| December 1st, 2023. | 

It was December 1st! "Just 24 more days until Christmas!" I thought out loud. I was putting lights up in my room and putting up a mini-Christmas tree too. I checked the time, it read 8:10 am.

I went down to my living room. It was decorated more than outside was! There was a BIG Christmas tree and lights almost everywhere. Christmas was always the best time of the year, and school was almost about to be out soon!

"Get ready for school, Ella." My mom said to me.

"But mom!" I said back, "Can I just miss school today to help you and dad decorate the house?"

"That is no excuse." My mom said as she laughed, "I don't want to email your teacher and say that you're absent because you are decorating for Christmas even though we have 24 days left until Christmas. Now, get ready."

"Fine..." I said as I walked back upstairs to my room.

I looked out the window and saw my dad. He was putting up inflatables outside. I loved that my parents went above and beyond when it comes to decorating for Christmas.

I got my jacket and put my dark brown curly hair inside of a low ponytail. After, I walked downstairs.

"Bye mom!" I said as I was putting on my shoes.

"Bye and have a great day at school!" My mom said back.

I went outside and went to the bus stop. It was the house next to mine. I couldn't wait to get home to decorate even more! Also, I was happy about today being Friday since we don't have school tomorrow.

As the bus came, I waved to my dad. He also waved back too. I sat at the front of the bus as usual next to my friend Lizzy. We talked about what we wanted for Christmas, and things we were planning on doing too. After, the bus reached the school. I waved bye to Lizzy since we didn't have any classes together. I walked down the hallway into my class. I sat down next to my friend, Elena like how I always did.

"Good morning, class." The teacher began, "Today we have a test; I hope you guys studied." The teacher handed out the test to everyone. As I was doing my work, I saw Elena glance at my paper about a couple times. 

"Did you even study?" I whispered to Elena.

"No, why?" She whispered back.

"Because you can't stop looking at my paper!" I yelled. 

The teacher looked over at us. "Who's looking at who's paper?" The teacher said concerned.

"No one." I said back to the teacher. 

I didn't really care if Elena copied me because we're friends, but I just hate how she acts like she's not copying me. 

After some time passed, I heard a siren. Not just any siren, but a weird sounded one. "Lockdown, Lockdown." I heard the speaker say. I heard people screaming from the outside of the hallway. My heart started beating fast when I heard the speaker say that. "It might just be a drill." I reassured myself. 

"Go to the corners of the classroom." The teacher said, "Make sure that no one can see you from the window of the door, and be quiet, this is not a drill!"

I started to panic when the teacher said that. What does she mean by this is not a drill, did someone actually break into our school?

Elena and I quickly ran to the nearest corner that no one could see if they looked from the window of the door. I heard people screaming then I heard...

Gunshots?

I heard someone bang on the door. Some of my class started screaming, can they not shut up?

"I KNOW ALL Y'ALL LITTLE KIDS ARE IN THIS CLASSROOM HIDING IN THE CORNERS, I'M NOT DUMB!" I heard someone yell from outside of the classroom door, "PLUS YOU GUYS ARE SCREAMING SO OF COURSE SOME ONE IS IN HERE!"

After, I heard another gunshot. This time, they shot the window of the door. That's when Elena started screaming too. "Kids sit down and be quiet!" The teacher whispered.

Sit down and be quiet? They seriously know we're inside of this classroom!  I'm not about to die before Christmas just because my teacher said to sit down and be quiet.

I quickly got up and opened the window. Good thing we are on the first floor.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" The teacher yelled. 

"SAVING MY LIFE! WHAT ELSE COULD I BE DOING?! COME ON, WE'RE ON THE FIRST FLOOR SO WE CAN ALL GET OUT OF HERE!" I yelled back. 

"NO, WE CAN'T DO THAT. MY JOB IS AT THE RISK!"

"And so, if your life. Your life matters more than your job. If you have no life, you have no job. Now stop being a coward; you won't regret this!"

The teacher looked at me then smiled. We all started to run out of the window. As we ran out of the window, we saw other students also running out too. They were running up a hill as I saw LOTS of police cars drive into the entry of the school. My class and I followed the people up the hill as Elena walked up to me.

"GIRL!" Elena yelled, "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?! HOW DID YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT JUMPING OUT THE WINDOW!"

"Well... I couldn't just stay inside of the school, I- I mean we'll all be dead!" I said back to Elena.

"True, true. I really did not expect this to happen! We're not coming to school for a while!"

I smiled when Elena said that. I didn't really think about that, but the school still might make us come to school. I looked out to the distance and saw ambulance trucks carry people in a wheeled stretcher into the ambulance truck as the police came out with someone handcuffed. I looked behind me and saw people crying and calling their parents. Elena looked at me and smiled as she handed over her phone to me. "Go ahead and call your parents so they can pick you up." She said as I smiled. I smiled as I got the phone from her and dialed my mom's phone number.

"Hey, mom." I said as my mom answered the phone, "Can you come pick me up, please? There was a lockdown, and I don't want to stay here anymore."

"Don't worry, I would've come to your school already. Tu hermano es en el hospital!" My mom said on the phone.

When she said that, I froze. Elena's phone dropped out of my hand and fell on the ground. "Hey!" I heard Elena scream, "That phone costed a lot you know!" I didn't hear what she was saying, it was as if I couldn't hear anything. My vision started to get darker, and I blacked out.