This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp [Nijkamp, Marieke] (z-lib.org).epub

“Where are the nearest emergency phones?” I ask.
Coach grunts. “There’s one at the main entrance to the school.”
Opportunity High School moved to a new location five years ago—after the
original school was swept up to Oz by a tornado. The new building is state of the
art—larger sports fields, fancy equipment, right in the middle of fuck all. I loved
it. It felt like home. Until now.
“There’s a pay phone at the gas station down the road too,” I remember. “And
we can find Jonah.”
Blank stares.
“The security guard.” My teammates probably never bothered to learn his
name, never spent quiet afternoons hanging out in his patrol car. “He should be
in the parking lot. He has a radio and will be able to help. We’ll split into groups.
Coach, go find the emergency phone. Stay safe. Stay away from the school.”
Coach nods slowly. Normally, we follow him or Chris, our team captain. But
Coach’s planning never extended beyond the borders of our training field. He
listens to me, despite the fact that my voice trembles and cracks.
“Esther, Avery.” I turn to the girls. They’re usually talkative but not now.
“Find out if any of the emergency exits open, but stay away from the windows.
If you can get in, find a phone. If not, figure out how to hot-wire a car. I don’t
care what you do, but alert anyone and everyone.
“The two of us”—I point to Chris and me—“we’ll find Jonah. If he’s not out
front, we’ll run to the gas station for help.” I breathe in sharply. “We don’t know
what’s happening inside, but if the situation sounds like a shooting and looks
like a shooting, treat it as a shooting. We need emergency responders here as
soon as possible.”
Chris nods. “It’s a good plan,” he says. Those four words are enough to set
everyone into motion, but I also hear his unspoken promise. We’re in this
together. Always. He’ll follow me, like I’ll follow him. It’s why we need each
other close.
Avery and Esther pick up their water bottles and start running. Coach follows,