Chapter 2: Safety in Shadyside

One warm last Saturday of March 2019, I met my childhood friends Sarah, James, and Henri at their apartment in Shadyside, along with one of my other friends, Carly Shay and her parents, Sam and Freddie. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Sarah greeted back. "We are going to do something a little bit different today, guys," James told us. "What is that, James?" Mrs. Shay asked. "Since it is such a nice day outside today and we have coupons for Pizza Perfectta, how would you guys like to walk to Pizza Perfectta which is just down the road?" James asked. "I would love to do something like that, James," Sarah happily replied. "Me too," Carly agreed. "First, we need to remember some safety rules before we go," I told everyone. "Like, make sure the room is cleaned up before you leave the apartment so you do not trip over anything." "Always make sure that you have everything with you," James stated, "like your cell phone, keys, wallet, and coupons. And don't take anything unnecessary with you, either, like balls, so you do not have bad luck at juggling and kiling other people just like I did when I was a teenager." "Dress for the weather, if it is too hot or too cold," Sarah added. "Make sure that you eat a healthy lunch or snack before you go, like how we just ate cobb salad, banana bread, and orange juice," Henri chimed in. "Wait a minute, are you guys telling me you just ate lunch and you still want to go out for pizza?" I asked. "Sure, why not?" Henri asked, licking his lips. "What about when we walk down the street to Pizza Perfectta?" I asked. "Make sure you look both ways before you cross the street," Mrs. Shay stated. "Never, ever talk to strangers," Carly added, "like how I learned about that my freshman year of high school when I was meeting and going out with all new kids. I needed to know who to trust, and who not to trust." "Watch out for potholes and other obstacles in the road," Mr. Benson chimed in. We then walked to Pizza Perfectta and talked about all different kinds of things as we ate our pizza, such as the best restaurants to get pizza, our favorite music to listen to, our daily routines, and even the summer Ice Cream Intern that I was involved in with Sarah, James, and Henri. Pretty soon, it was time for me to leave. "Thanks for a great day, everyone!" I thanked my friends. "You're welcome, Angel," Sarah replied. "Bye, guys!" "Bye!"