Dark Night

Returning

I had a really crappy night. I kept waking up and I spent a lot of time crowded up in the corner between the headboard and the wall where I could see both the window and the door, clutching my pillow. I regretted having only one for my bed. I kept the light on.

So I was tired the next morning. Mom took me to Grandpa's, and we went out for breakfast. I told him about how I'd arranged to meet John and Paul at ten, and he nodded. "I'm sorry, punkin, I have to go in to the company I consult at for a meeting, it's about some deadlines that have to be met, but it overlaps that time."

"I'll be able to pick up my car, and once I get my keys I can go back to your house," I said, and he smiled.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," he said.

"That's fine, Grandpa," I said, picking at my pancakes. "I'm disturbed, but I don't need to be kept under 24 hour guard or anything."

"I know, punkin, but that was a hell of a thing. At the risk of sounding like a fossil, we never had to worry about this kind of thing. You never expect it to happen to your grandkid. School should be a safe place."

"At least it wasn't a shooter," I offered.

"It's a terrible world we live in that that's considered a consolation," he muttered.

"Well, it is the world we live in," I said. "If I get there sooner than you, there's always Shuri to play with." Grandpa managed a smile.

"Don't let her con you, she's been fed," he said. He dropped me off at school, and as I plodded up to the front doors, I saw Paul standing there, watching his brother come up the wheelchair ramp on his crutches. I went over to Paul and before anything he could say anything just gave him a big hug. His arms went around me and he hugged back. A few students going by patted my shoulder or my back.

"I'm so glad you weren't in the gym," I said.

"Me too," he said, his voice muffled in my shoulder. "I hate having to be grateful for enforced team sport."

"Can I get in on this?" John asked, and the tone of his voice wasn't as humorous as he'd intended. We scooted over to him and made it a three-way hug. John rested his head on mine for a moment, then we felt fortified enough to let go.

A couple of kids who'd been hanging back came up to John him how he was doing, and I kept my arm around Paul's shoulders while we waited for John, polite and used to dealing with fans, to finish. Paul was a short kid, and I didn't know whether he was just due for a growth spurt or if he was going to be fun-sized all his life. The kids went in, and we followed, Paul holding the door for me and his brother.

Ms Lassiter was standing in the hall greeting kids and in some cases their parents as well. I was just glad I didn't have mine in tow. "Delia, John. And it's Paul, isn't it?" she asked, and Paul nodded. "The administration is reaching out to all the students personally to let you know that school will be closed for the rest of the week while some structural engineers assess the damage to the gym and make sure that the rest of the school wasn't damaged. We'll be back to a normal schedule on Monday unless something is turned up. For our students who are taking gym, the teachers aren't sure yet what the students can do; the weather's been uncharacteristically warm for December but it looks like a storm system's rolling in. So on Monday, just report to the theater, and the teachers will have something for you to do, Paul." She handed me and Paul pieces of paper. "The school district administration is going to have a meeting for parents and students about this incident on Thursday night. They'll be taking comments, updating the public, and having a discussion about school safety."

"What about finals?" I asked anxiously. She smiled at me, John laughed, and Paul nudged me disgustedly with his foot.

"Finals will go on as scheduled, and the teachers will take into consideration the disruption and make the necessary adjustments for material that there won't be time to cover," she said. She grinned at Paul. "We recognize that our seniors want every opportunity to solidify or improve their grades.  This is a great opportunity to take more study time," she said. Then she got more sober. "And just to let you know, there are counselors available to any student who wants to talk. We also have volunteers with therapy dogs who will be here for the rest of the week. They're in the theater if you want to stop by." She nodded at us and moved over to a knot of students who had just come in.