Chapter 2

Conflicting Viewpoints

A/N: Ok. Before I get slapped with any lawsuits, let me make a few things clear.

 #1. I DO NOT OWN THE YOUNG WIZARDS NOVEL SERIES. They are the work of the fantastic Diane Duane. I'm just the lowly guy that bases his fanfic on them.

#2. NOR DO I OWN THE COPYRIGHT LAWS OR THE LYRICS TO ANY OF THE SONGS FEATURED IN THIS CHAPTER. THEY ARE THE WORK OF THEIR WONDERFUL ARTISTS DARRYL WORLEY AND ALAN JACKSON.

And #3. Thanks SO much for all of your FANTASTIC reviews. Yeah… I could not believe what I heard at 8:30 Pacific time… standing in the schoolyard of my elementary school… going numb with shock as I realized what I had heard was not some kid's idea of funny. It was real. Which is what inspired me…

#4. I'll shut up now.

K. ONE song is gonna be in Bold. The other… in Italics.

NOW I'll shut up.

Where were you when the World stopped Turning

On that September Day?

Were you in New York with your wife and children

Or working on some stage in LA?

Nita lifted her face from her hands and stared at the smoke pluming up into the air, backdropped against a fantastically blue sky. She watched the dark gray plume curl lazily through the air, and cringed at the memories brought back in a rush of emotion.

People screaming.

The awful, metallic roar of a jetliner as it zeroed in on its target.

The crunch and shattering of impact.

The roar from a raging fireball.

Sirens.

Someone. Please. Make it stop.

Did you stand there in shock at the sight of that black smoke?

Rising against that blue sky?

Did you shout out in anger and fear for your neighbors

Or did you just sit down and cry?

Shock. Utter shock.

The anger and fear in her best friend's eyes.

The horror.

The pain of losing hundreds of thousands of lives.

The sickening feeling that there were hundreds trapped beneath the rubble.

Did you weep for the children who lost their dear loved ones

Pray for the ones who don't know?

Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble?

And sob for the ones left below?

Did you burst out with pride for the Red, White, and Blue

And the heroes who died just doing what they do.

Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer

And look at yourself and what really matters.

The clearest memories Nita had of her actions that day were gazing up at the sky, through eyes filled with tears, and asking, "Why America? Why?"

Someone laid a hand on her shoulder, and she felt the swing rock in a familiar pattern. Without looking up, she muttered, "Hey, Kit."

There was silent, then Kit's arms folded around her.

"It's not the New York skyline any more."

Nita sniffed.

"Yeah… well… we have each other."

Kit was quiet, his arms still around Nita.

He pulled back abruptly.

"You heard on the news the other day?"

"What?"

"We're going to war."

"What?"

I hear people saying

We don't need this war.

But I say there's some things

Worth fighting for.

"We're going to war."

"You're kidding! Oh, god… Kit, do you know how many lives that's gonna cost us?"

What about our freedom?

And this piece of ground?

We didn't get to keep 'em

By backin' down.

"Look, Neets. You see this land your house is standing on? How did we acquire that land?"

"We fought for it…"

"Exactly! These people have violated our freedom. So now we're going to show them what happens when you mess with the USA."

"Kit, look! It's a stupid decision. We'll lose…. I don't know how many lives!"

Now they say we don't realize

The mess we're getting in

Before you start your preachin' let me ask you this my friend….


"Nita… look. Why don't you want to go to war with whoever's behind this?"

"Because my cousin is in the Army. And he's gonna go with the Army. I don't… don't want to lose him."

Kit was quiet.

Have you forgotten?

How it felt that day?

To see your homeland under fire

And her people blown away

Have you forgotten?

When those towers fell?

We had neighbors still inside

Going through a living hell…

Kit chose his words carefully, knowing one wrong word would send them down into a huge fight. 

"Nita… I just… have different opinions. And so do you. But let me ask you this… Uhhh… have you already forgotten what it felt like… five days ago… how you felt?"

Nita whirled on him.

"Are you saying that I'm insensitive to what happened on the eleventh?"

Kit swore at himself.

"Nonononono… not at all…"

Nita relaxed, but kept her eyes on him.

"Fine. Well, Kit. That's fine. I just don't agree with your opinion. At all."

Kit struggled to maintain his temper, and succeeded.

"Fine."

They stared coolly at one another, then huffily returned to something: Nita a book; Kit staring at the plume of smoke, the atmosphere between them decidedly cool.

A/N: Ah... the end of another chapter. Which means work for both of us: Me writing the next one, you writing reviews. Keep 'em coming! Thankx, and I'll be updating Chased Down soon.

Where Were You lyrics © 2001-2004, Alan Jackson & his recording company.

Have You Forgotten lyrics © 2002-2004 Darryl Worley and his recording company.