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TIMELINE

Chapter 1

"Do you begin to see, then, what kind of world we are creating? It is the exact opposite of the stupid hedonistic Utopias that the old reformers imagined. A world of fear and treachery and torment, a world of trampling and being trampled upon, a world which will grow not less but more merciless as it refines itself. Progress in our world will be progress toward more pain." George Orwell

6:35 am

Edward

The woman behind the ticket counter fluttered her eyelashes at me as I reached for my boarding pass. "Is there anything else I can do for you?" she asked, using her obvious come-hither voice. "Like checking in those pants to see what's underneath them," she whispered to herself as she slowly let go of the pass.

I cringed and took the pass, making sure that I didn't touch the clueless woman. Her attempt at being coy was appealing yet repulsive at the same time. I shook my head. "No thanks," I muttered in a low tone, just loud enough for her to hear. I quickly started toward thesecurity check.Flying was a form of travel I did not enjoy. Having a high volume of people packed into such a confined space wrought havoc on my claustrophobic senses and increased the challenge to control my anxiety.

My flight went direct from Boston Logan to JFK in New York. My family had already arrived in New York for this impromptu vacation that Alice, my sister, had suggested two days ago. New York City was full of all kinds of people, from the super model gorgeous to the "I-wouldn't-be-caught-dead-with-you-in-a-dark-alley." The streets were full of people hustling back and forth, yet an individual would feel completely alone.

I placed my wallet and cell phone on the conveyor belt for the x-ray machine to scan. A security woman with blonde, unevenly cropped hair watched me without even looking at the x-ray to see what items I had. She was so busy staring at me that she didn't pay attention to of some people behind me. I gathered my belongings and headed toward my gate after receiving the all clear. Once there, I briefly glanced at my watch -- 7:10 a.m. My flight was scheduled to leave at 7:58 a.m., so I was a little early.

Looking around the waiting area, I took a seat away from most of the people there without looking too suspicious. I then pulled my laptop out of my bag, and, moments later, I was greeted by the welcome screen. I didn't really have any interest in surfing the internet, but it's what most twenty-something males seem to do a lot of the time at airports. Plus, most people won't interrupt with mindless chatter if you looked too busy to have a conversation. I actually preferred reading a good book, but I risked the chance of someone wanting to start a conversation with, "What are you reading? Is that a good book?"

As I read the latest news on my laptop screen, a woman with a pink dress and toenails polished toenails to match stopped in front of the seat beside me. I, momentarily, glanced up at her with a furrowed brow. She sat down, oblivious to my intentions of not being social with others. With the grace of a monkey, she attempted to balance her beverage on the armrest and her beverage tumbled out of her hand. The cup hit the floor; Coke sprayed on the side of my leg, barely missing my computer. Great.

"Oh! I am so sorry," she said with her voice on the edge of quivering. I could tell this wasn't part of her plan in seducing me. She fumbled in her purse to retrieve some tissue. "Here, let me help you with that," she said, reaching to pat my leg dry.

I quickly stood up, my hand brushed off my slacks. "No, thank you. I'll run to the gentlemen's room." I hurriedly collected my things and headed to the restroom.

My steps echoed as I walked inside; the rows of sinks were never-ending. I walked up to the closest one and turned on the water. I watched the water swirl around the basin of the sink before it disappearing down the drain. It was a depressing sight to see. My life was kind of like this water swirling and swirling as if I could avoid the fate that awaited me.

I looked up at my reflection in the dust-covered mirror.

Most people view me as a guy that has it all-visual appeal and wealth. But those things don't guarantee happiness. I, for one, know this to be true. Couldn't they see that I lived in self-loathing, far from being content with life in this godless world? If they looked into my eyes, they'd seen the empty, soulless being inside. But humankind only noticed the outside; their shallowness and vanity appalled me.

With a sigh, I reached for a paper towel from the dispenser and patted my pants. They were ruined.

Once back in the waiting area, I stood against the wall. I tapped my foot as I ran my hand through my hair. Is it time to board yet? I looked at my watch and it said 7:25 a.m. I continued to stare out the window, lost in thought as time slowly ticked by.

6:35 am

Bella

My evil alarm clock screeched in my ear as I opened my eyes to see the sunlight seeping through my window blind.

Shit! Is it time to get up already?

Tuesday mornings were just as bad as Monday mornings. One more minute, please! I groaned again as I turned off the alarm and rolled back over to hug my pillow. My muscles relaxed again as I settled back into my soft mattress. I loved the detergent fragrance that lingered on my pillow. Just one more second in my own little piece of heaven. I sighed contentedly; there's nothing like lying in the safety and comfort of your own bed.

"Bella! You're going to be late for work again if you don't get up," Angela sang as she peeked through the door.

Angela has been my coworker, roommate, and friend for over two years now. I met Angela when I moved to New York. At the time, I lived in a hotel and looked for work for two weeks. Everywhere I went, employers wanted an employee with experience, and it was my first time looking for a job. I had taken a quick coffee break in Midtown on my way back to my hotel from yet another failed interview. I accidentally ran into Angela and nearly spilled my hot coffee all over myself. Three hours later, we were on our third cup of coffee and debating the pros and cons of the subway. I mentioned that I was still looking for work, and Angela suggested I check out the company she works for. A week later, I had the same job as Angela as a file clerk in her department. Angela saved me again when her lease was up a few days later and she offered to do the roommate thing. How lucky was I?

Angela and I prove the old saying, "opposites attract," with Angela's positive attitude and my gloom attitude on life. Angela was always cheerful and very giving. I, on the other hand, was not the most social person. I was so used to being alone and distant from everyone that others often times thought of me as a snobby bitch. I don't care much about what other people think of me and don't feel like I need to justifymy nature. Isolation, silence, and Jane Austin are my closest friends. I never had a friend like Angela. She looked through my wall of isolation and brought me out of my shell. She was like no one I had ever met.

"Bella! Did you hear me? We have to leave in ten minutes," Angela yelled as she yanked the covers off my bed.

"Okay! Geez, mom, I'm getting up," I said with a slight smile. Angela made a face and spun around on her heels, heading towards the living room. While it may seem strange, I sometimes enjoy Angela acting a little bit like a mother. When I was growing up, my single mother had to work two jobs for us to survive. I often had to take care of myself in every fashion: get up for school, make my lunch, and get there on time. Angela was more than just a friend. She was my best friend. I made sure to never take her for granted.

I rolled out of bed and longingly looked back at it. As I headed toward the shower, I picked up a pair of clean panties from the laundry basket. Once I shut the bathroom door and turned on the light, I inspected my reflection through my tightly squinted eyes.

I groaned when my eyes landed on my hair in the mirror. It looked like a tornado had blown through there overnight. I turned on the shower and blindly reached for a comb.

Since I was running late, I swiftly got out of my sweat pants and t-shirt. Two minutes later, I finished washing out the strawberry-scented conditioner in my hair and reached for my towel. I dried off before wrapping my towel around me.

I jumped as Angela yelled, "Five minutes!" through the door. Quickly I threw my wet hair into a ponytail and ran back to my room where I grabbed a pair of black slacks, a white button up shirt, and a pair of black pumps.

I was ready for work with one minute to spare. Angela handed me a cup of coffee as I started to gather my things. "Don't forget your cell phone." Angela said as she handed it to me.

"I don't know why I have a cell phone. Nobody ever calls me," I whined.

"I call you," Angela said as she put her arm around me, giving me a slight squeeze.

"Yeah, but the only time I'm not with you is when Ben is in town."

Ben and Angela were high school sweethearts, and he was attending Stanford University in California on a scholarship. But he flew to New York at least every other month. Angela and I both went to New York University part-time on scholarships in the evenings after work. I was studying to be an English literature teacher. Angela was studying to become a photo journalist. It was hard for both of us to have a full time job and attend school, but we believed that it was worth it. We were able go to school for free and survive without the help of our families. Only a few more years and we would be done with our jobs as file clerks!

"Aww...cheer up, Bella! Maybe Ben will bring another really cute friend with him next time he's in town," she said as she winked at me. I rolled my eyes and gave her a goofy grin. She had tried to set me up with some of Ben's friends, but it never worked out.

Most of the guys that Ben introduced me to were not my type. Yeah, a lot of them looked good on the outside, but they had no depth. I had a few dates in high school, but the guys were even more clueless.

When I started college, I dated a guy I met in my biology class for a couple of months. He was just as inexperienced as I was in relationships, so it was a learning process for the both of us. I thought everything was going ok, until one evening he decided he wanted to go further than just kissing. I tried to gently guide his hand away from my pants, but he persisted. My internal alarm went off and I started to panic. I pushed him off of me, ran out the door, and never saw him again.

"Whatever, Angela. You know I'm doomed to be an old maid."

"Oh, Bella, you know that isn't true," Angela sighed as she locked the door. "Not all guys are jerks."

"I know, but it seems like the good guys are one in a million." We headed to the subway to begin another dull day at work.