In A Time And Place

Chapter 1

               The paintings were positively vibrant with color. I crossed my arms as I eyed one. My best friend, Tina, came to my side, leaving the boyfriend I had hooked her up with not long ago with the rest of the class.

               “Alison? You like this?” She asked. I smiled.

               “I like it better than the rest of the ones here. It’s colorful.”

               Tina sighed. “I suppose. But, you can’t find any bad paintings in Times Square!” She patted my shoulder and went back to the group. I looked back at the beautiful bright greens and blues of the piece. Times Square. Difficult to believe that the last high school trip I’ll ever have, is to Times Square. I walked on and looked at another painting.

               “Alison! Don’t go far.” The teacher said to me. I nodded and continued to look at the portrait. If this was my last field trip, I’d have to do everything to make it memorable. But, visiting museums, going to lectures and things like that, didn’t strike a chord in me. I sighed and started back to the group. When I turned, they were gone.

Oh no.

I ran over in my casual apparel to the location the entire class had just been standing in. Jerks.

               They tell, me, not to go too far. Or at least the teacher did. This was the second day I was in the city and already I was having problems as big as losing the entire class. I went back to the main hall and didn’t see them anywhere. I ran back and went down another hall, then another. No way. This place was a maze. Maybe if I just go to the main desk? Or…wait here? I felt like everyone around me knew I was lost. They saw me as…an idiot.

               I awkwardly stood beside the painting I liked. People looked at me and all I could do was smile and hang my head. I leaned on the wall. Unbelievable! I checked my cell phone. Already 20 minutes passed. I would text Tina but she forgot her cell at the apartment we were all staying at.

The time I had to myself gave me a few moments to look around some more. The building I was in was in itself a masterpiece. The stone was an ivory color with a bit of a sunset orange mixed in. I could stay here longer but, after another 10 minutes I leaned up. I couldn’t stay forever. I walked back to the front desk and bent over the counter to talk to the secretary.

               “Hi. If the class comes back here, the one that checked in earlier, looking for me, could you tell them I went back to the hotel?” I smiled. The middle aged classy woman returned my expression.

               “What’s your name?”

               “Alison Marie Bennett.” I said slowly. She nodded and I walked to the front door hearing my flip flops make their sounds in the silent lobby. I opened a door and the soothing weather greeted my bare arms and legs. I was wearing a dark blue tank top and had on white shorts and flip flops. I don’t intend to darken my creamy skin, so I walked down the steps of the art museum and joined the impossible crowded sidewalk.

               I knew what our apartment building looked like, but, I have to admit, I have no idea where I’m going. Right now, I was pretty much going with the easier direction of the tide of people. And that was right of the museum.

               Manhattan was a dirty place. Dirty people, dirty buildings. Everything, dirty. Sure, some things looked, acceptable, but others, creepy. I was approaching a curb and beyond it was a red light and a walkway. If I hurried, I could just make it. I tried not to push anybody, but I hit a couple of people. My medium length, straight, dark brown hair found its way into my face and I had to stop a second to put it behind my ears.