CHAPTER 92

HUDSON SWUNG HIS LEGS OUT FROM under the table and stood.

Pancake grabbed his arm. “What are you doing?”

“Something I should have done from the start.”

Maggie stood. “I’m going with you.”

He nodded, then walked with her to Wolfe’s table. Pancake was at his side by the time he got there.

Wolfe looked up. Smirked. “Freak Show. Come to gloat?”

“No, I . . . uh . . . I want to say I’m sorry.”

Kat glared at him. “You’re so full of it.” She looked around. “Somebody’s filming this, right? Then you’ll post it and show everybody what a great guy you are.”

“No,” Hudson shook his head. “I’m not a great guy. That’s just it. I mean, I wanted to be. When I came to Southfield, I wanted to be a good friend to everybody.”

“You’re afraid you’re going to get a lawsuit,” Kat said. “Well you are.”

Hudson kept his eyes on Wolfe. “I took things too far.” The lump in his throat was on fire. He tried to swallow it down.

Maggie cleared her throat. “I think Hudson is trying to say he wishes he’d done things different.”

Hudson shrugged. “Not everything, but some things, yeah.”

Wolfe’s eyes narrowed. “A little late for that.”

“I totally agree. But before whatever is going to come down happens, I just wanted to say I’m sorry, and I’ll try to do things different from now on. The bullying has to stop, Wolfe. On both sides of the aisle. People get hurt.”

Wolfe just glared at him.

“Somehow I got off on the wrong foot with you,” Hudson said. “But I’d like to start over if I can.” He held out his hand to Wolfe. “My name is Hudson.”

“It doesn’t work like that, Freak Show.”

Hudson kept his hand extended. “From now on, I’m going to treat you how I’d like you to treat me. Truce?” Wolfe eyed Hudson’s hand but didn’t reach to shake it.

“Okay, and if you’re done,” Kat said, “can you get out of my airspace?” She waved like she was trying to shoo him away. “I’m trying to eat here.”

Wolfe still had the stone-face thing going on. He folded his arms across his chest.

So much for the handshake. Hudson lowered his hand. “Okay.” He took a step back. “If you want to talk about it more —”

Kat and Alexa’s laugh pretty well gave their answer. Wolfe smirked.

“Let’s go, Hudz,” Pancake said. He gripped Hudson’s arm and led him back to their table.

Maggie wiped her cheeks. “I wish Jo had been there to hear what you just said.”

He did too. Hudson owed her the biggest apology of all.

Pancake pointed. “Here she comes now. And she does not look good.”

Giovanna stumbled up the ramp in front of the stage and headed their way. Even from halfway across the cafeteria, she looked like a zombie. Skin as pale and thin-looking as the pages in Hudson’s Bible. And her backpack —she wore it in front of her like some moms do with those infant-carrying packs. The flap hung open at the top like it was half unzipped. “What’s the deal with her backpack?”

“She looks sick,” Pancake said. “She probably wants it ready in case she hurls. Clever.”

Daze-like, Giovanna weaved between tables, right toward Wolfe’s. Still fifty feet away.

“Something isn’t right.” Maggie started walking toward her. “Something —”

Giovanna reached inside her pack with both hands —and drew out a handgun.

Hudson grabbed Maggie’s arm —held her back. No teacher close. Maggie struggled to get free —like she wanted to run to Giovanna. Pancake stood frozen.

“We gotta get everyone out of here,” Hudson said. “Pancake —pull the fire alarm.”

Pancake came alive and sprinted for the nearest one.

Maggie stopped trying to pull away. “She’s going to kill them!”

“Wolfe!” Hudson shouted. “Clear out!” He frantically pointed toward Giovanna. “She’s gunning for you.”

Wolfe’s eyes got wide and he stood. Zattora and Skirt followed his lead. The three of them bolted toward the exit just as the fire alarm sounded. Kat slid under the table. Alexa tumbled off the bench and crawled down the aisle, shrieking.

“We gotta get out of here, Hudson.”

Maggie was right, but even with the alarm screaming, most students were in no hurry to leave. They laughed and cheered like it was another false alarm —two days in a row.

“She’s got a gun!” Hudson shouted. “Gun! Get out.” He motioned toward the exit.

Giovanna raised the gun over her head with two hands and shot into the ceiling. Twice. Three times. The kickback nearly knocked her over.

Panic. Total chaos. Cheers morphed to screams. Students clamored for the exits.

“Stay close,” Hudson shouted, his ears ringing from the blasts.

Maggie grabbed his arm —and they made their way toward the exit. Kids slammed into Hudson. Clawed past. Maggie got ripped away.

“Hudson!” Maggie was on the floor, getting trampled. She tried to get up, but the stampede wasn’t letting that happen.

He elbowed through and grabbed her arm. Even as he helped Maggie to her feet, he looked for Giovanna, half expecting her to be running toward him, gun leveled at him —or Maggie.

“You okay?”

Maggie nodded and clutched his arm. They did an end run around a cluster of tables toward the cafeteria exit where Pancake stood, wildly swinging his arms, flagging them over.

“Go!” Hudson waved him on. “Meet you on the other side!”

Pancake hesitated and then disappeared through the doors into the hallway.

Hudson and Maggie got pressed together in the crush of students squeezing out the cafeteria exits. Hudson glanced back.

Giovanna was standing on Wolfe’s table —scanning the crowd —the gun raised high in a two-handed grip. “The bullying must stop!” She fired another round.

“She’s looking for her targets,” Maggie said.

Hudson could guess who they were —and Maggie was likely on the hit list. He had to get her out of here.

Giovanna’s shout cut through the fire alarm. “This is what happens when you allow bullying. People get hurt. People die.”

Mr. Cutter stood in the open like a safety crossing guard. Arms outstretched, he made himself an easy target as he rounded up stragglers. “Nice and easy. Stay calm. That’s it.” His voice rose above the shrieking fire alarm.

The doorway was a giant panini press —and the instant Hudson and Maggie passed through into the hall the pressure was gone. To the left, the exit doors were glommed with students. They’d be sitting ducks if Giovanna followed them into the hallway. No sign of Pancake.

“Try the next exit.” Maggie pointed. “Straight!”

They ran down the hall side by side, putting distance between them and Giovanna.

Pancake must have had the same idea. He stood at the far north end of the hall, waiting just inside the front doors.

“Go!” Hudson motioned. “We’re right behind you.”

Once again Pancake disappeared out a set of doors. At least he was outside now —safe. Hudson chanced a look back.

Mr. Cutter was carrying someone through the cafeteria doors.

“Maggie —it’s Kat.”

“Has she been shot?”

He didn’t see any blood, but she screamed hysterically like something out of a horror movie. Mr. Cutter headed for the closest exit and was gone. No sign of Giovanna.

“She wasn’t shot?” Maggie slowed. “But she was under the table Jo was standing on. There was no way Kat should have gotten out.”

A group of panicked students pushed past them.

Hudson grabbed Maggie’s wrist and pulled her toward the frenzy at the main entrance. The jam-up at the doors wasn’t nearly as bad as the other exit. Police were outside, hurrying students to a safe distance from the building. Pancake was refusing to leave the area.

Maggie tugged on Hudson’s arm. “Did you actually see anybody get shot?”

“No,” he said. “She fired into the ceiling.” Which made no sense.

The hallway back to the cafeteria was nearly empty now, and the last of the students ran for the exit.

“I haven’t heard a shot since we’ve been in the hall.” Maggie stopped.

Hudson gave her a little pull. “Time to go, Maggie.”

“No —wait . . . something’s wrong here.”

“Yeah, we’re still in the building with a shooter inside. Let’s go.”

Maggie broke free from his grip. “Don’t you see? She’s not out to murder masses of students. She only wants to kill one.”

He checked to be sure Giovanna wasn’t heading their way. “You?”

She shook her head. “Jo warned me not to come, remember?”

Hudson kept his eyes on the cafeteria doors. “Then who?”

“Herself. She’s going to kill herself. She’s going to make a statement about bullying. That’s what she was shouting about on the table back there.”

He glanced out the doors. A SWAT team truck roared into the lot.

“They’ll kill her,” Maggie said. “If they see her with a gun, they’ll kill her. I’ve got to help her.”

“Are you insane?” If Giovanna intended to kill herself, she’d have the job done long before the SWAT team got to her.

“If she wanted to hurt me, I’d be dead already. I know her.” Maggie backed away from the doors. “The day I wear red shoes is the day I’ll die. Jo said that, remember? She’s going to kill herself —and I have to stop her. I have to try.”

Beyond the glass, Pancake looked confused, shouting something. Swinging both arms —motioning for Hudson to come out. Pancake started back toward them, but a cop intercepted him before he got to the doors.

“I’m going.” Maggie backed down the hall toward the cafeteria.

Hudson hesitated. Save yourself. Hit the crash bars and get out of here. But how could he let a friend walk into danger alone? And didn’t he have a part in pushing Giovanna over the edge? “Wait.” Maybe he could stall her so they both had a couple of seconds to think this through. “I’ve got to text Pancake —tell him what’s going on.” He whipped off a text —pushed send.

Maggie broke into a run toward the cafeteria.

There was no more time for thinking. The decision was made. Hudson sprinted after her.

She ran faster. “Don’t you try to stop me, Hudson. I’ll never forgive you.”

“I’m not trying to stop you, but I can’t let you go by yourself.”

Maggie glanced back, her eyes glistening with tears. “I was hoping you’d say something like that.”