A Tangible Thread

Socializing.

What was the definition of that word in today’s world?

Can people truly socialize anymore? Are we social, or has that word lost meaning to other buzz words that enter the pop culture world of celebrities?

Jenny didn’t seem too sure about her social life these days. Like many people in her generation of millennials, she was able to keep up with the latest happenings. But dealing with a social life online wasn’t the same thing as hanging out with people in real life.

It was boring to communicate with people online! What happened to having face-to-face conversations? What happened to enjoying life in real life? Jenny didn’t mean that in a philosophical, pretentious way. What was wrong with having fun now and again?

If only she knew how. It wasn’t always easy to put on a mask and act as if you loved partying every night, when in reality, you wanted nothing more than to curl up with a book and rewatch Jane the Virgin again on Netflix.

Who would help her out with this dilemma? Who?

The autumn leaves were a beautiful flurry of colors. As sappy as it was, Autumn was always Jenny’s favorite season. In Vermont, every September, she and her family would get a head start to start their family tradition of counting many pumpkins to make the most delicious pumpkin pie in the world. Even though she acted as if she didn’t like it, deep down, she really did.

But Jenny left all of that behind a long time ago. She didn’t plan on staying in Vermont for the rest of her life. She mostly stayed out of obligation for her family. Her father, Don, however, had other plans for her.

One day, Jenny was surprised to discover that Don had been able to buy her a $500 ticket to New York.

“Jenny, you may not be the most talkative woman in the world, but I knew from the moment when you were born that you had a spirit of being a hustler, and hustlers never quit their dreams.”

She had smiled with happy tears in her eyes.

She looked through her contacts through her phone that her New York roommate, Raya gave her last year for her 24^th birthday.

In the beginning, Raya and Jenny weren’t the closest of friends that didn’t stop them from getting along in her $1,500 a month apartment in the middle of Times Square.

She looked under the names that began with the letter S.

Sandra.

She couldn’t call her. She had to go to that international meeting in Sweden for her architect promotion.

Selena.

That was a negative; Selena had gone on vacation to the Bahamas.

What about Sora? Jenny thought to herself excitingly.

Jenny always that was a fitting name for her best friend. She even knew Jenny better than anyone else in the world besides her father.

Soaring through the skies of Vermont, Sora felt the need to never be pinned down by anyone but Jenny. That’s what Jenny always admired about Sora: that ability to be a free spirit and to never be afraid of who you really are.

None of that would be any greater than calling her for a fun night. Sure, Jenny and Sora weren’t college sorority girls anymore, but no one ever said that they had to stop having fun!

With a quick glee in her skip, Jenny stopped by Central Park to call Sora. After that, she immediately got a taxi to take her back to her apartment on 150 East 57th Street. Jenny thought that was the greatest home of all time!

Meanwhile, Sora was busy tuning her electric guitar up. Rocking out to rock and roll music was the best thing that Sora had ever done in her life. One time, she asked her mother and father if she could legally change her name to Led Zeppelin. Let's just say that they weren't too fond of that idea. But she loved that singer so much she named her guitar after the greatest English rock band of all time.

People thought it was weird, but

she didn't give a toot about that. If guys were able to name their cars crazy

bimbo names, then why couldn't Sora name her greatest prized instrument?

In fact, she was so obsessed about rocking out to her music that she didn’t hear her cell phone go off after finishing Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven”.

“Oh shit!” She said to herself out loud. “It’s Jenny!”

Rapidly chewing on her gum, twirling her pretty blonde hair, Sora answered the phone with her iconic grand answer, “What’s up, Jen? It’s Led Zeppelin!”

Jenny beamed with pride. It was so nice to find someone like Sora who could feel something with so much passion. How could a bassist from a small town just say goodbye to it like yesterday’s news?

“You’re never going to give up that line, are you?”

“Uh, I like to think that it will be the most famous phrase once I premiere with L.Z. in the Astrodome in Houston, Texas.”

While talking on the phone, Jenny made sure she crossed both ways before she continued walking through the hustling streets of New York. The many faces around her were all rushing to many areas, many that definitely didn’t care about a Vermont girl wanting her besting by her side.

“Whatever you say.”

“So where are you now?” Sora asked.

“Heading home.”

“Oh, why’s that?”

“I wanted to try to have fun in New York, but even though everything in the world is reopening again, I’m still scared to go out.”

Sora hummed with sympathy. “No, I get it. As much as I will love to throw crazy parties and amazing bonfires with you, I’m also scared to death at the idea that the Coronavirus will happen again. Sure, it’s not around anymore, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be too careful. But I think I’ll have a plan for that.”

Jenny arched her eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“You’ll see. I got to go. Love you, bye.”

The phone connection cut off.

She wondered what her charming, erratic friend was planning on doing.

Sora was in New York.

Coming inside Jenny’s apartment with the spare key, she knocked on Apt. 26B’s door.

“Hold on a second!” Raya was walking out with her hair washed after a long day of doing fashion photo shoots with Naomi Campbell and Gigi Hadid.

She opened the door and based on her unimpressed frown, she knew who Sora was.

“Why am I not shocked? Knowing you, this is exactly what you would do. Come on in.” She sighed, but Sora ignored that.

“Nice digs you got here. Listen, I have a great plan to make Jenny happy and I need your help.”

“Go on.”

Three hours later, Jenny came home.

The apartment still looked the same, but now there was a lot of rock and roll music playing.

“Hello?”

She wasn’t even expecting company over.

“Surprise!”

Raya and Sora were both dressed as Stevie Nicks rocking out to Barracuda by “Heart”. Their punk makeup was to die for. Sora had gorgeous black eyeshadow on to match her black lipstick.

Raya’s Asian eyes were also amazing as well. She pulled a Catwoman look while wearing what looked like the lead singer of Led Zeppelin’s hair.

“Get your ass into this makeup and outfit, because we are going out to Times Square and performing as amazing singers that we love!”

Jenny was stunned. “You did all of this for me!”

“I did. You’re my best friend for a reason.”

Raya waved her hand up sheepishly. “And I was guilty of joining in as well.”

Jenny rushed in, dropped her purse, and gave both the girls a big hug.

“Well, what are we waiting for?”

At 3 in the morning, the three ladies were able to become closer than ever.

“Wow, Jenny, I knew you were a great singer, but your impression of Axl Rose from Guns N’ Roses was so spot on!” Raya was still buzzed from the alcohol they all drank at the latest bar, Speedy Turntables. But she didn’t care. If it meant having a bad hangover, then so be it.

While Sora acting wild wasn’t surprising, Raya was a whole different ballgame. She did body shots on two Ukrainian models, danced to “Domo Arigato Mr. Roboto” and she even got a phone number from a guy in Boston. Sure, it was long distance, but Raya adopted Sora’s “living in the moment” philosophy that night and it was definitely noted among the three happy faces.

Especially Jenny’s. She would keep this memory with so much cherishing for the rest of her life to the point where she would tell it to her grandchildren.

That’s why she knew that she, Raya, and Sora were going to be just fine. And with compassionate love and sincerely, she spoke this next sentence again, with a bit of a joking tone.

“I’m never going out with you again.”