Beyond the Tragedy

💋Sabrina💋

One week after

"I need to turn on the blender. Why don't you go and watch Television?" Sabrina's mother said with a reassuring nod of the head. Sabrina felt silly but knew that what would happen if she stayed in the kitchen. 

The psychological effects suffered by Sabrina were evident on the first night home, when the Wu family had to disconnect the home phone from the wall because she froze in place and had trouble breathing every time the shrill ring would emerge from the device. Such was the case with clanging dishes, the neighbors lawnmower and even the doorbell. 

Sabrina's parents had been very supportive in the aftermath of the tragedy, undoubtedly thankful that their own child was not murdered. On the second night, Sabrina saw her mother doing the dishes with red dish detergent which prompted a horrific vision in her mind of Red the janitor mopping up blood. After ten solid minutes of screaming they had called a therapist to schedule an appointment immediately. 

Sabrina went into the living room and turned the TV on to PBS kids, the only channel that Sabrina could watch without worries of sudden loud noises or traumatic content. Sabrina faintly heard the sound of the blender in the kitchen and turned the volume up two notches before making a pillow sandwich out of her head. 

This really is pathetic. How long will I be like this?

After a few minutes, when she was sure that the blender would be off and away, she sat back up and lowered the volume. Her mother did not ask her back in the kitchen to help as she normally had, before last week.

Just as the theme song to a show about talking trains began, Sabrina heard three slow and dull knocks on the front door. Her heartbeat sped up as she stared at the door. 

Who was there? Did she have to open it? What if it's the shooter? They said he's dead, that the SWAT team took him out but what if...? 

"Can I help you?" A man was saying. No, not any man. Her father. Where had her father been and when did he answer the door? 

"Oh, hello. I'm looking for...well, is Sabrina here? I mean, does she live here? Is this her house?" A nervous, familiar voice came from the other side of the door. Sabrina smiled slightly, all of her previous inhibitions fading away. 

"Who are you?" Her father asked, his brow furrowing. 

Sabrina was at the door before anything more could be said. There, standing on her front porch was Sebastian. Only, he didn't look the same. 

The cool guy in skinny jeans and a leather jacket had seemingly been replaced by a skinny kid with a super man t-shirt and thick framed glasses. 

"Father" Sabrina gently ushered her father away from the door. "This is my friend, Sebastian. May we have a moment to talk? Just on the porch?" She tried her best to plead with him using her eyes. 

Her father looked back and forth between Sabrina and Sebastian before giving a puzzled nod and walking hesitantly away to the kitchen, certainly to share this new and shocking development with her mother.

Sabrina walked out onto the porch and shut the door softly. "Hi." She said softly, looking at him. 

"Hey." He replied, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly in a smile before dropping again. 

"I see that you've changed your style." Sabrina said, hoping she didn't sound judgmental. She didn't know what had prompted him to change his look but she was glad that he was being true to himself. 

"Yeah" He said easily "well, more like changing back. I uh, kinda lost myself for a while but after...y'know I just couldn't do it anymore." A short and uncomfortable silence fell on them before he continued. "Paige left. Her mom came for her and they went home. I think she was a big reason that I changed in the first place." 

Sabrina nodded in understanding. She had met Paige and had seen what she was like. Sabrina had even been like that once. Pining for perfection and acceptance from everyone, trying to control everyone around her. She had lost friends and her ex boyfriend Peter this way. 

Truthfully, she had not thought of Peter since the day after the shooting when she saw him and his father on the front page of the paper, their reuniting photo going viral. But even then, it was a feeling of detached relief she felt. She was glad he was okay but she was over him. 

And, she knew as she looked at Sebastian, totally moving on. 

"So...how did you find out where I lived?" 

Sebastian blushed fiercely and chuckled nervously before answering. "I asked Rachel Rolder. I saw her in the hospital when I was visiting a friend." 

Sabrina felt herself blush at the realization that Sebastian must like her too. She looked at his long slender fingers, the seemingly soft skin of his hands begging to be touched. She glanced at his gelled back hair, parted to the side, and at the smattering of acne on his forehead. 

Simply put, he was adorable. 

"I really came over to ask you...well, you've heard about...about Red, right?" 

"Yeah." Sabrina swallowed the lump in her throat. All of the names of the deceased victims had been released. Both Red and the secretary, Ms. Boatworth were among them.  At least they could be together in death. 

"Well, his funeral is tomorrow and I'm gonna go. I figured...y'know..."

Sabrina did know and she told him so. The two made plans to attend together. 

"Okay, well, I should probably get home." He said but stayed right where he was. 

"Would you...I mean, you don't have to but we're about to eat dinner, if you'd like...to join us?"

A smile broke out onto Sebastian's face and he nodded "I would love to." 

"Great." Sabrina breathed and went to open the door.

  It wouldn't be easy to overcome their experiences but perhaps together, they could manage.