Life As We Knew It

There is no school on May 20, and Miranda is happy that the electricity has come back on. She visits the Brandon Erlich fan site again, where a lot of people are asking if she has any news about him. His parents still live in town, as does Mrs. Daley, his former coach, but she has not heard anything. Matt also sends an email saying he is fine, and that he will arrive home on Wednesday, as scheduled. The president addresses the nation on May 21, and declares Monday a national day of mourning. He reiterates the fact that there are an untold number of people dead, and that floods and tsunamis are still wreaking havoc. He also urges people to prepare for the worst. After the president’s speech, each governor addresses the current state of affairs in their state. On May 22, Jonny asks if they can go to McDonalds. Not only does the family learn that the price of gas has risen even higher, they find that all the fast food places are closed, which is surreal to Miranda. They manage to find a local pizza store that’s still open and have to stand in a long line to get food.