Chance

Chapter 18:

Chapter 18:

Garrett grabbed my hand as we entered the movie theater.

"Popcorn?" he asked.

"Sure." I said smiling. I had been so happy. Everything was fine. The ache in me, the hole that the crash left.... It wasn't as sharp, as huge, as empty... Garrett was taking my mind off things more than I had ever imagined. I really hadn't had time to think about things with everything going on at school & with Garrett. Just like Niall had said I would...

A little girl was staring. She looked about eleven. I just figured she just recognized me. She started to walk over.

"Hi." I said smiling.

"Who's he?" she said spitting out the word he like it was poison.

"That's my friend?" I said still smiling.

"Your boyfriend? I thought Niall was your boyfriend. You just gave up. What if he's still alive? What if the news is wrong?"

"Um... I've just met you. You don't even know me. You have no right to tell me & bother me with all of this. I don't deserve it. I've had just as hard of a time with it as you have. Trust me."

"You deserve it all. You disgust me. Niall would hate you." And with that she walked off with her friends.

I looked at Garrett who had just turned around from getting popcorn.

"Who was that?" he asked. My eyes started to sting. I felt my nostrils flaring, my jaw clenching. I tried to hold it back, I really did.

"It was nothing." I said wiping the tears away.

"It was clearly something." He said sitting the stuff down on the counter & hugging me. I finally regained my composure. We watched to movie. It was funny, but not when your mind's someplace else.

"Goodnight." He said kissing me on the cheek as I got out of the car.

"Night." I said kissing his cheek, "I'm sorry, Garrett."

"It's fine. I understand." He said giving me a weak half smile.

I unlocked the door & gave him the signal that it was unlocked now & I could to in. He always waited to make sure I was safe.

I was drained. Emotionally, mentally, & physically. I slipped on one of Dad's old shirts & a pair of "three-sizes-too-big" pajama pants. I grabbed my furry blanket & pillow & lied down on the couch. I flipped through T.V. channels for a few minutes. I fell asleep quickly. Maybe too quickly.

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"You ready?" Garrett asked grabbing our suitcases.

"Of course!" I said excitedly. We'd been planing a trip to Bermuda ever since our honey moon was over.

"We've been waiting so long!" he said & then kissed me. We went to the car. Next we were at the airport in Columbus & then on the plane. Everything was going smooth. It was great. Garrett was showing me something on his phone that his mom sent him. The power flickered & then went out. The plane dropped. The pilot told us to put the respirators on & buckle up. The plane was slowly declining in height. I could feel it. Lower, lower, & lower. I grabbed Garrett's hand.

"It's okay, just some turbulence." He reassured. He'd flown way more than me.

I smiled weakly.

"Attention passengers: this is your captain speaking. I'm going to have to land our plane. It'll be rough. I'm going for a smooth water landing but I can't make any promises. I apologize ahead of time."

I started breathing heavily. I couldn't wrap my brain around it. I just couldn't. I hadn't achieved anything I had wanted to. I was only 20. I looked at Garrett. I hadn't noticed I was crying. What if I lost him? I just couldn't bear the loss of him too.

"Don't let me loose you..." I said to him tightening my grip on his hand. He took the respirator off, kissed me on the head, & put it back on.

I felt us hit the water. It jerked me forward. The plane tumbled. I heard shrill screams, I heard glass breaking, & heard rushing water. The window beside of Garrett broke. There was an open door at the front of the plane. I grabbed Garrett & drug him behind me. It felt like he wasn't even trying to get out. We exited & swam to the wing of the plane.

"Garrett! Garrett look at me!!" There was a cut on his head that was gushing blood. His eyes were closing.

"Garrett hang on!!! Just a little longer!! Please I won't be able to make it without you, you can't go!" I yelled at him trying to wake him up. I stared at him. I was so lost I didn't know what to do. I brushed his hair out of his eyes. He was slipping away from me. I kissed him as if it'd save him. His elbows were on the wing of the plane. He started to slide off. I tried to stop him but I wasn't strong enough. His hand slipped out of my grasp. I went under the water after him. I opened my eyes & looked down & saw him. Only it wasn't him. It was Niall. Niall was falling into the black cold water.

I screamed letting my breath out.

"Hannah! Hannah!" I heard someone say.

My eyes flew open.

"What's wrong!??!?" Dad said hovering over me.

I sat up. I looked around the room. It was night. The clock said 3:30am. I rubbed my head.

"Hello! What were you screaming about?!?!" Dad asked concerned.

"I.. I.. was having a nightmare... It's fine you can go back to sleep."

"You sounded like you were being killed!"

I had lost them. Both of them. I had just watched them both die.