There was no time to pause for explanation, or even to rethink their plan. Or explain said plan to poor Shugo, who was stuck in a bridal carry.

[It's confusing enough to be carried by Mikale, but to be chased by a DRAGON?] Shugo lamented internally.

What confused him the most was whether to be horrified about the dragon, or excited that it existed. When the creature opened its large maw and unleashed a bellowing roar, sending droplets of blood from its long teeth and raining onto Mikale's shoulder, Shugo made his decision: He was horrified.

 The sound of the roar acted as a signal to run. Shugo gripped his friend's arm as Mikale took off down the sidewalk. Looking behind them, Shugo saw that dark smoke swallowed the shopping centers.
On a normal day, the three friends would wander the store fronts and window shop after school. They would sip coffee and eat treats, oblivious to the horrors of adult life. Shugo had been raised in blissful ignorance. Even the specks of blood that dripped off Mikale's jacket made up more blood than Shugo had ever seen in his entire seventeen years.

He had to force himself to look away, as the sight of blood was making him anxious. Worse still was the second roar of the dragon, then the way it sped passed the two boys like a bullet train. Shugo had no time to be relieved at the dragon's passing them: Leading the way was Samantha, and he had front row seats as the dragon aimed its body at her head.

"SAM!"

Both boys shouted in warning. Samantha heard the rush of air behind her and instinctively dropped to her knees, allowing the dragon to miraculously fly over her. The creature quickly realized that it had missed and beat its great wings to create a forward flow of air, halting its terrifying speed. Samantha was still on her hands and knees when she looked over her shoulder and yelled at her friends. "Go to the school! I'll distract it!"

"No!" With no other warning, Mikale unceremoniously dropped Shugo on the ground. He was lucky to have sensed this might happen, and managed to scramble to his feet next to Mikale. "I'm not leaving you!"

"Then let's run TOGETHER!" Shugo finished their argument before it could begin. He took the necessary steps forward to reach Samantha and grab her elbow, lifting her to her feet. There was no time to argue, which was a big deal coming from Shugo: Arguing was the only way he knew how to fight.

The dragon's huge weight create a trimmer landed, its scales hissing as they brushed roughly across the sidewalk. The three friends found the opening in the school gate and rushed through, with Mikale slamming the door behind them. It only acted as a temporary obstacle, which briefly rattled the dragon who crashed into it. Then its great weight caused the iron to bend and the door fell under it.

But it was time. Even mere seconds made a difference when you were fleeing a dragon. In those few seconds, Samantha and Shugo had reached the school doors. The school building loamed over them, a two-story structure made of smooth red stone with a solid, iron skeleton underneath. It would withstand some dragon abuse. The two shoved their weight against the pair of doors, which were solid enough to withstand fire, but they did not swing open.

"Locked!" Samantha called out in dismay, "Dammit, and I already returned the key this morning..!"

"Got it!" Shugo pulled a key out of his jeans pocket and wrestled it into the door lock.

Samantha gasped. "I thought you told me stealing janitor keys was bad!"

With a grunt, Shugo shoved the thick school doors open. "Well… A lot has changed since this morning."