the spark we lost

2

I'll never forget what we said when we left class. Even though the words were nothing special. The conversation was buried into my memory like it was my core. We were walking out the door together, well not exactly together but next to me. The air was clear, the sky was a very bright blue even though today I was in the mood for a cloudy day. Everything in the world has changed, we just didn't know yet.

There were so many people outside and I heard people saying "Omg can I donate some blood?" The twin towers just collapsed, I feel so bad for New York". People were excited that school was canceled at least because college was and always will be the most frustrating time of my life.  I turned to you,

"What in the world is going on?"

He said, " I live in the East Campus", pointing towards the dorm. "Let's go find out?

"Nice to meet you, I'm Lana" He held out his hand, Amid everything, I shook it and looked up at you as I did. Your dimple came back. The sun was shining on your face, which made your blue eyes pop and with the blue shirt you were wearing it really added on to it. I thought for the first time He's beautiful. We went to your suite and watched TV with your roommates, with Sebastian, Tom and Anthony.. On the screen bodies dove out of buildings, blackened mounds of rubble sent smoke signals into the sky, and the towers fell in a loop.

It honestly hit me, the sunken feeling. The stomach feeling when you get a text message you know it's going to turn out bad. That was how I felt when I saw people running away from the smoke, their faces covered in debris, their eyes red because of them crying for their loved ones. It was truly devastating.

Our cell phones didn't work. Chris used the dorm phone to call his mom in Boston to tell her he was fine. I called my parents in California, who wanted me to come home. They knew someone whose daughter worked at the World Trade Center and no one has heard from her yet. My father kept telling me what place was safer to go and I told him that the subways weren't running and the trains either most likely.

"I'll come get you, " he said. " I'll jump in the car right now"

"I'll be okay," I told him. " I'm with some friends, We're fine. I'll call you again later."

"You know?" Tom said, after I hung up. "If I were a terrorist organization, I'd drop a bomb on us"

"What the fuck?" Sebastian said with his hand covering his mouth. He was waiting to hear from his uncle who was part of the NYPD.

"I mean if you think about it academically.." Tom said, but he didn't go any further.

"Shut up," Anthony said "Seriously Tom. Not the time."

"Maybe I should leave." I said to Chris then. I didn't really know you. I just met your friends. " My roommates are probably wondering where I am."

"Call them," he said, handing the phone back to me. " And tell them you're going to the roof of the Wien dorm. Tell them they can meet you there if you want."

"I'm going where?"

"With me," he said, and he ran his fingers absently through my braid. It was an intimate gesture, the kind of thing that happens after all barriers of personal pace have been breached. All of a sudden I felt connected to you, like your hand on my hair, meant something more than idle, nervous fingers.

I thought of that moment years later, when I decided to donate my hair and the stylist handed me my braid, wrapped in plastic, looking even darker brown than usual. I felt like I was betraying you because I cut off our tie. But then, that day when you realized what you've done, you let your hand drop into your lap. You gave me a smile and I smiled back.

I shrugged, "Okay," I said.

A/N
hi!! i got super bored and it's like midnight so i decided to make another chapter. watch out for tomorrow i might make more chapters.