Story #7: "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" by Joyce Carol Oates

This story was pretty terrifying for me.

I sort of knew what to expect because our class was informed about the topic beforehand, but I still had a strong reaction to it. The main character is Connie, who is 15. She feels all this pressure from her family (especially her mother) because she's not as "perfect" as her sister, June. There's a lot of comparison between the two of them, and this causes a lot of tension in the family. One day, Connie decides to go to the mall with some friends. Her mother allows her to go out because she likes when she's social. They arrive at the mall, only to escape to a nearby fast food place where "older kids" hang out. A random guy named Eddie comes in and asks Connie if she wants something to eat. She says yes, and on their way out she sees a creepy dude with shaggy hair staring at her in the parking lot. Fast forward a few days, and Connie's family is going to a barbecue. Connie decides to stay home, and soon after they leave, she hears a car coming down the driveway. It's the creepy dude from before, Arnold Friend, and his sidekick, Ellie. Arnold tries to persuade Connie to come with him, but she refuses. She starts to give in a few times, but she realizes that Arnold and Ellie are much, much older than her. She panics and tries to call the police, but Arnold says that if she picks up the phone, he's coming in the house. He also says (several times) that if her family comes back and she's still there, he's going to do something to them. This leaves Connie defeated. In the end, she walks out of the house and leaves with Arnold and Ellie in their gold-painted car.

This story was an interesting read. I was really engaged with it the entire time- even though it was longer than the other stories, it didn't necessarily feel that way. It almost felt like I was with Connie the entire time because I felt so strongly for her. I've never experienced anything like she did, but I could feel her emotions through the writing. The part that really hit me was the ending, when Connie finally gave in to Arnold. She was fighting so hard to get away, and he made her feel helpless.

It's not easy to think of a song that reminds me of this story. The first one that I think of is Gravity by Sara Bareilles. It's really emotionally powerful, and the lyrics kind of resemble the story, but not exactly. The tune itself is a lot like the story because I don't think it's action-packed, but more soft and deceiving.