Part 9 (1/2)
Katani wondered if Maeve knew the meaning of the word ”hurry.” ”Oh, I'm hurrying,” Katani said sarcastically.
”Now, do I have everything?” Maeve looked around doubtfully for a minute. She swung her pink jacket over her shoulder, but a worried look still plagued her face.
”I'm sure you're all set,” Katani said dismissively. She had waited for Maeve long enough, and now she was done. She turned and marched out the door with Maeve scuttling behind her.
Once they got out of the apartment, Katani a.s.sumed it would be relatively easy to ride the elevator down to the lobby and catch a cab. But she hadn't accounted for Maeve's enormous pocketbook. It was a retro carpet bag that was about size of a small child. Maeve loved it-and started complaining about it as soon as they got into the elevator.
”This is soooo heavy,” Maeve groaned.
”Then leave it in the apartment!” Katani snapped. She could feel her patience slipping away and feared it was coming across in her voice.
Maeve looked hurt. ”I can't! I've got all kinds of important stuff in here. Besides, if I go back, it'll make us late.”
Late? Katani wanted to yell at her. We were late half an hour ago-now we might as well be Rip van Winkle!
But she bit her lip. When the elevator doors jerkily slid open on the ground floor Katani was through them in the wink of an eye. Maeve followed, s.h.i.+fting the heavy bag from one shoulder to the other for comfort.
Katani spotted a man in a dark red uniform standing outside as soon as she came through the doors. ”Excuse me, are you Andrew?” she asked.
He smiled. ”You must be Mich.e.l.le's cousin,” he said. And as Maeve huffed and puffed out the door behind her, he added, ”And friend.”
”That's right,” Katani agreed, grinning back at him. She began to feel more cheerful now that she had this jolly doorman looking after her. Outside it was sunny and bright, which further lifted her spirits. ”Mich.e.l.le said you could help us get a cab?”
Andrew looked as if she had just asked the unthinkable. ”Now? Oh, honey, you won't get a cab now. You can't catch a cab in this neighborhood until rush hour is over. I recommend you walk up two blocks to the subway.”
Maeve looked utterly beside herself at the idea of lugging her barge of a bag up and down subway station stairs. ”Is that really the only option?” she asked dejectedly. ”There has to be another way...”
”I'm afraid not,” Andrew said sympathetically. ”But cheer up, little lady. It's real easy.” He pointed in the right direction. ”See over there? That's the station. You catch the number one train, the Seventh Avenue local. It stops in Times Square.” Katani listened carefully while Maeve scanned the street, unwilling to give up the idea that an empty cab might pa.s.s by.
”I've got it,” Katani said finally. ”Thanks, Andrew,” she called over her shoulder as they walked away.
”Are you sure we can't take a cab?”
”You heard Andrew. It's too late. There were cabs here an hour ago, but now we have to take the subway.”
”But subways can be dangerous!” Maeve turned pale.
Katani rolled her eyes, exasperated. ”Come on, Maeve, even Mich.e.l.le said that we might have to take the subway, and she told me it was fine. It'll be full of people, and it's broad daylight. Lots of kids our age take the subway every single day, and they don't have a problem.”
”But what if we get lost?” Maeve looked genuinely nervous at the thought.
”We won't. I have a great sense of direction.” Katani was now getting seriously annoyed. She felt like she was the only one who cared about being grown up and responsible! But then she caught a glimpse of Maeve's big, scared eyes, and she remembered this was her very good friend who'd gone to bat for her and made sure she could even be there right now. ”Wait!” Katani said. She took the piece of paper that had the Teen Beat address on it. She double-checked once more and then shoved it into Maeve's pocket. ”Now you have the address too, so no matter what happens we'll be just fine.”
”Okay,” Maeve said, sounding a little more cheerful. ”If you really think it'll be all right.” They made their way up the streets to the subway. Katani led the way swinging a tiny black purse of her own design, while Maeve lagged behind, struggling to keep the heavy tapestry bag on her shoulder. What exactly did she have in there? Katani wondered.
They caught the uptown train at the Sheridan Square station. Katani felt a definite sense of accomplishment that they were at last headed in the right direction and with some speed! It was extremely crowded on the train, and there were no vacant seats when they boarded. So they stood, holding on as best they could, with Maeve still s.h.i.+fting the bag every few minutes.
”Ow, this thing hurts,” she complained once the train started moving. Katani said nothing. She knew if she opened her mouth she'd probably point out the foolishness of bringing a bag that size in the first place.
When Katani didn't respond, Maeve persisted. ”Did you notice the view from Mich.e.l.le's study? When I looked out this morning, it was so beautiful. It looks right over the square, you know? Did you see that last night, or was it too dark to see?”
”I don't know,” Katani said briefly. ”I wasn't paying attention.” All she wanted to think about was working with Mich.e.l.le on the fas.h.i.+on show. She'd had enough of Maeve's jabbering yesterday in the car, and it looked like Maeve was determined to do more of the same today. Katani didn't know if she would be able to stand it.
”Hey, check out the artists,” Maeve said, nodding to a pair of tall guys in colorful ponchos and weird hats. They looked like the kind you saw in old photos of Western cowboys. ”They must be painters, don't you think, or photographers? Their outfits are so wild! I love it!”
Katani didn't reply. At the next stop, a group of young men and women came on, most wearing backpacks and sporting NYU sweats.h.i.+rts. ”College students,” Maeve whispered.
Would she ever stop? Katani wondered. Did Maeve have to comment on everything? It didn't occur to Katani that Maeve was talking more than usual, partly because Katani was so quiet.
”Oh, look at the cute baby!” Maeve cooed, nudging Katani and pointing at a young woman seated several rows back. They could see the baby, folded into a soft blanket in the woman's lap, its face peaceful in sleep, its little fists clenched.
Katani's face softened. The baby was cute. And Maeve did notice an awful lot about people. She could see little slices of life and wonderful details that Katani herself would never stop to observe. Maybe, she thought a little guiltily, she sees how impatient I am right now to get to Teen Beat and she's just trying to make me feel better-in her own Maeve-ish way.
”Isn't it cute?” Maeve asked again.
”Whoa-this is our stop!” Katani said, catching a glimpse of the Times Square station sign. ”Come on!”
They poured out onto the platform along with at least thirty other people. ”This way,” Katani said, after glancing left and right. She led the way toward the exit stairs, weaving neatly in and out of the various groups of pedestrians in front of her. After so long, Katani couldn't believe that she was finally so close to her destination. She could hardly wait!
”Ouch, hang on. This bag is killing me! I think there's a pin sticking out or something,” Maeve called once she was safely on the platform and clear of the train. She heaved a sigh of relief as she placed it on the ground. Maeve felt silly. Earlier, she'd thought that a brush, some makeup, a mirror, and pictures of famous models and actors who could be at the show were all really important things to have with her at all times in New York. Now she realized that Charlotte had been absolutely right. Traveling light was essential, especially when she was on her feet so much.
Charlotte wouldn't have approved of her footwear, either, Maeve thought, awkwardly looking down at her flashy pink boots. She'd packed the comfortable shoes Charlotte picked out but left them at Mich.e.l.le's. She thought she would be so embarra.s.sed in front of these well-dressed New Yorkers if she was caught wearing sneakers all over town! Unfortunately, her feet were already starting to ache. And every well-dressed New Yorker who pa.s.sed was wearing comfortable shoes.
She managed to swing her bag onto her shoulder in a momentarily comfortable position. ”Okay, let's go!” she said, but when she looked up, Katani was far ahead of her.
”Hey, Kgirl! Wait up!”
Katani did not turn around, and the crowds seemed to get thicker and thicker as Maeve got closer to the stairs. She made a beeline for the staircase in the center, where she had seen Katani go. She clung to the st.u.r.dy metal railing as she tottered up the stone steps in her high-heeled boots. The bag was miraculously in the right position for once, and she found the pin that was sticking in to her shoulder and closed it. But now she could feel the blisters on her feet growing with each step. Tonight, she promised herself grimly, I'll put away these dumb boots and wear my sneakers for the rest of the weekend!
As she approached the top of the steps, Maeve saw the young woman from the train carrying the baby she'd noticed. It looked so sweet, with its head lying on its mother's shoulder, its little fists still clenched, looking completely relaxed and trusting. Maeve smiled as the young woman went swiftly past her.
And then as she looked to the top of the stairs again, she thought her heart would stop.
Katani was no longer in sight.
She'd been right there a second ago! Right at the top of the stairs-Maeve had been watching! Suddenly, there was no sign of her!
Panicked, Maeve pounded up the last few steps and emerged into the heart of Times Square. There had to be a million people around her. Her chance of finding Katani was about as good as finding a needle in a haystack.
Maeve looked around in horror. Everyone in New York moved so fast! They all seemed to know exactly where they were going and wasted no time in getting there. Maeve had never seen anyone, other than Olympic athletes, move faster! She was completely overwhelmed.
She looked in all directions as quickly as she could. It was almost impossible to spot any one person because the crowds were so dense. And she felt paralyzed. This is like one of those nightmares where you want to move but can't, she thought to herself. With her heavy bag and pinching boots Maeve slowly tromped on, craning her neck for any sign of Katani.