life as a "choose your own adventure" book (part one)

the beginning: january 14th

you are spending two weeks at your mother's home after a wild new year's in nyc. after completing a radical grant application and helping your sister apply to graduate school you begin to contemplate your next move.

do you stay an extra day (p.2) or leave for boston tonight (p.4) to visit your best friend tyler?

*(p.4) the next bus doesn't leave for almost two hours so you find yourself roaming around the cape cod community college campus in the freezing cold just to kill time. it's after 10 pm when you arrive in boston to deliver tyler's passport and catch up on the past couple weeks. eggplant subs are the only late-night food option but this okay. delicious, in fact.

in the morning you call amanda m. to wish her a happy birthday. she is surprised that you remembered as she shops for books in madison, wisconsin. she's not going to mexico anymore so perhaps you will see her in richmond later in the month. after pancakes and vegan sausage you interview tyler's older brother broderick about hating his dilbert job and loving skateboarding still. then you meet erica wells for lunch at the most expensive cafe/bookstore in the western hemisphere. soup du jour will suffice.

do you stay in boston for the rest of the weekend (p.9) or take the chinatown bus immediately to new york city (p.14) to meet griffin to continue your intense e-mail correspondence in person?

*(p.14) dillinger four is playing on your headphones once again as your bus descends on the city that never sleeps. your heart is racing as you navigate through chinatown on your way to bluestockings bookstore. griffin is waiting for you there as her tea is getting cold. she explains how there's too much to discuss and analyze to sleep tonight. special nuggets at the vegan restaurant next door and a coffee date planned for later. the night is spent deconstructing gender and singing against me! songs in the elevator as her neighbors yell "shut up!" from their bedrooms. the sun has risen and the apartment is filled with a chorus of snoring emanating from all directions. the inauguration is four days away.

*to be continued...