Julian froze when my brother mentioned his sister’s name. Even from my position, lying on the floor, I could tell that the atmosphere had grown tense.
“Where is she?” Julian asked, balling his fists.
“Wow. I didn’t expect that reaction, I have to admit. But now I know we’re tied. I’ll trade you, your sister for my brother. And let’s be honest, Jules, the person you really want to put a bullet in is me, not Taylor.”
“What makes you so sure of that?” Julian asked in an icy tone.
“Because the girl you’re so sickly obsessed with is in love with me, and you don’t know how to deal with it. That’s why you’re here, right? Because for once, you had everything you wanted, and you thought you had the perfect girl in your hands, and then she goes and falls in love with the very opposite of everything you were striving for. I mean, what do I have going for me? I didn’t finish college, I don’t have a fancy job, and I was on the verge of goingto jail. When Kam fell for me, your whole world stopped making sense, because all of a sudden you had to admit that no matter what you did, no matter what your grades were or how popular you got or what team you were on, it didn’t matter, because the problem is you.You’rethe problem. There’s something wrong insideyou. And there always will be.”
“Shut your mouth and tell me where Kate is,” Julian demanded, clenching his teeth. “Tell me where she is or I’ll pull the trigger right now!” He aimed the pistol directly at my head.
My brother smiled.Dammit, Thiago!I thought.
“Let Taylor go and you’ll get me and Kate. That’s the deal, take it or leave it.”
I knew his plan wouldn’t work. Julian was incapable of love. He was incapable of empathy, grief, or remorse.
“No deal, Di Bianco,” he said, taking aim at my brother’s head. And just then, just as I thought I would see him murdered before my very eyes, we heard a boom coming from outside, and all of us jumped. After that, everything was lightning quick. Someone yelled, “Police!” And even though my senses were sharpened in my struggle to survive, it’s still hard today to remember exactly what happened.
There were two shots, then they entered the principal’s office. Then my life did a complete one-eighty, and everything I loved disappeared before my eyes.
My brother…
My brother lay on the ground bleeding from his head, because that evil bastard, that son of a bitch, had decided to kill himself, but first, he wanted to take my brother with him.
I dragged myself to him as best I could, despite my broken ribs, through the nonstop gunfire, desperate and out of control, but a bubble of calm seemed to form around us.
None of the three killers made it out alive, but they got whatthey wanted: They’d taken the lives of boys and girls, teachers and children, and they hadn’t thought twice about it. As soon as we’d walked in the doors that morning, we were all doomed; there had been no sympathy, no mercy. Those assholes came in and filled the halls with blood, screams, and terror—then took the easy way out. Taking a bullet could never come close to the pain they caused. And there I was, all alone. It would be years before I could close my eyes and get a good night’s sleep again.
It wasn’t just innocent lives they had stolen. They had stolen my big brother.
The guy who had always protected me, the boy who’d jumped the creek first to offer me a hand when I was scared to cross on my own. The guy who had taught me to play ball, how to smoke a cigarette behind our mom’s back, and given me a high five the first time I kissed a girl. I remember how he used to smile at me, encourage me. He would always tell me,Taylor, once you get going, there’s no one in this world who can stop you. He made the best macaroni and cheese I’ve ever had. He beat me at arm wrestling a million times. He’d gone to every one of my games to cheer me on even after he’d given up his dream of playing pro. The guy who took over when our father disappeared, and did everything to make sure I still had a good father figure.
My brother.
Thiago.
