Originally, I wanted this done on 9/11, but I pushed it back even further and further and I then forgot about this. Until today. The 28th of September. I have really bad time management skills. Sorries... This is kinda short. My apologies...
Disclaimer: I don't own Total Drama...
"You are a bitch! I hate you! I wish you were dead!" I yelled.
"You're a douche!" She yelled back.
She started shoving cd's nto a small backpack. I looked at the clock. 6:45 am. She would be bound for New York soon. I didn't want her to go back to America. Her parents were worried about her. I guess they didn't want her living with a 24 year old guy. I wasn't too happy that she was leaving me so suddenly. She didn't even tell me until today, when I found her, packing all her clothes into a duffel bag. She pulled her plane ticket out of her empty dresser. She grabbed her bags and stormed out the door, slamming it behind her. A picture fell off the wall and landed on the hard-wood floor with a crash! I knelt down and picked it up. The frame was completely shattered. I took the photo out of the broken glass, cutting a few of my fingers. It was of us, on the night I asked her to be my girlfriend. Her blonde hair was all messy, a big smile was on her face. I was kissing her cheek. I laughed to myself. How could I let my hair get so long? Of course, now it's back to a buzz cut. I looked at her again. I already missed her. I never meant to say those words to her. I was just angry. And the fight wasn't making it any better.
I slid out of my green t-shirt, put the news on and lay across our-I mean my- beat up couch. 'She forgot her sweater...' I thought to myself. Her big, grey sweater. She wore it everyday. It was her favorite. I picked it up off the floor and buried my face in it. It still smelled like her. I put my head through the hole and slid it over my chest. 'Too small. Oh well...' I went outside and locked the door behind me. I started jogging down the street. It was unusually cold for September. Kids were running for school buses, their backpacks filed with brand new supplies. I checked my watch. 7:35. She had given this watch to me last Christmas. I wore it everyday since then. I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I stopped jogging and pulled it out.
heard u got in2 a fite w/ jo? -sam-
Rather not talk about it. -b-
I slid my phone back into my sweatpants and continued jogging.
Faster...
Legs pumping...heart racing...
Breathe in...breathe out...
Tears fell from my eyes like raindrops, but I kept going.
Breathe in...breathe out...
I quickly swiped at my face so the water wouldn't freeze on my cheeks. Faster and faster... I startde to believe that maybe I was fast enough to catch up to her plane. Tell her I loved her instead of telling her I hated her. Sweat dripped off my face. I stopped again to take off the sweater. I wrapped it around my waist and double-knotted the sleeves so it didn't fall off.
Breathe in...breathe out...
Faster...
Legs pumping...heart racing...
I turned down a street so I could head home. My phone vibrated once more.
u sure, dude? -sam-
Yeah. Positive. -b-
Why did he care so much? We haven't spoken since high school. How did he even know about our fight? Whatever. I didn't care. I just kept running. Every morning, we would come out here and sprint down this street. It always turned into a race, which she always won. She's an amazing compeditor. I love it. I arrived home a few minutes later. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I was hoping that she had changed her mind about leaving so suddenly. She would be sitting on the couch, watching T.V. and eating a big bowl or cereal. But, she wasn't there. I took off her sweater and carefully placed it onto the kitchen counter. 8:49 am. Wow, that went by fast.
I turned the T.V. back on. The headline said 'Breaking News: Plane Crash" I turned the volume up. A plane crash? Oh no. I hoped she wasn't on that plane. I kept watching. A building in New York City. I turned the T.V. up louder. The newscaster kept talking about a plane that was hijacked and crashed into the building. Then, I noticed another plane. It looked like it was flying too low. In an instant, it hit the other tower. I looked out the window. I could see grey smoke, even though I was over 800 miles away. It was...crazy. People were screaming and freaking out. I looked back at the T.V. Maybe...just maybe I coul call her. And she would answer.
I tried once. Then twice. After the third try, I threw my phone at the wall. It snapped in half. I flopped on the couch, staring at the T.V. in a daze. The top half of the building tilted. It fell into a fiery mess. I couldn't stop staring at it. I knew, but didn't want to admit, that she was in that building.
September 11th, 2009.
"Welcome home, Brick!" Everone cheered. I smiled and laughed. Sam smacked me on the back. I dropped my bags on the ground and pulled Sam into a bear hug. It was good to be back. War really changes a person. Before I came to New York, I had to go through extensive therapy. I fought for three years in Afghanistan, and I hope to God I don't have to go back.
"Brick!" I heard someone yell. Zoey, my high school best friend. She jumped into my arms.
"Hey, how've you been?!" I asked as I put her back down.
"I've had my ups and downs. Mike...he..."
I put my finger on her lips. "Don't. If you don't want to talk about it, I understand."
"Okay. How've you been since Jo..."
"Better than you think. Sure, I miss her, but I have to get over it sooner or later, y'know?"
A little while later at Ground Zero...
I insisted on coming alone. A bouquet of flowers were in my right hand. I walked slowly. Others were surrounding the monument with candles and flowers. Some were singing, others cried. I searched for her name. Josephine Beckett. I put the flowers next to her name and wiped away the tears that were rolling down my cheeks. I lied to Zoey. I wasn't over her. And I never will be.
