Chapter Twenty - Two #2
“Why did you hide Bob all these years? Why not just admit he’s your son?” Maybe if I kept her talking I could figure something out. Maybe those bad TV movies weren’t so far off. The longer she talked the longer I had to figure out how to get away.
“Because I was never married. His father impregnated me and left me to join some band and I never heard from him again. He told me he loved me. Stole my virginity, ruined my life. My parents threw me out and so I came to New York, changed my name and hid my pregnancy.”
This explained so much. No wonder she hated me dating Flame, but why hate me? What the hell did I ever do to her?
“I put myself through school and became a teacher. I had Bob and kept him hidden from everyone. When I could afford it I hired a woman to watch him and we told people he was hers.”
“I don’t understand. It was only what twenty-five years ago? People had babies when they weren’t married then.”
“Not me. My father was a preacher in Indiana. I was shunned. I had to repent and everything was perfect until you came here.”
“What did I do?”
“You were a bad influence on Bob and the other teachers. All the new and radical ideas, arguing to change the traditions we hold dear at this school. Who are you? You’ve only been teaching a year, what do you know?”
Great, so as far as she was concerned I was trying to steal her son and her school.
She was insane but telling her that wouldn’t keep me alive.
I needed to think of something fast. I could still try to make a run for it and jump out the window.
I might make it, she might not pull the trigger in time, but she might.
I didn’t have any other option and I started to back towards the wall of windows.
The crash of glass shattering startled her and she turned just enough for me to try to grab the gun but she was fast. Too fast considering she was close to sixty and looked like a strong wind would blow her over.
“Get back! Keep your filthy hands off me and my son, you slut.”
I was getting tired of this slut shit. Enough already. I’ve slept with two guys that does not make one a slut I don’t care who you are. It was good I was angry, more angry than scared.
“You can try, but trust me I’m not going to be easy to kill.
If you think I’m going to just stand here while you shoot me, you really are out of your mind.
” Shit, I wasn’t supposed to say the last part, but hell even her eyes looked crazy.
I was waiting for her to foam at the mouth.
Now if only that crash turned in to Flame I might actually get out of here in one piece.
Pounding on the door answered that question.
“Let me in. Michelle, are you in there?”
My phone started ringing in my purse and I reached for it.
“Don’t try it.”
“I know you’re in there. I’m coming in if I have to break the door down.
” My hero, but how the hell was he going to do that?
It’s an old building with solid wood doors.
He was strong but not Hercules. There was silence and then banging against the glass window in the door.
Smart man. God, I loved him. Please let us get through this so I can tell him again.
“Stop or I’ll shoot her.”
For a moment the banging stopped. “Go ahead and take the chance, but if you do I’ll rip you apart with my bare hands when I get in there.”
She actually gulped. After all his working out, Flame was more than built, and I bet he could actually rip her apart.
Suddenly everything sped up, I’d have expected the opposite like on TV but nope, it was in hyper-speed.
The glass shattered in the door and Mrs. Pincher raised the gun and fired.
Before I could move, Bob dived in front of me taking the bullet in his chest. He dropped like a sack of potatoes at my feet.
My first instinct was to help him and I dropped to my knees and cradled his head against me.
Blood was pooling beneath him and spreading on the floor. The copper scent permeated the room.
“How could you, Mother. I told you I loved her.”
If possible her eyes got even crazier looking and I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t run now. She came to his side and took his hand, while still pointing the gun at me. Now time stood still. I flinched waiting for the bullet to take my life.
“Why, why would you be so stupid, baby boy? She is nothing but a slut. You are special. You could have done great things.”
“That was your dream not mine.”
“No, no this can’t happen. You fucking slut you killed my son. This is all your fault.”
It was time, they say your life flashed before your eyes as you’re going to die, but my future did. A house with Flame, children even a dog. All the things I’d dreamed of and never expected to happen.
If I wasn’t going to make it what did it matter what I said to her, she was more than a few fries short of a happy meal and after shooting Bob she really didn’t have anything left to lose.
“You’re fucking crazy, you know that? If you’d just let me walk away none of this would have happened.
I didn’t want Bob or your stupid school.
Now you’ll have nothing.” She met my eyes but I don’t think she even saw me. Slowly she raised the gun.
Flame came through the door as her arm raised. He ran for her probably thinking she was going to shoot me. I wanted to tell him I loved him and I was sorry but I couldn’t make my mouth move. But instead of shooting me, she put the muzzle to the side of her head and pulled the trigger.
Just like that they were both gone. The blood and brains of the former principal of Crane Park Elementary covered the floor, chalkboard, and most of the classroom including me.
“Are you hurt, baby?” Flame pulled me away from Bob. I wanted to answer him but I still couldn’t to make my mouth form any words. “Michelle, talk to me. Are you hurt? You’re covered in blood.”
“It’s theirs,” I managed to croak out. I don’t think I’d ever been so scared and pissed off in my life. Or maybe it was shock. That sounded like a good option.
“Baby. Hold on, the police are on their way. I called as soon as I got here and the doors were locked.”
My raspy voice was barely above a whisper as I tried to explain but all that came out was, “thank you.”
Flame pulled me in to his arms and held me, rocking me slowly until the police got there.
My brain couldn’t process the scene, I’d never been so close to a gun before, or heard one, and now I’d heard two, seen death twice and only survived by the grace of God and Flame.
Details were a blur, and I started to shake, my teeth chattering.
Thank God Flame was there to hold me. Too bad what you can’t remember during the day finds you when you close your eyes.
I wish I could say I didn’t relive it in my nightmares but it would be a lie.