Distance

Chapter one: New York New York

CHAPTER 1: NEW YORK NEW YORK 

I love New York.  That’s the only way I can put it, no other word is strong enough to describe the feeling I have towards this place other than love.  I love the way the skyscrapers tower over me making me feel small.  I love the way you can get lost in the streets.  I love how there are always people out and about.  I love the feeling of being a part of something.

I would marry New York if I could.

I don’t live there or anything, much to my chagrin.  Nope I’m stuck living in the suburbs outside of it, but today was one of those lucky days where I got to visit. 

I was there with my family, and my friends Chloe and Kristie.  We were planning on seeing the play “Wicked” after dinner at Mars 2012.  The food at the Mars restaurant wasn’t particularly fantastic, but the atmosphere was great and we always had a fun time.  At the moment we had just parked and were on our way to the restaurant, walking on the sidewalk.  As we walked I observed all the people we passed, offering a small smile at each of them.  Though most were typical New Yorkers, walking with a purpose, heads slightly hunched over, and didn’t acknowledge me I was never fazed.

           

I observed as a man in a grey suit with his cap pulled down over his eyes brushed past me, then as a woman in an old fashioned dress and slight heels leisurely passed.  She was one of the few who returned my smiles.  It continued on like this, until Chloe brought me out of my people-watching.

“Ohhhhh!” she squealed.  “I’m so excited! I can believe we’re here!  It’s been such a stressful week I mean my teachers must have like a death wish for me or something with all this work, I mean there were a couple of times I wanted to go all avada kadavra on their asses.  Well, not avada kadavra maybe like imperius so then I could make them not give me homework, you know?  But, you get what I mean it’s just like-“  She continued on for quite a while, but I tuned her out.  Chloe was definitely a talker, and didn’t really care whether anyone was listening.

I glanced over at my other friend Kristie and we shared a smirk.  It was always amusing to watch Chloe rant, she always went wild with the hand gestures greatly resembling a marionette with someone jerking its strings. 

“Here we are guys!” my Dad exclaimed jovially, interrupting Chloe, “at Mars.”  He sounded so excited you would have thought we were astronauts ready to land on the actual planet.  My Dad loved this restaurant.   After about a minute wait an employee led us over to the fake spaceship ride. 

Lights flashed all around as we prepared for “take-off” A captains voice came out over the speakers and suddenly the floor started quaking beneath us simulating flight.  My family and I smiled at each other.  The ride might be a bit cheesy, but we loved it all the same in a kind of nostalgic way.

Within a minute it was over and we were told to exit the “ship” and escorted to our table by a “Martian.” As soon as we were seated Chloe began speaking.  Ofcourse.

“I flippin LOVE this restaurant, ahhh but I don’t know what I’m going to order I mean there are SO MANY options its like im having an internal battle with myself.  Like should I get the mac’ n cheese or like some kind of sandwich? Seriously this is stressing me out! What if I make the wrong choice and then I hate my food.  Then again I could never hate food I love it too much…”  At this point I took this lapse in her speaking to get a word in.