Once upon a time, in an average school in an average town in an average state, there were average students and average staff doing average work for average results.

Every day was an average routine where janitors entered through the front doors, then principal, teachers and kids same as yesterday and tomorrow. They moved through the building nodding their hellos and checking their reflections in the windows they passed, sometimes pausing to admire a new display or share some gossip.

Then one day, a teacher heard as she entered a kid mumbling to another ‘what do feelings have to do with it?’ as the halls cleared and classes began and teachers taught and students learned and a boy walked in past a bored security guard looking down at his phone playing Candy Crush or maybe texting his wife.

Because of that, the boy slid by unnoticed with his bulky coat on a mild spring day. He walked down the halls ignored by teachers grading papers, ignored by students on their phones until finally, he arrived at the end of a hall. He knocked on a classroom door, this civilized madman, then waited patiently to be let in.

Once inside, he raised his gun and swept the horizon of pupils in his crossfire, mere terrified kids who dove under desks as he eyed the teacher whose hands were raised and eyes were wide.

‘I know you’re hurt or sad or angry,’ she said, hands shaking, mind racing. ‘But there’s another way and I’ll help you and you’ll feel better.’

And he looked at her, head cocked with his pistol, and asked with curiosity, ‘What do feelings have to do with it?’ before pulling the trigger.

Once upon a time, in an average school in an average town in an average state, average students and average staff did average work for average results until one day changed it all, and now, there are lockdown drills, evacuation drills, and counseling drills and those who enter through school doors pack fear in their bags with their books and their lunch; fear and anger because their worlds have exploded from frayed feelings that should have nothing to do with it.