It was a Tuesday morning. I sat in bed, gazing at the clock. I watched time tick by, stopping only to occasionally blink.

This was it, I thought. I had reached rock bottom.

The truth is, there were numerous things I could be doing outside. Summer ended in eleven days. Usually, I would wake up each morning, go for a jog, come back to eat breakfast, then visit a friend or run errands. Today was different. I had no motivation to do anything. My heart felt heavy. I felt as though I had lost control of any and all bodily movements. I lay in bed, and I watched time tick by.

I had awoken at 8 o'clock. Approximately 59 minutes had elapsed since I opened my eyes. I knew not how long it would be before I could feel any motivation to get up. As it was, sorrow had completely mesmerized my body. There was no way that I would be able to complete any tasks, given the sub-par mood I was in. I could hardly ruminate on what was bothering me; that is how empty and down I felt. I tightly shut my eyes. I replayed the story in my mind.

We met at a party. It was my senior year at Syracuse; they were a junior. I had promised myself that I would refrain from drinking at any party until I was of age. That sounds lame; I know. However, I had maintained mainly As with the occasional B for all four years. It appeared that my abstinence from drinking led to my stellar performance throughout college. Thus, I could think of no better way to reward myself for my efforts than drinking with my friends at a party for my 21st birthday. It was fun, and quite memorable despite the fact that drinking causes you to forget a lot of what went on. Though, I did feel slightly awkward. I was attending my first college party in my second semester of senior year. Here was a crowd that I was not used to. I had arrived with four friends at about 9 o'clock. By 9:02, I was alone.

My friends had found other people that they were already acquainted with, yet they didn't seem to have the courtesy to introduce me to these acquaintances of theirs. I sighed, realizing I had been abandoned. I made my way over to the nearest keg and poured myself a drink. I stood there alone for much of the night, looking on at the fun others were having amongst themselves. Although I was hoping that my grades had reflected my efforts and my alcohol abstinence, a small part of me wished that I had come to parties more often. Maybe then I wouldn't be standing here on my own.

"Hey there, lonesome," a stranger said, "why aren't you with anyone?"

I gazed at this attractive stranger. The stranger had a drink in hand, an endearing smile upon their face, and genuine, inquistive eyes.

"My friends abandoned me," I responded. I looked down. This stranger probably thought I was pathetic.

"Well, parties are for meeting new people," said the stranger. I gazed back up at this kind stranger. Their smile hadn't faded.

My night took a turn for the better after meeting this stranger. They introduced themselves, introduced me to their group of friends, and I soon wanted to get to know this stranger better. I did. We went out to eat on a few occasions. Things gradually became serious. We began going on dates. We began taking a liking to one another. We decided we should begin a relationship together. The rest is history. I had spent two long year, invested in a harmonious relationship with a kind, giving soul who had introduced themselves to me at a party. Then, hardships came upon us. Recently, this kind, giving soul had been contending with a lot. I did all I could to love them harder, offer my advice, and help them through this series of trials and tribulations. The love and attention I had given them went unappreciated. They felt that I wasn't doing enough for them. Our story ended.

Here I am now. I lie in bed. It is 9:01. I am awake. I am broken. The phone rings. The nuisance of the ringing initially does not supply me with enough energy to answer the phone. I let the phone ring a few times. Suddenly, I regain control of my body. I sit up, and lean to my left. I grab the phone. I hold the receiver to my left ear. I say nothing.

"Hello?" A familiar voice speaks over the line. I feel nothing.

"Hello," I respond. I blink once. I wait for the familiar voice to respond.

"I'm on a plane," the familiar voice says. They take a quivering breath. "I'm on a plane, and it's been hijacked. I don't know where they're taking us. Someone was apparently stabbed in business class. I'm okay, but I'm very scared. Like I said, I don't know where they're taking us. I don't know if this is the end for me." The voice paused.

"But I just want you to know that... if this is the end. If I die... if I, if I don't make out of here alive. I just... want you to know that I still-"

Then there was silence. I waited a moment to hear what the familiar voice would say next. What I heard instead was the dial tone.