Chapter One

Dylan Price arrives in New York for the very first time. Read as he realizes that his life is about to change. It's time to come to terms with reality...everybody grows up!

Chapter 1

 

It was my mother who opened the door to my future. I’m not speaking metaphorically or anything like that. I mean, she literally opened the door to my future. That future was an apartment I was subletting with my friend Owen for the next year in Manhattan. My future was more than the place that I would come to think of as home. My future involved college, a big city, numerous people, endless parties, stress, friendships, heartbreak, fortune, misfortune, love, loss and, well, you get the point. It was New York, and this was my gateway.

“Dylan,” My mother told me, as we walked through the threshold of freedom, “This place is…it’s colorful.” By colorful, my mother meant that the place looked like s**t. We came from a small city in Connecticut. It’s so small, nobody’s even heard of it, and if you lived there, knew everybody, and it was easy to spot someone who hadn’t been living in town. My mother hadn’t been one to use fowl language. She was a lawyer who grew up in a family of strict behaviors and never breaking curfews. I’d always wondered how a woman who was so proper could have found love with a man such as my-

“Jane,” My father reassured my mother, “It’s not that bad.” My father wasn’t as proper as my mother was. When compared to my mother, he wasn’t as clean. He’d worked as a mechanic at a car garage just outside of town. It was the family business, which he’d hoped I’d join one day. To be quite honest, I hate mufflers, exhaust ports, oil changes…anything that had to do with auto repairs. The thing was " I’d been raised around my father’s business since I was an infant. I could tell you all the parts of a car, and what those parts do and why those parts aren’t working. I was best suited for the job.

“John,” My mother snarled back at my father, “Do not give our son the idea that this is the ideal life style! This is,” my mother hesitated as she tried to spit out the right words, “it’s disgusting, and not reputable!”

“Look, at least it’s not in a bad part of town, right?”

“I don’t want our son living like this!”

“Jane,” My father had this reasoning look in his eyes that I’d only seen him give to customers whose cars were never going to start up again, “It’s not your choice. Dylan’s eighteen now, and it’s not your job to make his decisions anymore.”

My mother turned to me, “Do you actually like this?” She snarled.

I took a deep breath as I put my hundred-pound feeling suitcase on the floor. “It’s nice,” Was the first thing to fly out of my mouth. “I’m only staying here for a year anyways. Until Uncle Todd comes back from Chicago.” My Uncle Todd was the next big thing in New York when it came to money. He’d been climbing the corporate tower for the last few years, and his adventurous jobs took him out to Chicago for a year. He told me that since I wanted to come to New York so bad- I could sublet his apartment. I had the same reaction as my mother though, if he was so rich, then why was he living in such a small, cheap, apartment. “What were you expecting, a penthouse?”    

“I’ll be having a talk with my brother tonight, that’s for sure.” My mother rolled her eyes. “Are you sure? Are you sure this is what you want?”

“Mom, look, you’re only an hour away " two hours with traffic.” I walked over and put my hand on her shoulder. “If I don’t like it, I’ll come home. Plus, Owen is coming over later. He can show me the ropes.” Owen was my childhood friend. We grew up together until the age of ten, when he moved to the city because his parents got a major job in advertizing. I hadn’t seen or spoke to him since then. Our mothers arranged for us to live together. I was somewhat curious as to what he’d looked like now. I could only remember him being on my t-ball team, and the time he was stuck in the tree in my back yard. If there’s one thing I’ve learned through my years in high school, it’s that time changes people. I’d wondered what it did to Owen.

 “See?” My dad joined in, “He’s got this all under control. You have to trust him. Our son knows what he’s doing.”

My mother took a deep breath, before flicking my hand off her shoulder. “There will be no alcohol or drugs while you’re here, you got that? You have a credit card, and remember that I’ll be able to see all of your transactions. Use money for food, only. You will not attend any parties. You are here to study in college. That is it. Are we understood?”

From behind my mother, I could see my father wink. “I understand, mother.” I told her, knowing that I was going to defy her. I knew that the moment she walked out that door, I was going to be free in the land, rather island, of opportunity.

“I think we have to get going, though.” My father insisted to my mother. He seemed like he was in a hurry to get out of the apartment. It was almost as if he could read my mind. He knew I wanted independence.

My mother sighed, “Oh, I suppose you’re right.”

“You guys are going already?” I asked with a hidden sarcastic tone.

“I have to be to work tomorrow morning, you know, I was lucky to just get today off. Crime happens around the block, you know.”

“And cars don’t fix themselves,” My father added. “But, uh, before we go " could I have a chat with you?” My father looked at me as he nodded his head to the door, which lead to the bedroom.

“Why can’t I be in the conversation too?” My mother sounded offended.

“It’s a father-son thing,”

“Sure dad,” I walked around my mother and into the bedroom and sat on the bed, which had no bed sheets on it yet. I could hear my mother mumble something to my father before he followed me in. When my father came in, he closed the door behind him. “So what’s up, dad?” I asked, innocently.

My father took a deep breath. “Look, you’re passing into the next phase of your life now. I want you to know that. The childish days of high school are over, and it’s your time to have fun. Do whatever you can. Mess up as you may. Just don’t let whatever happens in the future cloud your judgment of future decisions.”

“What do you mean?” 

“Look,” My father began to run his finger in circles on the wall. He wasn’t even making eye contact with me. It seemed to me that he’d had a speech prepared since my date of conception, but he’d just forgotten the words. “Whatever happens to you, happens, right?”

“Yeah,”

“Well, sometimes, everything happens for a reason...and sometimes it doesn’t. I guess what I’m trying to say is, just, don’t get knocked down.”

“Thanks dad,” I smiled.

“You’re living in a city that I’ve never even been to before.” He chuckled. “And you’re moving on to bigger and brighter things.” I could tell, just by looking at him, that he was fighting back the lump in his throat. There were tears that wanted to flow, but he’d built a dam.

“Dad,” I stood up, walked over to him, and gave him a hug in which I squeezed him tight. I didn’t want to let him go, but I knew I had to. The only words I had left for my father were, “Thank you.”

When we walked out of the bedroom, we caught my mother going through all of the cabinets. “You’d have at least thought that Todd would’ve left you some food.” She rolled her eyes as she turned around to look at me. “You’re going to have to go grocery shopping.”

“That’s fine, don’t worry about it.”

“Uh, babe,” My father nodded his head to the door. “I’m all set.”

My mother sighed. “I’ll wait for you in the car,” She told him.

“Alright,” My dad said. He opened the door, and put one foot out. “See ya later, kid.” He smiled at me. I only nodded and smiled. My father was gone.

My mother walked closer to me, and grabbed me softly by the chin, tilting my head upward. I could feel the tiny hairs being pushed into my chin. I’d needed a shave. She looked me deep in my brown eyes. “You’ve become an excellent young man.” She smiled. “But I’ll never forgive you for growing up.” She leaned in and kissed me on the cheek.

“Thanks mom,” I smiled.

“Your dreams are what you make of them,” She let go of my chin, and headed for the door, slinging her purse over her shoulder. “Just don’t over shoot it.”

“Mom!” I shouted, walking towards her.

“Yes?”

“I love you.”

She said nothing to me. I watched as her eyes scanned my face. She was trying to savor every detail of me at this moment. “I love you too,” She smiled. With that, my mother walked out the door, closing it behind her.

I took a deep breath, and walked towards the door, putting my hand on the handle. For a split second, I wondered if I’d been making a mistake. I left all my friends and family behind to go onto bigger things. Ambition " it’s the thing that makes or breaks your heart.

I leaned my back against the door, and slid down until I was sitting on the floor. I exhaled loudly, as my breath echoed off the walls. An afternoon sunlight was peering in from the windows across the apartment, in the living room. Through the rays of light, which peered, I could see small particles of dust floating in the air.

I wanted to sit on that kitchen floor and cry my eyes out, but I didn’t. My emotions just stayed bottled, and for about five minutes, I just stared into the distance " thinking about my life, starting from when I was thirteen.

I was young, and woke up one morning, thinking that I was going to become a famous jazz singer. I knew that I had to move to the city to accomplish my dreams. When I was fourteen, I tested these ambitions by posting a video of myself online, singing the blues. In short- the video was terrible and people at school wouldn’t stop talking about it for weeks. When I was fifteen, I’d abandoned my dream for moving to the city and becoming a jazz singer. I’d turned to writing. When I was sixteen, I began to seclude myself in my room. I would ignore texts from my friends, invites to go grocery shopping with my mother " all those little things which I wish I could do again " just so I could write. When I was seventeen, it dawned on me that I’d only had one year left of high school, and that I’d have to decide my future within the next three months. My writing got me through, and I ended back up at square one " Manhattan.

Everything in life starts with square one.

I made myself get off the floor once I’d realized that I’d been staring into space. I put my hand on the counter, and pulled myself up, taking a deep breath. On the floor, leaned up against the counters, I could see my three bags of luggage. All I’d brought with me were my bed sheets, my clothes, my laptop, all ten seasons of F.R.I.E.N.D.S and my toiletries. Seeing my luggage had brought me hope " hope that I’d made the right choice.

With one more deep breath and a smile, I’d finally knew I had it.

The hard part was over, and it was time to be independent.

Author's Note

This story is so far unedited, so please excuse the fact that this is my first draft. I'm trying to decide whether or not to scrap this story. I really want to know what you loved about these first four chapters, as well as what you absolutely hated or what didn't make any sense to you. I'd appreciate all of your feedback! Thank you so much!

Reviews

[dw817]

⊰ℛℛ⊱
Well I certainly wouldn't scrap the story (as you suggested in the preface). No, I would go with this. It's a good story, nice beginning, solid characters, referable information, and an engaging plot.

And it's something we can recognize and associate with. Starting out in college and being on your own. Always a tricky and difficult time for anyone. Me ? I cried. I was like that stupid kid going to kindergarten for the first time and wanted my Mommy. Yah well I'm like that.

The best way to describe this adventure though is an important point in your life. Now see that in your mind's eye. You are climbing a point. Been struggling all your adolescence to reach it, and OW ! You're jabbed on the top of that point and realize it's a struggle to work your way back down the other side. Your journey isn't over yet.

Lots of things go on in your mind. Well others like me ? How well will I do in my studies ? Will I meet a cute girl or boy ? Will I fit in ? Will I get bullied ? All these things - you have chosen a good story to work on. Keep me posted !

[MandaBear]

I cant wait to read more. This is such an interesting story I want to learn more! I think it's awesome just as is =)

[Jamie Cook]

ooooh, this was a good beginning! :D I enjoyed it very well. He has such loving parents that lucky sir! Very nice I'm enjoying the first chapter already and am now ready to proceed! ONWARDS!