A Little Excerpt

It was Saturday October 29th, 2016. Levi Cranston and his girlfriend, Mackenzie Burbanks, decided to take a day trip to Chicago today. Their housemates, Jack Andrews and Asad Prejesh, were busy anyway. And, even if they weren't, Levi and Mackenzie were hoping to just have the day to themselves. After all, Levi's 25th birthday is tomorrow, October 30th, and he and his girlfriend were going to make today extra special.

At 10:30 in the morning, Levi and Mackenzie drove to the train station from their place in downtown Valparaiso, Indiana. They waited there for a few minutes until the train came. And then they had an hour train ride before they'd make it into the city of Chicago. They just sat on the train listening to rock music. And then that time passed very quickly.

Before they knew it, they arrived in Chicago by train. Levi and Mackenzie had the whole day at their feet. And they were trying very hard to decide what they'd want to do. Since they didn't really make any plans. Probably get something to eat and explore the city for a while.

For lunch, they went to a very popular Mexican grill. Levi and Mackenzie were both in the mood for it, so that was most definitely the path of least resistance. The line was a little long, but well worth it. Mackenzie got a chicken burrito, and Levi got a steak burrito. Life is amazing.

"Hey, Mackenzie?" Levi got his girlfriend's attention.
"Yeah?" Mackenzie replied.
"Are you going to eat the other quarter of your burrito?"
"No, I'm not hungry now. Would you like it?"
"Absolutely," Levi said with a smile.
"You're so cute," Mackenzie remarked with a smile.
"So are you."
"So, what should we do afterwards?"
"I'm open."
"Oh gosh! So am I."

​Levi and Mackenzie did not know what to do afterwards. But what they did decide to do was just play it by ear and walk around the city for a bit. In fact, that was all they really wanted to do. They wanted to explore as many coffee shops and stores as possible. And also go to a few of the parks.

It was about 6:30 in the evening, and Levi and Mackenzie headed toward the train station. They made the 6:22 train, and the ride back to Valparaiso was going to be a long one. Mackenzie got a window seat, and she spent the whole train ride resting her head against Levi's shoulder. And Levi rested his head against his girlfriend's head. It was a nice hour and fifteen minutes to get back to Northwest Indiana.

"How ya doing?" Levi got Mackenzie's attention.
"Fine," Mackenzie replied.
"You sleepy?"
"A little."
"Awwwww," Levi said with a smile.
"Wanna watch some movies when we get back to Valpo?" Mackenzie asked her boyfriend of eleven years.
"Absolutely."
"What should we watch?"
"I have plenty of ideas."
"Oh boy."

Levi and Mackenzie drove back to downtown Valparaiso. Jack and Asad were most likely still not home yet. They were probably going to be home until later tonight. At least Levi and Mackenzie had the place to themselves, and they could watch some of their favorite movies while snuggling on the couch. At least for a little while.

Levi and Mackenzie got one of their favorite movies out and rested on the couch. Since the couch has a pull-out bed, they decided to use that. Both kids were resting their heads on a few pillows, and they were just taking in the moment. They were both very comfortable. Levi was watching the movie, and Mackenzie was about to fall asleep with her head on Levi's chest, listening to his heart beating.