Excerpt: The Adventures of Calico Stripes

I was eager to get out of Snapperling, eager to be free of my folks, one failed college degree and two failed boyfriends. Excited to be debt free and, well, free! Free to explore, and the first place I wanted to explore was the City of Boxes.

One reason I wanted to come to the City of Boxes was because it was the farthest from Snapperling that the train could take me for less than $100. I'd been to a real city before, but not as big as Boxes. I wanted to experience a city, a real city, really experience it. I'd heard a lot about Boxes. I'd read about it dozens of times in travel 'zines and tourism catalogs. Big, shiny buildings, lots to see, plenty of work available if I so choose. And night clubs! Yes!

.....

I woke up the next morning still sick and ended up throwing up again. It was around 2pm Friday when I crawled into the shower, my stomach still reeling. Aunt Bella was waiting for me downstairs, sitting at the table drinking coffee and reading a newspaper like a normal person and I had to wonder if it had really happened. She assured me that indeed it did and what a riot I was! as I wolfed down the donuts she'd brought home. Apparently, I was a better dancer than most of the strippers and had made lots of friends who kept buying me drinks. Apparently, I bested someone at a drinking contest. Apparently, I had won a lot of money and then spent most of it on a vibrating machine in the back room and a "hot female dancer" in the VIP lounge.... And then used up all the rest to get us a cab home at 7am this morning. Aunt Bella had had to get me into fresh clothes and put me to bed.