Kill Switch by Penelope Douglas

I snorted but quickly got rid of my smile just in case
anyone was watching me and wondered what my deal was.
And then I noticed it. A sound piercing the air, loud and
cutting the quiet with a sharp ring that made me wince.
“What the hell?” I said to myself.
I yanked out my earbuds, finally realizing what it must be.
Was that…?
A fire alarm sliced into my ears like nails across a
chalkboard tenfold, and I sat up, trying to listen for voices to
hear if this was real or a drill or what.
“Don’t run!” the librarian, I would assume, called out.
“Walk and exit the building like you’ve been taught.” And
then a shout. “No running!”
“Wait,” I said, clutching my phone and gathering up my
backpack. “Wait!”
I knew how to get to the stairwell, but I wasn’t sure about
the exit. It was one floor down, but after that, I thought it was
down the hall and to the right at the end of the lockers?
Maybe?
I heard the heavy library doors open and close repeatedly,
and I yelled, “Wait!”
Hugging my backpack to me, I grabbed hold of the railing
and barreled down the stairs as fast as I could, but the earbud
cord dangling from my phone caught under my step, and it
was yanked out of my hand, pummeling to the end of the first
landing. It tumbled off somewhere, and I fell to my knees,
dropping my bag as I pawed the ceramic tile, trying to look for
it.
There wasn’t a real fire, right? It was just a drill.
Waving my hands all over, I found the cord and yanked it
to me, but the phone wasn’t attached anymore. I slammed my
palm onto my thigh in frustration. “Dammit.”
Screw it. It was replaceable, and if anyone found it, it had a
lock code, so they couldn’t get in.