The Golden Boys

the golden girls

[starting over by chris stapleton]

California, 1975

California, in the 70's was the place to be, a bustling city filled to the brim with people and the many attraction sites that come with it. But, for two small town catholic school girls, who live on the countryside outskirts, California was endless rows of crops and fresh air. No neighbors in a two mile radius. It sounded like a dream compared to the sleepless city life.

It was Sunday evening, right after dinner, and the girls were nestled in their childhood treehouse. Watching the stars from the windows, feeling the country breeze hit their face. This was a safe haven for the girls. A place to hide from all of their daily struggles of home life and expectations from the Church.

A safe place to watch the world pass by.

"What do you think it will be like for us in the future? Two girls coddled by the Church with absent parents and nothing to gain from it." Ivy suddenly turned to Adelaide breaking the silence. "Aren't you tired of this?" She said and stitched her eyebrows tightly together.

Adelaide rolled her eyes knowing exactly the conversation that was about to get down. Ivy wasn't wrong at any point of her argument, though. She was tired, but all she could do was let out a small laugh and a disapproving nod.

"Oh, come on, Adelaide! Aren't you tired of never being able to enjoy life like other teens our age?" She said in a very frustrated tone. "A chance to live our own adventure and for a small moment, act like nothing matters! No absent parents. No strict nuns telling you what to do."

Ivy was restless at this point, Adelaide could tell that this had been dwelling on her for some time. It made sense, though, Ivy wasn't a type of person to be kept in the same place for a long time. She was always reading books about far away lands filled with adventures.

Ivy had a map of the entire world and it was littered with destinations she wanted to visit. It didn't matter to her what was there, if it meant that she was out of her house, she wanted to go. So, around sophomore year, Ivy started saving her weekly allowance in a tin can for that big adventure she always wanted. Adelaide, secretly, did the same.

In Adelaide's eyes, Ivy could move mountains and do anything she ever wanted to do. She loved her for that. Adelaide was happy Ivy was her best friend and was able to share the same world with her brilliant ideas and plans.

Even if that world was limited to their dorm room at school or their old, but loved, tree house.

"Let's do it, Adelaide." Ivy spoke, pulling the raven out of her trance. "What?" Adelaide asked, confused. "Run away with me, Adelaide. Let's make this spring break the start of a new daring life!" Ivy said, grabbing onto Adelaide's arms firmly. Fire and determination shining in the short haired brunette. With a deep sigh, "If I said yes. Do you have a plan?" The ravenette asked.

Groaning with annoyance, Ivy retaliated, "No, but that is the whole point! We'll take a chance and take the Greyhound bus to wherever it stops to fill up gas!"

The raven haired teen looked to the side with her face painted with worry. "I don't know about this, Ivy. I want to, I really do, but-" Ivy cut her off speaking with fire and a hint of annoyance. "Who cares if this is a bad idea, Adelaide! It's not like anyone would really notice that we are gone for a while. The school is closed due to maintenance and our parents are working all the time. So, who really is going to care that we aren't here. Who is going to notice we aren't around? Who, honestly, cares about us?" Ivy took a heavy breath after letting her emotion run wild.

Adelaide took a moment to think about the words that came out of Ivy's mouth. The heavy truth that fueled each word.

Who did care if they were gone? Nobody, that's who.

"Well," Adelaide started with a heavy sigh before turning back to meet the questioning gaze of her companion. "Your parents are working all the time. And my dad will be off on a business trip for a week starting Monday. Plus, my mom will be going with him, again." She added pauses between each sentence for dramatic effect. After preparing the next sentence, a small mischievous smile makes its way onto Adelaide's face before, in almost a contagious manner, making its way to Ivy.

"So, that means-" Adelaide started, but Ivy, unintentionally, cutting Adelaide off with excitement and her smile growing with anticipation. "So, that means what?" Ivy questioned, shaking her smaller friend a little.

"The Pink Panther will be left unsupervised and I will be in possession of her keys." Adelaide stated, proudly, with a smirk now on her lips.

Ivy let go of her grip on her friend and started fist pumping the air with excitement and cheers. Adelaide just laughed and felt content seeing her friend in the state that she was in. Soon after letting a burst of cheers explode from her body, joining her friend. After a while of celebration, the girls calmed down and sat on their bean bag chairs, with content.

"Okay, okay." Adelaide said, calming the both of them down. "If we really want this to work, we, seriously, need a plan of action. Or at least an idea of where we are going."

Ivy's eyes widened and grabbed her backpack, pulling out a map that was littered with sticky notes and tabs. "Easy peasy, muchacha. I have our guide right here." She smiled, holding the item up.

"Well, that is a good starting point." Adelaide admitted.

So, the girls got to work on writing down destinations and sharing information about how much money they had aside. They sat there working for a while until they had a somewhat solid plan and time of take off for tomorrow's journey.

Before the girl's departed one another, they took a minute to fully process the situation that just occurred. The comforting silence filling the air, once again, as they stared out to the same sky of stars they have always seen. But, this time, the stars didn't seem so far out of reach as they once did.