4: The Loss of a Friend

Chapter 5: The Loss of a Friend

         Amanda tried to keep herself from tapping her shoe against the floor the whole train ride to Lafayette Park. It was one of the richest residential areas of the city, as well as the location of Sarah's apartment. She was sitting, squished between a young mother with a crying baby that smelled like he desperately needed a change, and a snoring, elderly man. 

             An artificial voice rang out from the compartment's speakers.

             "Now arriving at Lafayette Station" 

              Immediately, all the passengers rise from their seats and start shuffling towards the doors. Amanda hurries, squeezing through the crowd until she's free. She gallops down the street that she knows leads to Rainbow Residences, trying not to slip in any of the growing puddles on the sidewalk. Finally, she reaches the front entrance. After Charging through the door, she darts to the elevator and presses her thumb to the door scanner. After a few moments, the doors open and Amanda enters the elevator. She holds her finger over the number for the floor she needs to ascend to and attempts to calm herself.

             "Maybe Sheryl was just playing a practical joke on me," Amanda thinks. The woman did have a tendency to kid around. One time, when she and Sarah were eleven, she gave them what they thought were caramel apples, but were actually caramel onions. 

             Amanda smiled at the memory, then started to feel guilty about declining all of Sarah's calls ever since the college kicked her out. As terrible as it was to admit, she had blamed Sarah for her expulsion. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes. What if they had thrown Sarah out of the dome? Amanda would never get to apologize. What would she do if she never got to see her best friend again?

            The elevator ground to a halt and the doors slid open. Amanda walked to Sarah's apartment door and rang the bell. A few seconds pass and as She was just about to try ringing again, The door opened to reveal Sarah's parents

           "Amanda? what brings you here?"

           "I-uh. I mean, Sheryl told me that...that Sarah"

            At the mention of Sarah's name, both her parents' faces formed pained looks.

           "Maybe you should come inside," said Mr. Hwang

                                                               _________________________________

            "So she's really gone then," Amanda said while Staring blankly ahead. 

             Sarah's mother poured some more jasmine tea into Amanda's cup and sat down beside her husband.

             "We were in such a state of shock the first few days after they took her away," she said.

             "It didn't seem like it could be real, her being gone, and so suddenly. We didn't know how we could ever move on without our baby girl," murmured Sarah's father. 

              Both of the grieving parents' eyes were beginning to look glassy, and Amanda knew that if one of them started crying, she would cry too. 

             "I just don't understand What she did that was so wrong? I mean It isn't like she robbed anybody, or-or anything like that!" Spluttered Amanda. "All she did was try to share her beliefs with someone who was interested."

 

            "We knew when moved here that things would be much different than in Seoul. Began Mr. Hwang, staring down into his mug.

             "The rules here against talking publicly about your faith are incredibly strict," said Sarah's mother.

             Amanda didn't know how the two were being so calm about this. Right now, their daughter could be being chased by wolves or attacked by the scraps. 

             "But being kicked out of the Dome? That's the same punishment they give to murderers." hissed Amanda. She still couldn't believe how this had happened. 

            "Please, said Sarah's mother. We're trying to move past being angry. We just want to pick up the pieces and move on."

            Amanda realized that her coming here had probably reopened some wounds for the Hwangs. Staying here and listening to them talk like they were wouldn't help her get over losing her best friend. She stood up, said goodnight, and left the two parents to get over Sarah's loss on their own.