Under Her Control (GxG)

Chapter 2 - New York City

Despite the New York field trip Sam and I took back in middle school, we definitely were not prepped to navigate the city. The first stop we got off at was at the World Trade Center. It was huge, modern, and made me feel like I was in some sort of sci-fi film. We probably ended up wandering around for about half an hour, walking around and following signs just to get out of the building alone. Finally, Sam was able to point us to the escalator after deciphering one of the maps on the wall.

"That... was... so cool!" Chelsea squeals, almost romanticizing the idea of us getting lost in the city. Once she steps on the elevator and gets a glimpse of the outside, she lets out a loud audible gasp. "Oh my god- this is so much better than the pictures."

Sam also seems pretty impressed, but she gestures for us to move along and follow her. "Let's try not to get robbed." She says, mostly to Chelsea, and nudges her shoulder. This causes Chelsea to snap out of her trance-like state.

"Alright, alright yeah! We should get moving anyway. Where did you two originally plan to shop?" Chelsea turns to look at Sam.

"Plan isn't quite how I'd describe our... plan. I think we aimed to go for more of a fuck it and find out approach," Sam looks up at the towering buildings, "Which, in retrospect was not the smartest idea, so I say we just head to an H&M! Apparently the one in Time Square is huge."

I nod in agreement, pulling out my phone to sneak a peek at the GPS. "Sounds good to me. Uh..." I scroll through the different travel options. "Okay, so it's like a twenty-five-minute walk though. Is that fine?"

There's a pause. A small moment of silence, as the three of us exchanged looks, knowing full and well it would end up being an hour or so since neither of us knew how to navigate the city.
"I'll book an Uber," Chelsea decides, breaking my train of thought. "Or maybe we should try out one of the city cabs!"

"About five cab drivers had already looked our way and tooted their horns at us in the short amount of time we've been there, so that's a hard no for me," Sam laughs. "Uber sounds good though! And you don't have to cover it, that's alright! I don't mind splitting."

"No, it's totally fine! You drove two hours to see us, and I don't mind treating my new roommate," Chelsea shakes her head. In an instant, I hear the dinging of the Apple Pay noise and a smile of achievement on Chelsea's face. "Plus I'm so excited to see Times Square. I've never been."

"Fine. Thanks, Chelsea! Just this once though, then we're treating you next time." Sam proclaims.

"Yes, and you'll get it when you least expect it," I add.

A black Toyota pulls up to the sidewalk shortly, and the driver looks up from his screen. The three of us are able to squeeze into the back and sit together. I end up getting stuck in the middle seat, sandwiched between the two.

Was the ride uncomfortable? Yes, absolutely, but the view of driving down Broadway made up for it. Seeing the fancy stone-marbled buildings with intricate architecture slowly dissolve into modern glass super-towers covered with posters and fluorescent advertisements was mind-blowing. The city had so much life to it, and it felt as if every street's story was being told through just my eyes. The sun had started to set, making the city even more beautiful. Music blares from speedy pedicab drivers, and street performers. Traffic built up along the way, and it gave us a few moments to just stare out the window before it was time to be dropped off.

A wave of tourists floods the sidewalks, barely even giving us any room to stand anywhere. I find myself nearly losing my balance and falling into the road, before feeling a tug from Sam.

"Gotcha." She lets out a sigh of relief. Her eyes dart from building to building.

It didn't take long for the city to go from breath-taking to overwhelming. People pushed their way through crowds, yelling echoed through the streets, and posters were being shoved into our faces at an alarming rate. Though we'd just been standing still for five minutes, the seconds began to drag. Chelsea was enjoying every second of it; I felt like I couldn't breathe. I was starting to lose control, as I felt some panic settle into my system. Sam's eyes meet mine. Her eyes alone felt so calming. As if I was looking at waves on a beach, I felt a sense of relief wash over me. Then, she took my hand and held it firmly, rubbing circles near my wrist with her thumbs. Soon, I feel Chelsea's eyes on me too, empathetic and apologetic.