This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About -- Robbie Rogers
Title: This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About
Pairing: Robbie Rogers gen. Other featured players: Steven Lenhart, Sacha Kljestan, Robbie's sister, Sacha's girlfriend. Totally gen.
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not real, all fiction. I know nothing about these players.
Notes: For parka_girl, just because. According to Twitter, Robbie drove cross-country from Columbus to California this weekend. I invented a dog for him. This is a drabble series, pretty much chronological. Title is from a Modest Mouse album; drabble titles are tracks from that album.
1. Dramamine
It's the longest drive of your life and you don't really want to think about why you're leaving. How badly everything went wrong and how fast. So you focus on the little things -- you call again to make sure you've canceled the cable and take the dog to the vet so he won't get carsick like the last time. Thirty-six hours of driving is enough without dealing with that, and that's what you think about as you steal more music from Steven's computer, loading your iPod with whatever you can that won't remind you of what you're leaving behind.
2. Breakthrough
You kind of feel like you should do something to commemorate leaving. Something beyond giving the keys to the landlord and a few books you don't want anymore to Danny, at least. You don't know what, exactly. Burning stuff is a little too dramatic, and you don't really do the whole tearful goodbye thing, especially not when you'll see pretty much everyone over the summer at Adam's wedding. You can't really leave until you know where you're going, though, and right now all you know is "not here." So you start the car and head west, turning the music up.
3. Custom Concern
You tried to find a way to make driving from Ohio to California interesting, but there's not really one. Going through Chicago or Dallas would have added almost another day, and in the end you decided you'd rather be home sooner, especially since you're driving alone and you can tell your parents are worried about that. Probably about more than that, but you're not thinking about anything beyond the drive at this point. You have the winter to sort everything else out, and you tell yourself you have to focus on the road ahead, on getting to where you're going.
4. Might
The worst part about this whole thing is the waiting. Not knowing where you'll be in a couple of months. All you know for sure is that it won't be Columbus, but you might be moving everything again, this time to Seattle or Philly or ... wherever. You kind of thought you'd settled in Ohio, with an apartment and a dog and everything that goes along with that. You were happy there, even, and now you have no idea what might happen next, beyond another long drive and another new team, settling in somewhere and proving yourself all over again.
5. Lounge
You stop for the night in Oklahoma City. It's been on the horizon ever since Missouri, it seems, the land flattened and the road stretching on miles ahead of you, barely a curve or hill to change the view. Oklahoma City isn't exactly L.A., but there's more than one restaurant, though no sushi. You don't realize how tired you are until you get to your room and fall asleep with your clothes still on, only waking up when your mom calls. It's completely dark outside and you're disoriented; you have to stop and think when she asks where you are.
6. Beach Side Property
When you first came back from Holland, you hoped you'd somehow end up in LA. Galaxy or Chivas, it didn't really matter, but if you had to admit you'd failed, you'd rather do it somewhere that you could surf on the weekends. Columbus wasn't your first choice -- it wasn't in your top ten -- but somehow you got used to it. You even liked it most of the time, but you were always glad to get back to California for the winter. You're surprised at how sad it makes you now to think you might be back for good.
7. She Ionizes & Atomizes
Katie's been texting you since before you left, wanting to know where you are and why you aren't closer and when you'll be home, and no matter what you answer, she wants you there already. You've missed her -- you've missed all your sisters, but Katie especially. You've started texting her pictures from the road: the puppy buckled in the front seat; sunrise in Oklahoma City; whatever else you can find at a gas station or rest stop. She always replies with "drive faster," and after the way you left Ohio, it's nice to know someone still wants you around.
8. Head South
Oklahoma goes on forever. It's flat and boring and you have to turn up your iPod and sing along loudly just to stay awake. You stop for coffee, probably the worst you've ever had, just before you cross into Texas, and let the puppy run around and explore the parking lot. You don't know how far you're going today, but this is the first time you feel really lonely. You miss Steven, or Sacha, or anyone, really. You're tired of your thoughts, of trying to distract yourself or keep yourself entertained. The music isn't really enough, but it mostly works.
9. Dog Paddle
You must have been looking away at the wrong time, because when you call him back to the car, the puppy is covered in mud. You take him over to the water pump and try to clean him off, but then you have wet puppy in the car, and that's not much better. He shakes himself dry as soon as you drive away, and you have no choice but to roll down the window and let him stick his head out. Maybe it'll dry him off faster, but even if it doesn't, his tail wagging is pretty much worth it.
10. Novocain Stain
Steven calls you when he's gotten to California -- he left earlier than you -- and he's talking a mile a minute about everything, his sister's wedding and his trip back and you just say "uh-huh" every so often and that's all he needs. It's restful, in a way you never realized. You kind of hope wherever you end up, he's there, too, but you know that probably won't happen. It's too bad -- you haven't had the same roommate more than a season. You were starting to take it personally until you were the one who had to leave.
11. Tundra/Desert
If you didn't want to be home so badly, you'd stop for the night in New Mexico. You're driving through at sunset, almost to Arizona, and the desert stretches ahead of you forever, the sun coloring the sand pink and orange and you've got to come back here sometime when you can enjoy it. But your family's waiting in California, and Sacha's made you promise to be back in time for some sort of Rogers/Kljestan ping-pong tournament, so not tonight. Sometime when you're not tired of driving and every song your iPod holds. You promise yourself you'll be back.
12. Ohio
You try not to think about Columbus, but it's impossible to avoid. You replay the last game of the season, and it's stupid to wonder what would have happened if you'd started, but you can't stop. You readeveryone's posts from Seattle, all the parties and pregame stuff, and you wish you were there more than anything. You can't stop thinking about the final last year, shaving off your awful playoff beard in the locker room and spraying everyone with champagne, trying to drink some from the cup and failing. Being in Arizona instead of Seattle really kind of sucks.
13. Exit Does Not Exist
You get lost trying to find sushi in Flagstaff. You have directions and everything, but the exit you're supposed to take is closed, so you take the next one and try to get back to where you're supposed to be, but it doesn't work. The GPS eventually finds the right road, but it takes way too long. It's good and you eat more than you probably should, and then you get lost again trying to find your hotel. You don't know if Flagstaff's confusing or you're just too tired, but thank god for GPS. The puppy is a poor navigator.
14. Talking Shit About a Pretty Sunset
All you can think about is that you'll be home tonight. You call Sacha in the morning, forgetting he's in New York and probably hungover, and he gives you shit for a while before telling you that you need to come to Chivas and hang out all the time instead of just in the off-season. You don't have an answer for that, so you change the subject and let Sacha talk about how amazing Jamielee is. Then it's your turn to give him shit about how she's too hot for him until he gets fake-mad and hangs up on you.
15. Make Everyone Happy/Mechanical Birds
You take the first exit once you're in California, some tacky little rest stop, so you can send Katie a picture of the "Welcome to California" sign and call your parents and introduce the puppy to his new home state. The puppy is indifferent, sniffing around and climbing back into the front seat, but you can hear the smile in your dad's voice and Katie immediately writes back "DRIVE FASTER." You still have a few more hours driving ahead of you, but it already sort of feels like you're home. You drive as fast as you can without getting stopped.
16. Space Travel Is Boring
You bring your bags inside, throwing them on the couch (which is not nearly as great as your couch, but that's on its way). In the past two weeks, you've been in Utah, Slovakia, Denmark, and however many states you drove through over the weekend. You're completely exhausted, tired and sore and stiff and you know you'll sleep for twelve hours tonight. But first you have to bring the puppy and the rest of your stuff in, and then whatever at Sacha's. You're here all winter, and if you can't be in Seattle, there's nowhere else you'd rather be.
Pairing: Robbie Rogers gen. Other featured players: Steven Lenhart, Sacha Kljestan, Robbie's sister, Sacha's girlfriend. Totally gen.
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not real, all fiction. I know nothing about these players.
Notes: For parka_girl, just because. According to Twitter, Robbie drove cross-country from Columbus to California this weekend. I invented a dog for him. This is a drabble series, pretty much chronological. Title is from a Modest Mouse album; drabble titles are tracks from that album.
1. Dramamine
It's the longest drive of your life and you don't really want to think about why you're leaving. How badly everything went wrong and how fast. So you focus on the little things -- you call again to make sure you've canceled the cable and take the dog to the vet so he won't get carsick like the last time. Thirty-six hours of driving is enough without dealing with that, and that's what you think about as you steal more music from Steven's computer, loading your iPod with whatever you can that won't remind you of what you're leaving behind.
2. Breakthrough
You kind of feel like you should do something to commemorate leaving. Something beyond giving the keys to the landlord and a few books you don't want anymore to Danny, at least. You don't know what, exactly. Burning stuff is a little too dramatic, and you don't really do the whole tearful goodbye thing, especially not when you'll see pretty much everyone over the summer at Adam's wedding. You can't really leave until you know where you're going, though, and right now all you know is "not here." So you start the car and head west, turning the music up.
3. Custom Concern
You tried to find a way to make driving from Ohio to California interesting, but there's not really one. Going through Chicago or Dallas would have added almost another day, and in the end you decided you'd rather be home sooner, especially since you're driving alone and you can tell your parents are worried about that. Probably about more than that, but you're not thinking about anything beyond the drive at this point. You have the winter to sort everything else out, and you tell yourself you have to focus on the road ahead, on getting to where you're going.
4. Might
The worst part about this whole thing is the waiting. Not knowing where you'll be in a couple of months. All you know for sure is that it won't be Columbus, but you might be moving everything again, this time to Seattle or Philly or ... wherever. You kind of thought you'd settled in Ohio, with an apartment and a dog and everything that goes along with that. You were happy there, even, and now you have no idea what might happen next, beyond another long drive and another new team, settling in somewhere and proving yourself all over again.
5. Lounge
You stop for the night in Oklahoma City. It's been on the horizon ever since Missouri, it seems, the land flattened and the road stretching on miles ahead of you, barely a curve or hill to change the view. Oklahoma City isn't exactly L.A., but there's more than one restaurant, though no sushi. You don't realize how tired you are until you get to your room and fall asleep with your clothes still on, only waking up when your mom calls. It's completely dark outside and you're disoriented; you have to stop and think when she asks where you are.
6. Beach Side Property
When you first came back from Holland, you hoped you'd somehow end up in LA. Galaxy or Chivas, it didn't really matter, but if you had to admit you'd failed, you'd rather do it somewhere that you could surf on the weekends. Columbus wasn't your first choice -- it wasn't in your top ten -- but somehow you got used to it. You even liked it most of the time, but you were always glad to get back to California for the winter. You're surprised at how sad it makes you now to think you might be back for good.
7. She Ionizes & Atomizes
Katie's been texting you since before you left, wanting to know where you are and why you aren't closer and when you'll be home, and no matter what you answer, she wants you there already. You've missed her -- you've missed all your sisters, but Katie especially. You've started texting her pictures from the road: the puppy buckled in the front seat; sunrise in Oklahoma City; whatever else you can find at a gas station or rest stop. She always replies with "drive faster," and after the way you left Ohio, it's nice to know someone still wants you around.
8. Head South
Oklahoma goes on forever. It's flat and boring and you have to turn up your iPod and sing along loudly just to stay awake. You stop for coffee, probably the worst you've ever had, just before you cross into Texas, and let the puppy run around and explore the parking lot. You don't know how far you're going today, but this is the first time you feel really lonely. You miss Steven, or Sacha, or anyone, really. You're tired of your thoughts, of trying to distract yourself or keep yourself entertained. The music isn't really enough, but it mostly works.
9. Dog Paddle
You must have been looking away at the wrong time, because when you call him back to the car, the puppy is covered in mud. You take him over to the water pump and try to clean him off, but then you have wet puppy in the car, and that's not much better. He shakes himself dry as soon as you drive away, and you have no choice but to roll down the window and let him stick his head out. Maybe it'll dry him off faster, but even if it doesn't, his tail wagging is pretty much worth it.
10. Novocain Stain
Steven calls you when he's gotten to California -- he left earlier than you -- and he's talking a mile a minute about everything, his sister's wedding and his trip back and you just say "uh-huh" every so often and that's all he needs. It's restful, in a way you never realized. You kind of hope wherever you end up, he's there, too, but you know that probably won't happen. It's too bad -- you haven't had the same roommate more than a season. You were starting to take it personally until you were the one who had to leave.
11. Tundra/Desert
If you didn't want to be home so badly, you'd stop for the night in New Mexico. You're driving through at sunset, almost to Arizona, and the desert stretches ahead of you forever, the sun coloring the sand pink and orange and you've got to come back here sometime when you can enjoy it. But your family's waiting in California, and Sacha's made you promise to be back in time for some sort of Rogers/Kljestan ping-pong tournament, so not tonight. Sometime when you're not tired of driving and every song your iPod holds. You promise yourself you'll be back.
12. Ohio
You try not to think about Columbus, but it's impossible to avoid. You replay the last game of the season, and it's stupid to wonder what would have happened if you'd started, but you can't stop. You readeveryone's posts from Seattle, all the parties and pregame stuff, and you wish you were there more than anything. You can't stop thinking about the final last year, shaving off your awful playoff beard in the locker room and spraying everyone with champagne, trying to drink some from the cup and failing. Being in Arizona instead of Seattle really kind of sucks.
13. Exit Does Not Exist
You get lost trying to find sushi in Flagstaff. You have directions and everything, but the exit you're supposed to take is closed, so you take the next one and try to get back to where you're supposed to be, but it doesn't work. The GPS eventually finds the right road, but it takes way too long. It's good and you eat more than you probably should, and then you get lost again trying to find your hotel. You don't know if Flagstaff's confusing or you're just too tired, but thank god for GPS. The puppy is a poor navigator.
14. Talking Shit About a Pretty Sunset
All you can think about is that you'll be home tonight. You call Sacha in the morning, forgetting he's in New York and probably hungover, and he gives you shit for a while before telling you that you need to come to Chivas and hang out all the time instead of just in the off-season. You don't have an answer for that, so you change the subject and let Sacha talk about how amazing Jamielee is. Then it's your turn to give him shit about how she's too hot for him until he gets fake-mad and hangs up on you.
15. Make Everyone Happy/Mechanical Birds
You take the first exit once you're in California, some tacky little rest stop, so you can send Katie a picture of the "Welcome to California" sign and call your parents and introduce the puppy to his new home state. The puppy is indifferent, sniffing around and climbing back into the front seat, but you can hear the smile in your dad's voice and Katie immediately writes back "DRIVE FASTER." You still have a few more hours driving ahead of you, but it already sort of feels like you're home. You drive as fast as you can without getting stopped.
16. Space Travel Is Boring
You bring your bags inside, throwing them on the couch (which is not nearly as great as your couch, but that's on its way). In the past two weeks, you've been in Utah, Slovakia, Denmark, and however many states you drove through over the weekend. You're completely exhausted, tired and sore and stiff and you know you'll sleep for twelve hours tonight. But first you have to bring the puppy and the rest of your stuff in, and then whatever at Sacha's. You're here all winter, and if you can't be in Seattle, there's nowhere else you'd rather be.