A tiny tidbit

Minor spoilers, but I want to read reactions, so be sure to comment!

“We will worry about it later.” I said to Zach, pulling him back down next to me, “AFTER!” I shouted into his ear, gasping at the next big BOOM! And he nodded, but still looked a little worried.

About halfway though our problems were solved. He touched my shoulder and I looked down from the show.

NAME BLOCKED was scurrying over to us, hands in his pockets. I smiled and then looked back up at the fireworks. Glancing down only when NAME stopped right in front of me.

“Hey!” I yelled, barely able to hear myself over the noise of what was a bunch of cracklers, loud as they were.

But he didn’t smile or talk back. Only then did I notice it. The bulge in his jacket Scott had always told me to watch out for.

The bulge of a gun.

Almost in slow motion I saw NAME pull it out. Shiny and black the fireworks reflected off the gleaming metal. There was another great BOOM so I didn’t hear, only saw him say, “Jessica.”

The Finale was going, but I wasn’t looking at the fireworks. I was frozen with the barrel of a gun staring my in the face.

Then it wasn’t. Zach was in front of me, and I just barely heard the gun go off over the crackling of the fireworks.

Zach fell. The gun was raised again. But seeing Zach fall instigated feelings, which made me react.

I was ready. I knocked the gun out of NAME hand. But suddenly I was on the ground. Face stinging from blow he had delivered to my face.

I started to get up to face him, but he kicked me in the ribs and I rolled away from him gasping. Again I could only watch as he slowly picked up the gun from the ground.
“Goodbye.”

Eyes closed, I heard a gun go off. When I didn’t feel anything I opened my eyes.

NAME was bent over his arm at an awkward angle. Blood spurting from his forearm. But he tried to raise his arm again, and there was another loud shot.

This time he went down, another bullet having pierced his shoulder. Scott walked forward, his gun pointed at NAME, “Toss it away from you.”

NAME just stared at him he used his other arm to toss the gun away.

I crawled over to Zach, who was facedown in the dirt. I rolled him over onto his back, there in his chest was a hole.

Instantly I pressed my hands to his chest. Trying to push the memory of the last time I had done this exactly a week ago I shouted for help.

Fireworks still going Scott took off his jacket to put over Zach’s wound. “Call 9-1-1” He yelled at Christina who already had her phone out. The other counselors were pushing people back.

“Give them space!”

But Elle came out of the group and knelt besides me, she helped me put the jacket over his wound and to hold it there.

“Zach.” I said, crying, “You stay with me you here? Stay with me!” He groaned, eyes closed. Then he too was unconscious.

After a minute the rise and fall of his chest stopped, “Zach!”