That’s The Sad Bit

• Jasmine Graham, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2019

Day after day, year after year, he said nothing of his affection. “I am in love with you Mary” he whispered to the headstone before him. Part of him felt it was his fault, as he remembered the story in his head.

As all the teachers sat in the staff room, Mr Tudor sat next to the history teacher, Ms Cloudy. “What’s the saddest bit about war to you?” Ms Cloudy asked, but Mr Tudor was too busy gazing into her eyes. They had been working together for years, but Mr Tudor had never had the courage to confess his love for her. “Peter?” She said, him refocusing. “Oh yes Mary, yes” he answered, not even focusing on the conversation, but the bell ending it. As Mr Tudor got his books out, Ms Cloudy began to walk. Mr Tudor stayed behind, thinking of what work he still had to teach. As he sat down alone in the staff room, he heard a bang. He quickly checked, noticing Ms Cloudy had dropped a book.As he was going to return it, he heard another bang, but this was something worse.

Outside the science room was glass, and the glass window had a big bullet hole through it. Now, all Mr Tudor could think about was Ms Cloudy. As he ran towards her classroom, he noticed from around the corner, a student with a gun and quickly stayed hidden. When he thought the coast was clear, he ran towards the front of her classroom, seeing Ms Cloudy only a couple of metres away. “MARY!” He shouted, them both looking into each other’s eyes, fear and a tiny bit of relief inside them. Unable to move, they both stood there for a second, looking at each other. Suddenly , she began to run towards him, Mr Tudor’s heart suddenly beating fast. When she began to run behind him, he turned around, and saw her jump in front of him, like a shield. “STOP!” She yelled, as the student fired, hitting ms Cloudy then running away. Mr Tudor fell beside her, unable to do anything. “Mary?” He managed to mumble, and the rest was a mix of tears and loud bangs.

As a couple of weeks passed, people everywhere mourned the deaths of the school shooting, many students and teachers gone. The day of the funerals came, many crying again about special people they had lost. Mr Tudor knelt down in front of Ms Cloudy’s headstone. Day after day, year after year, he had said nothing of his affection. “I am in love with you Mary. You saved me” he whispered to the headstone before him. Then turned around and opened the book he never got to return. The past war book. Then, he wrote...

“Everyday war happens. People fighting their emotions. Love. Loss. Anger. What they don’t realise is the actions they do to fight them start new wars. That’s the sad bit” and placed it in front of Mary’s headstone, kissing her goodbye.