pale and her eyes rolled back as she collapsed into the paramedic's arms. Well, that was a little extreme.