guys,” I said. I didn’t look Jason in the eyes. I was hoping that he wasn’t upset about how I treated him at 3D on Friday.
“Good morning, Adam. Are you feeling any better?” Jason asked. I was glad that he seemed sincerely concerned instead of upset. I could always count on him when I needed him. That’s why Howie and I called him “Ace.”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Look, I’m sorry about the other night, bro. I was having a rough couple of days and I didn’t mean to take it out on you.”
“It’s cool, brother. We all have our bad days,” Jason responded.
“Yeah, but we don’t all take them out on our friends,” I replied, still feeling guilty.
“It’s not a big deal, Reaper. Trust me, I would let you know if it was,” he said reassuringly.
“Thank you,” I said. “So what were you guys talking about just now?”
Jason and Howie exchanged peculiar glances.
“What’s going on, Howie?” I asked as I narrowed my eyes at him.
“Have you heard the news about Fox Valley State?” he asked.
“No I haven’t. My brother visited Fox Valley State this weekend, but I haven’t heard anything about it being on the news. He must be having a blast, too, because he still hasn’t come home.”
“Are you serious?!” Howie asked, almost shouting. His eyes were suddenly wide with fear as he waited for me to reply.
“Yeah, I’m serious. Why? What happened at Fox Valley State?” I demanded as I tried to slow my heart rate. I could tell by the looks on their faces that something was horribly wrong. They sat in silence and looked at each other as if debating over whether or not they should tell me.
“Dammit, tell me what happened!” I shouted, slamming my fists onto the table. I was too distracted to notice the stares of the students at the surrounding tables or the cracks that my fists had left in our table.
“Adam, Fox Valley State was attacked Saturday afternoon-” Howie started.
“What do you mean, attacked?” I interrupted.
“There was an event for prospective students held in the Fox Valley State gym on Saturday. A group of domestic terrorists called The Strangers placed chains on the main exits and threw explosives into the crowd. As the surviving students stormed toward the only exits left unchained, The Strangers were waiting for them with assault rifles.”
I could barely breathe. My heart pounded in my chest so violently that I could hear it echoing inside of my head. PJ was at that college on Saturday and now he was missing. I couldn’t help but expect the worst.
“How many?” I demanded.
Howie stared at me for a moment without responding. I could tell that he was bothered by the look in my eyes. I could feel the adrenaline pouring into my system as I contemplated the fate of my brother. If PJ was dead, I was going to find out who was responsible and make them pay.
“The numbers aren’t final, but the death toll was over 200 as of this morning. A lot of the bodies are in pieces, some of them are missing all together,” Howie said.
“What do you mean, missing?” I asked.
“Some of the students are missing but they can’t find the bodies. The police think the gunmen either kidnapped some of the students or killed them in the gym and dumped their bodies elsewhere. In all honesty, the latter is the more likely of the two.”
I suddenly stood and stormed out of the cafeteria. Howie glanced oddly at Jason before hurrying after me.
OUTSIDE, HOWIE SCURRIED AFTER ME AS FAST AS HE COULD. “Adam, wait!” Howie shouted. “Adam!”
I ignored him and continued onward. He finally caught up to me and placed his hand on my shoulder. I could have kept walking and dragged him along for the ride, but I knew that he didn’t deserve that. No matter how furious and terrified I was at the time, I couldn’t do that to my best friend.
“What do you want, Howie?” I asked as I stopped and faced him.
Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead as he tried desperately to catch his
“Good morning, Adam. Are you feeling any better?” Jason asked. I was glad that he seemed sincerely concerned instead of upset. I could always count on him when I needed him. That’s why Howie and I called him “Ace.”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Look, I’m sorry about the other night, bro. I was having a rough couple of days and I didn’t mean to take it out on you.”
“It’s cool, brother. We all have our bad days,” Jason responded.
“Yeah, but we don’t all take them out on our friends,” I replied, still feeling guilty.
“It’s not a big deal, Reaper. Trust me, I would let you know if it was,” he said reassuringly.
“Thank you,” I said. “So what were you guys talking about just now?”
Jason and Howie exchanged peculiar glances.
“What’s going on, Howie?” I asked as I narrowed my eyes at him.
“Have you heard the news about Fox Valley State?” he asked.
“No I haven’t. My brother visited Fox Valley State this weekend, but I haven’t heard anything about it being on the news. He must be having a blast, too, because he still hasn’t come home.”
“Are you serious?!” Howie asked, almost shouting. His eyes were suddenly wide with fear as he waited for me to reply.
“Yeah, I’m serious. Why? What happened at Fox Valley State?” I demanded as I tried to slow my heart rate. I could tell by the looks on their faces that something was horribly wrong. They sat in silence and looked at each other as if debating over whether or not they should tell me.
“Dammit, tell me what happened!” I shouted, slamming my fists onto the table. I was too distracted to notice the stares of the students at the surrounding tables or the cracks that my fists had left in our table.
“Adam, Fox Valley State was attacked Saturday afternoon-” Howie started.
“What do you mean, attacked?” I interrupted.
“There was an event for prospective students held in the Fox Valley State gym on Saturday. A group of domestic terrorists called The Strangers placed chains on the main exits and threw explosives into the crowd. As the surviving students stormed toward the only exits left unchained, The Strangers were waiting for them with assault rifles.”
I could barely breathe. My heart pounded in my chest so violently that I could hear it echoing inside of my head. PJ was at that college on Saturday and now he was missing. I couldn’t help but expect the worst.
“How many?” I demanded.
Howie stared at me for a moment without responding. I could tell that he was bothered by the look in my eyes. I could feel the adrenaline pouring into my system as I contemplated the fate of my brother. If PJ was dead, I was going to find out who was responsible and make them pay.
“The numbers aren’t final, but the death toll was over 200 as of this morning. A lot of the bodies are in pieces, some of them are missing all together,” Howie said.
“What do you mean, missing?” I asked.
“Some of the students are missing but they can’t find the bodies. The police think the gunmen either kidnapped some of the students or killed them in the gym and dumped their bodies elsewhere. In all honesty, the latter is the more likely of the two.”
I suddenly stood and stormed out of the cafeteria. Howie glanced oddly at Jason before hurrying after me.
OUTSIDE, HOWIE SCURRIED AFTER ME AS FAST AS HE COULD. “Adam, wait!” Howie shouted. “Adam!”
I ignored him and continued onward. He finally caught up to me and placed his hand on my shoulder. I could have kept walking and dragged him along for the ride, but I knew that he didn’t deserve that. No matter how furious and terrified I was at the time, I couldn’t do that to my best friend.
“What do you want, Howie?” I asked as I stopped and faced him.
Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead as he tried desperately to catch his
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