Hi, everyone:
So here is a little bit about me i guess...
My name is Erin and I used to belong to the KCFC. When the fan fiction board part of the club stopped, I also stopped going on. I really, really loved writing the stories... and when that part was gone, the club wasn't nearly as fun for me. However, I did used to also belong to this site (different user name which I forget haha) and I posted a few stories on here, as well. So I thought that maybe I would take a whack at a new story and post it for all of you guys to see what you think of it...
so here's a little bit about the story:
it takes place during the 1960's - i know, a little different than what's usually on here. However, it is still very much a kraham, sweet, love story. I am in high school and in my history class this year i took a semester on the vietnam war, and the subject area interested me very much. I wanted to write story based on that time period, however, the dialogue/happenings between the characters will be very similar to that of current time, so please don't have the time period ruin the story for you.
please leave feedback, i love comments
i'm going to read some stories on here too, i haven't been on here in a year or two.. so...
ok, here it is:
it's called The Picture Perfect Moment
Prologue
Kelly
It was June 5, 1962. I was graduating from Burleson High School, a namesake for the minute town of which I have lived my whole life in. I centered my world around academics, athletics, and my musical studies. Women were expected to receive a well rounded education, which would allow them to succeed in their lives to come. Yes, of course I had wanted to go to college. My parents had been forcing me into numerous activities, which would soon develop into a college resume. I’d been focused on beginning a family, having a job as a teacher.... However, I lived in a sheltered society. I didn’t understand a world filled with other customs, traditions...brutal ities. As I threw my graduating cap in the air, one of America’s most infamous wars was emerging in South East Asia.
Chapter 1
Kelly
August 15, 1962. The most exciting, and yet terrifying day of my life has arrived. I sported my favorite sea-foam green cardigan sweater with a fabulous new box-pleated khaki skirt, falling just above my knees. I set my rolling suitcase in the trunk of my light blue, convertible, Volkswagen beetle. I patted the side of the car lightly while running my other hand through the side of my light brown curls in a slow-motioned fashion. I stepped back from the car, straightening out my already ironed skirt. I didn’t want to face what was coming next. I stood in my driveway, absorbing the last few minutes of my childhood. I turned around quickly, let out a heavy sigh, and ran to my mother’s open arms. I jumped into them and rested my head on her shoulder; feeling her warm, short breaths strike the side of my face. I backed up, leaving our embrace. My mom let a few tears fall, quickly wiping them with the back of her hand. I began to walk to my car again, before turning back around and hugging her again.
I told her that I loved her, and she laughed lightly.
“Now get... you have your whole life ahead of you.” She kissed my forehead and patted me on the back as I once again approached my car. I blew her a kiss from my car window and waved goodbye as I turned out of our driveway and began the long drive to California.
Graham
I jumped into my destroyed, light red ford truck and threw my arms in the air, letting out a joyful scream. I honked my car’s horn and waved to my giant family as they all watched me from the front doorstep. I was dying to leave this so called “quaint” town. Having only one arcade and one drive in movie theater, what’s a guy to do for fun? I was headed to California. The land where my dreams of becoming a musician would finally be realized. My parents attempted to force me into college, but it wasn’t my scene. I wasn’t here to live a life of sitting in stiff chairs and listen to old fogies teach arithmetic and chemistry. I have always been destined for a life on the road: a life of excitement. I looked into my passenger seat and smiled. There sat my beloved acoustic. I laughed a bit and turned on the radio, singing along to the first song to come on. I bobbed my head to the beat of the song and rolled down my windows, feeling the cool breeze from the highway flow through my hair.
It was a 25 hour drive. Boring, bland. I drove through a whole lot of nothing, just keeping my mind focused on the destination. I stopped for a night in Flagstaff, Arizona....cheapest thing was a crappy motel called “Motel 6”... quite original. But it was all I could afford, so c'est la vie. I unloaded my duffel and my guitar, setting them on the dusty bed comforter. I opened up my bag, and on the top of my unorganized pile of clothes, I gently picked up a framed photo of my girlfriend and I sitting in the back of my truck. I smiled, wishing that I could hold her, kiss her soft lips. I sighed and set the photo on my bedside table, turning out the one lamp in the motel room.
Kelly
It was the most gorgeous drive of my life. The bucolic countryside and the plentiful scenes of horses and cows made an average highway quite serene. I arrived in Berkeley, CA at 4:00 pm, two days after originally leaving my home. I squealed happily as I saw the main building of the prestigious University of California. I drove through the empty parking lot, looking around the campus. School sessions didn’t start for another two weeks, but I always wanted to be prompt when preparing for big events. I unloaded my bags into my dormitory and jumped onto my bed. I was suddenly awoken from my sense of surrealism as my bedroom telephone rang.
I was immediately comforted by the sound of his familiar voice.
“Hey... you here?” He asked.
“Are you?” I quickly responded.
“Just pulled in to my place.”
“I’m there.”
I jumped up and ran to the door, leaving all of my belongings still unpacked on my bed. I looked down at the paper he had given me prior to my departure.
“Gate Parkway: Building 234.” I read aloud, checking my map of Northern California before, once again, speeding away in my little bug.
Part 2:
I saw him sitting on the balcony of his apartment building. He had his folded arms resting on the iron balcony fence, he looked into the sunset. Still. Nothing effected him. His casually half buttoned up collared shirt, his cropped brown hair, and his piercing blue eyes made my heart skip a beat each time I looked at him; even though we had been dating since our freshmen year of highschool. Of course, being the destroyer of all that is pure, I honked, and his wonderful tranquility was broken. He looked over the balcony and whistled. I laughed, slamming my car into park in an illegal parking lane before running up his apartment complex stairs.
We met halfway in a picture perfect moment. We leaned into one another, kissing the lips that we had so missed as he dipped me down and caught me just as I was about to fall to the ground.
But our moments were never picture perfect. In reality, we met at his door, where he seductively said “Well, Miss Clarkson. I have been waiting for you”. I threw off my sweater and jumped onto him, straddling his waist as we left the neighbor’s staring condescendingly at our frivolous behavior.
Graham:
I woke up to a picture perfect moment....the sound of birds chirping, leaves rustling, children playing outside.
Not.
Instead, an arrogant coca cola truck driver was too haughty to obey the quite obvious “Dead End - Turn Here” sign located a block up the street. After reaching the end, he apparently wanted to display his state of agitation to my apartment complex by leaning on his obnoxiously noisy horn and waking up every person in a 5 mile radius.
Lucky for me, I went for the cheap apartment on the first floor... no special thick window or anything. This means that the joyful ring flowed directly into my window.
Kelly suddenly sat up, as a zombie in some horror movie would and looked around.
“Oh. My. God.” She chanted. Her blonde curls were flying in every direction.
“Graham... what time is it?”
I stumbled out of bed, pulling my jeans halfway up my legs. I ran into the kitchen and looked at the diner style clock hanging above the stove.
“8.” I called into the room groggily, finishing pulling my pants up.
“****. **** **** **** **** ****.” Kelly screamed and threw the covers off of herself.
She gathered her clothes off of the ground and threw on her collared shirt in a flustered manner. I was astonished at her use of vile language.
“Kelly... since when do you swear?” I asked in my typical confused manner, hands on my hips, as she headed towards the door. She kissed my lips quickly and continued on her crazed rampage. She paused and turned around as she turned the door knob.
“It’s a changing world, Graham.” She winked and slammed the door. I still could hear the screech of her crap engine over the continuous truck honk.
“I acted like a dad. God. Who am I?”
Feeling rebellious, I ran over to my window and shouted to the truck driver.
“Hey you, idiot. Shut the HELL up.” I grinned courageously and continued to rest my hands on my hips.
Kelly
I love how the class is called statistics. It should be called Mr. Granger’s rant on the Vietnam War. It’s actually quite interesting, considering that I didn’t know a thing about the sick truth of war until this professor decided to “change his lesson plan”. I have read about these so called “teach-in’s” in the newspaper... but I never really believed that I would be affected by this war. I am just a normal, Texan girl. I wasn’t expecting the bustle and media attention surrounding my school.
As Mr. Granger continued his lecture, although I blocked out most of his words, one of his statements had a major impact on my view of the war.
“And the only way for young men to avoid the draft is to go to college, or go to Canada. Sorry fellas.”
... let me know what you think!!
