What's Your Story?

“What was all that about?” Conner asked after they pulled out of the parking space.

“What was what all about?” Kylie asked innocently.

Conner gave her a look. “You know what I’m talking about. Why was Amber over and why were you two so buddy-buddy?”

“I was home alone and bored out of my mind. She came over unannounced and I was so bored that I would’ve spent time with anyone. She bought over Monopoly and we watched a movie, then ordered pizza. I actually had fun. She’s not that bad when she’s not fawning over you. She’s also looking after my place during our adventure.”

Conner stopped at a red light and turned to look at Kylie. “Get out of my car.”

“What?”

“Get out of my car,” Conner repeated seriously.

“What the hell, Conner?”

“You’re an alien and I’m not going to just sit here and wait for you to kill me. God dammit, why do they always come to New York?”

“Conner! Shut up and drive. I’m not an alien. It’s so close to the holidays that the holiday spirits must’ve melted my Scrooge heart.”

Conner gave Kylie a suspicious look but someone beeped their horn so he slowly moved forward.

“So you’re not an alien?” he asked quietly.

Kylie sighed and slowly shook her head. “No, Con, I swear I’m not an alien. God, you really need to lay off the alien and end of the world movies, they’re screwing with your brain.”

“Sorry ‘bout that.”

“It’s no problem, but you should still buy me dinner to make up for the hurt I have,” she said brightly.

“What are you in the mood for?”

“Chinese.”

“All right.”

Conner turned down the next street and drove to the nearest Chinese food place, the Chinese Buffet. They found a parking space near the back of the parking lot.

Inside, the restaurant was warm and bustling with activity. Customers were walking to and from the buffet, talking and laughing. Waiters and waitresses moved from table to table, setting up for the next group, cleaning up after the last, or checking on the current customers.

The hostess smiled at Kylie and Conner when the door closed behind them. She checked around the restaurant for a clean empty table then turned back to the two friends.

“Just the two of you?” she asked, moving her bangs from her face.

“Yes,” Conner replied.

“Right this way.”

The woman stepped out form behind her podium and led Kylie and Conner over to a small table next to the wall. She waited for them to be seated before saying, “Someone will be by momentarily,” and then she left.

“Oh, I love this place,” Kylie sighed, looking around the red room. A large golden dragon was beautifully painted, stretching across two walls, and numerous paper lanterns hung from the ceiling.

A man came over and got their drink orders, a cup of green tea for Kylie and a root beer for Conner, then he told them that the buffet wasn’t too crowded at that moment. Kylie eagerly got up and headed over with Conner following a few steps behind her.

Kylie picked up a large white plate which was still warm from being washed. She began to walk down the buffet, grabbing an egg roll on her way. She put a few boneless ribs on her plate along with a lot of plain white rice.

“Please tell me you’re getting something else,” Conner said when he reached the rice. His plate was almost filled with three types of chicken, a few ribs, some shrimp, and dumplings.

“I’m gonna get some noodles,” Kylie replied, continuing down to where three different kinds of noodles were. She chose the plainest kind, put a scoopful on her plate, and went to where jello squares were. She got two each of green and red. “Okay, I’m done.”

“Go back to the table, I’ll be right there.”

Kylie shrugged and happily went to the table. Their drinks were just being dropped off and once Kylie sat down she took a deep breath and smiled at all the scents on the table. By the time Conner came to the table five minutes later all of Kylie’s jello was gone and she was digging into her ribs.

“Jeez, you’re like a vacuum with Chinese,” Conner joked.

“Screw you,” Kylie shot back.

“I was only kidding, Ky,” he sighed. Conner didn’t know Kylie during high school so he wasn’t around for the worst part of her body issues and he still wasn’t completely used to not joking about food when around Kylie. “So,” he said, changing the subject, “what time did you want to leave tomorrow?”

“By eight-thirty. What gets first shower?”

“I’ll shower when we get home so you get it all to yourself in the morning. We can grab bagels or something for breakfast because I basically cleaned out my kitchen. Did you buy any food?”

“Of course. Oh, and we are not living off of junk food on this trip, once or twice a week is find but that is it.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Conner mock saluted Kylie and took a bite of his shrimp. “This stuff’s good.”
“This place has the best Chinese food. So guess who called me after we hung up this morning.”

“Who?”

“My mother, then I hung up on her and called Sierra to yell at her for telling Mom about the trip. When I turned my phone on after shutting it off to avoid being called I had about fifteen missed calls. Mom is pissed,” Kylie sang out gleefully.

“Why is she so mad?”

“Because I didn’t tell her about the trip, she heard about it from Sierra. Remind me to not get her a Christmas gift on the trip.”

“Why didn’t you tell your mom about the trip?”

“Because then she would freak out about me going on a trip with a boy and I’d have to listen to her complain about me missing Christmas and Thanksgiving. Why would I willingly do that to myself?”

Conner sat there thoughtfully, pushing food around his plate.

“What?” Kylie asked.

“I was just thinking. I’ve wanted to see your family again for a long time and your mom’s upset about you missing everything right?”

“Yes,” Kylie answered warily.

“Well, what if we stopped by there for Thanksgiving? By the time we finish with New York and Pennsylvania it’ll be next week and we’ll be heading through Jersey anyway.”

Kylie was already shaking her head and staring at Conner in horror. “No. No way in Hell, in any of the seven levels of Hell! No! There is no way we are seeing my family.”

“Okay, okay. It was only a suggestion.”

“A stupid suggestion,” Kylie practically spat. She glared at Conner who sat back a little. “In fact, I should slap you just for having that idea.”

A few patrons near their table turned to glance at Kylie and Conner. “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Conner said in a lowered voice. “There’s no need for violence.”

Kylie went back to her food and Conner took a sip of his drink.

“That’s two so far, plus you accusing me of being an alien,” Kylie said quietly.

“What?”

“That’s two fights we’ve been in so far and you accused me of being an alien.”

“What was the first fight?”

“Well it was more of a one-sided fight but you started it. On the ride to the mall you brought up my brothers and that you met Marianne in front of Amber.”

“So? You two are friends now.”

“For today, when she didn’t bother me. Who knows how I’ll feel when we come home. And you know how I feel about talking about my family. We haven’t even started the trip yet and I’m already angry with you.”

“Why are you so negative about everything?” Conner huffed.

“I’m only being realistic. I don’t want to spend the whole trip arguing with you. I think we should make a list of things we won’t discuss under any circumstances.”

“Will that make you happy?”

“Very.”

“All right, start thinking of things and when we get home make the list. Then we can go over it and figure out what will make this trip easier.”

Kylie nodded and as she finished her food she thought about what she wanted on the list.

They left the buffet twenty minutes after their discussion. The silence in the car on the ride home was filled with the banter of two radio show hosts. Conner parked in his usual parking spot when they came to the apartment.

Kylie grabbed the small overnight bag she had and her laptop bag. They went up to Conner’s apartment in silence.

When Conner opened the front door and let Kylie in she finally broke the silence.

“Wow, Con, I had no idea your apartment could actually look messy.”

The usually spotless apartment had clothes strewn everywhere, a suitcase and two duffle bags were opened and placed around the tiny dining room table. Editing tools were placed on the coffee table and the floor around it. Toiletries were on the couch and end table next to it. This was the messiest Kylie had ever seen the apartment.

“Um, yeah,” Conner mumbled, shutting and locking the door. “I just need to uh finish up here. You can watch TV or do whatever.”

“Okay.” Kylie sat on the empty couch cushion and moved some things on the coffee table until she found the remote. She flipped through the channels and stopped on the news. Kylie half listened to the stories, mostly depressing news, as she took a clean piece of paper out of one of Conner’s notebooks and began the list of things they weren’t allowed to discuss.

Kylie spent fifteen minutes on the list, occasionally commenting on the news and weather.

“Looks like we’re going to get a little rain tomorrow.”

“Mhm,” Conner grunted as he checked the weight of the suitcase.

“Okay,” Kylie said cheerfully as she held the paper up, “I finished the list.”

“Go on and read it.”

Kylie cleared her throat loudly and Conner rolled his eyes. “Things we are not allowed to discuss on the trip,” she read. “My family, Gilmore Girls because our arguments have gotten too intense in the last few months, we can’t debate authors, books are all right as long as they’re in the same category, no debating sports teams, just no debating controversial issues whatsoever. That’s all I have.”

“It took you twenty minutes to write all of that?”

“I had to pinpoint where most of our fights happened.”

“Fine, I’ll add some.”

“Okay,” Kylie picked up the pen again and held it poised over the paper. “Shoot.”

“You’re not allowed to complain about your weight at all.”

Kylie had been writing along with what Conner was saying but when he got to the word ‘weight’ her head shot up and she stopped writing.

“What?”

“You heard me. I love you to death, Ky, but I hate to hear you constantly putting yourself down. You’re beautiful the way you are so please stop complaining.”

“I didn’t know you felt that way,” Kylie said in a quiet voice.

“Ky,” Conner started.

“You know, maybe this list was a stupid idea.”

“No, it wasn’t. I think we’re just too used to arguing to change. Maybe we should work on that after the trip. Do you want to throw the list away?”

“No, I’ll keep it for when we get back.” Kylie placed the paper in the laptop bag and took out the laptop. “Where are we going tomorrow?”

Conner stared at his friend. Kylie was trying to look normal but Conner knew he had hurt Kylie’s feelings with his comment.

Kylie started up the laptop and went online. After everything was running she looked up at Conner.

“Conner, where are we going tomorrow?”

“I have the list on the table somewhere. I wrote in green.”

Kylie sighed and began to shift through the items that littered the table. It didn’t take her long to find the crumpled piece of paper that was hidden under a pencil case. Kylie read over the list of suggested places in New York.

“Let’s go to Lenox in Madison County,” she finally said.

Conner was packing up the items on the couch. He put them in the suitcase before talking to Kylie. “Why Lenox?”

Kylie shrugged. “I like the name. Hold on.”

Kylie put the paper down and went to Google. She searched for a map of New York and once that came up she looked for Lenox.

“Okay, it should take about four or five hours to get there. Then we can find a hotel, stay for two or three days, get some stories from there and neighboring towns, then head down south. What do you think?”

“Sounds like a plan. Are you going to put a message up everywhere or do I have to?”

“I’ll do it. I’m not telling them that we’re going to be there tomorrow or the day after, I want spontaneous stories.”

“Whatever.”

Conner continued to pack while Kylie updated her Myspace and the book’s website.

Kylie put that they would be in Lenox November seventeenth to either the eighteenth or the nineteenth. Underneath the date she posted a small bulletin:

During the dates posted above we will be in whichever city or town is posted. If you live in that city or town or somewhere nearby send me (Kylie) an email at kylie@kylieshett.com with the subject line saying: Appointment (enter city name) to set up an interview. For this interview you must have an interesting and worthwhile story to tell. I’m going to assume that if you’re reading this you’ve read at least one volume of the book so you should know what I’m looking for. If I agree to set up an interview with you I will send you an email back to confirm a time and place. Just a warning, please don’t be too late or I will leave. Also, my friend and editor Conner will be accompanying me throughout this trip so he will be around when I hear your stories.

Check back here often as we go down the East Coast and possibly close to your home. Once we come back up we’ll move up north to Maine and the states in between.

Thanks for reading and Conner and I will see some of you soon.

-Kylie Shett

Kylie posted that message on the book’s website and on her Myspace blog.

“Can I see what you wrote?” Conner asked, walking over.

“Go for it.”

Kylie handed him the laptop and began to flip through the channels while he read. She stopped on Friends and a minute later Conner gave her the laptop back.

“Looks good. I’m almost done packing so I guess I’ll shower now and just come back to everything.”

“Do you have any specific packing style?” Kylie asked.

“I don’t put too many heavy things in the same bag, that’s about it.”

“Then I’ll finish packing for you. It’s almost eight and I think tonight should be an early night so this’ll just make life easier. Go on, I promise not to pull any pranks.”

“You know, I wasn’t thinking about that but now I’ll be worrying about pranks until I check my suitcase.”

“Oh, just go shower.”

“Fine, but I get scared easily and I have a very loud yell. People in the hotel we’re staying at will think I’m being murdered when I scream.”

“Conner,” Kylie started but she was giggling.

“I’m going; I just thought you should have some fair warning.”

Conner picked up a few things and went down the short hallway to the bathroom. Kylie began to pack up the editing tools into the second duffle bag. After those were away and the coffee table was much cleaner, Kylie began to fold and neatly pack Conner’s clothes away. When Conner finished his shower and came into the living room with wet hair his apartment looked like it used to. Most of the surfaces were clear except for the area around the coffee table where his bags sat.

“I think I’m gonna turn in, do you have a blanket and pillow I can use?”

“Yes. Go get ready and I’ll bring them out. Are you sure you’re all right with the couch?”

“Con, I could live on your couch, it’s that comfy. Plus you know how much I prefer couches to beds.”

Kylie changed into her pajamas and brushed her teeth while Conner set up the couch for her.

That night they went to bed on good terms, who knew how long that could last.