Status: Completed.
Hang Me Up To Dry
Anybody Wanna Take Me Home?
After ten months of convincing my mom what I was doing wasn’t a mistake, here I was doubting myself. I was 900 miles from home, 200 more to get to where I was going.
It was August and I just crossed the border into Arizona and even though I had my air conditioning on full blast, I was still sweating bullets.
I was just a big town Texas girl setting out on my own to go to school in Arizona for a year and then I could be doing what I wanted to be doing with my life.
My GPS took me off of Interstate 10 to Highway 70 and although it was the scenic route, there wasn’t a gas station for a hundred miles. But I had enough to get me to that point. As it turns out, gas wasn’t my biggest worry.
Somewhere between Geronimo and Bylas, Arizona, my car overheated and there was no sign of life in sight and barely any passersby’s. I was leaning against my gray Volkswagen GTI sticking my hitchhiking thumb out for anyone that could possibly see and after a good hour of standing in the freezing cold (it was hot as blazes during the day and cold as hell during the night here) a dusty, black BMW pulled behind my car and a guy got out.
“You having trouble?” I could see the lit end of a cigarette carried by a silhouette approaching me.
“Yeah my car overheated.”
He laughed a familiar laugh then as he reached the dim lighting of my car, I could see it was none other than John O’Callaghan. I realized at this moment I was wearing a Maine T-shirt I’d gotten at their concert last year and I couldn’t have been more embarrassed. I’d rather be walking around in my bra. “Did you have your air conditioning on full blast?”
“Of course I did.”
“You’re not from around here are you?”
“How’d you guess?”
He shrugged. “Any Arizonian would know not to have their air conditioning on full blast on Highway 70. That’s just idiotic.” He blew out his smoke and threw his cigarette in the street as he took out his phone. “I’m calling a tow truck in the next town.”
“I have to be in Mesa tonight! I can’t stay in the next town!” He put his hand up to shush me as he talked to the vehicle personnel.
“What a coincidence. I’m going to Mesa as well. You got any place special you have to be?”
“My apartment.”
“You live in Mesa?”
“You could say that, yes.”
“So do I. I’ll give you a ride.”
“That’s very kind of you,” I said sourly.
He smiled and leaned against my car with me, but he was standing a few feet away. “So where are you from?”
“Texas.”
“Why are you here?”
“School.”
“Oh really? ASU?”
“No, the Conservatory of Recording Arts.”
“Interesting…” he said slowly. I didn’t want to mention how scared out of my mind I was to be here by myself.
Soon enough, the tow truck arrived and I got in his passenger seat as we followed it to the repair shop. “We’re going to have to work on it for the next three days,” the greasy repairman told me as I gave my car the death stare. I didn’t care that it wouldn’t do anything. “And it’ll be $300 to replace.”
“$300! I don’t have that kind of money right now!”
“Look, lady. There’s nothing I can do.”
Suddenly John came out of nowhere and gave the guy three bills. “Here, sir.”
The grease ball eyed both of us suspiciously then I looked at John as if I were confused, then he stuffed the bills into his pocket and gave me a receipt.
“You didn’t have to do that,” I said as we were walking back to his car, transferring my luggage.
“Ah, but I did. Otherwise you wouldn’t have a car.”
After driving for 10 minutes, I decided to break the silence. “Thank you. I owe you one.”
“Yes you do!” He laughed and rolled down his window and lit another cigarette. “So…you know who I am.”
It wasn’t a question. “Won’t all your little fans be disappointed when they find out you’re a smoker?”
“I could care less.” He took a drag and turned on some low music. “Were you disappointed?”
“Surprised. I wouldn’t have expected that out of you.”
He laughed. “So you went to one of our shows?”
“Actually, I’ve been to five. I know. Embarrassing.”
“Five? I would have remembered you.”
“No you wouldn’t. You see at least a thousand girls at each show.”
“Have you ever taken a picture with me?”
“No. I never stayed after shows.”
He was quiet until he finished his cigarette. “So let me see if I got this right. You’re from Texas…Austin?”
“Houston.”
“Houston. Okay. You’re from Houston and you want to become a recording engineer I’m guessing…And you’ve seen The Maine five times but never stayed after to meet me.”
“Nail on the head.” He laughed. “And why would I stay after to meet you? You’re not even my favorite.”
He grasped his chest. “Ouch! Damn she’s venomous!” I laughed and listened to the Third Eye Blind song that was on. “So who is…your favorite?”
“Kennedy.”
“Predictable.”
“Oh so if it wasn’t you, it had to be Kenny? Is there a line of succession or something?”
“Something like that,” he smiled and I saw distant lights of Mesa ahead of us. “So we’re having a show in Tempe in a couple of days. Do you think you’ll be able to go?”
“Do I get in for free?”
“Maybe. Maybe not.”
“Hmm. Then maybe. Maybe not.”
“Damn you are so frugal. First you make me pay for your car, now you want me to get you into a show for free!”
“I didn’t ask for that,” I said and chuckled. “But thanks, again.”
“No problem. I just so happened to have $300 sitting right here. So are you going to come? And stay after the show this time?”
“That depends on who’s asking.”
“Kennedy.”
“Well then of course I’ll stay after the show.” I paused. “I’ll see you there?”
“Wouldn’t miss it,” he said meaningfully. After a few moments of listening to music, he broke the silence. “So how old are you?”
“Turned 18 back in June. You?”
“I’m 21 for the moment. In three days I’ll be 22.”
“Old man.”
“Yeah, well, what can I say? I was born before you. Speaking of you, who are you? What’s your name?”
“Rianne. But you can call me Rianne.”
“Rianne? That’s unique. I don’t believe I’ve ever met anyone with that name.”
“Well now you have.”
We reached the city of Mesa and according to the directions on my phone, I told him how to get to my apartment. As we pulled up to the complex, he looked at me, stunned.
“Something wrong?” I asked before I unclicked the seat belt.
“No, no…it’s just that…I live in this complex. What’s your room?”
“128. Why?”
“I’m 129…” He said and we just stared at each other.
“Crazy,” I said and got out.
He helped me get my bags up the stairs and once everything was inside, he said, “So I’ll see you on my birthday? At the show?”
“Oh yeah…that…Yeah I don’t think I’m going to be able to go…” I started closing the door.
“But you said –”
I opened the door quickly. “Just kidding. I’ll be there.”
It was August and I just crossed the border into Arizona and even though I had my air conditioning on full blast, I was still sweating bullets.
I was just a big town Texas girl setting out on my own to go to school in Arizona for a year and then I could be doing what I wanted to be doing with my life.
My GPS took me off of Interstate 10 to Highway 70 and although it was the scenic route, there wasn’t a gas station for a hundred miles. But I had enough to get me to that point. As it turns out, gas wasn’t my biggest worry.
Somewhere between Geronimo and Bylas, Arizona, my car overheated and there was no sign of life in sight and barely any passersby’s. I was leaning against my gray Volkswagen GTI sticking my hitchhiking thumb out for anyone that could possibly see and after a good hour of standing in the freezing cold (it was hot as blazes during the day and cold as hell during the night here) a dusty, black BMW pulled behind my car and a guy got out.
“You having trouble?” I could see the lit end of a cigarette carried by a silhouette approaching me.
“Yeah my car overheated.”
He laughed a familiar laugh then as he reached the dim lighting of my car, I could see it was none other than John O’Callaghan. I realized at this moment I was wearing a Maine T-shirt I’d gotten at their concert last year and I couldn’t have been more embarrassed. I’d rather be walking around in my bra. “Did you have your air conditioning on full blast?”
“Of course I did.”
“You’re not from around here are you?”
“How’d you guess?”
He shrugged. “Any Arizonian would know not to have their air conditioning on full blast on Highway 70. That’s just idiotic.” He blew out his smoke and threw his cigarette in the street as he took out his phone. “I’m calling a tow truck in the next town.”
“I have to be in Mesa tonight! I can’t stay in the next town!” He put his hand up to shush me as he talked to the vehicle personnel.
“What a coincidence. I’m going to Mesa as well. You got any place special you have to be?”
“My apartment.”
“You live in Mesa?”
“You could say that, yes.”
“So do I. I’ll give you a ride.”
“That’s very kind of you,” I said sourly.
He smiled and leaned against my car with me, but he was standing a few feet away. “So where are you from?”
“Texas.”
“Why are you here?”
“School.”
“Oh really? ASU?”
“No, the Conservatory of Recording Arts.”
“Interesting…” he said slowly. I didn’t want to mention how scared out of my mind I was to be here by myself.
Soon enough, the tow truck arrived and I got in his passenger seat as we followed it to the repair shop. “We’re going to have to work on it for the next three days,” the greasy repairman told me as I gave my car the death stare. I didn’t care that it wouldn’t do anything. “And it’ll be $300 to replace.”
“$300! I don’t have that kind of money right now!”
“Look, lady. There’s nothing I can do.”
Suddenly John came out of nowhere and gave the guy three bills. “Here, sir.”
The grease ball eyed both of us suspiciously then I looked at John as if I were confused, then he stuffed the bills into his pocket and gave me a receipt.
“You didn’t have to do that,” I said as we were walking back to his car, transferring my luggage.
“Ah, but I did. Otherwise you wouldn’t have a car.”
After driving for 10 minutes, I decided to break the silence. “Thank you. I owe you one.”
“Yes you do!” He laughed and rolled down his window and lit another cigarette. “So…you know who I am.”
It wasn’t a question. “Won’t all your little fans be disappointed when they find out you’re a smoker?”
“I could care less.” He took a drag and turned on some low music. “Were you disappointed?”
“Surprised. I wouldn’t have expected that out of you.”
He laughed. “So you went to one of our shows?”
“Actually, I’ve been to five. I know. Embarrassing.”
“Five? I would have remembered you.”
“No you wouldn’t. You see at least a thousand girls at each show.”
“Have you ever taken a picture with me?”
“No. I never stayed after shows.”
He was quiet until he finished his cigarette. “So let me see if I got this right. You’re from Texas…Austin?”
“Houston.”
“Houston. Okay. You’re from Houston and you want to become a recording engineer I’m guessing…And you’ve seen The Maine five times but never stayed after to meet me.”
“Nail on the head.” He laughed. “And why would I stay after to meet you? You’re not even my favorite.”
He grasped his chest. “Ouch! Damn she’s venomous!” I laughed and listened to the Third Eye Blind song that was on. “So who is…your favorite?”
“Kennedy.”
“Predictable.”
“Oh so if it wasn’t you, it had to be Kenny? Is there a line of succession or something?”
“Something like that,” he smiled and I saw distant lights of Mesa ahead of us. “So we’re having a show in Tempe in a couple of days. Do you think you’ll be able to go?”
“Do I get in for free?”
“Maybe. Maybe not.”
“Hmm. Then maybe. Maybe not.”
“Damn you are so frugal. First you make me pay for your car, now you want me to get you into a show for free!”
“I didn’t ask for that,” I said and chuckled. “But thanks, again.”
“No problem. I just so happened to have $300 sitting right here. So are you going to come? And stay after the show this time?”
“That depends on who’s asking.”
“Kennedy.”
“Well then of course I’ll stay after the show.” I paused. “I’ll see you there?”
“Wouldn’t miss it,” he said meaningfully. After a few moments of listening to music, he broke the silence. “So how old are you?”
“Turned 18 back in June. You?”
“I’m 21 for the moment. In three days I’ll be 22.”
“Old man.”
“Yeah, well, what can I say? I was born before you. Speaking of you, who are you? What’s your name?”
“Rianne. But you can call me Rianne.”
“Rianne? That’s unique. I don’t believe I’ve ever met anyone with that name.”
“Well now you have.”
We reached the city of Mesa and according to the directions on my phone, I told him how to get to my apartment. As we pulled up to the complex, he looked at me, stunned.
“Something wrong?” I asked before I unclicked the seat belt.
“No, no…it’s just that…I live in this complex. What’s your room?”
“128. Why?”
“I’m 129…” He said and we just stared at each other.
“Crazy,” I said and got out.
He helped me get my bags up the stairs and once everything was inside, he said, “So I’ll see you on my birthday? At the show?”
“Oh yeah…that…Yeah I don’t think I’m going to be able to go…” I started closing the door.
“But you said –”
I opened the door quickly. “Just kidding. I’ll be there.”