Part 34
I wake up the next morning, but this time it wasn’t because of Spencer coming into the room. I made sure to close the door all the way the night before.
I reach over and check the time on my phone; it’s eight-thirty. I reluctantly roll out from under the sheets and stand up, stretching and yawning to try to fully wake myself up. I bend down and pull on my sweatpants, then pull on a shirt and walk out of the bedroom to see if Colt or Matty are up.
Once I get to the kitchen, I see Colt sitting at the bar. He’s already showered and dressed for the day. Wisps of steam rise into the air from his cup of coffee. He looks up at me from his tablet and smiles. “Morning, Joey.”
I stretch and yawn again, not yet fully awake. “Morning, Colt.”
“Sleep well for your second night here?”
I nod. “I did. I’m still a bit tired from the party last night, but I’m good otherwise, thanks. And you?”
He chuckles. “Yeah, our parties have a reputation for making you feel tired the next morning. I slept great myself, but I’m always an early riser, so it wasn’t too hard to get out of bed. Matty, on the other hand…”
“He’s more of a night owl?”
“Exactly. He’ll still be out for a little while longer, but it’s fine. I get to have a little time to myself and catch up on the news while he sleeps in.” He stands up. “Coffee?”
I bring my hands together as if to pray. “Please.” He walks over and grabs a mug from the collection that are hanging underneath the kitchen cabinets and pours me a healthy cup of coffee, handing it to me. I thank him as I take it, blow on it to cool it down a little, and take a sip. He sits back down at the bar, and I sit on the stool beside him. “That’s interesting.”
“What’s that?”
“I figured as much time as you two have been together, you’d be, I dunno, on the same schedule, and want to do everything together.”
He laughs. “Well, Matty and I aren’t carbon copies of one another. We each have our own interests, and with as much traveling around the country as I do for work, we have to find ways to entertain ourselves when we’re not near each other.”
“That makes sense. I guess in all my past relationships, my boyfriend and I always did stuff together.”
“Right, but you haven’t yet had a relationship last as long as mine with Matty.”
I nod. “True.”
He chuckles. “It’s healthy to have a little time and space to yourself when you’re in a relationship. I’ve watched some of my friends get so wrapped up in a romance that they almost forget who they are.”
I can almost relate exactly to what he’s saying. Ever since Steve and I started really hanging out, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about him—especially now that I’m away from him. It feels almost like my life has been revolving around him over the past several months, what with us working together and hanging out almost every weekend. It wasn’t until recently when we stopped hanging out so much, and now I feel this huge emptiness. At least being here with Colt and Matty has lessened that feeling.
He places a hand on my shoulder, “I know you’re young and have your whole life ahead of you, so try not to be like some of the friends I know and lose sight of who you are and what direction your life is going.”
I tilt my head. “You’re right. Maybe I’ve been focused too much on Steve lately—”
“—And taking a step back and giving yourself some space to think can be a good thing. If he really cares about you, he’ll understand.”
I hear footsteps behind me and turn my head to see Matty approaching from the hallway, clad in his pajamas. Colt stands up again. “Ah, finally decided to join the living, eh Matty?”
Matty grumbles. “Careful, or I’ll be taking your place among the living.”
Colt turns to me, smiles, and whispers. “He’s always so cheery in the morning.” His voice returns to a normal volume. “Breakfast, anyone?” He doesn’t wait for an answer and immediately goes to work whipping up a fabulous breakfast as Matty pours himself a cup of coffee. Once Colt’s done cooking, the three of us sit and chat while we eat, though I dare not ask how Matty slept. I’m pretty sure I already know the answer. Matty and I help clear the dishes once everyone’s finished eating.
I retreat to the guest bedroom and strip down, then step into the bathroom and hop in the shower. I crank up the hot water and just let it wash all over my body, but try to take care not to use all of it up. I lather up and rinse off, then dry off and walk back to the bedroom with the towel around my waist, leaving the door open by just a crack.
I unwrap my towel and set it on the bed while I gather my outfit for the day. I hear a rap at the door and spin around. “Come in.”
The door slowly opens, and Colt enters, getting a full view of my body. Unfazed, he holds up a pair of black long johns. “Got these for you.”
“Sweet! Let me try them on.” I bend down and stick one leg in, then the other, and pull them up to my waist. I reach inside and adjust my package, which is a bit difficult since I’m now sporting a semi, excited from the feeling of wearing some of Colt’s underwear.
He looks me up and down. “What do you think?”
“A bit tight, and not because of this.” I grip my package.
He chuckles. “They might feel a little constricting at first, but you’ll really appreciate them the moment you step outside.”
“I don’t doubt it.” I reach for my jeans and start putting them on. “Thanks, Colt.”
“Don’t mention it. I’ll leave you to it.” He steps out, closing the door behind him.
I finish getting dressed, then step back out to the kitchen where Colt is sitting at the bar and reading his news as before. I pick my cup of coffee up and finish it off. “I take it Matty’s still getting ready?”
He chuckles as he puts his tablet down. “Let’s be real—he’s still waking up.” I laugh, and he continues, “Yeah, he’s still showering, but he’ll be done soon. Excited about going into the city?”
I nod enthusiastically. “Hell yeah. I’ve never been anywhere as big as New York.”
“Well, there aren’t too many places in the world that are bigger! There will be plenty to do, and don’t worry if we don’t get everything done that you want to do; we can always take the train back in another day.”
Just then, Matty shows up, fully dressed and looking real dapper. “Ready to go, boys?”
Colt smiles. “You betcha. I’ll get the dog.”
I look at Colt, confused. “We’re taking Spencer with us?”
Colt laughs. “Oh, heavens no. We’re just going to drop him off at our friend’s place on the way to the train station. He’ll watch him while we’re gone.”
With that, the four of us step out, and I notice a big difference now that I’m wearing the long johns underneath my jeans. Luckily I remembered to pack a sweatshirt and jacket, but even though I’m wearing both, they almost aren’t enough to keep me warm.
We walk a few houses down and drop Spencer off at Colt and Matty’s friend’s house. I recognize him from the party last night. We stay and chat for just a couple minutes before continuing our way to the train station.
We get to the station and buy our tickets. As we wait for the next train, I camp myself under one of the heaters and rub my hands together to keep warm. Colt stands close by me, but Matty is about ten feet away in the cold, which I think is a bit odd, but I don’t question it. Soon enough, a train pulls up, and we board. Colt and Matty sit next to one another and I sit across from them. The train pulls off and gathers speed quickly. I turn my head and see the New York City skyline far in the distance. It looks like we still have a ways to go.
After the train pulls away from the next stop, a guy sits in the empty seat next to me. He opens his bag and pulls out the same kind of gaming console that Steve and I played together, and to my surprise, starts up the same Zelda game as well! I strike up a conversation with him, asking where he is in the game and what he’s done, and also telling him about my experience with the game. It’s nice chatting with him, but it reminds me of how much I miss those times with Steve. I try shaking it off and focusing on the fun time I’m having now.
As the train continues west, more and more people board, and soon it’s packed. Several stops later, the train enters a tunnel and begins slowing down, and we soon arrive at Penn Station. We all begin stepping and rolling off, and I say goodbye to the guy who sat next to me and wish him the best of luck with the game.
I follow close behind Colt and Matty, almost needing to hang on to their coats so I don’t get lost in the crowd of people. We make our way through the underground maze of hallways, train terminals to one side and lines and lines of shops on the other, until we finally reach an exit.
Out on the street there are still large crowds of people, but at least they’re not as densely packed. I’m surrounded by buildings taller than any I’ve ever seen before. Miami has some pretty tall skyscrapers, but nowhere near as tall and nowhere near as many compared to this. I can see the Empire State Building poking up very prominently over any of the surrounding buildings.
Once the crowd thins down a bit, Colt spins around to face me. “So, where to?”
I throw my hands up. “Why are you asking me? It’s my first time here!”
Colt grins. “Fair enough. Well, it’s our tradition to stop in somewhere for some pierogi anytime we come to the city.”
I tilt my head. “What’s a pierogi?”
“It’s a dumpling with a meat or cheese filling.”
I scratch my chin. “Hmm, never had one of those before, but they sound tasty.”
Matty smiles. “They’re delicious! How about it?”
I give them a thumbs-up. “Let’s do it!”
I follow them both as we walk another block and then down some stairs into another station, this time the subway. “Another train?”
Colt nods. “Yup, this is how we get around, unless you want to hoof it all over Manhattan.”
There’s a loud screech as a train pulls into the station. We quickly board the train, the doors close, and we’re moving. A few stations later, we get off and walk back up to street level, passing by a guy playing trumpet inside the station.
We walk a couple more blocks until we finally reach a restaurant and head inside. We wait a few minutes for an empty table, then are seated. I glance at the menu and am amazed at all the options for pierogi. There are a lot more choices than just meat or cheese. Eventually we decide on what we want and place our order. Sure enough, they’re as delicious as Matty said they’d be. Once we finish eating up, it’s off to the next destination.
Since I have no idea really where things are or what to do next, I’m at the whims of Colt and Matty as they show me around. We hop back on the subway and reemerge at street level, this time around a lot of really tall buildings—more than there were outside of Penn Station. One in particular looks very familiar as we walk toward it.
I get Colt and Matty’s attention as we walk. “Guys, is that the new World Trade Center building?”
Matty answers, “It sure is.”
Colt speaks up. “You must’ve been just a baby when that happened.”
I chuckle. “I don’t think seven years old qualifies as young enough to be a baby. Still though, I barely remember anything that happened that day. I just remember my parents keeping the TV off, and they watched everything but the news after that. Where were you guys?”
Colt answers, “I was living in Boston at the time, and Matty was still in Canada, but we had both visited here before then, so it hit pretty close to home for us. It almost doesn’t seem like seventeen years has passed.” We continue walking a few more blocks until we reach the Hudson River.
Colt waves his hands out in front of him like curtains opening on a stage. “And here she is.”
I walk up and stand against the metal railing. The ‘she’ that Colt is referring to is the Statue of Liberty, of course. She seems so tiny all the way from where I’m standing, but nevertheless, it’s so surreal seeing all these famous landmarks in person.
I turn around and look at Colt and Matty. “Can you guys take a picture of me?”
Matty pulls out his phone and counts down as I smile and he takes a few pictures, then puts his phone back in his pocket. We stand there for several minutes longer as I take in all the sights and sounds around me. Colt and Matty are as patient as ever as I take in the atmosphere. Once I feel like I’ve had enough, I turn to them. “What should we do next?”
Colt answers, “Well, I don’t want to leave Spencer with our friend for too much longer.” He raises a finger in the air. “I think we can fit one more thing in. This way to the subway.”
The three of us start walking to the nearest subway station, and I speak up. “What do you have in mind?”
Colt looks over as we walk. “Well, you can’t leave New York without seeing the Christmas Tree all lit up.”
And with that, we descend back into the subway.
I wake up the next morning, but this time it wasn’t because of Spencer coming into the room. I made sure to close the door all the way the night before.
I reach over and check the time on my phone; it’s eight-thirty. I reluctantly roll out from under the sheets and stand up, stretching and yawning to try to fully wake myself up. I bend down and pull on my sweatpants, then pull on a shirt and walk out of the bedroom to see if Colt or Matty are up.
Once I get to the kitchen, I see Colt sitting at the bar. He’s already showered and dressed for the day. Wisps of steam rise into the air from his cup of coffee. He looks up at me from his tablet and smiles. “Morning, Joey.”
I stretch and yawn again, not yet fully awake. “Morning, Colt.”
“Sleep well for your second night here?”
I nod. “I did. I’m still a bit tired from the party last night, but I’m good otherwise, thanks. And you?”
He chuckles. “Yeah, our parties have a reputation for making you feel tired the next morning. I slept great myself, but I’m always an early riser, so it wasn’t too hard to get out of bed. Matty, on the other hand…”
“He’s more of a night owl?”
“Exactly. He’ll still be out for a little while longer, but it’s fine. I get to have a little time to myself and catch up on the news while he sleeps in.” He stands up. “Coffee?”
I bring my hands together as if to pray. “Please.” He walks over and grabs a mug from the collection that are hanging underneath the kitchen cabinets and pours me a healthy cup of coffee, handing it to me. I thank him as I take it, blow on it to cool it down a little, and take a sip. He sits back down at the bar, and I sit on the stool beside him. “That’s interesting.”
“What’s that?”
“I figured as much time as you two have been together, you’d be, I dunno, on the same schedule, and want to do everything together.”
He laughs. “Well, Matty and I aren’t carbon copies of one another. We each have our own interests, and with as much traveling around the country as I do for work, we have to find ways to entertain ourselves when we’re not near each other.”
“That makes sense. I guess in all my past relationships, my boyfriend and I always did stuff together.”
“Right, but you haven’t yet had a relationship last as long as mine with Matty.”
I nod. “True.”
He chuckles. “It’s healthy to have a little time and space to yourself when you’re in a relationship. I’ve watched some of my friends get so wrapped up in a romance that they almost forget who they are.”
I can almost relate exactly to what he’s saying. Ever since Steve and I started really hanging out, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about him—especially now that I’m away from him. It feels almost like my life has been revolving around him over the past several months, what with us working together and hanging out almost every weekend. It wasn’t until recently when we stopped hanging out so much, and now I feel this huge emptiness. At least being here with Colt and Matty has lessened that feeling.
He places a hand on my shoulder, “I know you’re young and have your whole life ahead of you, so try not to be like some of the friends I know and lose sight of who you are and what direction your life is going.”
I tilt my head. “You’re right. Maybe I’ve been focused too much on Steve lately—”
“—And taking a step back and giving yourself some space to think can be a good thing. If he really cares about you, he’ll understand.”
I hear footsteps behind me and turn my head to see Matty approaching from the hallway, clad in his pajamas. Colt stands up again. “Ah, finally decided to join the living, eh Matty?”
Matty grumbles. “Careful, or I’ll be taking your place among the living.”
Colt turns to me, smiles, and whispers. “He’s always so cheery in the morning.” His voice returns to a normal volume. “Breakfast, anyone?” He doesn’t wait for an answer and immediately goes to work whipping up a fabulous breakfast as Matty pours himself a cup of coffee. Once Colt’s done cooking, the three of us sit and chat while we eat, though I dare not ask how Matty slept. I’m pretty sure I already know the answer. Matty and I help clear the dishes once everyone’s finished eating.
I retreat to the guest bedroom and strip down, then step into the bathroom and hop in the shower. I crank up the hot water and just let it wash all over my body, but try to take care not to use all of it up. I lather up and rinse off, then dry off and walk back to the bedroom with the towel around my waist, leaving the door open by just a crack.
I unwrap my towel and set it on the bed while I gather my outfit for the day. I hear a rap at the door and spin around. “Come in.”
The door slowly opens, and Colt enters, getting a full view of my body. Unfazed, he holds up a pair of black long johns. “Got these for you.”
“Sweet! Let me try them on.” I bend down and stick one leg in, then the other, and pull them up to my waist. I reach inside and adjust my package, which is a bit difficult since I’m now sporting a semi, excited from the feeling of wearing some of Colt’s underwear.
He looks me up and down. “What do you think?”
“A bit tight, and not because of this.” I grip my package.
He chuckles. “They might feel a little constricting at first, but you’ll really appreciate them the moment you step outside.”
“I don’t doubt it.” I reach for my jeans and start putting them on. “Thanks, Colt.”
“Don’t mention it. I’ll leave you to it.” He steps out, closing the door behind him.
I finish getting dressed, then step back out to the kitchen where Colt is sitting at the bar and reading his news as before. I pick my cup of coffee up and finish it off. “I take it Matty’s still getting ready?”
He chuckles as he puts his tablet down. “Let’s be real—he’s still waking up.” I laugh, and he continues, “Yeah, he’s still showering, but he’ll be done soon. Excited about going into the city?”
I nod enthusiastically. “Hell yeah. I’ve never been anywhere as big as New York.”
“Well, there aren’t too many places in the world that are bigger! There will be plenty to do, and don’t worry if we don’t get everything done that you want to do; we can always take the train back in another day.”
Just then, Matty shows up, fully dressed and looking real dapper. “Ready to go, boys?”
Colt smiles. “You betcha. I’ll get the dog.”
I look at Colt, confused. “We’re taking Spencer with us?”
Colt laughs. “Oh, heavens no. We’re just going to drop him off at our friend’s place on the way to the train station. He’ll watch him while we’re gone.”
With that, the four of us step out, and I notice a big difference now that I’m wearing the long johns underneath my jeans. Luckily I remembered to pack a sweatshirt and jacket, but even though I’m wearing both, they almost aren’t enough to keep me warm.
We walk a few houses down and drop Spencer off at Colt and Matty’s friend’s house. I recognize him from the party last night. We stay and chat for just a couple minutes before continuing our way to the train station.
We get to the station and buy our tickets. As we wait for the next train, I camp myself under one of the heaters and rub my hands together to keep warm. Colt stands close by me, but Matty is about ten feet away in the cold, which I think is a bit odd, but I don’t question it. Soon enough, a train pulls up, and we board. Colt and Matty sit next to one another and I sit across from them. The train pulls off and gathers speed quickly. I turn my head and see the New York City skyline far in the distance. It looks like we still have a ways to go.
After the train pulls away from the next stop, a guy sits in the empty seat next to me. He opens his bag and pulls out the same kind of gaming console that Steve and I played together, and to my surprise, starts up the same Zelda game as well! I strike up a conversation with him, asking where he is in the game and what he’s done, and also telling him about my experience with the game. It’s nice chatting with him, but it reminds me of how much I miss those times with Steve. I try shaking it off and focusing on the fun time I’m having now.
As the train continues west, more and more people board, and soon it’s packed. Several stops later, the train enters a tunnel and begins slowing down, and we soon arrive at Penn Station. We all begin stepping and rolling off, and I say goodbye to the guy who sat next to me and wish him the best of luck with the game.
I follow close behind Colt and Matty, almost needing to hang on to their coats so I don’t get lost in the crowd of people. We make our way through the underground maze of hallways, train terminals to one side and lines and lines of shops on the other, until we finally reach an exit.
Out on the street there are still large crowds of people, but at least they’re not as densely packed. I’m surrounded by buildings taller than any I’ve ever seen before. Miami has some pretty tall skyscrapers, but nowhere near as tall and nowhere near as many compared to this. I can see the Empire State Building poking up very prominently over any of the surrounding buildings.
Once the crowd thins down a bit, Colt spins around to face me. “So, where to?”
I throw my hands up. “Why are you asking me? It’s my first time here!”
Colt grins. “Fair enough. Well, it’s our tradition to stop in somewhere for some pierogi anytime we come to the city.”
I tilt my head. “What’s a pierogi?”
“It’s a dumpling with a meat or cheese filling.”
I scratch my chin. “Hmm, never had one of those before, but they sound tasty.”
Matty smiles. “They’re delicious! How about it?”
I give them a thumbs-up. “Let’s do it!”
I follow them both as we walk another block and then down some stairs into another station, this time the subway. “Another train?”
Colt nods. “Yup, this is how we get around, unless you want to hoof it all over Manhattan.”
There’s a loud screech as a train pulls into the station. We quickly board the train, the doors close, and we’re moving. A few stations later, we get off and walk back up to street level, passing by a guy playing trumpet inside the station.
We walk a couple more blocks until we finally reach a restaurant and head inside. We wait a few minutes for an empty table, then are seated. I glance at the menu and am amazed at all the options for pierogi. There are a lot more choices than just meat or cheese. Eventually we decide on what we want and place our order. Sure enough, they’re as delicious as Matty said they’d be. Once we finish eating up, it’s off to the next destination.
Since I have no idea really where things are or what to do next, I’m at the whims of Colt and Matty as they show me around. We hop back on the subway and reemerge at street level, this time around a lot of really tall buildings—more than there were outside of Penn Station. One in particular looks very familiar as we walk toward it.
I get Colt and Matty’s attention as we walk. “Guys, is that the new World Trade Center building?”
Matty answers, “It sure is.”
Colt speaks up. “You must’ve been just a baby when that happened.”
I chuckle. “I don’t think seven years old qualifies as young enough to be a baby. Still though, I barely remember anything that happened that day. I just remember my parents keeping the TV off, and they watched everything but the news after that. Where were you guys?”
Colt answers, “I was living in Boston at the time, and Matty was still in Canada, but we had both visited here before then, so it hit pretty close to home for us. It almost doesn’t seem like seventeen years has passed.” We continue walking a few more blocks until we reach the Hudson River.
Colt waves his hands out in front of him like curtains opening on a stage. “And here she is.”
I walk up and stand against the metal railing. The ‘she’ that Colt is referring to is the Statue of Liberty, of course. She seems so tiny all the way from where I’m standing, but nevertheless, it’s so surreal seeing all these famous landmarks in person.
I turn around and look at Colt and Matty. “Can you guys take a picture of me?”
Matty pulls out his phone and counts down as I smile and he takes a few pictures, then puts his phone back in his pocket. We stand there for several minutes longer as I take in all the sights and sounds around me. Colt and Matty are as patient as ever as I take in the atmosphere. Once I feel like I’ve had enough, I turn to them. “What should we do next?”
Colt answers, “Well, I don’t want to leave Spencer with our friend for too much longer.” He raises a finger in the air. “I think we can fit one more thing in. This way to the subway.”
The three of us start walking to the nearest subway station, and I speak up. “What do you have in mind?”
Colt looks over as we walk. “Well, you can’t leave New York without seeing the Christmas Tree all lit up.”
And with that, we descend back into the subway.
....... 
