old Buick lurched to a stop inches from the back of the crowd. He jumped out, his huge belly leading. “Out of the way, out of the way.
Press!
” he shouted, shoving through.
“Press!”
Hidden back in the crowd, and with Alison peeking around from behind him, Mikey watched Cal and Ernie pose. The happy fishermen with their glorious bounty, Ernie’s loud shirt open to his stomach, the rod and reel—everything was in the picture.
Cal dragged Bill in for a shot, and Bill went right along, posing beside them.
How could he do that?
They’re cheats, Mikey thought. They’re liars.
“Disgusting, isn’t it?” Alison said.
Mikey’s stomach felt like knotted rope. “What?”
Alison grabbed his hand. “Let’s get out of here.”
Mikey followed her, squeezing through the crowd. He felt dizzy, as if he weren’t even in the same town. It was weird. The whole day had gone from great to shocking to weird and downright strange.
They pushed their way out.
“Where’s your brother?” Alison said. “Is he here?”
Mikey looked at their hands, clasped in a tight knot.
Alison let go. “Sorry. I just couldn’t stand it anymore.”
“Mikey!” Mom called. “Over here!”
She was standing by Bill’s jeep, waving.
They walked over.
“Wow,” Alison whispered. “Your mom’s beautiful.”
Mikey felt embarrassed. Had his mom seen him holding hands with Alison? She had a grin on her face that made Mikey frown.
“Well,” Mom said.
“This is Alison,” Mikey said, before she could add to the “well.” “She was on the boat with us today.”
Alison smiled and reached out to shake hands. “Nice to meet you,” she said.
“You must be very proud of your father,” Mom said, turning toward the crowd.
“My uncle caught it.”
“Well, we should all be proud of this.”
Alison smiled, then looked down at Billy-Jay. She knelt. “And you couldn’t be anyone but Billy-Jay,” she said. “You look just like your father.”
“Who’s that, Mikey?” Billy-Jay said.
Mikey dropped down next to Alison, one knee cocked forward. “This is Alison, Billy-Jay. She’s my friend.”
Alison stuck out a hand, then pulled it back, glancing at Mikey.
Mikey dipped his head toward Billy-Jay, mouthing “Go ahead.”
Alison took Billy-Jay’s hand in hers and shook it. “Mikey’s told me all about you. But you’re bigger than I thought you were.”
Billy-Jay grinned.
Mikey stood and glanced toward the Crystal-C. Bill was back on board. Cal and Ernie were talking to strangers, acting as if they’d known them for years.
The crowd was starting to disperse. Some people stayed to take pictures of the mahimahi. Some leaned against each other. Honeymooners. With no idea they were admiring a couple of cheaters.
“Can we go to the big fish now?” Billy-Jay said.
Mikey turned back. “You bet, bud.”
He and Alison each took one of Billy-Jay’s hands and walked him over to the hanging fish, now faded to the color of lead pipe.
Mikey bent over, hands on his knees. “It’s right in front of you.”
Billy-Jay reached out and touched it with his fingertips, then his whole hand. “Big,” he said.
“Bill says we’ll probably never see another one like this in our lifetime.” Mikey glanced up at Alison. “I believe it.”
Mikey showed Billy-Jay the ono, too, and Billy-Jay explored every inch of it, including the eyes, gills, and spiky teeth.
Alison sat down on her heels and wrapped her arms around her knees. She studied Billy-Jay, watching his face register reactions to the fish, the little smiles and moments of thought. Her eyes seemed so kind, Mikey thought, watching Billy-Jay like that. What was she thinking? Mikey became aware of the fact that this was the first time in his life he’d ever gotten this close to a girl. She was older than he was, sure, but that didn’t seem to matter.
Jimmy returned with the IGFA application form on a clipboard. Cal, Ernie, Bill, and the crowd that remained gathered
Press!
” he shouted, shoving through.
“Press!”
Hidden back in the crowd, and with Alison peeking around from behind him, Mikey watched Cal and Ernie pose. The happy fishermen with their glorious bounty, Ernie’s loud shirt open to his stomach, the rod and reel—everything was in the picture.
Cal dragged Bill in for a shot, and Bill went right along, posing beside them.
How could he do that?
They’re cheats, Mikey thought. They’re liars.
“Disgusting, isn’t it?” Alison said.
Mikey’s stomach felt like knotted rope. “What?”
Alison grabbed his hand. “Let’s get out of here.”
Mikey followed her, squeezing through the crowd. He felt dizzy, as if he weren’t even in the same town. It was weird. The whole day had gone from great to shocking to weird and downright strange.
They pushed their way out.
“Where’s your brother?” Alison said. “Is he here?”
Mikey looked at their hands, clasped in a tight knot.
Alison let go. “Sorry. I just couldn’t stand it anymore.”
“Mikey!” Mom called. “Over here!”
She was standing by Bill’s jeep, waving.
They walked over.
“Wow,” Alison whispered. “Your mom’s beautiful.”
Mikey felt embarrassed. Had his mom seen him holding hands with Alison? She had a grin on her face that made Mikey frown.
“Well,” Mom said.
“This is Alison,” Mikey said, before she could add to the “well.” “She was on the boat with us today.”
Alison smiled and reached out to shake hands. “Nice to meet you,” she said.
“You must be very proud of your father,” Mom said, turning toward the crowd.
“My uncle caught it.”
“Well, we should all be proud of this.”
Alison smiled, then looked down at Billy-Jay. She knelt. “And you couldn’t be anyone but Billy-Jay,” she said. “You look just like your father.”
“Who’s that, Mikey?” Billy-Jay said.
Mikey dropped down next to Alison, one knee cocked forward. “This is Alison, Billy-Jay. She’s my friend.”
Alison stuck out a hand, then pulled it back, glancing at Mikey.
Mikey dipped his head toward Billy-Jay, mouthing “Go ahead.”
Alison took Billy-Jay’s hand in hers and shook it. “Mikey’s told me all about you. But you’re bigger than I thought you were.”
Billy-Jay grinned.
Mikey stood and glanced toward the Crystal-C. Bill was back on board. Cal and Ernie were talking to strangers, acting as if they’d known them for years.
The crowd was starting to disperse. Some people stayed to take pictures of the mahimahi. Some leaned against each other. Honeymooners. With no idea they were admiring a couple of cheaters.
“Can we go to the big fish now?” Billy-Jay said.
Mikey turned back. “You bet, bud.”
He and Alison each took one of Billy-Jay’s hands and walked him over to the hanging fish, now faded to the color of lead pipe.
Mikey bent over, hands on his knees. “It’s right in front of you.”
Billy-Jay reached out and touched it with his fingertips, then his whole hand. “Big,” he said.
“Bill says we’ll probably never see another one like this in our lifetime.” Mikey glanced up at Alison. “I believe it.”
Mikey showed Billy-Jay the ono, too, and Billy-Jay explored every inch of it, including the eyes, gills, and spiky teeth.
Alison sat down on her heels and wrapped her arms around her knees. She studied Billy-Jay, watching his face register reactions to the fish, the little smiles and moments of thought. Her eyes seemed so kind, Mikey thought, watching Billy-Jay like that. What was she thinking? Mikey became aware of the fact that this was the first time in his life he’d ever gotten this close to a girl. She was older than he was, sure, but that didn’t seem to matter.
Jimmy returned with the IGFA application form on a clipboard. Cal, Ernie, Bill, and the crowd that remained gathered
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