It took a week before the school reopened, Bethany returned to school with papers she has prepared as a means to try and get the students back on course. Looking to the school it was as if the terror that hit it never happened, and, in a sense, it really didn't thanks to a certain stranger. She walked through the halls and people seemed to go about their lives as she made her way to the teacher's lounge. Entering in, she was met with familiar faces, but the ones that stood out to her were the ones who were there that day. There was Mr. Shoover, drinking coffee as he looked over a news paper. Talking to him was the teacher she worked with, Torrent. She seemed talkative as usual, like what happened didn't occur.
Bethany was a bit surprised, the shooter was very much visible in her mind. She walked over to them, and took a seat, very quiet.
"Beth, Hey, welcome back!" Torrent said with a smile, "Hope you're ready to get back into it with the children. We got even less time to prepare the students for the exams now."
"We're already getting back into that?" Bethany said, "What if something bad happens again? That shooting didn't happen too long ago." It took a moment, but she realized so many people were looking at her. "W-was that too loud?.."
"You're still shaken up about the shooting aren't you?" Torrent said, hear ears down, "It's alright, that kind of stuff is never an easy thing to tangle with."
"You're doing with it though." Beth said, "You both seem to act like this stuff never happened in the first place? People could have died to that lunatic."
Torrent seemed to have lost her words at that, only an ear lifting as she looked at.
"I've grown up in this city, it's been like this for decades." Mr. Shoover said, "I'm use to it and know the basic things to get through it."
"What was so basic about this?" Bethany said, a bit agitated, "That guy could have killed someone, and he knew how this school system worked."
"Beth, Calm down." Torrent took one of her hands, "You're freaked out, I get it."
Bethany looked to her.
"You know what helps?" Torrent moved her hands away and sit back in her seat, "Talking about it, like we do right now. Please, keep going, but try not to shout."
"I... I'm just... I don't..." Bethany was trying to put her words together, "I tried to keep Zoey safe, while we were in the library. The only thing that worked though was what was not part of our regulations."
"Yeah, I bet that stinks." Torrent said, her face calming, but there was a slight bitterness in her tone. "Those rules and plans the school board sets up are suppose to work. Banning weapons on school grounds. Make sure everyone entering is registered. That stuff is only good if everyone agrees to it, criminals don't care about rules."
"So what are we suppose to do when that happens again?" Bethany said, "Follow them again?"
"That's about what they would expect." Torrent said, shrugging and rolling her eyes, "It's why I'd want to bring something for self defense here."
"Like a knife?" Bethany said, "I'd prefer a gun if I was allowed to keep one."
"You techincally are allowed to have a pistol." Mr. Shoover said, "But that still isn't going to be allowed on school grounds."
"That didn't stop that guy from bringing a shotgun," Bethany shot a glare at the old wolf for that remark. "What do you plan to do next time." as she started to get up, Mr. Shoover would move back from her while in his seat.
"Beth, Calm down." Torrent said, "I'm with you, and it stinks we gotta role with stuff like this. Still, that couldn't stop you from learning self defense still."
"But what would even be the right one?"
Torrent smiled at that, "How about, after school is done for the day, we head around town and figure it out. We could both learn some more self defense."
Bethany saw the smile on Torrent's face and started to sit down again, a smile of her own growing, "That sounds like a great idea. What if we talked with other people the entire staff learning how to fight back against this."
"I am afraid I'm past my prime for that," Mr. Shoover said, "But I wouldn't stop you from doing that, Better than another incident with a crazed gunman."
Torrent would nod and smile at that, "Then it's settled, we'll talk with people and arrange some all-out exploration."
"Yeah..." Unfortunately, not even half the staff agreed to take this up, but among those who did found various ways of self defense to take up. Bethany noticed how good Torrent was with a knife or even her bare paws, but she decided to stay more with a handgun like she desired. A few others chose their things, and they started their own little group in the school advocating for better self defense options in the school district
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15 End

Part 14: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/50950963/

Story prompt, other characters belong to  watcher12

Art, Torrent belongs to Dsizzle99