We'll Settle Down
One
"Are you serious?" she laughed and perched down on the steps, letting her bag flop next to her. The sky overhead grey, cloudy. New York weather above a New York street. New York taxis driving past, being hailed by New York people. She shook her blonde New York head at him, eyes squeezed shut.
"Yes!" A dog pulled an old man down the sidewalk with frenzied determination. A woman cradled a baby in one arm and a Blackberry in the other, and amongst it all was a tall boy, still against the flow of the crowd. "We should get an apartment."
"Mike, you're crazy." She picked her bag up. Purse, book, mobile phone, train ticket. All she needed, all she had. She'd lived in Queens all her life, and just because she'd finished high school didn't mean they could instantly make a life in Manhattan. It didn't work like that.
"Em, you're boring," Mike chirped back. He'd dragged her out of bed - the morning after graduation - at an ungodly time, just to walk around the city. She didn't even know where they were. He kept looking for street signs and Subway entrances, but they kept strolling. "Don't you want to live like Sex and the City? I know you're a Carrie."
"You just want to be surrounded by cute guys all the time, admit it," Em said, and he laughed. He shoved her on the arm and she moved over on the dirty step, giving him room to sit down next to her.
"That was going to be my second reason," Mike chuckled softly. His eyes were dark but they always looked at Em with fondness. "So how about it, I think we could make it big."
She brushed her hair out of her face and smiled at the image of them running around Manhattan, clutching Dior bags and sipping expensive coffees. "As long as we can holiday in East Hampton." Em leant on his shoulder, and let herself dream.
She let Mike be the guide for their future. Em sat on the steps of a brownstone, and put all her faith in her friend. However temporary it was, at that moment it was an unbreakable strength she felt. They could be actors, or models living in the heart of the city, running between parties and drinking mojitos.
"It's a deal," he replied.
It didn't matter that they couldn't afford it. Heck, they probably would never be able to afford it. They both had a life of community college and minimum wage jobs ahead. They'd probably live in their respective houses all of their respective lives, but as long as they still had each other, they'd always have that apartment in Manhattan, no matter what anybody else said.
"Yes!" A dog pulled an old man down the sidewalk with frenzied determination. A woman cradled a baby in one arm and a Blackberry in the other, and amongst it all was a tall boy, still against the flow of the crowd. "We should get an apartment."
"Mike, you're crazy." She picked her bag up. Purse, book, mobile phone, train ticket. All she needed, all she had. She'd lived in Queens all her life, and just because she'd finished high school didn't mean they could instantly make a life in Manhattan. It didn't work like that.
"Em, you're boring," Mike chirped back. He'd dragged her out of bed - the morning after graduation - at an ungodly time, just to walk around the city. She didn't even know where they were. He kept looking for street signs and Subway entrances, but they kept strolling. "Don't you want to live like Sex and the City? I know you're a Carrie."
"You just want to be surrounded by cute guys all the time, admit it," Em said, and he laughed. He shoved her on the arm and she moved over on the dirty step, giving him room to sit down next to her.
"That was going to be my second reason," Mike chuckled softly. His eyes were dark but they always looked at Em with fondness. "So how about it, I think we could make it big."
She brushed her hair out of her face and smiled at the image of them running around Manhattan, clutching Dior bags and sipping expensive coffees. "As long as we can holiday in East Hampton." Em leant on his shoulder, and let herself dream.
She let Mike be the guide for their future. Em sat on the steps of a brownstone, and put all her faith in her friend. However temporary it was, at that moment it was an unbreakable strength she felt. They could be actors, or models living in the heart of the city, running between parties and drinking mojitos.
"It's a deal," he replied.
It didn't matter that they couldn't afford it. Heck, they probably would never be able to afford it. They both had a life of community college and minimum wage jobs ahead. They'd probably live in their respective houses all of their respective lives, but as long as they still had each other, they'd always have that apartment in Manhattan, no matter what anybody else said.