Ten years later, I get on a plane to finally go back to America. I thought I should just take a visit. A flight attendant comes over with a shaky voice, and says “This is going to sound so strange, but you saved my life.” I don’t understand, I tell her. “You left a message saying thank you.” she implies. No way! I remember her!! She was the Security Guard at the Immigration Services, that always looked at my phone case, and my favorite pink headphones. I thanked her that day In the city when I met Daniel. I thanked her because if she didn’t check my stuff, I wouldn’t have meet Daniel, or seen any of the crazy things I saw that day. “I remember you, and my name is Natasha!”I claim! A young man in 7A peers over his seat, and says “Natasha!” It’s Daniel!

On the rooftop, Daniel and I answer more love questions, talk about love, look into each other’s eyes, and the cheesiest stuff. Daniel goes to his interview a little late, and I hope the best for him. When I was waiting for him, all I kept thinking about was my family, and the deportation. It’s really hard keeping your hopes low, I always wonder how my mom does it. Daniel comes out the door, and I ask “What happened?” I imagined the worst, like he got into another fight. But, he tells me he loves me. “I love you” he says. It doesn’t matter if you say it back. I just want you to know it.” He tells me I can’t stay here. I’m so confused, is the building closing? He closes his eyes, and starts crying. His interview is my lawyer. He saw my file, and all my dads information. Oh God, this can’t be. Attorney couldn’t get the order overturned, but he said he could do it! I didn’t understand why this was happening, but I had a voicemail from his office. I couldn’t answer it right now. Daniel, and I continued our love questions on the subway back to my house. My final subway ride. It’s strange being in my neighborhood with Daniel. We get to my apartment, and open the door to my family. There is luggage everywhere. As Daniel sees my family, he watches me talk to my dad about his American dream, and how he can’t live in a fairy tale play anymore. We are getting deported in a couple hours, and I will miss America, almost as much as Daniel. We just met today, but he already met my family. We took a separate taxi from my parents to the airport, and held hands the whole ride. Before I boarded the plane, an “I love you,” came out of my mouth. I really fell in love with him today. After all, it was meant to be.

I get on the subway, and see a flash mob dressed in bright disco suits. I take a few pictures on my phone, and think Only in New York. As I’m on my way to Daniels store, I see a girl standing on a crate playing the violin. I give her a dollar, and study her face. As I walk into Daniel’s family store, the bells chime, and Charlie, his brother is at the counter. I ask for Daniel’s phone number, and get hits me with jokes like, “Are you attracted to Korean boys or something?” Suddenly, I then realize what Charlie’s problem is with Daniel. Daniel is more comfortable, and confident in his own skin than he will ever be. My phone rings, and it’s Daniel. I ask where he was, and he was back at my lawyers office. Wow, maybe he did care. At the same time we both apologize and forget. I finally find him on a bench, and he is bruised all over. Turns out, he got into a fight with Charlie before I even got there. I tell Daniel about my goods news, the possibility of me staying in America. He then tells me that his College interview is also at the building of my interview. We head up to the rooftop till his interview, and I realize how the city looks different from up here. You can see the sky, clouds, and not just walls of concrete.

I’m back in the Attorney’s office, and follow the Secretary to his door. He has a small bandage above his head , and another around his wrist. I tell the Attorney everything about my father, and all his mess ups, regrets, and mistakes. Finally, he says something. “Let me go see a judge friend of mine.” He checks his watch, and tells me it will be a couple of hours. All I can think about is that poem I read in ela, Hope is the thing with feathers. My mom always keeps her hopes low, because you always get disappointed. I mean, she’s right anything can go wrong, at any time. I check my phone, and its Bev (My best friend) and she says that she is absolutely loving the Colleges in California. I decide to call my ex boyfriend, Rob. I’m not sure why, but sometimes you need to talk to the people you hate, for the ones you love. I ask “Why did you cheat on me?” He tells me that he just couldn’t choose between me, and another girl. One more question, I say. “Do you believe in true love?” I just wanted to know what he had to say. “No. You know me better than that. You don’t believe in it either.” he reminds me. But, some part of me wanted to prove him wrong. Rob is right I don’t believe in true love, but i might want too.

As we are on the way back for my appointment, Daniel is sitting so close to me, even when the train is moving us apart. Somehow we stay so close. All I can think about is tonight, and my possible chance for getting deported. I don’t mean to show him that I’m mad at the thought, but I just am. He shouts “We are mean to be.” Why does he keep saying that? Finally, I tell him I’m an undocumented immigrant that is being deported tonight, so there is no way we are meant to be. He seems angry, but it’s like he hasn’t even processed the words. Usually fighting in public annoys me, but the only thing that I notice is Daniel. It’s my fault that things went so far with us, and getting his hopes up. “I postponed my appointment because of you.” Daniel shouts. “Wait, how is this my fault?” I exclaim! Daniel and I continue on, and on about a pointless argument, about me not telling him my personal life, when I just met him hours ago! I could not believe how this was my fault. I got so angry I finally walked off, and decided it was time to let go. Instead, I decided to go to my favorite place. Daniel was not going to stop me from going to my favorite museum in New York City. A few minutes later, I’m in my favorite section where all the stars shine, and I feel all the space rocks, and think about fate. This is where I would of taken Daniel.

We walk into Daniel’s favorite Korean restaurant, and right away he tells me how much he loves it here. I tell him I’ll eat whatever he tells me to, because I have no idea what any of this food is! Daniel taps on the bell to call the waitress over, and right away she brings us our food. I don’t know how to use chopsticks, so I ask if she has any forks. She answered with a snappy “Teach girlfriend how to use chopsticks,” she says to Daniel, and then walks away. I laugh and shake my head. The waitress returns, and this time she brings soup, and two uncooked eggs. It was really good! It was actually delicious. After we finished, Daniel tells me that there is this karaoke room right across from the restaurant called the Norebang. We walk into the room, and it’s only really meant for 6-8 people at the most. Daniel jumps on the stage, and starts to sing a song. He is really good, and I can’t help but laugh. Once he’s done, I give him credit, and hop on the stage myself. I sing “Fell on Black days” its a pretty depressing, but good song. I mean, I love it. I’m really bad at singing, and I think Daniel figured that out by now.

I head down to the lobby, and I start to look around. I’m expecting to see Daniel, and had a feeling he didn’t just leave like that. He seemed like he liked me a lot, but maybe I was wrong. I look around, and then see his face. It’s Daniel! I can’t believe he’s here. I smile, but ask why are you here? Don’t you have an interview? “I postponed it so I could spend more time with you.” Is he crazy? We just met today, and he moved his College interview just for me!! “I have to come back at three-thirty” I tell him, with an excited face he invites me to come give something to his dad. He warns me, but I love meeting family’s. He now looks anxious, and doesn’t look sure about the idea anymore. His family’s store is all the way in Harlem where it looks like a totally different country. His family owns a black hair care for beauty supplies. As we are standing by his family’s store Daniel looks so nervous that he’s vibrating. “So, my dad really-” He stops and starts again. Maybe he’s just really embarrassed of his family, I mean everyone is. Or, maybe he’s embarrassed to introduce me, or ashamed of me. The bells chime as soon as we open the door, and I see his father immediately. He is busy ringing up a costumer, and his older brother comes up from an aisle, and starts making rude jokes about Daniel. I wasn’t really sure what to do, it was a pretty awkward situation. Daniel finally gave the pouch to his father that his mother sent him to do. Daniel took my hand, and flew out the door angry with all of Charlie’s rude jokes.

We walk up to the building where my appointment is. “I can wait for you out here,” Daniel says. I tell him that this is the part where we say goodbye. I have an appointment, and he has an interview later. He answers with a “I should go.” Not sure why, but inside I felt surprised that he was leaving, and maybe even disappointed. Why am I thinking about a romance with a boy I just met? I think about him through security, in the elevator, and down the long hallway, until I enter the office. As I approach the Secretary, she gives a sad, but small smile. “I have some bad news” she says. My stomach turns and suddenly I get really nervous. She said that the Attorney I’m suppose to see got in a car accident this morning from a BMW. I fill out all of the paperwork, and the office phone gets a ring. She answers it quickly, and has concern in her voice, when she says “Oh my God. Jeremy. Are you all right?” She is obviously so in love with him, and I wondered if they could be having an affair? If I correctly heard their conversation on the phone, he has a wife. She ends the call, and lets me know he’s all right. She said she had good news for me, and explains how she’s seen many cases like mine, and that she thinks I’ll be okay. I leave the office, and thank her for the help. I think of Daniel. How I should of been nicer, or even gotten his phone number.

I finally ask Daniel why he’s wearing that bright tie, with his whole fancy suit. He answers right away, with a “I applied to Yale.” Apparently, he also has an interview, but with an alum. I wonder if he’s nervous, but he claims he doesn’t even care about how it goes. His parents want him to be a doctor, because they are “first-generation Korean Immigrants.” I wasn’t sure what he meant, but he simply said it didn’t matter what he wanted to be, he is going to Yale to become a doctor. He asked what I wanted to be. I told him that I wanted to be a data scientist. It’s not something I’ve always wanted to do, it’s that sort of thing that I took a test online about it, and that’s what fits my personality the best. ”So its not something your not passionate about?” Daniel says. I shrug, and say its not worth spending your whole life doing something your meh at, when you can be great at something else that fits you. As we are walking, the Universe stops, and waits for us, and we definitely just had a moment!!! Our eyes met, and there was something here, that there wasn’t before. He held out his hand for me to grab, but I couldn’t, I just couldn’t. I just met him, and tonight I’m most likely getting deported, I might as well start the goodbye now so its easier.

“I’m heading uptown to my appointment and your tagging along with me.” I say. We walk down each block quietly, and Daniel starts with a question from that stupid article. The question starts with “Would you like to be famous and how?” He said he’d like to be a poet. Of course he does, I say in my head. I check the distance to Attorney Fitzgerald’s office (My lawyer), and he is already onto the next question. He guides me off to the side so that we aren’t blocking people, and I suddenly notice how brown, and beautiful his eyes are in the sunlight. He folds his sweatshirt and puts it into my backpack. His shirt is crisp white and the red tie stands out more than before. I wonder if Jamaican boys wear the same. My mood turns somber at the thought. I don’t want new friends, a new education, new school, new house, new cliques, and new hangouts. I feel like I’m about to drown in the deep end of a pool, I tell him. I tell Daniel, I simply can’t swim, and he is concerned at the thought. “But your Jamaican. You grew up surrounded by water.” he says. He offers to teach me how to swim. “That ship has sailed.” I say. New York only has pools, and chlorine is gross. The dark blue ocean here is nothing compared to the clear bright blue water in Jamaica.