Karmen's POV

"MOVE IT, MOVE IT!"

I was half suffocating in the crowd as we were pushed by our butt-nugget incarcerators onto the field. Several people, mostly football players and cheerleaders were already on the field, sitting uneasily in the middle. I thought about how easy it would be to kill us cooped up like that. I shuddered and pushed the thought out of my mind. We can't die today.

"But we might" said a voice inside my head.

"Shut up" I snapped back at the voice.

I looked over at Audrie. She didn't look afraid, just...empty. I seemed to still be working somewhat independently under this pressure, but I wasn't sure for how much longer. For some reason that made me think of that song that Izz liked "Under Pressure" by Queen. I didn't really think it was that relevant, but it distracted my mind for a moment.

Bum-bum-bum-bumba-dum-bum.

Bum-bum-bum-bumba-dum-bum.

"I hope Izz is okay," I thought worriedly.

We all sat on the ground, feeling lost and without hope, blank and without feeling, but at the same time, feeling everything at once.

My attention was sparked when I heard someone panting in pain being dragged over to the giant huddle of people. I looked up and saw something I wished I could erase from my mind. A football player bathed in blood. He was thrown to the ground, causing him to let out a half-conscious moan of pain. His number was 42. The unfortunate bullet victim was Jake.

"Jake!Jake! Oh my gosh..." I whisper-yelled, scrambling over to him on the ground.

I turned him around, laying him supine on the ground, and looked for the source of bleeding. Audrie snapped out of her trance and moved to his other side.

"It's coming from here," She said, pointing to his stomach.

She started taking off her hoodie as I said,

"He has approximately fifteen minutes, assuming his stomach was ruptured," I said, recalling one of my many random web searches as Jake groaned in pain,"If he was lucky enough and no vital organs were hit, he may have more time, but that's highly unlikely..."

Aubrie took her gray hoodie and started wrapping it around the wound.

"Apply pressure to the injury" Audrie ordered.

I did so, not really caring that I now had his blood all over my hands.

"I'll try to keep him conscious"She stated, leaning over him.

"Hey," She said consolingly,"It's me. I know it hurts, but you need to stay awake, stay with me, ok?"

"Uhhhhh.....hurrrrrtsss...." Jake blubbered in pain.

"Hey, hey, hey. Let's talk about something, like like.....how about school? How's school?" Audrie said, hints of pleading in her voice.

"Uhhhhmmmmm.............Mr. Fischer.... gave ussss craploads of homeworrrrk*cough cough*,......and Mrs. Donahue let us watttttch*cough cough* a movie, and Presley was being a dingllllllllehopper, as *cough cough**hack hack* usuall.....uhhhhmmmm yeah thats *cough* it" Jake said, holding on to some unknown bit of strength.

I applied more pressure to the bullet wound, causing Jake to whine in agony.

"Sorry, bud," I said.

I looked at Audrie.

"How much time?" she mouthed.

"Not much," I mouthed back.

Then we heard someone yell.