Love’s Suicide(2)
Author: Jennifer Foor

My teacher walked out into the hallway to see what had happened, making it clear that we all had to remain in our seats. Branch leaned over. “What do you think is going on? My money’s on a rat.”

I watched the door waiting for the teacher to come back and explain what was happening. A single hand waving caught my stare. Brooks was trying to get my attention from the front of the room. He’d had to move away from me and his brother because we talked too much in class.

When I looked at him, he stuck out his tongue. It was like he knew that out of the whole class, I was the one who was worried. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but somehow I knew something bad had happened.

Then the teacher came running into the room, out of breath. “I need you all to close up your books and remain quiet as we make our way into the cafeteria.” She had tears in her eyes and was grabbing a bunch of her things, including a cell phone.

Branch raised his eyebrows when I looked at him and shrugged. We did as we were told and noticed that every class was being sent into the large lunch room.

A bunch of adults were standing in the hallways, talking on their phones, weeping.

When we got inside the large room, we all sat down at the lunch tables and gave our attention to the principal. “May I have your attention please?”

The room finally got quiet. “I need everyone to remain calm until your parents arrive to get you.”

“We just got here,” some older kid called out.

“I understand that the day just started. It pains me to say this and I know some of you may not understand, but I can’t give you any more information.”

She didn’t have to, because a senior had snuck a phone into school and was already seeing it unfold. “Oh my God! Someone flew a plane into a building!”

The room went wild with concern and I just sat there, saying nothing. At that point we still didn’t know the details of when or even where. We just knew that the adults seemed terrified.

Small children started to cry and the chaos that unfolded was anything but organized. Children and parents scattered around trying to find each other and get out of the city. Branch, Brooks, and I sat there, waiting patiently for my mother to show back up and get us.

I wondered if she’d left her phone at home and hadn’t gotten the call yet. School was thirty minutes away, and with us starting later than other public schools in the area, the traffic could have been pretty bad by that time, so she’d just be getting back. Then I wondered if the school would call my dad. He was right on the other side of town in the Pentagon, a heavily secure building located in the heart of the city. He could come and go in case of emergencies, because he was the boss of his department.

An hour passed and nobody had showed up to get us. The room began to really get empty and only a few of us were left to be picked up. The seniors that drove were the first to leave the school. The younger kids seemed to disappear next, while us stragglers sat around waiting.

With me still wondering where my parents were, and hoping they’d show up, I had to use the bathroom and I couldn’t possibly hold it any longer. On the way, I noticed that the cafeteria lady had a small radio playing. She was sitting on a stool with her hands covering her face.

I walked slowly to see if I could hear what the person on the radio was saying.

Then I heard it, clear as day.

There had been a second plane that had flown into the sister building in New York. Before I could take another step, I heard them also say the Pentagon. They spoke of the government officials being transported out of the city and the Pentagon, where I knew my father was, having been attacked.

I think it was that exact moment that I knew my dad wouldn’t be coming to get me. Somewhere in my gut I knew he hadn’t made it, but it was still too soon to admit.

Danica Valentine was standing with the boys when I came back out. She’d been crying and had tried to conceal it by keeping on her sunglasses. Her tears had caused her makeup to drip down on her cheeks, making it very noticeable. “Are you ready to go, Katy?”

“Is my dad dead?” I don’t even remember the words coming out of my mouth.

She knelt down in front of me and pulled me into her arms. “We don’t know anything yet, love. I’ve tried to call your mom, but she isn’t home and she’s not answering. Right now a bunch of people are heading down there to find their loved ones. I’m sure your dad is going to be fine, sweetheart. Let’s just get you home safe and then we’ll find out more, okay?”

I don’t remember a lot of the ride home. Danica refused to turn on the radio. She handed me her phone and let me dial my mother’s number, but the lines said all circuits were currently busy.

The longer time went by, the more I worried.

When it got dark we still hadn’t heard anything from my mother. I think we were all hopeful that she’d found him and was somewhere without a way to call us. The news, which couldn’t be avoided, had been playing all day long. Danica made it a point to keep me out of the living room, to prevent me from seeing anything that would get me more upset.

I’d caught enough to see people carrying bloodied bodies and even a person jumping out of one of the tall buildings before it collapsed. The coverage kept skipping from New York to D.C., so it was hard to look for someone when I wasn’t sure where the footage was from.

My mother’s phone was found over at our house when Danica had gone to get me some clothes. She took care of me as if she were my mom; comforting me and making me feel like everything was going to be okay.

After dinner, which I didn’t eat at all, I went out into the tree house to be alone. I should have known they’d come find me and not let me be by myself.

“I told you she’d be out here.”

“Shut up,” Branch said rudely as he pushed Brooks towards the wooden wall.

“Any word?” I hadn’t given up hope that they’d find them. Not yet.

“No. Mom and Dad keep watching to see if they spot them,” Brooks assured me.

Then it finally occurred to me that I hadn’t shed a single tear. My eyes filled up and I covered my face to keep them from seeing all the pain and worry pouring out of me. “She would have called by now.”

They kept quiet, knowing I would make them leave if they tried to comfort me.

Finally, after I’d sobbed so much that my eyes were on fire, Branch got up and started to leave. “I’m going to go see if they found out anything else. Dad said they were doing interviews at hospitals.”