I didn't tell my Aunt about the call from Tulsa because I didn't know
what to say. My bags were packed and safely tucked under my bed, ready for
my midnight departure, by the time Aunt Kate came to check on me.
"Is everything alright, Mattie?" She asked, concerned.
"Yes, why would you ask that?" I didn't look at her; instead I pretended to be very animatedly involved in searching for a record to play in the stack on the dresser.
"I thought your mind was on something else when you ran upstairs without even saying goodbye to Meagan." She was on to me.
"Oh! Is she still down there? I'll go-" but she put up her hand to silence me.
"She left about 5 minutes ago. You can talk to her tomorrow."
I turned around and shuffled through the drawer of my desk, hoping that she would leave.
"Well, if nothing's wrong, why don't you come down and eat your dinner."
"I can't eat a thing, Meagan and I had a huge lunch. Her mom makes enough food for an army." I wasn't lying then; her mom does make a ton of food, and really good food while I'm on the subject.
"Oh," She nodded, but I knew she could see right through my lies, "I'll be downstairs, just tell me if you get hungry."
"I will." I said as she stepped into the hallway.
I don't know how I feel asleep and I also don't know just what startled me from my slumber. Surely it was either the bitter-cold draft or the yelling coming from the room down the hall. Even though the darkness of the night pressed down on my eyes, I felt fully awake.
I wandered slowly out of my bedroom, creeping softly down the dark hallway, although I was sure they couldn't here me over the racket they were making. Their shadows danced mysteriously in the crack under the door. Every word was muffled; I cautiously pressed my ear to the door, attempting to catch whatever they were fighting over. I must have been really brain- dead because I heard him coming towards the door, but I didn't move.
The door swung open, and there I was. He looked at me in a drunken stupor, as if he was trying to figure out who I was. My heart was caught in my throat and I was very aware of the large fists dangling at his sides. Even though he glared at me menacingly for a moment, he continued down the hall, pushing me out of his way and onto the floor. I didn't get up. No, I wasn't hurt, but I was shaking all over. Somehow I wished that he had hit me, so that way I could cry and not look like a coward. The whole house shook as the front door slammed and his truck was fired up.
Aunt Kate helped me up, her eyes were red. I wasn't cold, she put a blanket around my shoulders. I wasn't thirsty, she poured me hot tea. I wasn't tired, she sent me to bed. As soon as her bedroom light was off I gathered my things and climbed out of my window. Growing up in Tulsa, I wasn't a tree-climber, that night wasn't an exception.
With a smudge of dirt on my cheek and a grass stain on my knee-length pure white skirt, I headed across the front pasture and into the deep woods of Hickory, North Carolina. The train station was 10 miles away by road, but I could get there in 3 miles if I followed the short-cut through the woods.
I might've been smart to find a way to check the train schedule before leaving my Aunt's. I was forced to wait 3 hours for a train to Tulsa. Exhausted, I almost went to sleep right there in the station, but I kept singing up-beat songs in my head to stay awake.
And there's no cure like travel
To help you unravel
The worries of living today.
When the poor brain is cracking
There's nothing like packing
A suitcase and sailing away.
Take a run 'round Vienna,
Granada, Ravenna, Sienna
And then a-'round Rome.
Have as high time, a low time,
And in no time
You'll be singing "Home, Sweet Home".
I bought my ticket, almost wiping out my entire life's savings and boarded the train. I felt like I was on naked on stage in front of thousands of people, I couldn't get the butterflies out of my stomach. What if my ears really weren't playing tricks on me, Johnny and Dallas couldn't be gone. Soda was lying. I believed what I wanted, which didn't help me emotionally when I found out the truth.
I lost all track of time. I wouldn't have been surprised if someone told me that I'd been on the train for days. It was dark when we reached the station and my back was aching. Maybe I should have taken a cab, but I figured since I had already walked so far that day I could handle a couple more miles. I pulled my green blouse tighter around me and tried to ignore my brain pounding on the inside of my skull.
I stood in front of the metal gate of the Curtis house for a while, I wanted so badly to go in and see my friend I'd missed so much. I don't know what kept me outside. I peered in the window.
Soda and Darry were eating dinner; food looked so good to my empty stomach. It was weird, where was everyone else? They ate in silence.
As I twisted the door handle, Darry and Soda looked up from their meal...
This was kind of a jumpy chapter, sorry. Oh, I almost forgot, the song is "There's No Cure like Travel" from Anything Goes, I wish I owned it, but I don't. Um...review please! Thanks.
Red
"Is everything alright, Mattie?" She asked, concerned.
"Yes, why would you ask that?" I didn't look at her; instead I pretended to be very animatedly involved in searching for a record to play in the stack on the dresser.
"I thought your mind was on something else when you ran upstairs without even saying goodbye to Meagan." She was on to me.
"Oh! Is she still down there? I'll go-" but she put up her hand to silence me.
"She left about 5 minutes ago. You can talk to her tomorrow."
I turned around and shuffled through the drawer of my desk, hoping that she would leave.
"Well, if nothing's wrong, why don't you come down and eat your dinner."
"I can't eat a thing, Meagan and I had a huge lunch. Her mom makes enough food for an army." I wasn't lying then; her mom does make a ton of food, and really good food while I'm on the subject.
"Oh," She nodded, but I knew she could see right through my lies, "I'll be downstairs, just tell me if you get hungry."
"I will." I said as she stepped into the hallway.
I don't know how I feel asleep and I also don't know just what startled me from my slumber. Surely it was either the bitter-cold draft or the yelling coming from the room down the hall. Even though the darkness of the night pressed down on my eyes, I felt fully awake.
I wandered slowly out of my bedroom, creeping softly down the dark hallway, although I was sure they couldn't here me over the racket they were making. Their shadows danced mysteriously in the crack under the door. Every word was muffled; I cautiously pressed my ear to the door, attempting to catch whatever they were fighting over. I must have been really brain- dead because I heard him coming towards the door, but I didn't move.
The door swung open, and there I was. He looked at me in a drunken stupor, as if he was trying to figure out who I was. My heart was caught in my throat and I was very aware of the large fists dangling at his sides. Even though he glared at me menacingly for a moment, he continued down the hall, pushing me out of his way and onto the floor. I didn't get up. No, I wasn't hurt, but I was shaking all over. Somehow I wished that he had hit me, so that way I could cry and not look like a coward. The whole house shook as the front door slammed and his truck was fired up.
Aunt Kate helped me up, her eyes were red. I wasn't cold, she put a blanket around my shoulders. I wasn't thirsty, she poured me hot tea. I wasn't tired, she sent me to bed. As soon as her bedroom light was off I gathered my things and climbed out of my window. Growing up in Tulsa, I wasn't a tree-climber, that night wasn't an exception.
With a smudge of dirt on my cheek and a grass stain on my knee-length pure white skirt, I headed across the front pasture and into the deep woods of Hickory, North Carolina. The train station was 10 miles away by road, but I could get there in 3 miles if I followed the short-cut through the woods.
I might've been smart to find a way to check the train schedule before leaving my Aunt's. I was forced to wait 3 hours for a train to Tulsa. Exhausted, I almost went to sleep right there in the station, but I kept singing up-beat songs in my head to stay awake.
And there's no cure like travel
To help you unravel
The worries of living today.
When the poor brain is cracking
There's nothing like packing
A suitcase and sailing away.
Take a run 'round Vienna,
Granada, Ravenna, Sienna
And then a-'round Rome.
Have as high time, a low time,
And in no time
You'll be singing "Home, Sweet Home".
I bought my ticket, almost wiping out my entire life's savings and boarded the train. I felt like I was on naked on stage in front of thousands of people, I couldn't get the butterflies out of my stomach. What if my ears really weren't playing tricks on me, Johnny and Dallas couldn't be gone. Soda was lying. I believed what I wanted, which didn't help me emotionally when I found out the truth.
I lost all track of time. I wouldn't have been surprised if someone told me that I'd been on the train for days. It was dark when we reached the station and my back was aching. Maybe I should have taken a cab, but I figured since I had already walked so far that day I could handle a couple more miles. I pulled my green blouse tighter around me and tried to ignore my brain pounding on the inside of my skull.
I stood in front of the metal gate of the Curtis house for a while, I wanted so badly to go in and see my friend I'd missed so much. I don't know what kept me outside. I peered in the window.
Soda and Darry were eating dinner; food looked so good to my empty stomach. It was weird, where was everyone else? They ate in silence.
As I twisted the door handle, Darry and Soda looked up from their meal...
This was kind of a jumpy chapter, sorry. Oh, I almost forgot, the song is "There's No Cure like Travel" from Anything Goes, I wish I owned it, but I don't. Um...review please! Thanks.
Red