Tuesday, November 15th, 2005.
I'm pulling into the Ralph's parking lot, I've been in Los Angeles for about a year now, Second year at UCLA School of Law. My car's a grey 1996 Nissan Altima with about 88k miles on it at first, I bought it from the used Car Dealership near LAX when I first flew down here last fall, with the five thousand dollars dad gave me before I flew out to Los Angeles. It's about 3 o'clock in the afternoon, all my classes for the day are over. I really only came out to West Los Angeles to meet up with some guys from school who I befriended in class, and go hang out in Santa Monica and maybe go out to the beach and the pier, but that got cancelled. So I thought I might as well go do some grocery shopping while I'm out, stocking up on me and my roommate's usual diet of Kraft Mac N' Cheese, Ramen Noodle soups, and Pop Tarts and 12 or 24 packs of Red Bull for those long nights that we study. I usually buy some type of meat and fruit or vegetable also also to make sure we don't become malnourished.
I park the car, shifting it to P. The radio playing the guitar solo part "Wake Me Up When September Ends" by Green Day, A band I'm kinda sick of since I've moved to L.A., hearing their new album "American Idiot" being blasted in every single dorm when I first started class last fall, the top 40 station playing either this song or American Idiot or Boulevard of Broken Dreams since then and even now. I take my keys out and I open the door and get out the car, the sun still shining bright in the Southern California sky, even though it's November, I close the door and lock it and make my way across the parking lot and into the store. I think about everything that's happened since I left Charlotte, that day in mid September. My parents still work, my dad pays for my education, Nate graduates next May and has a Job at a local car wash and has a girlfriend of his own, her name's Julia.
"Excuse me" a man says, interrupting me of my thoughts, I let his pass by me with his shopping cart.
I go back to my thoughts, getting closer to the entrance. Jon's life hasn't changed all that much either, we still talk via Myspace and cell phone. He's planning on flying out to visit me this January of next year. He ditched the whole mall punk thing not too long after I left, he listens to more Emo now, putting new popular bands like "My Chemical Romance" and "Fall Out Boy" and "All American Rejects" in his Myspace profile, since that pop punk stuff is starting to kinda become a thing of the past, and this is the new fad music people are listening to now, besides Green Day. I heard he met a girl at Warped Tour this summer, a redhead punk rock chick named Olivia, now they're dating. I remember Jon would always talk about going to Warped Tour every single summer I've known him, but never getting the chance too until this summer.
I walk into the grocery store, being greeted by the air conditioning of it, I grab a cart and start making my rounds. I also think about Molly, she went to NYC and goes to college there about a week after I left for school and also works for the Red Cross part time, she went to go with them for the Hurricane Katrina relief and that Indian Ocean ocean tsunami that happened the day after Christmas last year. We have a long distance relationship, trying to talk to each as much as possible, we're trying to make it work. I walk into the frozen food section, opening it up. Last but not least, Richie. He sends me a letter each month from a base in ironically, Berlin, Germany. He said he's pretty grateful that he doesn't have fight in the war going on the Middle East, and just works as a Mechanic in the Marines. He's doing pretty well in the Military, he has a group of buddies he hangs out with there. Alex moved out of his house and moved to Japan with his girlfriend this September, he told me he loves it there. Emily ended up getting pregnant not too long after I left, finding a boyfriend not too long after I left. They're still together, and both of their parents are helping them support their daughter, who's name is Allison. I don't really know how Sarah and Alyssa are doing, though I think Alex mentioned how Sarah moved to Germany with Jonas around Christmas time last year about 2 months ago to me on Myspace.
"So really, all my friends and family are doing good, it really shows how much can change in a year" I say to myself, really thinking outloud for this part.
I go down the frozen food aisle and turn into the Pasta aisle, picking up the packages of Ramen Noodle soups, humming the song "I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor" by the Arctic Monkeys, a band that hasn't really made contact with the US yet music wise, and I only know it due to Alex sending me a link to the song on Napster.
As I go down a guy runs his basket accidentally into the front of mine, he's younger looking, about a year younger if I had to guess. His hair is jet black and olive colored skin and he's dressed in a black hoodie and green shorts and sandals, he looks like he could pass for a extra on Beverly Hills, 90210.
"Sorry, sorry I wasn't really looking out in front of me" he says, starting to apologize.
"No no it's cool dude, where are you from? You don't sound like you're from here" I say, noticing I have a little bit of a Southern affliction in my voice.
"I'm from Madison, Wisconsin, you don't sound like you're from here either" He says, reaching his hand out to shake it.
"I'm from Charlotte, North Carolina but I'm really from Baltimore. My name's Matt by the way" I say, doing his hand shake.
"My name's Jack, Jack Cooper" He says, with a smile on his face.
"How long have you been in Los Angeles?" I say.
"I've been here since this summer, you?" He says.
"About a year now. How old are you? You seem about my age" I say, grabbing the package of Ramen.
"18, I moved here on my own not too long after graduation" He says.
"Ah, that's cool. I'm really going to UCLA, I plan on moving back to Charlotte in 2008, once I finish my four year degree in Law" I say.
"Sweet, some Law and Order type shit. I work at 7/11 in Studio City, my roommate Dave injured his foot so I had go out for him" He says.
"Ouch, that sucks" I say remembering about a month after I came back from Europe my the other side affect of being shrunk wore off, being basically invincible to pain and bones not breaking and stuff, found that out the hard way when I dropped a weight at the gym on my foot.
"Yeah, but how's UCLA? Get into any cool parties?" He says, showing off that high school mentality really hasn't worn off on him yet.
"I mean yeah, my roommate is kinda popular on campus, and I get invited to a couple of frat parties that go on across campus, nothing really crazy though, just beer pong and girls and stuff like that, not as crazy as in the movies" I say.
"Oh, well, that's cool I guess. See you around I guess" he says, moving his basket and going off.
"That was a, very interesting guy" I mumble under my breath, as I make my way through the store.
Giantess World
Chapter End Notes:
So yeah, it's over. I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I did writing it for me and you guys. I'll have a new story out somewhere between two weeks to maybe a month and half, depending on how I feel about it. So see you again soon hopefully.