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For the first time in a while, Jared Grant held his head high and even had a small smile on his face as he carried his lunch tray to his usual seat in his high school cafeteria. Today would be much different than any other school day. He knew that because he was going to make it that way. Today he would make history. Today he wouldn't be ignored.

He started munching on his chicken nuggets as Grace and Alex joined him. They always sat with him, but they weren't his friends. They usually didn't even talk. They just shared the table with him. Jared kept his face down. He could feel Grace and Alex observing him. They could tell something was different. He started when Grace reached across the table and touched his arm. She'd never touched him before.

"Are you okay?" she asked. He could tell by her tone she didn't really care. She was curious. She was always just curious. It was so annoying to him.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said with a smile. He hardly ever smiled and he saw the surprise on Grace's face. "I just haven't had such a great day in a really long time."

Grace withdrew her arm. She seemed annoyed by his unusual and happy attitude, and still somewhat curious. Alex, who had been watching the exchange, looked down at his tray of food. They ignored him again. He stared at them. They were two of the reasons he had three loaded guns in his backpack. Two of the reasons he planned a massacre. They were two of many reasons.

He refrained from laughing out loud as he watched them continue their meals in silence, as they always did, completely ignoring him. It was just so funny to him. There they were, acting as if he didn't exist, and he was preparing to kill them and several people around them. They had no idea what was coming. They had no idea what he was about to do. They probably wouldn't have even looked up if he told them. He thought his plan through as he finished his chicken nuggets. It would be his last meal. He wondered if he really wanted to kill the two people as his table. Maybe he wouldn't kill Alex and Grace. Maybe he'd make them watch the whole thing and live with the horrific images stuck in their heads. He didn't particularly care who he killed. Just about everyone in the school had wronged him somehow.

He wiped his mouth. He'd finished his last meal. He was ready to carry out his plan. He pulled his backpack onto the table and started unzipping it.

"Hey Alex, Grace, I want to show you something," he said as he reached into his backpack.

Learn more about this author, Ann Caimen.
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