the secret of us

it's nice to have a friend - t.k.

I've come to the conclusion that New York is both nothing and exactly like the movies. It just depends on what movie you're watching. Taxis don't stop when you hail them, people are generally grumpy and there truly are rats everywhere. It depends on whether the movie you watched romanticised the hell out of this city that never sleeps, or if you watched The Devil Wears Prada. If so: yes, it's not that far off for someone to get run over and have their dreams of going to Paris shattered. Maybe I'm being a bit pessimistic but so far I just haven't had a good experience. I imagine New York to be a scary place in general but it's even more overwhelming for someone who has lived in the Midwest most of their life.

It's on a Sunday, marking exactly two weeks since I've left Kansas City, when I finally have a breakthrough. I consider myself pretty fit but even I have a limit. So, needless to say, I always ride the elevator to the 13th floor where my apartment is. Generally, I've learnt that New York protocol is to not make conversation with the people in the elevator, but I can't help myself when I step inside and see a blonde guy wearing an Eagles shirt. Not only because it's my brother, Jason's, team, but because I've only seen Jets merchandise everywhere I go. "Go Birds, am I right?" I say with a grin.

To my surprise, a British accent leaves the man's mouth when he replies happily, "By default, yes. My girlfriend is from Pennsylvania so she got this for me."

I can tell just by the way his eyes sparkle when he mentions his girlfriend that this guy truly loves her. It's heartwarming to witness in such a notoriously cold city. I miss the conviviality of Missouri but this promotion was too good to pass up. A high school sports coach definitely earns more in New York than in KC.

"Nice, man. The Eagles aren't the team I normally root for but my brother plays for them," I reply, not trying to brag but still proud of Jason's incredible achievement. It was also a dream of mine to play for the NFL, and I was close to it, but I fucked up in college by getting caught with weed. I still feel a pang of disappointment if I think about it too much.

The stranger's jaw drops at the mention of my famous brother, which is nothing new in my life. "No way, mate! My girlfriend's going to be so jealous when she hears I was in the elevator with an Eagles associate. I'm probably gonna end up on the couch tonight."

I let out a loud laugh at that and say, "Hey, if it saves your back from a hard night's sleep, I'm sure I could ask Jason to sign some merch or something?"

Just as he's about to answer, the elevator dings and the doors open on the 10th floor. He replies as he steps out. "That would be amazing. My name is Joe and I'm at number 89 on this floor. Come visit sometime!"

The doors shut in front of his face before I can say anything back to Joe. I'm left feeling much lighter after our interaction, as mundane as it was. My standards aren't very high at the moment.

A week or so passes and I still haven't made the effort to see the blonde Brit again. My time is so limited now that I've started work at the new school and I'm still trying to figure out this huge city. My one co-worker - whose, funnily enough, surname is the same as my first name - has become a good friend to me and has helped me get the essentials, like furniture and whatnot. And there's this other teacher who was assigned to be my "buddy" - Taylor Swift, the English teacher. Not only is she drop-dead gorgeous, but she's also insanely witty and kind. She's really been helpful and has told me the important things like when to schedule meetings with Tree and that every staff member has to bring cake on their birthday, but she's also warned me to avoid small talk with certain chatty teachers, how to secure a good parking spot, and that there would probably come a day where I would end up taking a nap in my car during lunch.

If I'm being completely honest, I've developed a slight crush on her like a dumb teenage boy. I've been trying to gauge if she's taken or not but she's been quiet as a mouse about that aspect of her personal life. Fair enough; we hardly know each other and she's just there to show me the ropes. Our departments don't interact at all. So, I ensure to make the concerted effort to stroll past her classroom every now and then, catch up with her in the staff room and whatnot. Attraction aside, Taylor really is a fun person to be around.