High School Honor Society Dinner

I sighed. "You're crazy! We can't just up and leave! We're in the middle of a conference. A conference at which I must speak!" 1

Dwayne retaliated. "That's exactly why we must leave! There is a threat to your safety, Chase. Hannah, you're class president. James Harbringer hates you for beating him out. And you saw what he posted on MySpace."2

"So?" I said, throwing my arms in the air, almost upending a candle holder on the elegant table next to us. "That's nothing. Do you know all those things that it said last year? Around Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day? They were fake, fraudulent, not real. So is this. It's not going to happen." 3

"This is your last chance to save your life. Either you come with me now, forget your reputation, and stay alive, or you can go up there in two minutes and get shot to death. I really don't want to see you in a casket, Hannah. I really don't." Dwayne stood there, as I floundered in my response. Finally, I sighed.4

"Dwayne, do you have any actually proof that this is going to happen? Can you conclusively prove that I'm going to be shot?" I asked, straightening my skirt. 5

"Uh, uh, well no. Not exactly. But, Hannah--" Dwayne started.6

"So, I'm going up there anyway. Besides, what's the worst that's going to happen?" I asked, and then added, "Rhetorical question, Dwayne. I've gotta go. They're going to be calling me." And as I said that, Mrs. Kidding (truly that is her name) announced me as the guest speaker and I made my way to the stage.7

Standing at the podium, my heart pounded in my chest. What if Dwayne was right to be afraid? 8

"Tonight, you all know why you are here. This dinner is not only an honor society awards ceremony, though. This is a celebration of all the accomplishments every single one of these honor students have made.9

"Many of you think that this may be a waste of time, and maybe your right, it just might be, but for me, and all of the other students who worked so hard to get where we are, this is probably the most influential moment of our lives. It helps us decide what we are good at, what we would be good at as a career."10

Some of the students I saw around the room, my friends, my enemies and strangers, smiled briefly; others sat stony-faced, waiting for me to go on.11

I took a deep breath. "For example, Rosy Tanzibel is good a chemistry with a knack for math and english. She wants to be a leading research scientist so she can try to find the cure for cancer. 12

"Rob Zandra is a quick-study, capable of just about everything I am not. He wants to be a financial advisor to local businesses and help them through this economically-struggling time.13

"And Tanisha Handle is great at music and music theory, in essence making her good at mediating, english, math and reading. She hopes to be a top country singer at some point in her life."14

Another pause, and I saw the movement barely before I heard the blast. A burning sensation ripped into my shoulder and I was blown backward, landing squarely on my back and inhibiting my breathing.15

Seconds later, the room was enveloped with chaos. People were screaming and scrambling to get out of the way, and Dwayne's visage appeared before my vision. 16

"Hannah?" he said, faintly. "Hannah!" 17

In my confusion, I ached to just fall into the sweet, painless darkness, wanting the chaos of my fuzzied mind to dissipate, but no, Dwayne lifted my shoulders, leaning me against himself, as he pressed on my injured shoulder.18

The room began to spin violently, and I became nauseated by the lack of blood within my body. "Hannah! Shit! Come on, Hannah, say something! Anything!" Dwayne's voice began to fade as the room sickeningly blackened. 19

I felt myself begin to drift into that wonderful entrapment called unconsciousness.20

~~~21

I awoke to a bright room and tried to sit up, groggy yet hoping that the event had been just a terrible dream. My shoulder and arm screamed in pain and I gasped in a pained breath. Dwayne leaned forward and put his hand to my shoulder.22

"Dude, Hannah, it's okay. You're safe. Just lay there, I'll get the nurse." He stood and went to the door, opening it and telling the nurse across from the door at the nursing station I was awake. "Hannah Chase is awake now."23

"Dwayne, I..." I started. Dwayne put his hand up. "Wait, Dwayne, I'm sorry. I wish I would have listened to you. God, it hurts," I finished, tears finding their way down my cheeks as the pain began to envelope my mind once again. Dwayne held my hand.24

"It's alright, Hannah. Don't worry about it."