Chapter 2

Chapter 2

“Anna?”

I open one eye and glance at the clock. “Marie, it’s 6 in the morning. Go back to sleep.”

“Anna, this is important.”

I lethargically rolled over and looked at the worried expression on her face. “Marie, you look like someone just died. What’s up?”

“Just get up and come here.”

I grabbed my robe and wrapped it around my barely clothed body and followed Marie to her bedroom that had the only television in the house with cable.

“Just sit a sec, okay?” Marie said in the gentlest voice possible.

Right then was when I started getting really worried. Did a huge tornado go through my hometown? Was a tidal wave headed straight for us? I was probably overreacting and so was she, but whatever was going on, it was scaring me.

Only when she got the television to the right channel did I start understanding. At first all I saw was this huge mass of flames and debris. Then, after looking closer, I could make out a wing. And an United Airlines logo. And a window that revealed the inside of the plane, full of flame and smoke.

“This isn’t…” I said on the brink of tears.

Marie turned the volume up.

“…headed to New Jersey last night. All we know about the cause is it was nothing but a mechanical failure inside the plane. The worst of it is this plane contained some of the brightest young minds in the country. Many of the passengers on the plane were headed for Princeton University for the start of the term.”

I felt as though I was underwater. My senses were blurred and dull and even though i had a feeling Marie was saying my name, I couldn’t hear her. My eyes were clamped shut. I hate crying in front of people, even Marie. As I glanced at the screen again, it hit me again like a gigantic wall of heat and i surrendered myself to the realm of unconciousness.

* * *

“Hey girl,” a familiar voice said cheerfully. “You had me scared there for a minute.”

It was just a dream? Was that really just a horrible nightmare? I thought. Yet, something still wasn’t right. There was an odd smell of sanitizer and it was too quiet for me to still be in my apartment. As I opened my eyes, I was blinded by a world of light. Once my eyes adjusted, I could see that it was not a “world of light,” but a world of white. White walls, white beds, and white clothes were everywhere. It took me longer than it should have to realize that I was in a hospital.

“Why am I here?” I croaked to whoever was sitting next to me.

“When you passed out in my bedroom, I freaked and called 911. I didn’t know what else to do.”

I looked over at the girl sitting next to me. After seeing her long curly brown hair and hideous glasses that I had begged her to replaced multiple times, I smiled because somehow I knew she had been there for four hours waiting for me to wake up.

“Hey Marie,” I said through a grin.

“Hey,” she replied, smiling perhaps more than necessary. “Well, this may be too soon to jump into all of this, but your mom is on her way from Nashville and Cody’s mom has called your cell at least 6 times.”

“Why? I just passed out.”

“Do you not remember?” Marie asked gently.

“Remember what?”

“Oh, I’m so sorry, but, Anna, Cody’s gone.”

All of the tears that had been built up came rushing down in amounts that would challenge even the Tennessee River. No. NO. It was just a DREAM. She’s WRONG! He can’t be gone! I told him to be safe. All of the events leading up to this came rushing back to me. The plane, the fire, everything. I asked him not to go, but it was his dream, so I supported him. Now he is gone. Forever. Completely. Totally. Gone.

The doctors wanted me to stay for a couple hours after I woke up, just to make sure I didn’t get a concussion or something when I fell. Once we were allowed to leave, Marie drove us home and I went straight to my room. I locked the door and refused to talk to anyone. My mother, my father, and my sister all came to see me. Part of me still believed that this was still just a horrible dream. Deep down, though, I knew it wasn't.

Then, slowly, after staying locked in my room for nearly a week, I realized he wasn’t coming back. I still wanted, needed, to cry, but I had no tears left. I also realized how hungry I was. I had no choice. I couldn’t stay locked in my room forever.

I stood up and nearly fell back down because I was so weak. I walked to the door of my room and unlocked it. I turned the doorknob and stepped out into the dark apartment. Assuming that Marie was still in bed, I flipped on the light switch in the living room. I was not in the least bit prepared for what I saw.

There were three sleeping bags thrown on the floor. My mother was sleeping on the couch and my father, my sister, and someone else were occupying the sleeping bags. While I was standing there, my 12 year old sister woke up and, instead of being happy about me coming out of my reclusive state, says, “Great, the freak decided to be nocturnal now. Do you know what time it is?”

Of course this little statement woke everyone else in the room. My mother’s reaction to my slight change in attitude was quite different than my sisters.

“Well, bless your heart! You musta lost ten pounds in your little fit! Let me just get your little self something to eat!”

“Mom, really, I don’t need a feast, I’m just really thirsty.”

“Nonsense! Besides, this is a reason for celebration.”

“Celebrate my boyfriend dying?”

At that statement, everyone in the room went silent. Only then did I realize the mystery person had woken up also. Although it took me a few seconds, I realized that the one person that actually knew what I needed was here. My accomplice in all the crazy things I did. He was always the only person that understood me and could relate to me. Marie was amazing, but Eric was so much more like me. All that Eric had to do was come over and give me a smile and a hug and things got better. Only very VERY slightly, but still better.

Reviews

[Edward Driskell]

I like it. It's really interesting. You really have a knack for making it really obvious how hard she's taking the death of her boyfriend. Keep it up.

[Kurt Gargis]

Oooh. I'm interested now. Very good continuation. Just a few capitalization mistakes that I saw. Keep it up!