Voiceless Screams | The Music Freaks

Chapter One

        Hailey glared at the clock as it ticked slowly. One minute passed. She started to tap the eraser of her pencil against her desk. Glaring around the classroom, she could tell the others were anticipating lunch. There'd only been a week left before the competition, so she and the rest of the music club were working on finalizing and cleaning their performance.
      The bell buzzed overhead, dismissing students to their next classes and lunch. Though her lunch hadn't aligned with any of the music club members, she'd always liked the time of day. It was an intermission between classes and rehearsals.
      The hallways were crowded with students coming and going from classes to their lockers and back again. Something was always overwhelming about it.
      People spilled into the cafeteria, fanning out to tables with their friends. Everyone seemed to have assigned themselves designated spots, and though it was mid-second semester, Hailey still couldn't find a certain table to sit at every day.
       She found an empty table by the large windows bordering the cafeteria. They overviewed the parking lot. Not the prettiest view, but she had some odd appreciation for it.
      Loud chatter began to fill the room as it always had, but there was something else among the gossip and conversations. Something loud, and almost blood-curdling. Her first impression was popping. Like, someone was playing some BB-gun prank on the school. No, the shots were too loud to have been coming from a BB-gun.
      Someone screamed, and the cafeteria fell silent. The popping became clear now. Someone was in the school, armed.
      The PA system turned on, echoing through the school. A shot was emphasized by the loudspeaker, a voice never coming on. It was clear as to what had happened to whoever was trying to speak. More shots echoed on the loudspeaker, then it turned off.
      Students in the cafeteria rose, running for the door that led to the hallway. They slammed it shut, taking off jackets and pulling the shoelaces from their shoes to tie it shut.
      Hailey ran over, the pink cardigan her stepmother had given her for Christmas slipping off her shoulder and into her hand. As she took the sleeves and tied them in a knot around the door, she could hear shots nearby. A girl had started crying and ducking below one of the tables, but someone had pulled her out and directed her somewhere safer.
     One shot after another. There were screams from the outside, and Hailey couldn't help but wonder about Jake, Zander, Luke, Milly, and Sean. Were they safe? Had they been fortunate to be in a classroom? Maybe they'd had an easy escape.
      "We need to barricade the door, just in case!" a boy yelled, pushing on one of the many tables spread around the cafeteria against the door. Everyone followed as told. They were all a team now. Whether there were enemies in the room, best friends, partners, or strangers it didn't matter. They all worked together.
      There was nothing but loud, deafening shots. It was so surreal. Why would this be happening at this school of all places? Hailey's mind raced with troubling thoughts, as she tried to get herself to believe the music club members were safe.
       She glanced at the clock hanging on the wall, but couldn't see it clearly before the glass on one of the windows shattered. A scream echoed through the room, practically bouncing off the walls. A bullet had slid across the floor.
      There were two gunmen.
      "Everyone, over here." one of the girls yelled in a hushed tone. Hailey followed the crowd of students, slipping the phone out of her pocket. They were led to the kitchen portion of the cafeteria. It'd been well covered by large doors and short, twisted hallways.
     A wail bellowed farther behind, the sound of gunshots and shattered glass following it. Hailey ran back, seeing the source of the yell. It was Lia. One of the bullets from the second gunman who'd been shooting the windows had scored her shoulder, leaving a large gash in its place. She reached out for her opposite hand and grabbed it tightly. Lia's breathing was heavy, her blood trailing the path to the kitchen. If they got in, the shooters would know where they were. That didn't matter yet.
      "Quick, does someone have socks or a scarf?" Hailey yelled to the huddled students. At least six of them held phones to their ears, either calling their parents or the police. Someone nodded, and ran to Lia's side, slipping their shoe off, then sock. They did the same with the other foot.
      As they wrapped both around her shoulder, more shots pierced the tense air. Everything was too close for comfort. The next shot sounded so close, it made a chill run down Hailey's back. Though the lights were off in the kitchen, a stream of sunlight lit up the back of the room. There were windows.
      A few whispers were shared between a couple of students. They were cut off by the rattling of the door. To their luck, the doors were locked, but she knew they'd find a way in soon. Silently, she gestured to the huddled students. She crept toward the back where the windows were. They'd have to break them and climb out.
      Two of the stronger boys took their shoes and slammed them against the window until they broke fully. They were the first to jump. When they got on the windowsill, they hesitated but jumped anyway. Hailey stepped up after helping Lia over.
      It was a two-story fall.