Every breath you take
Every move you make
Every bond you break
Every step you take
I'll be watching you
Every single day
Every word you say
Every game you play
Every night you stay
I'll be watching you
"Come in."
"You wanted to see me, Dr. Slater?" Melicia Dorough replied as she walked into the office.
"Yes, Miss Dorough. Please, sit down."
"I'm sorry to have to tell you this. Your mother was in the tower when it collapsed. There was nothing they could do, the plane crashed right below her floor." Principal Slater said sadly.
"Wh-what? She's dead? No, that can't be..." Melicia trailed in disbelief. She had just talked to her mother a few hours before that.
"Yes, and I am extremely sorry. Do you have anyone you can call? Any other family?"
"My Uncle Howie... he's my mom's brother."
"Oh, the Backstreet Boy. Of course. Do you need to speak with one of the counselors?" Melicia glared at the older woman.
"No, why would I need to? When I get home, my mother is going to be there. She's not dead."
"You're going through denial, and that's understandable--"
"NO, I'm not listening to this! My mother is alive! She was not in the fucking tower!" Melicia stood up, her body shaking with anger.
"Don't take that tone with me, young lady!" Principal Slater replied. "Your mother is dead!"
"NO SHE ISN'T! SHE'S ALIVE AND AT HOME! FUCK YOU, I'M OUT OF HERE!" She ran out of the office, slamming the door so hard that the glass window shattered.
*****
"Kevin? Kev! Where are you?" Brian called out as he walked into his cousin's hotel room.
"Watching the news," Kevin replied, sounding detached. Following his voice, Brian found him in the living room watching the news.
"Cuz, what are you--" he stopped when the footage of the North Tower's collapse was shown again. "Oh my God... what happened?"
"Terrorist attacks. Hit the World Trade Center and Pentagon with airplanes... they were all full of people," He answered, tears in his emerald orbs.
"Whoa..." they sat watching the television, feeling completely numb.
"Guys! Guys what are you doing--" Nick stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the footage.
"Again, the United States has been attacked by terrorists. The World Trade Center towers have now collapsed to the ground,"
"Fellas, where are y'all hiding? D's gonna have a fit if we don't--" AJ came into the middle of the broadcast. His face paled at the sight.
"...and the Pentagon has been hit. The death count is unmeasurable right now. May God help us all."
"Oh God... Sarah works in the North Tower," AJ whispered. "If Howie hears this--"
"If Howie hears what?" he asked, walking into the room. "Come on, we have to go."
"D... man, look at the tv..." Brian whispered.
"What? It's just the news," Howie replied.
"Believe me. You need to know this."
"All right, all right," he turned to the television just as footage of a tower collapsing was shown. "Oh my God... Sarah... no. No, she wasn't there. Please say she wasn't there!" Everything started to spin as he gripped the couch. He started to pant as stars danced in front of his eyes. "MY SISTER ISN'T DEAD!"
"Howie, calm down, you're going to make yourself pass out!" Kevin cried out in alarm before Howie lost his grip of reality and the couch. Almost in slow motion, he fell to the floor as everything went black.
