The First

• Mahli Kingsbury, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2021

She always hated school. She hated the people in it; the teachers, the students in all the years, especially her classmates. It wasn't like she'd never had any friends, they just never really stuck around for too long. She could only assume her short temper was the reason they left. Perhaps they weren't friends to begin with.
She was like a leaf fallen from a tree, floating along the ground, the school grounds, not knowing when she would find her place. She had a place at one time, she didn't always hate her 'friends', but she did always hate HER. She used to be best friends with HER. She never thought that a stupid boy would get between them. Fortunately, SHE was a year older than her, and therefore graduated a year before she did. Once again, she was left oblivious, left in the dark, but she believed that the day the tables were turned was when he died. It would make sense, now that she had time to think about it. Plenty of time actually, and she supposes that's what SHE wanted. Otherwise, she wouldn't be in this situation. Perhaps, she was always destined to be the first killed by HER gun.