The End is Coming

In the quiet of the pitch black classroom, the only sounds were the shaky breathing of the nervous occupants and the occasional brush of fabric against the wall. Twenty-two people, including the teacher, were pressed into the far corner. As one, they jumped at a series of resonating bangs and screams.

At the edge of the clump, three boys huddled in their own small group. The eldest, wearing flip-flops, tangled his fingers in the hair of the blue-eyed boy, the youngest. The youngest had his arms around the torso of the third boy, keeping him from moving. The boy being held was crying silently, trying to get out of the youngest’s grip to go to the door, but even his bony elbows couldn’t get the youngest to let go.

More screams, quickly drowned out by more bangs, made the middle boy cry harder, audible now over the others. He gripped the youngest boy’s leg hard enough to make him wince. The eldest took his other hand and squeezed it tight.

“He’s okay,” he whispered, leaning close to the middle boy’s ear. He sounded strained. “Brendon is okay.”

If he said anything else, it was overpowered by a scream that continued even after the bangs.

-

Ryan scanned the hallway for a familiar head of spiky black hair. He was leaning against the wall by a bench in the front of the school, where Jon was spread out, talking about cats. The boy Ryan was searching for finally broke away from the crowd, smiling brightly in a way that was so very Brendon.

“Hi, Jon,” he said as he wrapped his arms around Ryan’s waist. “How’s Dylan?”

“He caught a moth last night,” Jon answered with a slight grimace. Brendon smiled, resting his head on Ryan’s chest. Ryan played with one of the spikes at the crown of his head while Jon went on to describe his cat’s hunt for the vicious moth that plagued the porch light night after night. The bell cut him off just as Dylan was about to leap.

“Damn it, it was just getting good!” Brendon exclaimed, and Ryan laughed. Jon grabbed his bag and swung it in their direction as he stood.

“You two are going to Hell,” he stated, walking away.

“You don’t believe in Hell!” Ryan called after him. Brendon waited until Jon was out of sight to press Ryan closer to the wall and kiss him.

“Hi,” he said, forehead against Ryan’s.

“Hi,” Ryan smiled. Brendon kissed his nose before sliding back.

“Time for geometry!” he announced, throwing his arms up. Ryan followed him into the crowd, slinging his bag over his shoulder. “The circles will rule the world!”

“All lines lead to the end!” someone shouted back. Brendon laughed and took Ryan’s hand as he sped up. He took a sharp turn to the left, just barely dodging a short girl.

“Triangles are the messengers!” Brendon called. “The end is coming!”

The first time Brendon had started yelling about shapes ending the world, the flood of people laughed and whispered about the crazy boy. Now it was just part of their morning routine, and some of them, like the person in the other hall, played along.

“Why do you always do that?” Ryan asked. They stopped in front of Brendon’s classroom, standing just beside the doorway. Brendon shrugged.

“It’s fun,” he answered. His grin was contagious, and as Ryan smiled back, Brendon dropped his hand. “You should get to English. I'll see you next period.”

Brendon walked backwards into the room, blowing a kiss to Ryan before he turned and jumped over a desk to avoid crashing into it.

“Brendon!” Ryan heard the teacher scold, followed by Brendon’s laugh and an insincere apology. He walked down the hall with a smile on his face.

-

There were footsteps coming down the hall, heavy and careless. They stopped, and the group in the corner could see the shadows of thick-soled boots leech under the door. Ryan felt Spencer’s grip tighten when he shifted forward. The lock on the door clicked, and the door knob turned. Everyone huddled closer together except for Ryan, who squirmed to get out of Spencer’s arms. Jon took hold of the back of his shirt.

Light spilled into the classroom around a large man holding a gun. The white letters on his gear glowed, “POLICE.” He shifted the gun to his side and pushed the door fully open.

“It’s over,” he said. “Come with me.”

At once, the room let out a breath of relief, some sobs mixed in.

-

Spencer and Jon each took one of Ryan’s hands so he wouldn’t get lost in the throng of people rushing to get out. Police officers were stationed at the ends of a few halls, and some classroom doors were shot through. Ryan craned his neck to find a head of spiky black hair, Brendon. With each passing second, he panicked more and more.

“He’s out already,” Spencer said, voice shaking. “He has to be out already.”

“Yeah, he has to be,” Jon agreed. Ryan stayed silent, eyes constantly scanning the teenagers and teachers and police officers.

They neared the gym, and there was blood everywhere. The police officers ushered them away, down an adjoining hall, but they weren’t fast enough to conceal the kids sprawled on the floor, eyes staring unblinkingly toward the ceiling. Spencer made a choked noise, and Jon let go of Ryan to pull Spencer into his arms, letting him hide his face in the crook of his neck. Ryan stared at them until he couldn’t bear seeing Brendon in his mind’s eye instead of the nameless peers.

-

The sun was too bright, causing everyone to blink rapidly and shield their eyes. Some kids ran to their parents, waiting anxiously in the parking lot. Some parents had collapsed, some crying and some motionless, only staring at the school. Ryan saw Spencer’s mom and little sisters standing with Jon’s parents. He watched them rush forward, engulfing the pair in hugs and tears, even Jon’s dad.

Brendon’s mom wasn’t with the rest of the parents; Ryan found her standing alone by the police cars, shocked into emotionlessness.

“Mrs. Urie?” he said tentatively. She startled, eyes fixing on Ryan’s face. He could tell the exact moment she recognized him. Her expression crumpled, and she brought a hand up to cover her mouth. It made Ryan’s heart stop and his vision blur. “Is Brendon…?”

Mrs. Urie shook her head. “They haven’t found him yet.”

-

“Ryan. Ryan, look!”

Ryan lifted his head from his hands and followed Spencer’s finger. He froze for a moment, blinked, and got to his feet so fast he almost fell. Spencer kept him upright, pulling him forward to the gurney being pulled by a red-headed EMT. Mrs. Urie was already walking beside it, her face drawn and pale. Ryan tried to choke back his emotions, but after a quick glance at Spencer, who was already crying, he was gone.

“No, Ryan, don’t cry,” Brendon said, reaching out for Ryan. The EMT paused long enough to allow Brendon to pull Ryan down for a tight hug. Spencer stayed back, wiping his cheeks and taking deep breaths as he texted Jon to tell him Brendon was going to be okay. When they had to move, Ryan went back, wrapped his arms around Spencer, and did exactly what Brendon told him not to do.