10:15 AM December 1st

“They didn’t say it was a drill,” Hannah whispered, “They always say if it’s a drill.” Her eyes asked me questions but I could tell from her wary glances at the intercom she knew I wasn’t the one with the answers.
        

“I’m sure it’s just a drill- we haven’t had one in a while anyway. Besides if it was that we would’ve gotten out of this stupid project,” I matched my volume with hers as I assembled causes of the Civil War in the back of my head.
        

I delved into the textbook, resurfacing to scribble down dates and descriptions. The room hums with activity. I worry about my physics homework. The teacher reminds us that this must be turned in by the end of class. Hannah drops her pencil and it rolls beneath my desk. I return it to her. The boy beside me asks about how the Compromise of 1850 caused America’s bloodiest war. I explain the danger of misconceptions. . I write faster, vainly hoping to complete the lengthy assignment in its entirety.

  “Attention faculty and students, the code yellow has been lifted.”
        

“See, that was like fifteen minutes. Nothing happened- nothing ever happens,” I rolled my eyes at her typical firing of rapid conclusions. She ignores me.

5:30 PM December 1st
        

“Why didn’t you tell me you had a code yellow?” my mother admonishes me from the couch, phone in her hand. She looks me in the eye, scanning for secrets.
        

“It lasted like 20 minutes. I didn’t think anything actually happened,”  I  turned away my gaze and moved to sit beside her.
        

“It was something about an online messaging threat?” Each words twists with confusion.
        

“I have no idea,”

12:00 PM December 2nd
        

“I heard it was some freshman over Kik and there was a sophomore who was arrested too. Two police officers pulled him out of Chemistry. Why would anybody do that- you have to be an idiot,” Sarah scoffed as she bit into her apple. The entire lunch table leaned back, I don’t know why she felt the need to whisper. Everybody was talking about it.
        

“I heard she said she was with ISIS,” Cammie, sitting beside me,said suddenly.
        

“As in the Muslim terrorists-but I heard she was black?” A voice drenched in disbelief spoke from across the table.
        

“ISIS is everywhere now days- just look at the news.”
        

“Where did you even hear that?” I asked, hopelessly out of the loop of the freshly spread rumors. The viral images of beheadings and bombings from countries that couldn’t be farther away forced themselves to the forefront of my mind.
        

“My mom told me-she knows everybody in administration,” She nodded solemnly with obvious pride in her confidential information radiating off of her waves.

7:45 PM December 7th
        

The screenshotted article arrived in my messages under a group chat which if made tangible would’ve been dusty and stiff from our neglect. The mug shot was in the top left hand corner. She looked more twelve than fourteen, round cheeks and lips easily envisioned in a yearbook grin.  I bumped into her once in the hallway, apologizing quickly before whisking off in my proper direction. Our arms brushed against each other.

The arrest report said she had AK-47s.  She threatened to murder if they told. Connections with ISIS, plan of attack, Felony charges? A flurry of text messages immediately consumed my screen. I watched. I read.  I didn’t have anything to say.

6:50 AM December 9th
        

“School is closed this morning in the light of recent bomb threats- one of three schools in the county just the past week,” the chirpy reporter’s voice drones on. I focus intently on my breakfast.

8:15 AM December 10th
              

“She didn’t have any guns. The article was wrong. She just said she did-can you believe that? She ruined her life at the age of fourteen,”  The casualness in her voice made the sentence seem soft. I shut my locker just a bit louder than I intended.
        

“She could have killed somebody!” I don’t know why there so much electricity pulsing out of my core or how I could’ve allowed so much disgust to seep into my voice.
        

“Did you see her?” Her voice was incredulous but her eyes were wide in amazement at how I could be so naïve. I dropped the subject. My raging heart slowly returning to normal.