now would be a good time to refer to my previous post

[bitchy_merlin]

Today was... something of a mess. More than I or anyone else expected, I believe. I mean, this morning it was ok, but now my hands are actually shaking because it's kinda sunk in now and it's honestly too fucking surreal for me to grasp.

Not that it will be easy to avoid.

Today at around 9:40 am, a guy at my school (whose name will not be released) was attacked by another guy with a knife. During Latin, a girl went to put her coast in her locker (in the basement). A few minutes later, she came back to report that just as she had been going to her locker, she saw a person hurtle past her and vanish down the hallway. Not thinking much of it (it's high school, everybody's weird), she turned the corner and there's a guy with his stuff scattered on the floor, bleeding  from a gash on his head, as far as she can tell (apparently he was still conscious). Then, a caretaker appeared and sorted things out, and alerted the VPO. Five eternities minutes later, there's a lockdown, SERIOUSLY this time. The girl came back to our class to tell us this.

We spent at least an hour in lockdown, no one really knowing the truth, but thanks to the miracle of cell phones, everybody having a version of it within 30 seconds. The police were called in, and the victim was taken to the hospital. His wounds were thankfully not life-threatening. (We didn't find this our until later.)

When we finally emerged from our classes, the police had roped off a large chunk of the first floor directly outside our classroom (!) and the basement (where my locker is!) and had patrols going around. I walked out the classroom door, and I saw blood. It was...distracting.

The assault was the only thing on people's lips for the rest of the day. Not that I blame them. I have never felt unsafe in my school until now.

During lunch, I went over to M's place and we flicked to the news channel, and the first thing we saw was a report on HCI's stabbing. Students gave interviews, and the one thing they all said was that "Hey, this is Humberside, we are not a sketchy school, THIS STUFF DOES NOT HAPPEN HERE."

The school social workers were offering therapy sessions. The VP came to all the classes to check on people. We were all coping perfectly - that is to say, we were all in shock.

It was a shocking day, to say the least. I just can't get over it. A stabbing at our school. That doesn't make sense! I- I- it's just not making sense! Why would you need to stab a guy? Why don't you just call each other vile names or somesuch, instead of resorting to trying to fucking kill him? (Yes, it was a personal grudge against the victim). 

And of course, my parents flipped out about it.

As Mr. L put it: "We have now caught up to the rest of the schools in the TDSB. And not in a good way."
Or, a change on the age-old proverb: Don't go to Western, you'll get shot! Don't go to Humberside - you'll get stabbed!

...and then on the way home from the orthodontist, someone threw up on my boots. They were fine, but I was not impressed.