Description

History

The sun rose on it's usual route on that fateful morning but Kristin Linde hadn't gotten up as early as she normally did. The sun peeked through the dark curtains of her room the glare seemed to wake her up. She rolled onto her side so her back was facing the window and yawned. She wasn't a morning person, which was perhaps why she had convinced the principal not to give her any classes first period. Sure, she would love the extra time in fourth period when it was so long to have a planning period but there was no way even with four cups of coffee she would be able to teach a class at seven in the morning. Her sleepy eyes opened a little to peek at her alarm clock then closed once more to go back to sleep.

"Shit!" The light haired brunette cried, sitting straight up. It was seven forty nine. She had to be at the school in less than eleven minutes. before her first class started without her. Scrambling out of bed, she hurried around her bathroom and bedroom. She scrubbed her face then brushed her teeth before dabbing on deodorant. She threw on the black pencil skirt she had worn the night before on her date with Gregory and a cream button up silk blouse. Luckily, she had a blue cardigan hanging over the back of her car seat. She carried a pair of black heels as she grabbed some fruit for breakfast and rushed out the door.

Living in a house less than two minutes away from school, had it's advantages and disadvantages. The advantages were, she could make it to school in record time when she was late. One of the disadvantages was that when a football game or some other event was going on at the school, she heard it all the way from her house. Kristin Linde looked back on that day as she walked into the school and kicked herself for having not realized something was wrong. She stopped in her class room to unlock the doors and flip on the lights before she hurried off through the back hallway that connected the drama class room, dressing rooms and stage to each other. She left her purse locked away in her class room but brought her little suitcase with her to pass out the play her first year Theatre Appreciation class would be critiquing. She stopped at the table that she kept on the stage during classes and put her bag there.

As she began to pull out her lesson plan and the different worksheets she had printed out, the auditorium opened then slammed shut. The sound echoed around the quite room and the nearly empty school as well. Her brown eyes looked to where the sound came from and rested on a small boy she knew to be Joseph Lexington. She smiled at him sincerely. She remembered how heart broken he had been not having got the lead in the musical. He had gotten one of the backup dancer parts though. She had seen potential in the freshman but the senior who had gotten the part over him was definitely the better singer. "Hey Joseph. You know, next time you can audition for the lead again. Just until then you have to work really hard on your voice and you'll definitely have a bigger role next year." She told him, her smile widening. "Remember there are no small parts only small actors." She winked at him and was about to turn back to her work when Joseph started screaming at her.

Ms. Linde was stunned at the words he called her. "Stupid bitch" and "cunt" were just two of his chosen insults. When he pulled the gun out of his pocket, her blood just seemed to turn cold. She didn't even have a chance to try and calm him down or run before he squeezed off a round, hitting her square in the chest. The harsh sound echoed throughout the auditorium. Everything seemed to play out in slow motion. Her teary eyes traveled down to the spot where she felt the bullet hit her. She didn't recognize the blood that spilled from her chest till she brought her hand up to the wound then brought it away to see the blood. "J-Jo-seph..." She barely managed to say above a whisper as she looked back up at the teenager standing before her. Everything got hazy around the edges. As her knees gave out from under her, she was consumed in complete darkness.

Gasping, Kristin Linde sat up in bed, looking all around her for the teenager who nearly ended her life. He wasn't there. It was all just a dream. Just like every other night since then. And just like those previous nights, she didn't lay back down. Instead, she slipped out of her bed and followed her memorized path to the master bathroom. She discarded her t-shirt and undergarments on the floor before she slipped into a warm shower. After getting out, she dried off and let her curls dry naturally as she applied a touch of make up. She slipped into a pair of sandals and a floral knee length dress. It had a sweetheart neckline but it was high enough that it covered the ugly red scar left behind from the bullet and the intensive surgery she had been through to save her life. She drove to school but when she parked and cut the engine, but she couldn't seem to make herself get out of the car. She sat there in silence, not sure if she could face her fears and walk back into the school that nearly ended her life and where so many people she knew had died.





Taking a large, calming breathe, Kristin Linde grabbed her bag that held her lesson plans and got out of her car. She left the sweater she wore to cover her shoulders unbuttoned. She pressed the lock button on her keys for her dark blue volvo she named Sparrow. As she walked in the direction the voice of one of her students floated to her. She stopped in her tracks, unable to believe what she was hearing. Not only did this give her flash of what happened six months ago, but she was outraged to hear Charles blaming Danielle for what Joseph did. No matter what she thought of Joseph, she wouldn't blame her. She couldn't have known what he was capable of.

"Charles Horton!" Kristin said from behind him, crossing her arms. "I hope you were not calling one of your fellow classmates that." She said, closing the distance between them. "I don't want to hear talk like that this year. Your not the only one whose grieving." She said, giving him a stern look before she walked away and headed into the school. She made her way through the halls that were now filling up with students. She unlocked the door to her classroom and flipped on the light. She put down her bag by her desk but then continued down the hall till she found Gregory's room.

Stopping in the doorway, she leaned against the door frame just watching him for a moment. He had a way of taking her breathe away even when he was just closing his eyes. She could remember the first day she met him. It was at a picnic for the teachers at the principals house. She knew he was perfect for her the moment she met him. Even when she nearly did a face plant in front of him, he only ever teased her, later when they started dating, about how she had fallen him.

"You look tired." Kristin said, crossing the floor to come and stand behind him. She leaned down, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "Are you okay?" She asked him, her voice full of concern for him. Ever since the shooting, he had been getting just about as much sleep as her. He was glad when he brought up living together. She felt safer when she slept in his arms. Now she only woke up in panic when he wasn't there. She didn't tell this of course. If he wanted to get up early, she wouldn't stop him.





Kristin smiled lightly when he started breathing in her perfume. She shivered from his nearness. She rested her chin on his shoulder, closing her eyes for a moment. She listened to him and nodded. "It's okay to move on from the past you know?" She told him softly, running one of her hands through his hair. "It wasn't your fault. I don't blame you or anyone else." She gave him another kiss on the cheek before he slipped out of her grip. She straightened up and stepped back to give him room.

She looked up at him, moving her hands up his chest until she was able to loop them around his neck. Even just looking up into those eyes made her heart pound. She sighed happily and nodded. "I'd love to." She moved one of her hands to his cheek, gently stroking him with her thumb. "But only if you promise when we get home we can snuggle up by the fireside and you play me that song I heard you singing in the shower last night." She told him with a smirk.

Kristin smiled at him. Even though they didn't talk about it, she could only imagine the pain he felt when he found her laying on the stage. If it hadn't been his quick thinking after she was shot she wouldn't be here right now. She didn't know how to tell him how grateful she was to be there with him. She moved her arms down to wrap around his waist. She rested her cheek against his chest. That day had changed her life. It made her want the world. She had put off settling down with anyone until after she graduated. And now here she was, nearly lost her life, and the main thing she wanted in life was Greg. "Do you think, we'll have a family one day?" She asked him softly.