This chapter will incorporate events, feelings, and characters involving the heavy topic of school shootings.
If you cannot or feel like you might not be able to handle such writing PLEASE DO NOT read this chapter! You're state of mind, mental health, and feelings are of the upmost importance.
Thank you
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"Maddie, you're going to fall." Estela says, worried, while she stares up at the blonde from her corner on the floor. "No, I'm not." Maddie says, her voice strained while she tries to stretch and reach for the lock on the window. "Damn it." She says and leans back, more of her weight going onto the sink than the wall and window ledge. "I can't reach it." She says and Estela wipes her nose. "I can give you a boost?" She suggests and Maddie looks at her. "That could work." She says and the dark haired girl gets up from her spot and makes it over to Maddie. "So, what do I do?"
Maddie sighs and pushes her hair back. "I'll get balanced on here and the ledge, and then you hold my feet. You sure you can hold me?" She asks and the younger girl nods. "Yeah, I'll stand against the wall just to be sure though." She says and Maddie nods, her heart racing. For some reason she felt like this window was the only thing standing between the two girls and a painful death.
Estela squats with her back pressed hard against the wall, her hands ready to hold onto Maddie's feet. "Here goes nothing." The blonde says while moving one of her feet onto Estela's leg, the girls hand gripping her ankle instantly. "You got it?" Maddie asks and Estela breathes out. "Yeah, other foot, now." She says and once Maddie puts her other foot down Estela gets a grip on it before pushing up slightly so the girl could fully reach the lock.
"Damn it!" Maddie curses while using all of her weight on the little level in the middle of the two windows. "What?" Estela asks, her sweating hands slipping up Maddie's lower leg rather than holding onto her ankle. "It won't lock." Maddie says, her eyes searching the ledge for something that might work to move the lever but instead she sees the top of someone's head in the stall. "Holy shit!" Maddie shouts, her body jerking out of fear and due to the sweating of Estela's hands the two girls found themselves toppling over, onto the hard tiled floor.
"What happened?" Estela asked, panicked all over again and Maddie sits up and puts a finger to her lips, telling her to be quiet before pointing to the bathroom stall. Estela's eyes widen when she looked to the stall and she backs up against the wall before looking back to Maddie with wide eyes. Maddie slowly stands up and turns toward the stall, Estela shakes her head frantically and grabs ahold of the blondes ankle but Maddie kicks her off before lifting her leg to kick the door open, she knew someone was in there but she still screamed when it opened to reveal someone inside.
Estela yelped, covered her mouth and leans back further while Tyler fell off the toilet and shouted in fear. It took a couple seconds but soon enough all three of them breathed out in relief. "What the actual fuck?" Maddie says in a scared whisper while covering her face. "I-I'm sorry, I wanted to say something but I was scared." He says, his eyes floating to Estela who was still huddled up on the ground. "Of me?" Estela asks and Maddie's eyes widen while she covers her mouth. "Oh." She says and looks to Tyler before turning back. "Estela, this is Tyler."
