"MY LAST DAY AT SCHOOL" in "SHORTS"

It was my last day at school.

I was more ready than ever before. I smiled at my father before he dropped me off at school. He kissed my forehead.

“Have fun at school, baby,” he said cheerfully. “I love you. Be good.”

“Love you too.” Be good. That’s what he’d always said to me every morning, before he set off to the station - looking good in his uniform.

Every parent’s hope. Be good.

I slowly walked into the dreadful building. I knew what I’d be facing once I was in there. Everyday was always the same.

“Ooh, Freaky Freya!”

“Here’s the walking nightmare. Honey, it ain’t Halloween yet!”

“Hey, Fatso! You’re taking up my space.”

Breathe. Calm down. It’ll be over soon.

I was waiting for the cue. I’d finally got it during break.

“Hey, Ugly Girl. Why don’t you just die?”

There. I stopped and turned around. I looked Sammy Davis in the eye as he sneered at me. Sammy had always thought he was funny.

“After you.”

BANG! Sammy gave a shocked expression, before the hole in his forehead started spilling out blood…and pieces of his brain.

Smoke was billowing out of the gun in my hand. Screams of terror started filling the air. There was chaos in the school cafeteria. People started running away from me.

That’s okay. Bullets always run faster.

BANG! Tanya Morris fell, screaming in agony. I don’t think she’ll ever walk again with a bullet in the back of her knee. That bitch in her cheerleading outfit started pleading with tears in her blue eyes as I came up to her.

“Freya, please. I’m sorry. Please, don’t kill me. I don’t wanna die…“

“No more cartwheel for you, bitch.” BANG! Now she wasn’t so pretty anymore, not even for her own funeral.

“Whoa!” Jason Carter, the jock who used to push me around in the hallway for no reason at all, stepped back with his big hands up. This time, he wouldn’t push me anymore…

“Guess what, Jason?” I challenged him. “I’m taking up your space now.”

“NO!” BANG! BANG, BANG! Bye, bye, dumb jock. Not so tough now, eh?

Ella Sparks, his always quiet girlfriend, shook her head vigorously at me. Her green eyes were teary and wide with fear.

“Freya, please. I’ve never done anything to you.”

“That’s right!” I barked at her. “You just stood and watched…and laughed while they were making fun of me. Enjoyed the show?”

BANG!

Mr.Brown, the school conselour, came up to me while the students were running away from me.

“Freya, we can talk about this,” he said, as calmly as he could. I could see his hands were shaking; who was he kidding? “Just put the gun down, okay?”

“Sorry, I’m just being too sensitive - just like what you’ve always said.” I sneered. “You never take me seriously, so it’s too late!”

BANG! BANG! BANG!

More screams of terror filled the air, but I didn’t care.

Blaring sirens behind me stopped me. I heard screeching tyres and running footsteps. Clicks and familiar voices through a loud megaphone.

“Jesus, that’s O’Reilly’s kid!”

“Freya!” Lieutenant Edwards called out. I turned around and saw him - and his officers pointing their guns at me. “Freya O’Reilly, put the gun down. Raise your hands up in the air.

I smiled sadly at him. “I’m sorry, Uncle Matt,” I told my father’s partner and friend. I pointed the gun to my head and closed my eyes.

Goodbye…

BANG!

It took me a while to realise that I was lying on the ground. The gun had slipped out of my hand. My arm was wet and hurt, but I was still breathing.

“Jesus, I said seize fire!”

Lieutenant Edwards. My Uncle Matt. I opened my eyes. He looked down at me, his brown eyes glistening.

“Why?” I asked him. “Why didn’t you just kill me?”

“Your father’s the only reason,” he said, gritting his teeth. “You’re the only one he’s got.”

“Call 911,” I heard another officer said. I closed my eyes again, knowing what might possibly coming next.

The whole world will be seeing me on the news, only believing that I am a monster. Who cares about the real reason, the truth about the poor, helpless and ‘innocent’ victims I’ve shot to death?

It was my last day at school. I didn’t miss it at all, especially since I’d only learned and remembered THAT ONE THING in that school:

I’d learned how to hate.

R.

(Jakarta,4/9/2014 - from The Couchsurfing Writers’ Club Meeting @Anomali Cafe, Setiabudi One - 8:00 - 11:00 pm. Theme: “SCHOOL”.)