Grey Street // H.S.

Chapter 17: Giant Jackalopes

We spend about an hour watching the sun rise and only leave when the area around us begins to get more crowded. It doesn’t feel the same once other people are in the picture and I’m forced to share the moment with them as well. I’m glad we leave when we do because that way I can remember this morning how it was, just Harry and me.

After nearly running over a prairie dog and Harry screaming “what the hell is that” and then talking for about twenty minutes about how it’s the most adorable thing he’s seen in his life we finally make our way out of the park. He makes me stop at the prairie dog fields first though. I was annoyed with this in the beginning because I was starting to get extremely hungry but watching Harry excitedly talk about the rodent creature was worth it.

After finally pulling him away from the admittedly adorable things, I drove to possibly the best place in South Dakota. It’s probably ironic for me because how much I hate happiness and anything with lots of people but Wall Drug is amazing, even with its tourist filled grounds. I guess I can’t seem to resist a good stuffed Jackalope.

Harry tells me he’s heard of this place before but hasn’t ever been since he’s only spent a single winter in South Dakota, besides his trip here now. He walks around for five minutes with his mouth wide open, trying to comprehend everything about Wall Drug. It reminds me of the first time I was here when I was about seven. I think I did the same thing as him. It’s like Disneyland, without the rides, and instead of oversized cartoon animals walking around there is a mythical rabbit slash antelope sitting everywhere you turn.

We eat an extremely syrupy breakfast. It’s obvious we’re both starving because we end up getting seconds within minutes of sitting down. By the time I’m done I have to force myself to drink about three cups of coffee because I know that I would fall asleep without it, considering the lack of sleep last night and all of the food I just consumed.

When we’re done eating we walk around the store some more. Harry tries on almost every single hat he comes across, ranging from a huge cowboy hat to a fuzzy Davie Crockett one. He ends up buying one that looks like a dead raccoon. By the time we’ve thoroughly scanned every room in the large ‘drug store’, he’s picked out a shirt that says something cheesy on it, another hat and about five pounds of candy. He wanted to get cowboy boots too but I had to tell him no way on that one. I know I should love ‘cowboys’ because that’s what most girls do, but I don’t. And Harry just looked too silly walking around with them on.

“Harry,” I say his name, looking at the counter filled with his souvenirs. “Why are you buying two of the exact same hats?”

He turns to look at me and his face is completely serious until an almost haunting grin appears. I already have a feeling what he’s going to say before he manages to say a word. “Because one is for you…”

“You are not buying me a hat,” I say, grabbing the furry thing, prepared to throw it across the store. Harry’s quick though and his arm stops me before I’m even able to lift it a few inches. First of all, he doesn’t need to be buying me things. Secondly, I’m not wearing that god awful hat.

“I am,” he looks at me. His face is stern and his voice is commanding, which is something I’m not used to with him. I can tell unless I throw a fit, which I’m not about to do, he’s buying me this stupid hat whether I like it or not.

Just because he buys it for me doesn’t mean he can make me wear it.

Of course I’m wrong.

Five minutes later I have a fake dead animal sitting on the top of my head. I’m sure I look more like an angry seven year old boy rather than the eighteen year old, hardly a woman that I am. I cannot tell you how or why this thing is on my head, all I know is that it is.