Friday, November 18, 2011

Red Writing Hood: The Best Ice Cream

Prompt: This week, we’d like you to take us on an actual journey, specifically a road trip? Think about who is in the car. Where are they going and why? What’s on the radio or what are the travelers talking about?


Texas was made for road trips, Katie thought, as she buckled her seat belt and started the engine. The back roads of the state rolled into the horizon, begging to be explored. Katie blew out a sigh, impatient.

The passenger door was suddenly flung open, and Laura threw herself into the car.

"Whoop!" she yelled. Katie rolled her eyes.

"It's like a rule that you can only make that annoying a sound if you went to A&M, which you did not. Now buckle up."

Laura grabbed a duffel from the curb and swung it into the back seat. She closed the door and inserted a cassette into the stereo.

The first rumblings of ZZ Top's La Grange growled in the confines of the vehicle. Katie and Laura rolled down their windows; it wasn't officially a road trip unless the windows were down and ZZ Top was blaring. Katie slid her cheap sunglasses on her face and put the car in gear.

"HEY!!!!" Katie looked over Laura's shoulder to see Cathy standing next to the car, hands on her hips. She turned down the radio, kept her foot on the brake.

"Hey," Katie said, smiling at her roommate.

"Where are y'all going?" Cathy wanted to know.

"We're going to Brenham," Laura danced a little in her seat. "For Blue Bell ice cream."

"That's a three hour trip!" Cathy was incredulous. "Couldn't you just go to the Sac 'n' Pac and buy some?"

Katie looked at Laura. The two looked at Cathy and grinned.

"Nope." Katie said. "We'll see you when we see you."

She pulled away from the curb, and Laura turned up the ZZ Top, and the two girls hollered a goodbye as they left their cares behind.

14 comments:

  1. Ah, carefree days! :)

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  2. LOVED this! I remember taking similar trips when I was in college. So fun!

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  3. My favorite memories of college (the first and second time) are of these trips. Just getting in the car and going...knowing that the music was loud, our cares were few and "we'd see you when we see you" CLASSIC line.

    I really enjoyed this.

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  4. great!! loved the college life days!

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  5. Uh-huh-wa-wa-wa. (Ok, that's how *I* spell it anyway... love that song!!!).

    This is great - I think we all have things that we're willing to go crazy lengths for, and you really captured that. Along with the general insanity of youth!

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  6. Isn't that the way it should be? Driving three hours for ice cream (or a cheesesteak?!)
    What a fun piece!

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  7. Nice! I love this idea of a road trip, just 2 friends, their cares to the wind, for ice cream. Here, it would be to the beach, and I need to do this sometime.

    ~The Drama Mama

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  8. Oh to be young and carefree again! I would love it.

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  9. 3 hours for ice cream...it had better be the BEST ice cream in the world :)

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  10. Texas and Montana, only the best. (for the MT version: http://thecolorlime.wordpress.com/2011/11/17/to-flathead-lake-300/)

    I love the way you told this story. It feels real and just lovely to imagine. Thanks for writing!

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  11. Oh, I love this! Texas was indeed made for road trips, you shouldn't whoop unless you're an Aggie and Blue Bell is always worth the 3 hour drive!

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  12. Ah, this reminded me of the good ol' college days!!! I used to live in Boston during college, so my friends and I would sometimes drive to NYC or Foxwood Resorts just out of the blue. As if we didn't have a care in the world! Oh girl, you got me reminiscing now :))

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  13. What better reason for a road trip than being young and in the mood for ice-cream. You captured their carefree youth and exuberance. Would've loved to take that ride.

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  14. This absolutely took me back to college road trips, started for silly reasons, the car ride more important than the destination. I like the distinction between the two who "get it" and the one who thinks you can just buy ice cream at the store ;)

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