by Kaye Kennedy
Releasing Kyle's arm, I said, "I'm going to dance." I didn't wait for him to respond. My heels clicked on the wooden floor and I took care with each step so that I wouldn't slip. Lila stepped to the side and let me into the circle. Melissa had on this hot pink, glittery dress and I made it my mission to stay as far away as possible because glitter was the devil.
Lila peered over my shoulder and said, "Kyle looks really good in a suit."
With the whole big brother debacle, I hadn't had a chance to truly look at Kyle, so I spun around and spotted him standing with Reese and Shawn. Admittedly, he looked nice in the black suit. He was even wearing a tie, which I imagined he'd borrowed from his dad. Kyle always had the whole boy next door thing going for him and I understood why so many girls thought he was cute—with his piercing blue eyes and his contagious smile, but to me he was my goofy best friend.
I scanned the gym in search of Ian, finding him at a table with some of the other guys on the baseball team. He'd taken off his suit jacket and his tie hung loosely around his neck. His dark eyes and spiked up brown hair gave him a Freddie Prinze Jr. vibe, so it was no wonder a lot of girls in our class thought Ian was cute.
Melissa snuck up behind me and said, "So you're into Ian, huh?"
I flinched, startled by her sudden appearance and I pulled my gaze away from Ian. Trying to play it off like it was nothing, I shrugged. "He's cute."
Melissa sighed. "Yeah, but Kyle Hogan is looking hot tonight."
I nearly choked on my saliva. Kyle and hot were by no means synonymous.
"He's kinda got a JTT thing going on."
"You think so?" Without a doubt Jonathan Taylor Thomas was the subject of every tween girl's fantasies, but Kyle and JTT? I didn't see it.
"For sure. They both have that killer smile and those blue eyes and dirty blonde hair."
I tilted my head as though somehow that'd make me see the resemblance. "I guess so."
"We should like totally get them to dance with us."
Dance with Ian? Yes, please! But the thought of asking him made me quiver. "You mean like ask them?"
She tossed her head back and laughed as though my question were preposterous. "No, Allie. Girls like us don't ask. Ever. We get asked."
"Girls like us?" I'd never considered myself to be in the same league as Melissa. She was the head cheerleader type, whereas I was on the volleyball team and spent my free afternoons hanging with the guys at intramural sports.
"Face it, Allie, you have real potential. You should like totally try out for cheerleading with me next year. It's important for us to establish ourselves at the top right from the beginning of high school."
A very unladylike laugh escaped my lips. "I don't think that's my thing, Mel."
She hooked her arm in mine. So much for avoiding the glitter bomb. "Trust me, sweetie. It's your thing. Now, let's get those boys."
We tapped our heels over to where Ian and his crew were, my pulse quickening with each step. Melissa said to the table, "You know boys, this is a dance, not a sit around and do nothing party."
Ian looked over his shoulder and upon making eye contact with me, he stood. "Allie? Wow you look..."
"Different?" I filled in for him. Not sure why.
He shook his head. "Pretty."
I blushed. "Thanks."
Melissa released my arm and gave me a shove in Ian's direction. "Doesn't she though? You two should dance."
Ian grinned and I returned it with a smile of my own. He held his hand out to me. "Wanna?"
"Sure." I put my fingers in his palm and tried not to freak out about a boy—who wasn't Kyle—holding my hand for the first time.
A fast-paced Jennifer Lopez song was playing and we’d managed to get all of two steps onto the dance floor before Kyle bombarded us. "Hey guys. Having fun?"
I glared at him, but he pretended not to notice as he danced along with us, ruining any romantic moment that Ian and I might've had.
Melissa joined our circle. "Hi, Kyle." She smiled flirtatiously.
He gave her a chin dip. "Hey."
The song changed to, "I Turn to You," a slow ballad by Christina Aguilera. Ian stepped forward, his eyes locked on mine, but Kyle cut in between us just as I was sure Ian was going to grab me to dance. "Let's dance, Al." Kyle's hands found my hips and he dragged me away from Ian and Melissa before I could protest.
Over his shoulder, I saw Melissa and Ian dancing. I sighed and, resigning myself to reality, I put my hands on Kyle's shoulders while Christina sang about two people being strong for each other.
I sighed. "Kyle, what was that about?"
"What was what about?" He tried to play dumb, but I saw right through his rouse.
"I was trying to dance with Ian."
"Were you? Oh, I didn't realize."
I tilted my head and gave him an expression that said, yeah right. "What's the deal?"
He shrugged. "Just looking out for you."
We swayed side-to-side. "Would this have anything to do with my brothers?"
"Can't a guy just want to dance with his best friend?"
"Nope."
He sighed. "Or maybe I was trying to avoid having to dance with Melissa's dress brushing against me."
I pursed my lips. That seemed logical, but still... "Fine, but I want to dance with Ian next."
"You want to dance with Ian?" His brows furrowed.
"What do you have against Ian? I thought you two were friends."
"Yeah." He spun me around, unexpectedly, making me giggle. "Guess it's weird hearing you talk about Ian like you've got a crush on him."
"I don't have a crush on him." My vehement denial made it painfully obvious that I was lying.
"Sure..."
"Okay, fine. Maybe a little."
"Why?" He furrowed his brow.
I shrugged. "He's cute."
"That's it?" His eyes pierced mine.
"I guess we also have stuff in common."
"Like baseball?" he suggested.
I nodded. "For one."
"I don't think it'll work." He spun me again as Christina belted out the chorus.
I stopped swaying. "Why not?"
"Because he's a dumb jock."
"Wow, Kyle. Do you always speak so kindly about your friends behind their backs?"
"I just think you can do better than Ian Baxter."
I let go of his shoulders and stepped away. "Like who?"
He slipped his fingertips into his pockets. "I don't know." His refusal to meet my gaze told a different story.
"Yes, you do."
"Let's just drop it."
Fueled by frustration, I had a newfound sense of confidence. "Fine." I stomped straight up to Ian and Melissa. "Mind if I cut in? Mel, Kyle said he wants to dance with you."
She happily released Ian before embracing Kyle, covering him in pink glitter. Good.
Ian smiled as he reached for my hips, pulling me against him. We got in two eight counts before the song changed to something upbeat, but it had been the best few seconds of my night.
Kyle
9th Grade - September
"I just realized something," Allie said as we walked to our third period biology class. We'd scheduled as many classes together as we could that year and would only be apart for three periods.
"Care to share?"
"We're high school freshman."
I chuckled. "You're just realizing this?" School had started exactly one week earlier.
"No, jerk. I mean four years from today we'll be in college."
I smirked. "And one year from today, we'll be sophomores."
She elbowed me. "Not the same."
We took our seats—Allie in front of me, so we could pass notes back and forth—and the bell rang, but our teacher, Mr. Riley, wasn't there yet, which was strange because he was a stickler for punctuality.
Melissa, who sat in front of Allie, turned around. "Are you excited for our first practice this afternoon?"
Allie shrugged. "I guess
."
"You're really doing this?" I leaned forward and asked her, still in disbelief that she was officially a cheerleader.
She turned sideways in her seat. "Well, I made the team, so, yeah."
Melissa chimed in, "It's a squad."
Allie turned her head so only I could see her roll her eyes, "I made the squad."
When she'd told me she was going to try out, I was sure she'd been kidding, but then she actually had. After school the day before, they'd had uniform fittings. She'd met me at the ice rink afterward sporting the navy and gold micro-length pleated skirt and tight cropped top that showed off a sliver of skin on her midriff. No joke, two of the guys on my team had skated straight into each other because they'd been staring at her instead of paying attention. I couldn't blame them. My initial reaction to seeing her had been far from platonic. It was getting more difficult by the day to deny that I was developing feelings for Allie beyond friendship. She was beautiful, no doubt, but it wasn't only that. We'd spent a decade building our relationship and I couldn't imagine my life without her.
Ten minutes late, Mr. Riley arrived all disheveled and his skin was sallow. He dropped his briefcase, then perched himself on the edge of his desk in front of the class. "In a minute, Principal Hogan is going to come over the loudspeaker with a very important announcement."
What the hell? The whole class looked at me. I shrugged. It was news to me, too.
My mother's voice filled the room. "Students, this is Principal Hogan. It is with a very heavy heart that I must tell you not long before nine o'clock this morning, a plane crashed into one of the twin towers. A second plane crashed into the other tower shortly after." Her words shook, which was very unlike my mother, and my blood drained to my feet.
"Some of your parents will be picking you up early. If this is the case, a teacher will come and get you from your class for early dismissal. For the rest of the day, classes will be canceled, but school will be open. You'll remain with your current teacher and if your classroom does not have a television, you will be moved into one that does where we will be airing the news. This is a somber time for our nation and please know that you can speak openly with your teachers about how these events are making you feel."
A girl a row over from me was crying and I heard her mutter that her dad was a cop in Manhattan.
Mom cleared her throat. "I realize that several of you have parents who work in the city. Please know that our staff will be personally reaching out to every single one of your families. This may take some time as cellular service is limited, but we will keep you updated. It's okay to be scared. It's okay to cry. We will get through this together. God bless America."
I hadn't realized I was biting my lip until the metallic taste of blood hit my tongue. Allie turned and looked at me, but I couldn't meet her gaze for fear I'd lose control of my emotions. My father was a fireman in the Bronx and I knew in my gut that he'd be responding to the attacks. Allie reached across the desk and grabbed onto my hand, squeezing it tight. "He'll be fine," she whispered, reading my mind like she tended to do.
I couldn't even manage a nod.
Mr. Riley cleared his throat. "We're going to be sharing a classroom in the English department where there's a television, so pack up your things and we'll go down together."
No one said a word as we silently gathered our stuff. In the hallway, we passed other shuffling students, all of whom wore somber expressions, as well. We arrived at our destination and since there weren't enough desks, many of us took seats on the floor. Allie sat beside me on the tiles, clutching my hand as the news streamed live footage of the burning twin towers in downtown Manhattan. No one said a word. Several people cried. Many students held each other.
A knock at the door drew our attention just before it crept open. My mother was there. "Kyle?"
I stood up and Allie rose beside me.
"We've got to go."
My worst fear was confirmed: my father was responding. My mom would never leave the school in a crisis otherwise. I slung my backpack over my shoulder. Allie did the same. "I'm coming with you."
We both exited the classroom and Mom pulled us into a hug. "We've got to go pick up your brothers. Allie, I'll let your mom know you're with us. Did Tyler drive to school today?"
Allie nodded.
"All right, I'll have him dismissed. He can come to our house, too."
We followed Mom to the main office where she tasked someone with going to get my brother. Her cell phone rang and she ushered us into her office and closed the door as she pulled the antennae up and answered it.
"Brian," her voice was rich with emotion as she addressed my dad.
She took a steadying breath. "Of course...Yes...Be careful...I love you, too...Yes, here's Kyle." She handed me the phone.
"Dad?
"Hi, son." Sirens blared in the background.
"You're going."
"Yes, I am."
I blinked a few times.
"I have to."
"I know," I reassured him. He'd instilled in all of us the sense of duty and honor that accompanied his job in the New York City Fire Department (FDNY).
"It might be a while before I can call again. I don't know how long I'll be there."
I inhaled a shaky breath. "Okay."
"Take care of your mother and your brothers, son."
I squeezed my jaw tight to hold in the emotion. This could very well be the last conversation I ever have with my dad. I swallowed. "I will. I promise."
"I'm proud of you, Kyle." The truck's air horn blew.
"Thanks, Dad. Stay safe."
"I will. Give your mom a hug for me, okay?" For the first time in my life, I heard a hitch in his voice.
"Of course."
"I love you."
"Love you, too, Dad."
The silence after he hung up was painful. I handed my mom her phone and we headed outside then piled into the minivan. The middle school was a block away, so we didn't have to go far to get Dylan. Once he was in the car, I explained to him that our dad was going to the World Trade Center (WTC). He seemed to understand the gravity of that and we rode to the elementary school to pick up Jesse and Ryan in silence.
Ryan sat next to Allie and she kept her arm around him the whole ride home. While Jesse got that this was serious, Ryan was mostly confused. When Mom pulled into our driveway, Tyler was already there. Allie's mom worked at a nursing home in Connecticut so it was good that the he came to our house instead of going to his home alone.
In a daze, we all filed into the living room and I turned on the news. Tyler sat on the edge of one of the chairs and he leaned forward on his forearms, which balanced atop his legs. Dylan and Jesse sat together on one part of the sectional while Ryan and I sat on the other part with Allie between us. Ryan put his head on her shoulder and she stroked his blond hair with one hand while her other hand rested on my thigh. Mom went into the kitchen and called my grandparents in Ireland to let them know that our country was under attack and their son was there.
Seeing the towers burning was like something out of an apocalyptic movie. It didn't seem real. Sometime between my mom's announcement at school and when we'd gotten home, a third plane had hit the Pentagon. Words like terrorism and attack were being thrown around as the camera panned over the financial district. The twin towers were pillars of smoke and flame.
And then the unthinkable happened.
The reporter gasped in horror when one of the towers imploded and disappeared from the skyline in a matter of seconds. My hands went to my mouth and it was as though everything around me had ceased to be. I was hyper-aware of my accelerating heart rate and all I could think was, please, God, don't let my dad be there yet.
Allie's hand moved to my shoulder making me flinch. "He'll be okay, Kyle."
Tyler got up. "Come on boys, let's go make a snack." He led Ryan and Jesse into the kitchen, which was good because they didn't need to see what happened next.
Dylan stayed. "Is Dad...
?"
I shook my head and scooted over. Patting the empty spot beside me, I said, "No. Don't go there. We need to believe he's fine."
"He is fine," Allie emphasized.
Dylan sat down next to me. "Okay." A few tears trailed down his face, so I draped an arm over his shoulder.
The news switched to a camera on the street and it looked like a blizzard, which wasn't possible on such a perfect blue-sky day in September. People were coated in what appeared to be white powder as they sprinted down the streets, ducked into buildings, and vanished. Others who were injured and bleeding wandered about in a daze.
The camera switched again, this time it zoomed in on a crushed fire truck. Dylan cried out, "Dad!"
I bit my lip as I squeezed my eyes shut forcing the tears back. "It's not Dad's, bud." I held him tightly against me.
Mom came into the room. "Tyler said one of the towers exploded."
Her gaze fixed on the television and her mouth dropped open at the scene.
The reporter, who sounded like she was in utter shock, announced, "We've just gotten word that a fourth plane has crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. It is believed that this plane was heading toward Washington, D.C."
All my blood drained to my feet and I shivered with a chill. I kept my arm around Dylan and Allie kept hers around me.
Mom perched on the armrest next to Dylan. "Everything is going to be okay, boys."
I was certain she'd said it as much for herself as for our benefit.
We continued to watch in shock and I secretly hoped to catch a glimpse of my dad, but no such luck.
And then the second tower fell.
I got up and hugged my mom. Without me needing to ask, Allie scooted over to hold Dylan.
This had to be what it was like when the world came to an end. Helpless, we stared at the screen. Waiting. For what? I'm not sure, but we held out for any glimmer of good news.
