other. “You ready?”
“Definitely!” Natalie said, trying to make her voice sound steadier than she felt. “Let me just grab my stuff, and I’ll be ready to go.”
“Awesome,” Kyle replied. They walked together through the hallway of the school toward the big entrance doors. Natalie couldn’t believe she was on her first real date. I will remember this date for the rest of my life , she thought.
Near the entrance, Natalie saw Hannah standing with a couple of other girls. She smiled at her friend, but Hannah just shot her back a strange look. There was no pretending that it was a mistake or something Nat had imagined—obviously Hannah was grouchy that Natalie was going on her date.
Kyle noticed the exchange, and leaned over to Natalie. “That’s weird,” he said. “Isn’t Hannah, like, your best friend?”
“Yeah,” Natalie said. Though these days, I’m not too sure. She pushed her hair back out of her eyes. “Let’s go!” she said, trying to sound more excited. This was her first date, after all, and she wasn’t going to let anything ruin it.
Not even losing her best friend.
As Kyle and Natalie walked toward Central Park, they talked about school and about their friends. Kyle told Natalie that over the summer he’d started hanging out with kids from his neighborhood instead of just friends from school. “That’s cool,” Nat said. “I made a lot of friends this summer.”
“Really? At camp?” Kyle asked, surprised.
Natalie laughed. “Why do you sound so shocked? I spent eight weeks living in a tiny cabin with a bunch of other girls. Obviously we’d be friends.”
Kyle blushed. “Well, right,” he said. “I guess I’m just surprised because, you know, um, I remember you weren’t too excited about camp when you first told me about it.”
“No, I wasn’t,” Natalie said. She smiled, remembering the first few days at camp, when she’d hated getting up early, hated being all sweaty, and hated being out in nature. But she’d grown to really love Camp Lakeview. “I mean, yeah, I missed New York. But . . . I don’t know. I guess eleven-year-old girls have more in common than you’d think, no matter where they’re from.”
“And eleven-year-old boys,” Kyle said quietly.
Natalie knew he was talking about Simon. Simon who had finally called her the other night and left a message—though they’d been playing phone tag and still hadn’t spoken. But what could she say to make Kyle feel better? She did like Simon—and she liked Kyle, too. Boys , she thought. Are they really worth it ?
They reached the bottom of Central Park at 59th Street. Kyle shaded his eyes against the sun and looked for a bench where they could put their Rollerblades on. “Hey, over here,” he said.
“Do you want to get a Frappuccino first?” Natalie asked, looking longingly at a Starbucks across the avenue.
“Uh . . . not really,” Kyle said. “I don’t like coffee.” He started across the street toward the bench.
“Okay . . .” Natalie mumbled, surprised. Even if Kyle wasn’t into caffeine, wouldn’t it have been polite to take her anyway? Well, I’m new to this dating thing , she thought, deciding to be a good sport. She hoisted her backpack and followed Kyle across the street.
They sat on a stone bench and changed into their Rollerblades, shoving their shoes into their bags. Then they started skating slowly through the park, winding their way along the paths. Natalie loved Central Park, especially in the early autumn, when the grass was bright green, the sky was a brilliant blue, the trees were just beginning to change colors, and everyone in the park seemed to be in a great mood as they lounged on blankets, Rollerbladed or ran, pushed baby strollers, and played with dogs. It was Hannah and Natalie’s favorite place to come, any time of the year, but especially during the first month of school. For as long as Nat could remember, they’d made a point of coming to the park a few
“Definitely!” Natalie said, trying to make her voice sound steadier than she felt. “Let me just grab my stuff, and I’ll be ready to go.”
“Awesome,” Kyle replied. They walked together through the hallway of the school toward the big entrance doors. Natalie couldn’t believe she was on her first real date. I will remember this date for the rest of my life , she thought.
Near the entrance, Natalie saw Hannah standing with a couple of other girls. She smiled at her friend, but Hannah just shot her back a strange look. There was no pretending that it was a mistake or something Nat had imagined—obviously Hannah was grouchy that Natalie was going on her date.
Kyle noticed the exchange, and leaned over to Natalie. “That’s weird,” he said. “Isn’t Hannah, like, your best friend?”
“Yeah,” Natalie said. Though these days, I’m not too sure. She pushed her hair back out of her eyes. “Let’s go!” she said, trying to sound more excited. This was her first date, after all, and she wasn’t going to let anything ruin it.
Not even losing her best friend.
As Kyle and Natalie walked toward Central Park, they talked about school and about their friends. Kyle told Natalie that over the summer he’d started hanging out with kids from his neighborhood instead of just friends from school. “That’s cool,” Nat said. “I made a lot of friends this summer.”
“Really? At camp?” Kyle asked, surprised.
Natalie laughed. “Why do you sound so shocked? I spent eight weeks living in a tiny cabin with a bunch of other girls. Obviously we’d be friends.”
Kyle blushed. “Well, right,” he said. “I guess I’m just surprised because, you know, um, I remember you weren’t too excited about camp when you first told me about it.”
“No, I wasn’t,” Natalie said. She smiled, remembering the first few days at camp, when she’d hated getting up early, hated being all sweaty, and hated being out in nature. But she’d grown to really love Camp Lakeview. “I mean, yeah, I missed New York. But . . . I don’t know. I guess eleven-year-old girls have more in common than you’d think, no matter where they’re from.”
“And eleven-year-old boys,” Kyle said quietly.
Natalie knew he was talking about Simon. Simon who had finally called her the other night and left a message—though they’d been playing phone tag and still hadn’t spoken. But what could she say to make Kyle feel better? She did like Simon—and she liked Kyle, too. Boys , she thought. Are they really worth it ?
They reached the bottom of Central Park at 59th Street. Kyle shaded his eyes against the sun and looked for a bench where they could put their Rollerblades on. “Hey, over here,” he said.
“Do you want to get a Frappuccino first?” Natalie asked, looking longingly at a Starbucks across the avenue.
“Uh . . . not really,” Kyle said. “I don’t like coffee.” He started across the street toward the bench.
“Okay . . .” Natalie mumbled, surprised. Even if Kyle wasn’t into caffeine, wouldn’t it have been polite to take her anyway? Well, I’m new to this dating thing , she thought, deciding to be a good sport. She hoisted her backpack and followed Kyle across the street.
They sat on a stone bench and changed into their Rollerblades, shoving their shoes into their bags. Then they started skating slowly through the park, winding their way along the paths. Natalie loved Central Park, especially in the early autumn, when the grass was bright green, the sky was a brilliant blue, the trees were just beginning to change colors, and everyone in the park seemed to be in a great mood as they lounged on blankets, Rollerbladed or ran, pushed baby strollers, and played with dogs. It was Hannah and Natalie’s favorite place to come, any time of the year, but especially during the first month of school. For as long as Nat could remember, they’d made a point of coming to the park a few
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