The Best Part of Hello [sample]

10

dedicated to the lovely mdyolo_livelaughlove because her comment was sweet, and it made me smile.

Chapter Ten

2 DAYS EARLIER:

"IN OTHER NEWS, headline weather reports state that the storm that overtook Italy's capital for the past week has left mass destruction in its wake. Emergency services have been swamped with calls from citizens and tourists alike, all stuck in the storm. The death toll is currently at twelve people, four of those being children. Considering these events, Italy's government has reached out in hope for aid..."

It's the same story, repeated on the news again and again and again. We've been on the coach for all of half an hour and the radio crackles with the same report each time. Somehow Mrs. Scott's has managed to gain some cell reception from somewhere despite most of the major towers being down, and is now keeping us updated from reports from CBS and Fox News which apparently our class is all over.

"We're famous," Damon says from the seat behind me. He is sitting with Evan, who hasn't spoken a word the entire journey until now.

"We're not famous Damon," he snaps at his friend, "shut up."

Sophie peers her head over the seats and gives Evan a nasty look. "No need to throw your toys out of the pram just because Damon's excited about something after the shitty week we've had."

Evan narrows his eyes at her. "You didn't hear me asking for your opinion anywhere in there, did you?"

Sophie rolls her eyes and Damon raises an eyebrow. "That's enough, Evan."

Sophie, monumentally pissed, turns back around and grunts. I reach over and squeeze her hand. "Ignore him," I say loud enough for Evan to hear. "He's a particular ass when he's hungry."

Sophie giggles and turns to peer out of the window. The chaos and destruction that has been left behind are astronomical. Roofs have been torn off houses and buildings, cars are stacked on top of each other, pieces of wood and metal are sticking up from stacks of rubble. The more I look the worse I see.

"It's so awful," Sophie murmurs as she fiddles with a piece of loose string from her sweater. "We are lucky to be alive."

"I don't even know how we are," I agree numbly, my eyes diverting from the wreckage and instead to the geometrically patterned seat in front of me, particularly ugly but better than looking at the devastation out of the window.

"Fate," Damon intervenes from behind again, "or luck, but either way don't sit and question it. Karma isn't what you want right now."

We drive past what looks like a school. Most of the left side of it has been crushed by a broken building from behind and a wall of flowers beside the gate flutter in the wind with pictures of missing or dead children. I can't tell. The cold, chilling shiver that cascades down my back puts me on edge and my heart stings.

"Those kids, imagine how scared they must have been," Sophie shakes her shoulders as the same feeling runs through her as well. "There is bound to be more deaths, but where do you even start looking?" she's barely audible, her voice void of happiness. I don't want to think about it, I can't. It's too much. It's not fair, and it's definitely not right. I turn in my seat and look through the peephole. I watch Evan look down to his wrist where a threaded bracelet his sister Chelsea gave him rests, and I know he is worried about her. My brother Cameron and Evan's sister are in the same class and are actually friends despite their older siblings. I think about my brother, and his bright blonde hair and I can't wait to be home even more. I need that little boy like I need air. I just haven't realized how much until now.