Sweet Home Alabama: Prologue

[brawnboy]

This is the first part of what I hope will be my best story to date. Please say what you think - suggestions for future parts are always welcome and encouraged. Don't worry, MG fans, there'll be plenty of action coming your way soon!

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Back home, things weren?t half as good as down in Talladega. The sun wasn?t as warm on my skin, the water didn?t taste as sweet on my tongue, and the other kids didn?t make me smile like the guys down in Alabama. Heck, I was a fool to think that my parents knew what was for the best, and I know that even if I look back on these years when I?m old and grey, I?ll remember the time I spent there and it?ll bring a tear to my eye; yearning for those times to come around again.

- Sean Richard Andersen

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My parents insisted I slept like a brick on the journey, but they don?t know anything - I wasn?t asleep. Not for the most part, anyway. I fell asleep when we got on the plane, and woke up a few minutes later when some little shit behind me started kicking my chair. God, I hated flying. I?d have sooner taken a train, where I could read my books or watch a film without having to worry about turbulence or terrorists or deep vein thrombosis or crashing or engine failure or getting sucked down through the toilet (I swear to God my hand twitches now when I go for the handle, the suction on those things!). Apparently, my Uncle Roger drowned when his plane came down over the Atlantic, and so I?d never been on a flight over the ocean before. Luckily, flying from Conneticut, I?d always be over land, so that was one blessing I counted as I sat there, wrestling with the urge to turn and break both of the kid?s legs, and going through my deep breathing exercises before takeoff. My parents were talking on their cellphones (what a surprise) about some meeting that they?d missed while packing. Both of my parents worked at Dyscon Enterprises as associate advisors, meaning that they got paid a lot but rarely got away from their jobs. In the long run, it was better for me, simply because they could afford to send me to a good school and we were quite comfortable, living in a nice neighbourhood with nice people who were all quite comfortable as well. For me, the trip was never a good idea - I?d never been out of the state before, and they had a whole different way of life in Alabama to us. My parents insisted that I?d be fine; it was only until the company sorted out negotiations with its southern rival, Gerome Inc..


Sitting on the plane, I turned to look back at the kid who was giving me grief, only to discover that he was stuffing his face out of some sort of pre-digested yoghurt pot. Mmm. Yummy. The smirk on his face was sickening, almost as much as the smell from his tub of nutritious goodness, so I quickly looked forward again, only to catch the eye of a girl sitting two rows ahead. She was looking back at me down the aisle, and she grinned as she pointed at the kid behind me and rubbed her stomach. Laughing, I nodded and closed my eyes, making myself comfortable in my seat. It was going to be a long flight.


?Sean, honey, are you feeling alright? Should I see if they have any sleeping pills on board? Do you need a drink??


My mom, sitting next to me, had apparently grown worried at the sight of me adjusting myself in my seat (you?d think I was sitting down), and so bombarded me with a load of questions that for a moment made my head spin. Luckily, I?d had years of practise for this sort of thing.


?Yeah, mom, I?m fine. No, don?t bother, I don?t sleep on planes. Yeah, thanks, a drink sounds good. Could you see if they have any mineral water? I don?t want to risk getting ill off of one of those cheap sodas. Thanks.?


She was, for the moment, satisfied that her only son was not about to drop dead from neglect, and so resumed her fascinating phone converstaion, talking about the new briefcase she?d bought on Monday. Closing my eyes, I thought about Chris, my best friend from school, and the promise he?d made to call me whenever he could from home, telling me about anything that was happening. A sense of nausea hit me as I thought about leaving all of my friends behind, but I reasoned with myself that, unless I acted like a total prick, I?d probably make new friends in Talladega. The name of my new hometown always made me grin, thinking of Will Ferrell in a NASCAR suit, but I figured that it would probably just be an average town with average people, even if there was a super speedway. Nothing scary about it at all.


I was petrified.

Later on during the flight, when my parents had gone to speak to some colleagues near the front of the plane, the girl from earlier came over and sat down beside me, her face calm and confident that I wouldn?t mind. I was surprised to find that I didn?t. Her eyes were wide and green, and her complexion was pretty much perfect, even though it was clear from the colour that she didn?t wear any make-up. She was quite pretty up close, I thought, but nothing amazing. There?d been girls like her back at home.


?Hi, I hope you don?t think I?m rude or anything, but I thought you looked really bored sat next to your parents (those are your parents, right?), so I decided to come over and talk for a bit. I?m meant to be with my brother, but all he cares about is trying to get laid between here and Alabama, which although being exciting and all doesn?t really appeal to me that much. My name?s Elise. Elise Bourbon. What?s yours??


I was momentarily stunned, partly because she?d decided to come and talk to me, but mostly because all of this came out of her mouth at the speed of light, and she caught me off-guard.


?Sean. Sean Andersen. Your brother sounds like a great guy, but I can see why you?d rather not know.?


She smiled and settled herself into my mom?s chair, still watching me with a curious look in her eye.


?What?s taking you to Alabama, then? The sights, the sounds, the action??


?Actually, I think it?s more the plane.?


She laughed then, and her laugh came like a gentle river by a woodland path; not shrill or reedy, just nice to listen to and full of general good humour. Right on cue, the brat behind me started kicking my chair again, and my face must have given away that I was somehow in discomfort.


?That kid giving you trouble again??


I raised my eyebrows, and was preparing to turn and ask (politely but firmly) if he could somehow avoid my chair and try kicking his chubby dad instead, because I was getting sick of it, but Elise somehow beat me to it. Almost.


?You, you little shit, stay still and stop making this flight harder for Sean here than it already is! He?s already feeling sick, and if you make him throw I swear I?ll snap your little legs off and shove them down your throat, because this is the flight where we?re trying for a baby and I don?t need you fucking up my chances, got it??


She then turned with a sickeningly sweet smile to the father, who had dropped his paper into his lap in shock.


?Make sure you have a nice day now.?

Facing me again now, she shrugged her shoulders and started playing with a loose thread on her sleeve.


?Sorry about that, but kids like this one really eat me up inside. I?ve no respect for people like them at all. I hope I didn?t embarrass you at all.?


Taking a moment to snap my jaw back into place, I shook my head and leaned in closer to her.


?That was fucking amazing! You?re a lifesaver. How did you do that??


?Ah, it was nothing. Growing up in Alabama, you learn when situations call for a little courtesy and when you just have to defend your honour. Or your friends. So, you still haven?t answered my question. Why are you flying to Talladega, of all places??


?I?m moving there. My parents have some business to take care of, so they dragged me along as well. Did you say you come from Alabama??


?Why, yes I do. Talladega, as it happens. I?m flying home.?


She paused, closing her eyes in thought, and when she opened them again a genuine warmth spread from them to the core of my very soul.


?Well, then, Sean Andersen, it?s been fine meeting you. I?ll look you up when you?re all set up at your new home.?


Elise stood up gracefully and stretched herself in the aisle - she was quite short, but thin as she was, she looked taller from where I was sat.


?Welcome to Alabama.?

[arpeejay]

Ooh! A fantasy (no one actually flies to Talladega, I'm afraid; the nearest big airport is Birmingham, about 50 miles to the west...)!

xoxo

Richard

who drove by the speedway yesterday!

[Jockmorphr]

Looks like the start of a great story! Thanks for sharing it. The story location is intriguing. I love Alabama, actually, and am very interested to see where you take this!

[tagsnola]

I LOVE this story already! Elise is a little pistol. And I love the dry humor.

[Speaker]

Alabama huh? Ive never been there but youve got me excited about Sean's further adventures into the south. This installment was short, but theres absolutely nothing wrong with that as long as it isnt rushed, and i didnt get the feeling that this was rushed at all. And i really enjoyed the dry humor. Its a helluva start. Good job, and keep it up.

[sdfsdf2]

Sounds cool so far. Looking forward to it.

[sierraca]

The title of the story is the same as the Reese Witherspoon movie of 2002. But methinks this story will be very, very different.

[sexiscriptor]

excitement excitement
looking forward to the rest, looks to be brewin up something good
~Ille

[arpeejay]

I'd forgotten that I was looking forward to seeing more of this! But, in fact, I *am* looking forward to it. Get cracking!

xoxo

Richard