Whirlwind

32 - Part I

[Melanie]

"The New York way to eat a slice of pizza is by folding it in half while holding it by the crust. Come on, try it."

"Wait, what?" The muddled look on his face should have been captured on camera. Almost every detail about New York City and the east coast, that was all new to Lamarr, left him like this; either amused or confused. I assume that's how most people who relocated here and were trying to adjust felt at some point. It was a totally different scenery if you had never lived in a city with at least a million people inhabiting it, and it was a culture shock as well. The streets were busy, the people could be impolite, the rent was expensive, yet it was still everyone's fantasy but underneath a possible nightmare.

"Yep, that way you can walk through crowds of people while eating it and not have your toppings falling all over the place or your slice for that matter."

"Oh," he began as his lifted his piece of pepperoni pizza up and followed both simple steps. "So like this?"

"Mhm." I nodded, watching as he took a huge bite, leaving not even half in his hand.

Lamarr hadn't even noticed that we were currently weaving through groups of people on a hectic sidewalk that was only half of our trip back to campus, and he did it all while he had just learned one of the first of many New York City survival tactics. On top of that, he mastered it.

"Where I'm from we just take a bite and call it a day. You city folks are...different," he eased out making sure not to offend me. "You don't come off as a city girl though."

"That's because I'm not, exactly. I was born and raised in New Jersey, Montclair to be exact. It's about a forty minute drive from here."

"Yeah? My roommate Damien is from there. It's still more metro than where I'm from. How did you get here though?"

"How did you get here?" I pitched back slyly, raising my eyebrow as I glanced over at him with a smirk. He was questioning me yet his circumstances were a bit more out of the norm than mine. It wasn't that common to find people from North Carolina this far north, but it was a frequent for New Jersey residents to cross the bridge and mesh in as if they had lived here forever. "I actually spent most of my life admiring the city skyline that is a beauty from our side. I told myself when I got old enough to move away, whether for college of just to start life as an adult, I'd move to the city. It was just a dream of mine, so why not? Why keep staring at something so close and attainable, you know?"

"I definitely do," he mumbled, placing the rest of his pizza down. "I admired it on television and in magazines though. I have this aspiration to be one of the best rappers to ever touch a mic. A bit farfetched and typical for a nigga like me I guess, but I want it bad."

"You any good?" he shrugged modestly.

"I think I'm alright. I'm steadily working on my rhymes and making beats when I can, but this college life sucked me in."

"Tell me about it. Whenever you have free time use it wisely. I'm sure you'll blow up one day and maybe then I can come to one of your shows and support."

"You a rap fan?" From the tone in his voice I could tell his interest was piqued.

"Not the slightest, but I like you so I'll give it a chance."

"That would be appreciated. So tell me, if you're a Jersey girl then how do you know so much about New York?"

"Family. Many of my relatives reside over here and I spent many summers with them. It kind of helped me adjust before I actually made the choice to apply for universities this way and move."