Excerpt from No Easy Answers, Page 14

I don’t really remember what (4th Period Creative Writing class) Mrs. Kelly had us do that day. I was already thinking about going home after fourth period and missing my last class. I had stayed up late on my computer the night before, and I was tired. I already had my cigarettes in hand by the time the bell rang to signify the end of the period. I had no idea that this would be the last time I would ever attend a class at Columbine High School. That it was the last time I’d ever take a philosophy test, or write a paper for Mrs. Kelly, or grade papers for Mrs. Caruthers, or play dodgeball in gym class. The world I knew was about to be altered forever. As I took a drag on my cigarette, I was a little surprised to see Eric suddenly pull into the parking lot right in front of me. It seemed strange that he would skip two classes, then suddenly show up back at school.


First of all, as a little aside, I just want to say that it’s a little suspect how Brooks underscores how he left Creative Writing class and started smoking a cigarette.. on school grounds, mind you.  Smoking isn’t really permitted on school grounds.  I mean, the whole reason for the Smokers Pit was to allow a designated place for students to go smoke off grounds because the Pit is situated within Clemente Park bordering on the edge of Columbine but not directly on campus. Dylan sometimes used to smoke in his car during lunch break. That must have felt hella rebellious for him to do.   Buuut… lighting up a smoke right on campus in front of entrance ways and rows of windows plus the potential school guard driving by on his usual patrol of campus..that’s ah, really something, Brooksie.  I do have to say, I slightly question whether that would be possible to do or if he was just embellishing that ‘scene’ right as he was about to confront Eric. 

Anyway.. on to your question:

I don’t believe that Dylan blatantly warned Brooks with the specifics as to what he and Eric planned to do.   Brooks mentions he was considering ditching his last class after 4th period Creative Writing and he doesn’t offer in his book what class that was.  I tend to think that Dylan knew what class he went to fifth period and it wasn’t the commons or the library so he knew Brooks would be somewhat safe and would probably escape on his own.  Dylan may also have considered that since it was Senior ditch day on 4/20, that it was a good bet that Brooks would just skip out his last class as they pretty much all were doing lately.

Dylan may have hinted in a subtle way to Brooks with suggestive hints along the lines of:  ‘Man, I’m so sick of it here, I think I’m going to ditch my last classes Tuesday, are you planning to?’     Plus, I think Dylan felt Brooks was somehow safe enough given where he’d be at that point in time on 4/20 and that Brooks would be smart enough to get out.  

Yes, I believe it’s plausible according to Brooks’ story that he confronted Eric pulling up and getting out of his car, and in the wrong parking lot space for that matter, and that Eric told him ‘he liked him now and to go home’.  Where I do find it suspect is when Brooks said he felt uneasy when Eric commanded him to leave and so then Brooks actually does just that – he just took off and did as Eric told him to like an obedient puppy.  That’s the odd part for me.  The moment Brooks started walking away, he immediately started thinking Eric was up to something nefarious and yet, he still..just.. kept on walking. Then he hears ‘cracks!’ which he mentally chooses to construe as neighborhood construction but then finally comes to his senses and realizes it’s the sounds of gun shots. And again, his immediate conclusion is that it’s Eric up to no good.  So, why Brooks would just do Eric’s bidding and walk away and ‘go home’ is more of the big mystery to me than why Eric actually decided to spare the dude during that little confrontation they had in the parking lot.

It makes perfectly good sense to me that Eric wouldn’t have started the attack prematurely by shooting Brooks out in plain site. It would’ve drawn too much attention and too early pn before their plans. They never would’ve been able to do what they planned to do if he started hastily with one person egging him on in the parking lot. This was no longer a personal vendetta as it was a year or so ago when Eric ranted on his website about Brooks. No, now it was a grand scale plan, a full on military attack against the school. Waiting until just the right time would be a much sweeter vengeance for Eric. Plus, Eric was busy at the moment, he had work to do hauling all his shit out of the car and dragging it up the school lawn. He was already late and Eric hated to be behind schedule. Brooks was simply in the way.  Eric had  bigger fish to fry rather than small fish the likes of Brooks rather foolishly mouthing off at him for missing an insignificant test. It was a bit like a small fish innocently swimming up to a shark to peck off of him. And I think Eric was amused by that irony and plus, well, he did actually liked Brooks ‘now’ , as in this point in time and Brooks admonishing him and flippantly insulting him just made Eric chuckle to himself and go ‘man, you just have no idea, do you dumb fuck of a friend?’ Here, just a few months before, the two were at each others throats and then, Eric wouldn’t have given it a second thought shutting the dude up with the receiving end of his shotgun.