Page 10 (1/2)

WHAT JUST HAPPENED

(Part One)

MY FIRST THOUGHT

Claire

My first thought is: My mother is dead

When Mrs Shields, the school secretary, shows up so gravely in the doorway and gestures for Mrs Otis to come over to her, I a to have to pack up o to Sammy’s school and collect him and tell hiet by I a, and I can’t i my books as Mrs Shields whispers to Mrs Otis I see Mrs Otis nod, distressed, and then Mrs Shields disappears back into the hall I sit up straighter, waiting for Mrs Otis to look at me, to say my name But instead she looks at all of us and says, “Class, a plane has hit the World Trade Center”

Katie Johnson gasps Other kids start talking

I am blank

And then Mrs Otis asks, “Do any of you have parents working in the World Trade Center?”

We look around No But Teresa says that Jill Breslin, who’s in one of the other senior English classes, has a father orks there I think of our apartment, only ten blocks away from the towers I know my mother isn’t ho and continued uptown to her office But suddenly I’? What if she went back to the apartment? What if she took the subway down to Chambers Street, underneath the towers?

I’ve gone fro unsure she’s alive, and that’s much scarier, because it almost feels rational

Mrs Otis informed us on the first day of school that there would be no cell phone usage tolerated in class, but now it’s the fifth day of school and there’s nothing she can do She’s trying to hold it together, but she’s as confused as we are Cell phones are ringing, and all these kids are telling their parents they’re okay, we’re all okay—our school is a good thirty blocks north of the Trade Center Abby Winter’s , and then she tells it to the rest of us: “The plane hit around the ninetieth floor The building’s still standing, and people are evacuating Fire up The other tower looks like it’s okay…”

My friend Randy spots a TV in the back of the class, but when he tries it out, all we get is static I know Randy has a phone and I ask hi Moe on the answeringher I’m okay

The principal gets on the PA and says that all the classes have been informed of the “situation don,” and that if there are any “concerned students,” they should couidance suite We all knohat he means by concerned students—he means if your parents are there

We’re not a big school There are only about seventy kids in each grade So I can’t help iuidance office, and a few other kids Teresa’s getting frantic now, saying she has to go see Jill And it’s not even like they’re best friends Mrs Otis tries to caluidance counselors will take care of it And I think that kind of uidance counselors are adults, but it also doesn’t, because even if Teresa isn’t best friends with Jill, she definitely knows Jill uidance counselors do

The thought of Jill Breslin in that guidance office o to the lower school and see Saraders what’s happening, or if Mrs Lawson is closing the blinds and giving the test

Suddenly there’s this big screa out Mrs Otis goes to the door connecting her room to Mr Baker’s, and about half our class follows, so we’re there when she asks what’s going on But nobody needs to answer—Mr Baker’s gotten his TV to work, and it’s not one but ters that are burning, and they’re saying on the TV that there was a second plane, that the towers are under attack, and seeing it erases any pre rong, I never would have pictured this This isn’t even so I’ve feared, because I never kneas a possibility Kids are crying now, both in Mr Baker’s class and inat each other like What do we do? and the principal is on the PA again telling everyone to remain calm, which onlyhe’s not telling us, and the TV is saying that people are ju, and Teresa just loses it co about Jill and who knoho else, and people are trying to call their parents on their cell phones, but now all the lines are busy, or , and I don’t even have a cell phone and neither does o home

All of our class is in Mr Baker’s roorade Mrs Otis and Mr Baker are in the front, talking to each other, and then Mrs Otis heads to the office to see what’s going on Randy offers his phone to h maybe it ork for me It doesn’t, and I don’t knohat else I can do, except I realize now I should’ve givenpeople don running away I tell Randy I have to getto do it

I go up to Mr Baker and say rade, and I have to go get hiirl Marisol hears rade, and is probably really scared Mr Baker says nobody is supposed to leave the school, but we tell hi across the street, and we must sound really desperate, because he looks at us and says it’s fine, as long as we coht back

I don’t know Marisol at all—she’s new to the school, and the only reason I remember her name is because when it was called in attendance on the first day, I thought it was a pretty name I take her to the side door, because I’m afraid someone from the office will stop us if we try the main door

“I can’t believe this is happening,” Marisol says

“I know,” I say

But we have no idea until we’re out the door and onto Sixth Avenue We don’t even see it at first—we just see everyone else looking up, and then we turn to look back at what they’re seeing The towers are burning and people are cupping their hands over their eyes and staring straight at it Shaking their heads or crying Looking at each other in disbelief Total strangers are talking to each other, saying “Oh ht …” And then there are the people—this steady flow of people—co on the TV just a fewwhat just happened Some of them are covered in what looks like heavy dust, chalk alers are co if they’re okay, if they need any help One guy has opened up his shoe store and is giving out sneakers to wo them away

Marisol grabs my hand, and I let her We’re about to cross the street e hear a siren—an a from don, I think It’s scary that there’s just one

Marisol is crying now, and she takes her hand from mine so she can wipe her eyes

“Sorry,” she says

There’s a guard at the lower school, and even though we tell hiet Marisol’s sister and et a pass I show Marisol where her sister’s roooodbye We’re far fro to pick up their kids, and I have to ad our mom will be one of them I know she’d come for Sammy first

I want her to be here already Because that would mean she’s definitely alive

I get to the classroom and Mom is nowhere to be found There’s no TV, but the kids are definitely aware that so, and while nobody wants to say how bad it is, there’s no way to pretend it’s a normal day