Twenty-two year-old Justin drove around Los Angeles with sadness evident in his eyes. His gaze was focused on the road in front of him, but his mind was elsewhere. The calming sound of Taylor Swift's new song titled, Safe and Sound, filled his senses as he parked in front of a familiar lot beside the street.
He stepped out of his car and brought a basket full of flowers with him as he walked towards the grass-covered lot. He had been visiting the place the same date every year. He saw a newly grown tree on the far right corner of the lot, and he made his way there. He placed the basket of flowers down on the grass. He closed his eyes as he remembered the tragic disaster that had haunted his mind since seven years ago.
It was the disaster where he lost his best friend, Selena. Their conversation that terrifying night was still fresh in his memory. It was one thing he would never ever forget.
"Okay... Just stay with me, okay? And I love you. I'll come and see you after this. I'll make sure you're going to be fine," he promised her.
"I want to see you when I open my eyes, okay? I want you to be there."
"Yes, yes I will, princess. Be strong, okay? You're gonna get through this."
Justin stayed with her on the line. He kept distracting her, so she wouldn't feel more horrified with what was happening. But then, the line got a little bit interrupted.
"Justin? No, no! The line can't break! I need you! I need to hear your voice!" she said as she shook in horror. Everything around her was falling apart. She knew the line would be dead in a while, but she still wished he would stay with her.
"Princess, you'll be fine, alright? Be strong, Lena. I'm coming for you, okay? I want to see your smile again."
Justin opened his eyes and he found himself crying as he sat on the grass behind the tree. It was their last conversation. He wouldn't have left her if he knew it would happen. When the line went dead, he immediately dialed her number, but he wasn't able to reach her. He ran downstairs and cried in his mother's arms.
He begged her to take him to LA so he could see Selena, but earthquake alert was also up in Canada, so they weren't able to leave. It took him a week before they were able to go to Los Angeles. They searched for Selena and her family in all the hospitals there, but they weren't able to find her. The authorities couldn't give out information because they weren't relatives. He wasn't able to find her. He went back to Canada with his mom and step-dad in a state of depression.
He waited for her to call him in his home in Canada. He would sometimes stay up late, just in case the phone would ring. But he never got a call from her. Everyone around him was telling him to move on. He couldn't. Selena was his first love, and he promised he would never forget her.
"I'll find you, Lena," he whispered as he looked around the empty lot. It was the same lot where her house had been situated. The authorities demolished it after the earthquake. Some people told them that some of Selena's relatives sold the lot, but it was vacant still. Just like the hole in his heart that was caused by the absence of his best friend.
