Emily handed each girl a ticket and said, “I think we’re in!”
Rachel looked around and saw two guards in uniform collecting the tickets. Security is tight here, Rachel thought. They looked like bouncers Rachel had seen standing outside of bars. Not that Rachel went into bars; she’d just seen them as she passed by on the streets.
As the girls entered the line, Rachel began to get nervous again. She had never tried to fake an age that she wasn’t and she had never feel pressure like this before.
“Tickets please,” said one of the guards sternly.
Taryn, Jen and Emily got through the guards. Only Jen needed to show an ID and they glanced at it and let her through. After all, it was only a movie.
Rachel handed her ticket to the guard and he looked at her.
“ID please,” the guard said.
“I left it at home, sorry.” Rachel said trying to get out of it.
“No ID, no movie…Next,” said the guard.
The guard had Rachel step aside, on the outside of the black ropes.
Uh oh, now what?
Rachel looked at her friends; they were standing there looking at her in disappointment.
“Let’s just go,” Emily said as she subtly rolled her eyes at her friends.
Rachel felt awful.
“Sorry guys, you can still go, I’ll have my mom pick me up,” Rachel cringed as the words came out of her mouth.
“Nah, we’ll do something else,” said Emily.
As the girls walked outside, they were (spewing out?) different ideas of what to do instead.
“We could go to Jess’ house,” Jen said. “She wasn’t allowed out tonight because she got in trouble in school.”
“Her parents won’t let us in,” Emily replied, “she’s grounded.” “I have the BEST idea,” Taryn interrupted. “We are going to the city to get Rachel a fake. I know of a good place in the East Village.”
Rachel could tell that Taryn was a bit of a rebel and knew a lot of places from her older brother Ben. Taryn had told Rachel that Ben just started college at NYU in the city, and his dorm was on 7th street, right in the heart of the East Village.
“Awesome idea!” said Emily.
As the four girls got back into Taryn’s car, a wave of nervousness and guilt swarmed through Rachel’s body. Rachel never lied to her parents and the thought of DRIVING into the city terrified her. What if they got into an accident? What if they weren’t back by 11pm? What if her parents found out she wasn’t really at the movies? It was almost too much for Rachel to bear, but she knew that if she spoke up, she would be cast off back into her world of solitude. So, she said nothing.
Taryn started the car and turned up the music. The station was set to Z100, which was apparently the best radio station in New York. They broadcast from the top of the empire state building. Rachel felt the car accelerating as she pulled her seatbelt tighter across her chest. She took two deep breaths, quietly, so the girls wouldn’t hear.
Rachel tried to stay calm in the back seat of the car. She didn’t let on that she was worried or that she would be in BIG trouble if her parents knew what she was up to. She wondered why the girls didn’t think it was a big deal to head into the city on a random Friday night. She was surprised none of them called their parents to let them know their plans hand changed or to ask their permission.
Rachel was feeling more and more out of place. This was not what her friends back in Pennsylvania would do. Rachel never disobeyed her parents. She may not have agreed with them, but she never disobeyed. It was clear to Rachel that her world was about to change.
As the car drove over the Triboro Bridge, Rachel could see all the bright lights of Manhattan glistening in the distance. She felt bad she was doing this, but she also felt excited. She always wanted to go into New York City and had only been there a few times before, to see Broadway shows and do touristy things with her family.
The girls arrived at their destination safely and got out of the car. Rachel looked up at the street sign above, which read “St. Marks Place.” She looked around and clutched her bag closer the throngs of people passed in all directions.
“This way,” Taryn said as she pointed towards a sign that read, “2nd Avenue.” Rachel’s heart beat faster and faster as they walked down the street. She felt like a rebel and she kind of liked it. After all, it was her fault that they were in the city in the first place. If she had had an ID, they would be happily munching on popcorn at the movies right now in Bedford. So she couldn’t be mad. Taryn and the girls were doing her a favor: they were helping her get a fake, which would get her into all the “cool” places.
Rachel struggled with her inner battle of feeling cool in the city and feeling guilty about lying to her parents.
“So, where’s this store?” Rachel asked Taryn.
“It’s a block away, on St. Marks Place and 1st Avenue. It’s in a costume store, but it’s tricky to find because you have to go into the basement. I’ll show you.”
Rachel followed as the girls entered the costume store. It was a peculiar place, and not your average costume store. There were black leather chaps hanging on the wall right when you walked in and a red feather boa hung above them. She saw platform black boots with spikes coming out of the sides and belts with metal rivets. She definitely felt out of her element. This was a combination; Halloween, p**n and goth store, and she didn’t quite know what to make of it.
As the girls made their way down the musty smelling basement steps of the store, Rachel saw a black curtain. A heavy-set bald man, wearing a tank top, came out from behind it.
“What do you want?” he snapped skeptically as he peered behind them to make sure nobody was following.
“My friend needs an ID,” Taryn said as she pointed at Rachel.
“Come, quick,” he said, as he whisked the girls behind his black curtain.
The man handed Rachel a large black binder to look though. She opened the cover and started flipping through the pages of sample IDs.
“Which state?” he asked her.
“Um, I don’t know,” Rachel said, and she turned to her friends.
“Get Michigan,” Emily said, “those are the best because they scan. Don’t get New York-- it will be too obvious.”
“Michigan,” Rachel said to the man.
“Address?” he fired back.
Rachel didn’t realize she’d be asked so many questions and took out her cell phone. She opened up the map app and looked up places in Michigan to get an accurate street name.