Page 27 of We’re All Going to Die Tonight!

“Shit,” I say, pulling back my hand. “What happened? Lucas, man, come on.”

“We need a doctor,” Avery says. “We need a doctor right now—we need to get the teachers.”

I look down the hall to where the teachers should be. Didn’t they hear Avery screaming? Us yelling at Lucas? Lightning flashes outside, revealing that Avery’s turned paler than I’ve ever seen her. Tears carve trails down her cheeks.

“We need to get the teachers,” she says. “And call for a doctor. I’ll go—”

“No,” I say, looking around. “It’s not safe.”

Her eyes meet mine, glassy and wide. “He could die,” she says, daring to utter the word that I refuse to say out loud. “He needs help.”

The sound of footsteps behind me makes me whirl, and I’m not thinking when I see the figure in the dark. I rush forward, grabbing the shadow by the front of their shirt and then throwing them back against the wall.

“Jesus Christ, man, what’s your problem? It’s me, Javi.”

It takes me a minute to process the voice, to see who it is in front of me. Javi’s eyebrows are furrowed, and he struggles against my grip, until someone behind me starts screaming.

I let him go, turning to see Marlene and Kaitlyn standing behind Avery, holding their hands over their faces as they stare down at Lucas.

“What the fuck?” Kaitlyn demands, her voice shaking. “What the actual fuck?”

Chapter 16

Marlene

October 17

12:50 a.m.

Fifteen minutes ago, I told Lucas I was going outside and asked him to meet me there. I waited for him, but he never came.

Now he’s on the floor, covered in blood and barely breathing.

The sob that seizes me isn’t the usual kind. This one throws its hand down my throat and yanks on my heart until my vision is spotted and I’ve dropped to my knees. I’m shaking; everything is shaking, and Avery is there now, holding my hands, whispering for me to breathe. But how can I breathe when Lucas is laid out on the ground behind her, when Lucas might be taking his last breaths?

Caulder understands. I can tell. He’s frozen. How can anyone move when Lucas can’t?

“We need to get the teachers,” Javi says. “I can’t believe they didn’t hear any of this already.”

As he speaks, Javi holds on to Kaitlyn’s hand, and she’s leaning on him like she’ll fall over if she doesn’t. But he’s speaking. Can I speak? It’s like my jaw is glued shut, like words are gummy and unable to be extricated from my mouth.

“I never saw Jay come in,” Kaitlyn says. “Unless he did it while we were hiding.”

“Oh, so that’s where you guys were?” Caulder says, cold anger slipping into his voice. “You were hiding?”

“It was supposed to be some bullshit prank,” Kaitlyn says. “Something Emerson could post. But we never thought…”

Kaitlyn’s voice peters out, caught up in another sob.

“Maybe Jay’s with Emerson,” Javi says. “I didn’t see where Emerson ended up.”

“Let’s get Dorman and McCullough first,” Caulder says, his voice as hollow as I feel. “They should be right down the hall.”

“I can go downstairs and call 911,” Avery says. “I’ll—”

“We need to stay together,” Caulder says, shaking his head. “Let’s get the teachers and then call 911.”

No one questions him. I think everyone’s hoping the same thing: that the adults will fix this—whatever it is.