Tragedy in Buffalo
Chapter 2.
“Good news: I’m very happy with your report card. I’m very impressed,” said Casey’s dad. They were on there way to Oaken Shaw Charter School to drop Casey off. Casey smiled to her self. She hasn’t even seen her report card. She never knew it came. Her father said she got a 92. something or other.
“Bad news is,” Casey’s dad started. There was a silence. It wasn’t long, but there was one.
“A plane crashed around here last night.”
Casey tightened her grip around the DVD’s she was hand sitting on her lap that she was holding on to for her English teacher to borrow.
“I am never flying again. I was afraid of flying before… but I would actually go on the plane. Now, I’m terrified.”
“Oh, Casey.”
People never believe me. They don’t understand about the thing’s I’m afraid of. One of these days I’m gonna snap.”
Casey’s father rambled on and on about the plane crash. Then her father directed something at her.
“You know something that I know you’d love to hear?” he said sarcastically.
“What?” Casey replied.
“Where that plane landed was six miles away from the airport. We live six miles away from the air port and planes are flying over our house all the time.”
Casey blinked and curled her lips in. She nodded slowly.
“That’s a good one. I’m totally in love with that fact. I can’t believe I never thought of that. Wow, you’re a genius at making me feel better,” she said sarcastically back.
“I knew you’d like that one,” her dad replied.
“Oh yeah, totally.”
Soon they reached school. Casey got out of the small sliver Saturn and threw her messenger bag over her shoulder.
“Be careful in the lot. It’s icy,” Her dad warned.
“I know,” Casey replied as her foot slipped a little bit. She closed the car door and slid her feet across the thin layer of ice. She walked through the doors into the cafeteria and sat down at a table with her friends. She mentioned the plane crash and was surprised that they haven’t even heard about it yet.
The bell rang. All the students rushed out of the cafeteria doors to their lockers then to their home room. Casey put her stuff in her locker and went to the biology room where her home room was. She sat down with her book bag and her DVD’s and said nothing.
The other girls in the room started talking about some boy or whatever. Something stupid, that’s for sure. They were interrupted by the ninth grade homeroom teacher.
“Did you hear about the plane crash in Clarence?” Mr. Banks asked. Casey’s eyes grew wide and she looked at her teacher.
“Clarence street?!” a girl asked in shock. Casey shook her head. Yeah, Clarence street, because none of you woke up or felt the ground shake when it hit.
“No. Clarence. The little town place where all the rich people live. Sort of like the suburbs,” Mr. Banks replied.
“I did,” Casey spoke up, “And I’m never flying again.”
No one heard the last part. The ignorant freshmen spoke over her. Mr. Banks walked by her desk a few seconds later.
“I heard about the crash,” Casey said, “I was already afraid of flying. This really didn’t help.”
“Okay,” Mr. Banks said, “It’s not about you, it’s about the situation.”
He walked away before Casey could explain anything. She frowned. One day. Not today. One day.
The school day went on. After lunch, in latin, the class got off topic and started talking about the plane crash and how all 48 passengers and one other person were killed.
“It happened at ten-fifteen,” one girl said.
“No, it happened at ten-thirty,” a boy replied.
“On the radio they said ten-fifteen.”
“Well that radio station is jacked up because the news said ten-thirty.”
“The radio station’s jacked up? What’s jacked up is your mind. You heard wrong it was at ten-fifteen.”
“My mind is jacked up? Really? Because I’m not the one listening to a freaking jacked up radio station. Ten-fifteen, yeah sure. No it crashed at ten-thirty.”
Casey sighed. Oi.
“It was ten-fifteen!”
“Ten-thirty!”
“Ten-fifteen!”
“Ten- Th-“
“SHUT UP,” Casey yelled. The room was quiet. “Why does it matter what time it was at? The point is, is that the plane crashed and 50 people are dead! Arguing about it doesn’t change the facts! For all we know it happened at ten-twenty-five! God, sure there are times when you can argue whose right and whose wrong but over something like this it shouldn’t matter! If you’re going to argue about something, argue over the fact that we need to find a way to improve these planes so people stop dying so horrifically! Act like you’re in High school!”
Casey sighed and looked down. The room was quiet and a few people started whispering. Casey could hear them, they were all agreeing with her. The bell rang and everyone packed up their things and left.
“Bad news is,” Casey’s dad started. There was a silence. It wasn’t long, but there was one.
“A plane crashed around here last night.”
Casey tightened her grip around the DVD’s she was hand sitting on her lap that she was holding on to for her English teacher to borrow.
“I am never flying again. I was afraid of flying before… but I would actually go on the plane. Now, I’m terrified.”
“Oh, Casey.”
People never believe me. They don’t understand about the thing’s I’m afraid of. One of these days I’m gonna snap.”
Casey’s father rambled on and on about the plane crash. Then her father directed something at her.
“You know something that I know you’d love to hear?” he said sarcastically.
“What?” Casey replied.
“Where that plane landed was six miles away from the airport. We live six miles away from the air port and planes are flying over our house all the time.”
Casey blinked and curled her lips in. She nodded slowly.
“That’s a good one. I’m totally in love with that fact. I can’t believe I never thought of that. Wow, you’re a genius at making me feel better,” she said sarcastically back.
“I knew you’d like that one,” her dad replied.
“Oh yeah, totally.”
Soon they reached school. Casey got out of the small sliver Saturn and threw her messenger bag over her shoulder.
“Be careful in the lot. It’s icy,” Her dad warned.
“I know,” Casey replied as her foot slipped a little bit. She closed the car door and slid her feet across the thin layer of ice. She walked through the doors into the cafeteria and sat down at a table with her friends. She mentioned the plane crash and was surprised that they haven’t even heard about it yet.
The bell rang. All the students rushed out of the cafeteria doors to their lockers then to their home room. Casey put her stuff in her locker and went to the biology room where her home room was. She sat down with her book bag and her DVD’s and said nothing.
The other girls in the room started talking about some boy or whatever. Something stupid, that’s for sure. They were interrupted by the ninth grade homeroom teacher.
“Did you hear about the plane crash in Clarence?” Mr. Banks asked. Casey’s eyes grew wide and she looked at her teacher.
“Clarence street?!” a girl asked in shock. Casey shook her head. Yeah, Clarence street, because none of you woke up or felt the ground shake when it hit.
“No. Clarence. The little town place where all the rich people live. Sort of like the suburbs,” Mr. Banks replied.
“I did,” Casey spoke up, “And I’m never flying again.”
No one heard the last part. The ignorant freshmen spoke over her. Mr. Banks walked by her desk a few seconds later.
“I heard about the crash,” Casey said, “I was already afraid of flying. This really didn’t help.”
“Okay,” Mr. Banks said, “It’s not about you, it’s about the situation.”
He walked away before Casey could explain anything. She frowned. One day. Not today. One day.
The school day went on. After lunch, in latin, the class got off topic and started talking about the plane crash and how all 48 passengers and one other person were killed.
“It happened at ten-fifteen,” one girl said.
“No, it happened at ten-thirty,” a boy replied.
“On the radio they said ten-fifteen.”
“Well that radio station is jacked up because the news said ten-thirty.”
“The radio station’s jacked up? What’s jacked up is your mind. You heard wrong it was at ten-fifteen.”
“My mind is jacked up? Really? Because I’m not the one listening to a freaking jacked up radio station. Ten-fifteen, yeah sure. No it crashed at ten-thirty.”
Casey sighed. Oi.
“It was ten-fifteen!”
“Ten-thirty!”
“Ten-fifteen!”
“Ten- Th-“
“SHUT UP,” Casey yelled. The room was quiet. “Why does it matter what time it was at? The point is, is that the plane crashed and 50 people are dead! Arguing about it doesn’t change the facts! For all we know it happened at ten-twenty-five! God, sure there are times when you can argue whose right and whose wrong but over something like this it shouldn’t matter! If you’re going to argue about something, argue over the fact that we need to find a way to improve these planes so people stop dying so horrifically! Act like you’re in High school!”
Casey sighed and looked down. The room was quiet and a few people started whispering. Casey could hear them, they were all agreeing with her. The bell rang and everyone packed up their things and left.