9/11~ through the eyes of a 6th grader

it was the first few days of 6th grade and i was so excited to be back. i saw all of my friends and we chatted about what we did with our summer. it was a day just like any other, but then we had an assembly. i didnt think this was unusual, and i dont remember walking there or fumbling with seating trying to sit next to my best friends like i always did. i dont remember how they broke the news to us but i do remember sitting there being really confused.

how do you explain to a 6th grader that someone has just purposely flew into 2 buildings trying to kill as many as they can?

i didnt know that the world trade centers and the twin towers were the same thing, so i thought 2 buildings were hit, which ended up to be the truth. but then we heard about the pentagon. i just couldnt fathom why anyone would want to do this. i hadnt really heard of terrorists before, so i was trying to absorb everything, not understanding the whole concept of it. now if you ask a 4th grader what a terrorist is they would know right away, which is actually really sad. i remember just sitting there in total shock. i looked to my right and saw a girl stumbling up the aisle bawling. i just assumed, as i do to this day, that she knew someone who works in new york or dc. we resumed classes but every tv was on in the school. in our classes we just watched the buildings burn and fall, over and over again.
i dont think i will ever forget the shock on everyones faces, no matter how young i was

Cailin