A planned sleepover is blown away by a school shooter. Maggie’s quick wit saves her friend from bleeding out after a school shooting.

Enjoy the story. I hope it does even a tiny bit to raise awareness of the horrific events.

No Sleepover Tonight

Bob Gillen

Maggie’s seat near the back of the American History class made it easier for her to text her friend without the teacher spotting her. 

can’t wait for the sleepover tonite

The girl sitting next to Maggie reached for her phone.

so ready, good for vaping?

 Brooke smiled across at Maggie.

Maggie dropped her phone and stooped down to pick it up from the floor.

The roar of an automatic weapon erupted in the hall outside the classroom. Maggie heard screams. 

The classroom door smashed open. 

Gunfire sprayed the room. 

Maggie stayed near the floor. Huddled into a ball, covering her head. She felt a weight fall against her.

In the hall men shouted. Maggie heard Pop Pop Pop. Someone yelled “clear.”

A moment of silence, followed by more screams, moans, sobbing. A boy yelled, “Help me!”

Maggie tried to move the weight off her back. The weight slipped to the floor. 

Brooke! 

Covered in blood.

Brooke opened her eyes, looked at Maggie. “Is that my blood?”

Maggie stared in shock. Brooke said, “Don’t let me die, Mags. I don’t want to die.”

Maggie checked Brooke’s body. Blood poured from her shoulder. Maggie reached under her desk for her backpack. She pulled out a handful of period pads. 

Without speaking she stuffed several pads into Brooke’s shoulder wound. “Roll over,” she told Brooke. “There must be an exit wound.” Brooke groaned as she turned. Maggie shoved more pads into the exit wound. Brooke rolled back. Her eyes met Maggie’s. 

“Don’t let me die.”

Maggie sensed chaotic activity in the room. Someone was directing the uninjured out of the room. A female police officer stepped up to Maggie. She examined Brooke. “A shoulder wound?”

Maggie nodded. 

“EMTs will be here in a few minutes. Hang on.”

The officer looked at Maggie. “Are you hurt?”

Maggie looked at herself. Hands and arms covered in blood. Jeans soaked from kneeling in blood. “I’m okay.” She pointed at Brooke. “It’s all her blood.”

The officer waved an EMT over. The EMT checked Brooke’s wound. He poked at the blood-soaked pads. He looked at Maggie. “Did you pack the wounds?”

Maggie uttered a weak, “yes.”

“You saved her life. Nice work.”

Tears poured down Maggie’s face. She reached up to wipe the tears, ended up smearing blood over her face. The EMT handed her a wipe.

They placed Brooke on a gurney. Brooke touched Maggie’s hand. “No sleepover tonight.”

“I’ll sleep over at the hospital one night.”

They wheeled her out. Maggie attempted to stand and look around. The female officer blocked her vision. “Nothing here you want to see.” She escorted Maggie out to the hall and away from the classroom.

Students were streaming out of the building. Police and first responders rushed in. Teachers helped with directing traffic.

The police officer took Maggie outside, steering her to a bench. “You saved that girl’s life. Be proud.”

Maggie lowered her head. Tears flowed. A teacher came over, said to the officer, “I’ll sit with her.”

Ambulances screamed away to ERs. More responders roared in. News media swarmed the scene.

Maggie and the teacher sat in the middle of it all. She wiped her blood-soaked hands on her jeans. She turned to face the teacher. “Did they kill the shooter?”

The teacher nodded.

Maggie stood. “I need to go back in there. I want to kick the shit out of the fucker’s dead body.”

***