story11601.xml

story11601.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2005-07-08

It was just another day as a Junior at Alvin High School. I was walking with my best friend Shandi to my Geometry class, her class just just down the hall. I walked in hoping to have a few extra minutes to study for the quiz that Mrs. Hawkins said we were going to have that day. The bell rang and everyone took their seats. Almost instantly another toacher came in and asked to speak to my teacher in the hall. About ten minutes later she came back in and turned on the tv. The reception was rally bad and you couldnt really hear anything. After a few minutes of trying to make it work she gave up. Then a few teachers from the neighboring classrooms gathered in the hall and began to talk. None of the students knew what was going on and the teachers sometimes talked for a few minutes before class started so no one really thought anything of it. I remember thinking that it was weird that class was almost over and we hadnt done anything. My teacher never said anything to us about what had happend ad neither did the others. When I got into the hall Shandi came out and said that her mom had called her cell phone and it rang in the middle of class. Knowing that her mother would never call her at school unless something was wrong, she asked me to go to the bathroom with her so she could call her back. When she came out of the stall she told me that her mother was watching the news and that planes had hit the world trade centers. Frightened and shocked we hurried to our next class. By the time we got there the story had made it's way around. The teacher of my next class told us what all had happend. After everyone had had the chance to get to their classes the princepal came over the loud speaker and said what had happend. We still had two class periods to go to after the class we had just arrived in, but the princepal ordered us to stay in our third period class until further notice. We were not aloud to leave. We stayed in 3rd period for the rest of the day. Teachers and parents were frightened because Houston is so big and we are so close to the city, everyone thought Houston could be a target. They wouldnt even let us go outside. Parents began to arrive to take their kids home. I called my mom at work and she said that she was going to call the school and tell them that I had permission to drive home but I asked her not to. I didn't want to sit at home by mayself watching the nation under attack. At the moment I felt safer among my peers and teachers. The next few days teachers left their tv's on, listening for updates. They still did not like us going outside. I can't even begin to imagine what those poor people when through on this tragic day in history. My thoughts and prayers will forever be with the families of the victoms