there.
“Tropical storm Gaston has now been classified as Hurricane status , Category One. In Savannah we can expect flooding and lots of rain. The direction of the storm has changed. South Carolina residents in low-lying Charleston and Georgetown counties were urged to evacuate earlier today. This was a voluntary evacuation to move to higher grounds. But now residents are instructed to stay put in their homes or shelters and stay out of the storm. In the Charleston area several bridges are being closed to larger vehicles and trucks in anticipation of Hurricane Gaston making landfall between tonight and tomorrow evening….” The news reporter says.
There is a mixture of concern and relief among the crowd of students. I feel mostly relief. Relief that I know David is far away from the storms main path. Though it wouldn’t surprise me if there is at least a little rain where he is at.
The news is saying the same things over and over again so the three of us decide to go back upstairs. We linger on the stoop and I get some more shots of the blurry sheets of rain and hint of buildings and trees peeking through. And some shots of Dax and Emily’s figures blurred with the sheets of rain in detail by changing the depth of field and shudder speed settings.
“Hey you girls want to come over and watch a movie? I got a bootleg version of The Day After Tomorrow ?” Dax says.
“Totally. I love Jake Gyllenhall.” Says Emily a little too excitedly if you ask me.
“Pass for me. I have some more work to do.” I say.
“What? Come on Thea. All work and no play makes Thea a dull girl.” Says Emily.
“I know. Sorry. I’ll see you later though.” I say snapping more shots with my camera and walking to our room. At the same time being careful not to slip on the slick walkway. I unlock the room and go inside dropping my camera softly on the bed and plopping down next to it. The blinds are still open from earlier so I stare at the window for a little while.
The phone in our room rings and brings me out of my intense stare.
“Hello?” I say.
“Thea?” David says on the other end of the phone.
My heart skips a beat. “Hi David! I am glad you called. I miss you. Everything ok? When will you be back?” I say. I am about to ask another question along these same lines but he interrupts.
“Thea. I need to talk to you.” He says.
“Ok.” I say back staying silent so he can talk.
“Thea. I am not coming back.” He says.
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“I’m not coming back to school. So this was a sort of goodbye call.” He says.
I stay quiet for a few minutes not sure I am understanding what he is saying.
“So what happened? You can tell me what’s going on.” I say.
“My funds aren’t going through. And I am not going back to school. It’s that simple.” David says calmly. “I am glad we met Thea. I am glad we are friends. Good friends.”
“Yes . Friends.” I say remembering that was what I told him I had wanted before.
“We’re friends so we can stay in touch if you want.” He says.
I stay quiet not sure what I want to say right now.
“Ok. Well….Goodbye Thea.” He says.
All I manage to say back is, “Goodbye David.”
He hangs up the phone so I hang up the phone. I sit still on my bed very confused by what just happened. Things were so good between us. But I guess that is how it is between friends. I mean that is what we were right? That is what I said I wanted to be to him on more than one occasion.
After sitting there for a good twenty minutes I try to get back into working on school stuff, but I can’t concentrate. I decide to march over to David and Dax’s room. Dax must not have told me everything. By the way he was acting it was like he knew something was up. He must have talked to David about all this.
C arefully on slick floors I march to Dax’s room and knock aggressively on the door.
“Hey.” Dax says smiling a little when he opens the door.
“Can I come in?” I
“Tropical storm Gaston has now been classified as Hurricane status , Category One. In Savannah we can expect flooding and lots of rain. The direction of the storm has changed. South Carolina residents in low-lying Charleston and Georgetown counties were urged to evacuate earlier today. This was a voluntary evacuation to move to higher grounds. But now residents are instructed to stay put in their homes or shelters and stay out of the storm. In the Charleston area several bridges are being closed to larger vehicles and trucks in anticipation of Hurricane Gaston making landfall between tonight and tomorrow evening….” The news reporter says.
There is a mixture of concern and relief among the crowd of students. I feel mostly relief. Relief that I know David is far away from the storms main path. Though it wouldn’t surprise me if there is at least a little rain where he is at.
The news is saying the same things over and over again so the three of us decide to go back upstairs. We linger on the stoop and I get some more shots of the blurry sheets of rain and hint of buildings and trees peeking through. And some shots of Dax and Emily’s figures blurred with the sheets of rain in detail by changing the depth of field and shudder speed settings.
“Hey you girls want to come over and watch a movie? I got a bootleg version of The Day After Tomorrow ?” Dax says.
“Totally. I love Jake Gyllenhall.” Says Emily a little too excitedly if you ask me.
“Pass for me. I have some more work to do.” I say.
“What? Come on Thea. All work and no play makes Thea a dull girl.” Says Emily.
“I know. Sorry. I’ll see you later though.” I say snapping more shots with my camera and walking to our room. At the same time being careful not to slip on the slick walkway. I unlock the room and go inside dropping my camera softly on the bed and plopping down next to it. The blinds are still open from earlier so I stare at the window for a little while.
The phone in our room rings and brings me out of my intense stare.
“Hello?” I say.
“Thea?” David says on the other end of the phone.
My heart skips a beat. “Hi David! I am glad you called. I miss you. Everything ok? When will you be back?” I say. I am about to ask another question along these same lines but he interrupts.
“Thea. I need to talk to you.” He says.
“Ok.” I say back staying silent so he can talk.
“Thea. I am not coming back.” He says.
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“I’m not coming back to school. So this was a sort of goodbye call.” He says.
I stay quiet for a few minutes not sure I am understanding what he is saying.
“So what happened? You can tell me what’s going on.” I say.
“My funds aren’t going through. And I am not going back to school. It’s that simple.” David says calmly. “I am glad we met Thea. I am glad we are friends. Good friends.”
“Yes . Friends.” I say remembering that was what I told him I had wanted before.
“We’re friends so we can stay in touch if you want.” He says.
I stay quiet not sure what I want to say right now.
“Ok. Well….Goodbye Thea.” He says.
All I manage to say back is, “Goodbye David.”
He hangs up the phone so I hang up the phone. I sit still on my bed very confused by what just happened. Things were so good between us. But I guess that is how it is between friends. I mean that is what we were right? That is what I said I wanted to be to him on more than one occasion.
After sitting there for a good twenty minutes I try to get back into working on school stuff, but I can’t concentrate. I decide to march over to David and Dax’s room. Dax must not have told me everything. By the way he was acting it was like he knew something was up. He must have talked to David about all this.
C arefully on slick floors I march to Dax’s room and knock aggressively on the door.
“Hey.” Dax says smiling a little when he opens the door.
“Can I come in?” I
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