Castle High's After School Horror

Bonnie is completely hysterical. She's holding onto Macey, sobbing and screaming. She says she's sorry, begging for Macey to forgive her, begging for her to be alive. Everyone backs off. Gerard is hugging his knees against the locker., rocking back and forth and not making a sound

Mikey is blankly staring at a wall, soothingly rubbing his older brother's shoulder. Chelsea is staring in disbelief, her heart pounding with a strange guilt she can't explain. She's shaking, biting her nail, watching Bonnie have a break down. Bob is holding onto Bonnie's waist, trying to console her but failing.

"I can't believe this," Chelsea mutters.

"I can't believe I ever dated you," Ray says solemnly. Chelsea's heart stutters.

"What?"

"Do you realize what you've done?"

Ray's angry voice echoes in the hall. Everyone but Bonnie looks up at them. Ray's face is red with fury. Chelsea shrinks against a wall under his angry gaze.

"What are you talking about?" Chelsea says silently. Ray's fists are clenched and shaky. Chelsea has never seen him so angry.

"You are such a bitch!" he yells. Chelsea swallows. "If you hadn't pushed Beth and Macey, they might still be alive right now!"

Chelsea's jaw drops. "Are you saying it's my fault tha-"

"Yes! That's exactly what I'm saying! Because you can't keep your fucking mouth shut! It's as if you thrive on hurting people! It's your fault their dead!"

Chelsea bottom lip trembles. Ray walks down the hall and sits next to Gerard, wrapping an arm around him comfortingly.

Bonnie sobs as Bob pulls her away from Macey. Chelsea clenches her fists.

"I didn't kill them," she yells.

"You might as well have," Mikey says.

Chelsea looks at him in disbelief. His expression is deeply saddened. Chelsea's guilt consumes her. She feels like there is a black hole inside of her chest. A hot tear rolls down her cheek. She looks at Bonnie, who's clothes are completely bloodied. She's rocking back and forth, silently crying, with Bob sitting a few feet away. He watches her sadly.

"It's not my fault," Chelsea whispers to herself.

After a short while of awkwardness and Bonnie's silent sobbing, there is complete quiet. Chelsea is sitting alone against a wall when Ray speaks up.

"What do we do now?" he says. Chelsea looks up at everyone. Bonnie is cuddled up in Bob's arms, eyes wide and empty. Ray's standing in the middle of the hall with his arms crossed. Mikey is sitting next to his older brother.

"I don't want to do anything," Gerard croaks. Chelsea can tell that he'd been crying. She wonders what's going on in his head.

"We can't just sit here," Mikey says.

"He's right," Ray states. "We have to keep trying to get out."

"There's n-no p-point," Bonnie whimpers. Bob soothingly rubs her back shushes her. She sinks into his chest. Gerard looks at them sadly.

"There is a point," Ray says. "I know it's hard, Bonnie, but we have to get out of here and get the cops. You can't just let whoever's doing this get away with it."

"Then you go," Bonnie says. "I'll stay here and get killed."

"Oh, don't say that," Chelsea spits. Everyone looks at her. "We all know that Mace was upset because of what you did and that you probably feel bad but she's your sister and she loves you and where ever she is right now, she'd want you to be safe."

Chelsea doesn't know where that came from. She doesn't care about how Bonnie feels. Why did she try to comfort her?

That blistering headache Chelsea had been getting all night returns and she groans, rubbing her temples.

"Thanks," she hears Bonnie's voice mutter.

"Does anyone have any ideas?" Ray asks.

They all look around at each other. No one says a word. Bonnie wipes her nose on her sleeve, causing some of the blood to stain her face. She lets out a small sob and wraps her arms tightly around Bob. Bob holds her and kisses her forehead, rocking her back and forth. Gerard's head is on Mikey's shoulder. The Way brothers' closeness strikes Chelsea as odd. Maybe Gerard was so sad about Macey that he opted to be comforted by anyone, even the little brother he treats like shit.

Mikey glares at Chelsea. She remembers the whole mind reading thing and tries to stop thinking about them, instead deciding to look at her shoes.

"Maybe the staircase is still open?" Bob speaks up. "I mean, we got down here, right? Maybe the killer didn't have time to lock them again."

Ray nods his agreement and in a few seconds, everyone stands up and starts walking down the hall. Ray is leading them. Class president Gerard obviously lost his stamina to be the leader of this group of shattered spirits.

Chelsea walks up next to Ray. He speeds up. Chelsea sighs and falls back, deciding not to bother with him. She never knew it would hurt so much to have Ray angry with her. She doesn't want him to be angry with her. Even if she doesn't really have feelings for him, she likes that he has feelings for her.

"Don't you think there's something wrong with that?" Mikey says.

"Huh?" Ray asks, looking back at Mikey.

"Talking to Chelsea."

Chelsea looks at Mikey. He gives her a meaningful look.

Chelsea thinks about what Mikey had said. Obviously, he had done that weird mind reading thing. What's wrong with liking being liked? Is it the fact that Chelsea dated him and basically led him on?

"Bingo," says Mikey. Chelsea groans.

"Stay out of my head," she says, rubbing her temple painfully.

Ray gets to the staircase a few seconds before everyone else, as he is very tall and has very long legs. It's the staircase they had gone down to get to this floor. He pushes it but it doesn't budge. He sighs and turns to look at everyone.

"Do you think any other staircase will be open?" he says.

Everyone looks around at each other and shake their heads gravely. The air is thick with fear.

"Cell phones," Gerard says.

Everyone checks. Not a single bar.

"Any other ideas?" Ray asks.

"You know how the gym is separate from the rest of the building?" Mikey suggests. Ray nods, giving him a questioning look. "It's, like, two stories tall, right? Well, what if we could...jump to the roof of the gym?"

"Falling two stories twice isn't as painful as falling four stories," Bob agrees with a nod.

"Yeah, let's just pretend we're all cats and can land on our feet," Ray says.

"Uhm, actually, c-cats aren’t designed t-to come back down," Bonnie says. She clears her throat. "That's why they get stuck in trees."

The group laughs. The atmosphere lightens a bit. Chelsea's caged heart feels a bit of a release from the tension.

"That's beside the point," Ray says, smiling. "How are we gonna get to that roof without getting hurt?"

"The counselor’s office," Gerard suggests. "She has a couch and maybe we can use the cushions to…cushion the fall?"

Everyone nods their agreement.

"Okay," Ray says. "To the counselor’s office, then."

The group starts down the corridor that leads to the 11th grade counselor’s office. The office is notorious for its comfort: big comfy couch decorates the back corner of the small room, where the counselor meets with students.

Chelsea has been in that office many times.

She stares at the back of Ray's head as they walk. The overwhelming fear of not knowing has Chelsea shaking from head to toe. She doesn't want to lose her life. And Ray is still mad at her. She definitely doesn't want to lose him, either. She walks ahead of everyone and catches up to him.

"Ray," she says. He ignores her. She swallows and tries again. "Raymound, please talk to me."

He doesn't say a word. Doesn't even look at her.

Chelsea will not have that.