Chapter Text
It all happened too fast. Mixed emotions filled the school premises, overwhelming everyone's senses. The dance started off light and fun, but what went wrong? Was it the song that played? Was it Tyler’s text? Why was the night taking a turn for the worse?
Clay was running, his legs moving as fast as they could as he panted heavily. The pink and blue lights flashed off his sweaty, bright skin, the gentle colors contrasting sharply with his dire situation. His stomach twisted in a way that made him feel sick.
As soon as Clay stepped through the heavy double doors, the air around him seemed to thrum with anticipation. Awaiting him just beyond the threshold was a sleek, ebony car, its polished surface gleaming ominously in the night light. The heavy sight of Tyler behind the car rummaging through the trunk solidified his worst fears. Tyler was here, and an unsettling excitement crackled in the air, hinting that he was more than prepared for what lay ahead.
“Tyler!” Shouted Clay, the tremble in his voice showing slightly as it wavered. “Tyler, what are you…”
The boy didn’t think. He didn’t stop to think that maybe that this was a terrible idea, that maybe he wouldn’t make it out of here alive. Clay marched quickly, closer to the male who stayed hidden behind the car.
“What are you doing?” Clay asked softly with caution, watching as the shadow of the boy slowly came from behind the car.
And there it was.
A gun.
A pang of fear instantly shot through Clay as he felt himself freezing into place. Tyler looked at him disdainfully, a cold, dark look embedded deep in his eyes. It was almost as if Tyler wanted him dead and suffering.
With the heavy metal weapon in his arms, Tyler closed the trunk of his dark grey car. His dark gaze traveled over Clay, before he sternly spoke,
“Get out of here, Clay. Go home.”
Tyler wandered towards him, not too slow but not too fast.
He looked horrendous. He looked hurt. Tyler just needed to be saved, he was just hurting. He didn’t want to hurt anyone. It was horrible what happened to him.
Clay could fix him like he could fix everything, right?
“No. No, I..” Words were getting caught in his throat. Gulping, Clay’s eyes searched for something more than rage and loathing in Tyler’s eyes. “Don’t… Don’t do this, Tyler.” Clay spoke, the fear and concern evident in his voice.
Tyler was hurt. Tyler needed his help.
“You need to leave right now.” He seethed, his fingers gripping the gun as he stared Clay down. He was going to get his revenge. Monty’s death would be painful and slow, Bryce’s death would be painful and slow, and everyone else would be sorry.
As Tyler tried to walk past him, Clay panicked, the thought of his friends all getting killed because he didn’t help Tyler flashing through his mind. He needed to protect everyone else, and he needed to help Tyler. So, Clay quickly jumped in front of him.
“Tyler, please, listen to me. You don’t wanna do this.” Clay stammered, heart beating roughly against his chest to the point where he could’ve sworn Tyler could hear it. “I… I know you don’t.”
Wrong choice of words, Clay.
“You don’t fucking know anything about me.” Tyler growled, his gaze intense on Clay. Again, Tyler tried to walk past but Clay wouldn’t let him. The shorter boy used his body as a barricade, not letting Tyler pass through at any cost.
“No. No, I do.” Clay assured, his voice shaky. “I do know because I hurt, too.”
His mind was racing, his heart was pounding, he felt his fingers tremble and he felt his legs shake slightly.
“I’m pissed off!” Clay tried to reason with him, trying to make him feel less alone by sharing his feelings. “I didn’t realize how bad it was for you.”
His mouth was just babbling as much as it could, trying to find the right words to use. Trying to stop this, all of this.
“And I’m sorry that I didn’t.” Swallowing, Clay tried to speak again, “I should’ve–”
“Clay!”
Oh shit. Oh fuck. No, no, no, no…
Justin and Jessica. There they were, looking down at the two men in shock and fear. Eyes widening, Clay looked at them before looking back at Tyler, who was gripping his gun tighter than before.
He needed to save them.
“Hey, g-go back inside!” Clay cried, his stomach sinking further and further.
He couldn’t let them get hurt. He’d do whatever he had to as long as they were safe.
“Jesus, Clay!” Panic surged through Justin as he called out desperately for his brother, Clay. Clay was the lifeline that pulled him from the unforgiving streets, the unwavering protector who had opened the doors of his home with warmth and love. Now, Clay stood resolute in front of a man whose eyes burned with malice, gripping a cold, lethal gun that seemed to shimmer ominously in the dim light.
The air was thick with tension as the weapon was aimed at Justin and Jess, a grim reminder of their fragile reality. Justin's heart raced, each beat reflecting the urgency of the moment and the fear gripping him tightly.
“Go inside!” Clay's voice rang out, a desperate plea laced with fear and determination. The urgency to protect his friends crackled in the air, and in a heartbeat, he positioned himself like a shield, ready to absorb any danger that might come their way. His heart raced as he envisioned Tyler's gun firing, and he instinctively moved to stand between Jess and Justin and the impending threat.
Without hesitation, Justin was grabbed by Jessica who sprinted back toward the sanctuary of the school, their hearts pounding in unison with the chaotic rhythm of the evening. The dance they had once looked forward to now loomed ominously in their minds, a cruel reminder of how quickly joy could be eclipsed by terror.
The gun was now pointed at Clay, and Clay felt pants of breath escape him.
“Get out of my fucking way.”
The heartless voice he had petrified Clay.
“Tyler, please. Don’t do it.” Clay whispered in fear, feeling his body shake and tremble. What was he doing? Being a hero when he was scared of it?
“I have to.” Tyler said with loathing still in his voice. But Clay, he could hear a small amount of pain hiding behind it. He understood what that felt like. He understood what it was like to hide your pain through anger.
“No, you don’t have to.” Clay tried reassuring him, “You can go home.”
There was still time, right?
And then the sound of sirens stabbed the night air, crushing Clay’s heart. What fucking timing, huh? Now Tyler was going to get caught, and Clay didn’t want to leave Tyler alone like that. Not with the pain he could see. The boy with the gun deserved better.
“Everybody knows already.” Tyler hissed, referring to the text he sent earlier and the sirens that were getting closer.
“No, no, the only people that know are the people who know you,” Clay stuttered, “and they wanna help you!”
The gun was being raised to Clay’s chest slowly.
“Bullshit.” He spat, moving closer to Clay with his gun aimed at him. This forced, well, made Clay drift backwards. The shorter boy wanted to scream, cry, do anything that would get him away from this situation. He was petrified. But he had to save everyone, that was his job. That was his responsibility.
“No, look,” Clay stammered as Tyler continued to walk menacingly toward him, “Tyler, they know you’re hurting, we all are.” Comforting words spilled out of Clay’s mouth, but Tyler was too far gone to see it. “And I don’t know what to do about it, either.”
The gun was now being pressed against Clay harder. Sheer fear was rushing through Clay’s body as he just cried out words to calm the dangerous male down.
“Okay? I tried hurting other people,” He rambled, “I tried hurting you, and it didn’t fucking help, man.” They kept walking backwards. The doors to the dance were right there, Clay was going to be backed into them soon enough if this kept up. And the gun was still pressed against him, telling him to shut up or he dies.
But he didn’t shut up, for others.
For his friends, his brother, Tyler, Hannah.
“It doesn’t do any good!” Clay spilled, communicating to Tyler about his feelings, about his personal experience. “Listen to me, it doesn’t!”
The aggressor seemed to be lost in thought, eyes that peered at him harshly seemed to have things running behind them. Chest rising up and down, Clay swallowed, trying not to move as they now stood in place. Tyler stopped walking and looked over to where the cops were coming. They could both see the lights.
Clay thought he succeeded, relief filling him slowly.
Tyler gazed back at him.
Then the hurricane hit.
“I’m sorry, Clay.” He started, “but I need to bring someone down with me.”
Furrowing his brows, Clay gazed into his eyes in fear. The gun pressed up against his chest harder, and Tyler’s fingers were now on top of the trigger. One push is all it would take, and Clay could be dead sooner than ever.
The door burst open behind Clay once more, and then his brother was shouting, “Clay!” Whipping his head around, Clay caught Justin’s eyes.
And the trigger was pulled.
At first, it was a shock and the initial pain wasn’t there yet. Warmth pooled out of him and onto his clothes, staining his shirt with crimson red. Burning, ripping pain lighted his veins and sent him down to his knees. His sense of hearing seemed to fall into the background as all he could hear were muffled shouts, footsteps, and sirens.
Then there were people surrounding him. Hands grabbing onto him, holding him close. Cries and pleads, ones he could recognize the voice it belonged to. Justin. He could hear more footsteps as tears flooded his eyes. Clay’s blurry vision caught the sight of Justin’s tear-filled eyes, his hurt face, and he could feel the warmth of his arms around him.
“Clay, Clay! Y-You’re gonna be okay, the cops are coming!”
Opening his mouth to speak, thick dark liquid pooled out.
“Clay, holy shit!” Then there was Jessica’s voice ringing throughout his ears. His gaze drifted towards her, who leant down beside him and Justin. Her hands seemed to fiddle with her dress as Clay looked away to where more footsteps were coming from.
“Oh my god, Clay!” Clay heard Zach call out his name.
The wound stung, but the thought hurt more.Tyler had shot him, and now he was going to die in front of his friends. All he wanted was to save them. Now, he was going to traumatize them and he felt fucking horrible about it.
But maybe it was time.
“I’m…” Clay coughed, “I’m s-sorry…” It was so hard to speak, so hard to get words out. Breathing was becoming more difficult, and thinking was even harder. “I just w-wanted to help…”
“Clay…” Justin whispered, his voice cracking. “You saved us.”
A bloody smile appeared on Clay’s face as his eyes started to flutter. His mind was going blank, and he felt his body go slack in Justin’s arms slowly.
“Clay! No, no, stay awa-”
“You saved us.”