The plane landed onto the strip of La Guardia airport and Nick looked out the window to see the city skyline as a backdrop to the sunset. It was the perfect beginning to the wildest of stories. He smiled to himself when the thought of a new life ahead of him flew across his mind. The biggest of butterflies invaded his stomach as he walked off the plane and made his first step on land. He saw a figure in the distance and as he walked closer, he heard his name and felt a sense of comfort when he realized it was Frank. His best friend of eight years was waiting for him. Nick ran up and gave him a good old bear hug with the infamous Nick smile.
"Never gets old, eh?" Frank smirked.
"You should consider it a great honor", Nick responded with a laugh.
"I never said I didn't!" Frank laughed.
The boys made their way to Frank's bat mobile, he calls it. Nick never saw the point of having a car in the city but with Frank, he made an exception. Frank's a collector of anything vintage: books, ties, shoes, shirts, cars, etc. So when the black Mercedes-Benz 83' sports car made it's way into Nick's view, he wasn't disappointed. Frank made his occasional small of How are you's and what you been up to's but it didn't settle. They jumped into the car and drove off. Frank cranked the radio up to the tunes of Van Halen bursting from the speakers. Nick finally felt at home.
The boys made their way down the highway and into the city. The sun had finally set and the moon was high and gleaming like a spotlight down on the city of dreams. They turned on 14th avenue and parked into the only empty spot on the street.
"That, my friend, is how it's done." Frank smirked in response to his excellent park.
Frank got the bags from the back and Nick slowly opened the door as he gazed in awe at the diversity of Greenwich. He looked up and down the street for what seemed an eternity just sightseeing and people watching. He saw an old lady carrying groceries, a breakdancer on the sidewalk, a fashion designer carrying mannequins from store to store, and the occasional skater.
"Hey, tourist, you wanna hurry up here?" Frank yelled from the balcony of the 4th floor.
Nick looked up quick and just laughed. He made his way up the fire escape for an easier entrance and into the apartment. It was more like a studio. The floors were dark cherry wood with white pillars from the floor to the ceiling seperating the great room from the rest of place. The kitchen was a chef's kitchen complete with appliances and island with the infamous diner lights overhead. The door was a bar-like entrance that you lift up when entering. It was an elevator door. The room that was meant to be a bedroom was spilt with curtains of dark color purple for the illusion of two rooms. It worked. One part was Nick's and the other part was Frank's. Nick checked his out in comparision to Frank's and it seemed like a blank canvas waiting for a great masterpiece to be created. Frank's was mysterious with dark orange wallpaper and a twin size bed with dark sheets of blue. His great room's bookcases continued into his room with the immense number of books ranging from every genre. His walk-in closet was without a door but seemed big enough for Nick's stuff too. The walls were covered with posters of bands, writers, and comic characters. He had pictures of the city and friends and family. Nick noticed a picture of a majestic beauty. She had beautiful blonde hair paired with mysterious blue eyes. She had purple eyeliner with the smoky eye look he saw in magazines. He was barely smiling in the picture but it didn't matter to Nick. She was beautiful and he couldn't stop staring. He looked to see Frank turning on the small yellow vintage television and adjusting the attentaes on the television and he tooked this opportunity to swipe the picture from the wall and he folded it in and slid it into his inside blazer pocket.
He had high hopes and a distinct feeling he would be seeing this girl soon.
If he only knew how right he was.
Nick made his way into his part of the room and noticed the suitcases Frank placed there and just fell onto the bed. He looked up at the ceiling and noticed glow in the dark stars. Frank saw his look and before Nick could say something, Frank laughed, "This used to be my sister's place. I guessed she rather look at plastic stars then a blank ceiling." Nick understood and laughed along.
Nick made his way into the kitchen and grabbed a beer. Frank watched in amazement and started laughing. Nick gulped down some and then wipped his mouth and stared at Frank with a questionable look.
"I just never took you for a beer kind of guy!" Frank continue laughing.
"All you've got is orange juice and beer! I rather have this then pulp." Nick smirked.
"Touche." Frank laughed.
A honk from the street was heard and Frank made his way to the window suddenly.
"Be right down!" Frank yelled and a honk was returned in response. He smirked and looked at Nick.
"So, you ready to see what this city has to offer?" Frank asked excitedley as he grabbed a beer from the fridge and made his way toward the fire escape.
"I think the question should be is this city ready for me!" Nick yelled down as Frank reached the sidewalk and held the door open for Nick.
"A word to the wise, Nick. This city's always ready. It's your decison whether or not you are." Frank preached as Nick jumped into the van full of his old friends. With greetings of Hey's and Hello's, Nick finally felt welcomed into the big bad city. He made his way to a seat and felt the corner of the picture pinched his skin. He smiled at the thought of maybe placing his eyes on the mysterious beauty tonight, but who know's where the night will take him? New York, New York.