One Too Many Choices

“I HATE scrapbooking! I need a new hobby, Sam!” Hannah said to Sam, her best friend. “If you don’t like it why did you try in the first place?” Sam questioned as she poured margaritas. It was girl’s night out and after some dancing, a little drinking, and getting hit on once or twice they were home. They decided to cool down with a little more alcohol and relaxation at home. Hannah had been trying to find a hobby for a long time, the most recent was scrapbooking. However, none had hooked her. Sam had been trying to convince her to go to the shooting range with her, but Hannah wasn’t desperate enough for that, yet. “I don’t know, I’m trying everything,” Hannah said regretting it seconds after. “Anything you say? Hmm.” Sam mocked, hoping she could get Hannah to come shooting with her. “Ok, fine I will try shooting eventually but I’m trying every other hobby first.” Hannah thought that would be enough to never have to go and make up for her slip, but Sam was unrelenting. “Ok, in that case, we start tomorrow!” She smiled, and Hannah nodded as she picked up her glass and took a sip. 1 second late she spit it out and said, “Wait what do you mean by, ‘we’ll start tomorrow’?” “Oh I mean we’ll start doing every hobby possible until you either find the right one or, go shooting with me!” Sam smirked maniacally and took a long slurping sip of her drink. Hannah thought for a moment, before putting out her hand and saying, “You’re on, if I find my perfect hobby, before shooting you owe me fifty bucks.” “Deal!” They agreed as Sam stuck out her hand and they shook on it.

After that one glass, they watched TV for around 20 minutes before Hannah went to her room and Sam set herself up on the couch. They went to sleep at 1 am and slept soundly for the next couple of hours, falling asleep almost immediately. When Hannah woke up, she went into her kitchen to make coffee and found a pot already brewing. She turned around to find Sam standing behind her, holding two mugs, and smiling creepily. Sam handed Hannah one of the two coffee cups and said, “After you finish that, we begin!” Sam took a sip of her drink trying hard to be cynical. Hannah laughed and popped some waffles in the toaster, “Ok as soon as I eat and go for a jog we’ll start.” “Ok, but by the way, exercise doesn’t count as a hobby,” Sam told Hannah in a strict tone as she flopped down on the couch. Hannah exaggerated a surrender and hoisted herself up onto the counter to wait. About a minute later, the waffles popped and were thrown hastily on a plate, about to be bathed in butter and just a bit of syrup. Hannah never liked too much syrup, she thought it ruined the taste. With her breakfast fully decked out, she sat down next to her best friend ready to dig in. Sam watched as Hannah devoured them and then sat comfortably, looking totally content. Sam smiled and went back to her coffee. That’s all she ever ate for breakfast. Sam preferred coffee in the morning, a small lunch around 1 in the afternoon, and a feast for dinner. Hannah, however, seemed to have a bottomless pit for a stomach. Sometimes she ate fruit and a proper food plate meal, but other times she ate pork, shrimp, and other fatty foods. Sam never knew whether her metabolism was just quick or if it was from the jogging and boxing. 

Eventually, they finished their morning routines and met up in the living room, once again, wearing workout clothes. Hannah wore a crop top meant for boxing, and jogging shorts. A little odd looking but she pulled it off most days. Sam however was wearing black sweats with white stripes, and a random t-shirt she found in Hannah's closet. Both had their hair tied up in high ponytails, although Sam was a little looser. They sat quietly tying their shoes and finding the right playlist to listen to in one ear as they went. It was uncomfortable though the silence felt comfortable, kind, nothing unforgiving or heavy. There was a light simplicity to it. They were both ready to walk out the door soon. Each put one earbud in their ear, Sam her left Hannah her right. They nodded at each other and left making sure to lock the door on the way out. Hannah lived right on the inside of the city and was always careful about safety. Sam lived 10 minutes away right on the outside of the city. They took the elevator down to the lobby of the building and walked quickly out the front, through the revolving doors. There each pressed shuffle play on their music and began jogging. They normally went down about two blocks, to where the trail was and then would follow that for 2 miles before turning back and jogging home. It was a workout, that’s for sure! They arrived at Hannah’s house again around 1. Sam was hungry, so before starting their search Hannah went into the kitchen and made some chicken noodle soup. It was late fall and Hannah was in the mood for something warm to eat. As Hannah cooked for the first time since she was little, Sam said, “Hey cooking can be your first hobby!” Hannah smiled down at the pot as she stirred their lunch. “Yeah but I think we both know heating up soup doesn’t count as cooking.” “I’m counting it,” she said back to Hannah, pulling out a list and crossing something off. Sam really wanted to go shooting with her best friend and she was willing to spend the next few days fishing, beekeeping, horseback riding. Sam was not an outdoors person, but lately, loneliness had been her only emotion so she was willing to brave it to convince her best friend to hang out more. This was more than just about hobbies for her this was about escaping the incoming depression.

Lunch was cooked and eaten in mere moments. They stood, prepared, left, and got in the awaiting car, Hannah in the driving seat, Sam in the passengers. “Ok, we’re heading to the community garden in my town. There you can try beekeeping, gardening, and farming!” Sam smiled as she looked down at her list and double-checked this was the first location. They road in silence for the short, 7 minutes, ride to the community garden. Once the two arrived they parked close to the building in the small parking lot. They entered the large building. Part of it was a farm. That section was in a large field at the back of the property. There was an apiary in the actual building. This part had a large door connecting the field to it and another door off the side. The walls were white, and the ceiling was very high. The walls were covered with metal hooks where they kept bee suits, and the middle area had around a hundred bee homes. The small door off to the side led off to a beautiful garden with little pots stacked in a corner; so you could plant, and keep your own there. The walls and ceiling were all made of glass, and the floor was pretty much either dirt or manure, except the little stone walkway around the outskirts. It was the most beautiful place most people ever visit, but to most citizen's delight, it wasn’t a tourist attraction. The glass room also had a door that most people used as the main entrance. That’s where Sam and Hannah entered. They had decided as they walked up the pathway they would go all the way to the back. They would start there at the farm take a two-hour lesson and then move on to the aviary. So they went to the very back and found a farmer who could teach them the basics. If Hannah was doing it Sam was gonna do it too.

“Ok kiddos, so you wanna learn some farming, do ya?” Hannah and Sam looked at each other choked back laughs and nodded back at Farmer Larry. Larry was a bit of a drunk and they were pretty sure he was buzzed right now. Neither cared though if anything it would make their lesson that much better. Fast forward to 2 hours later. “Take your hoes and rake the ground in the three straight lines. Keep making the rows until your patch of land is finished.” They did as he instructed, but by the time they had finished, they were both already dirty and sweaty and gross. Before it was even time to plant the seeds Hannah gave Sam a look they both knew meant, ‘this definitely isn’t it!’ Sam pointed at Hannah than at herself as she mouthed, ‘do you wanna tell him or should I?’ Hannah mouthed back, ‘I will’ and then she sighed. Hannah hated giving people bad news but when she told Larry, “Look, Larry, we REALLY appreciate the lesson but I think we’re gonna stop for, oh I don’t know, the… next few years?” She turned to Sam hoping that wasn’t too weird and Sam gave her an awkward thumbs. Hannah ignored the fact that she knew that wasn’t great and turned back to Larry. He smiled and said, “I see, well that’s great im gonna get back to my drink,” He smiled and paused, realizing his mistake. “...Of water, my drink of water. Ok well, see you.” Larry ducked away trying to pretend he hadn’t just given away the worst kept secret ever. Sam and Hannah laughed as they made their way to the aviary.

The beekeeping was an atrocity, and they both walked out of there with multiple bee stings and a hankering for honey. Gardening was fun but after the farming, it just felt like going back to a gross, manure-covered hell. After that, they went hunting, camping, and hiking that night. Which consisted of mosquitos, fire burns, and tent rash. They spent the next two weeks trying every hobby they could think of. By the time Hannah finally agreed to go shooting Hannah and Sam were battered, bruised, and sunburnt. So one week after that they headed over to the shooting range feeling refreshed. You see they spent that week at a spa pampering themselves with massages, seaweed masks, and mud tubs. They had spent that time in the spa hotel with a connected room enjoying themselves to no end. Hannah tried to talk Sam out of it on the way over there but she refused to be persuaded. They went in paid out the room, Sam claiming it to be a special occasion, which everyone but her found weird. Hannah insisted on bullet-proof vests for extra protection so they got those too. Sam told Hannah they should wear goggles because it was protocol. Hannah disagreed with that one but eventually, the two compromised. Sam took her personal gun in both her hands, made it clear you keep both eyes open, and then took her aim. Once her stance was the closest to perfection it could be she said, “Both hands on the gun, both eyes open, prepared for the recoil. Then shoot!” Seconds after she said it she executed it. The shot landed close to the bullseye and Sam smirked feeling powerful. Hannah backed away and ran out. Since then she’s had a very rational fear of guns, but because of that though Hannah went to school to be a lawyer. She fought against gun violence and helped make gun laws much safer. Sadly Sam was hit hard by this and after falling into a depression met a sort of dream guy. Now 5 years later she’s married happily and still trying to find a violent hobby she can you to help her anger issues.

THE END.