a little rap to do for you. About the girl who’s a popular screw…”
And then I saw it. It was really just a big old rock with kids standing everywhere on it. On the ground there were brown bags filled with snacks and six-packs of beer. Only this was just kids from Performing Arts, not from every school in the city. It was more gritty than the museum party. More mixed. Less elite feeling.
Mostly it was older kids. Juniors and seniors. And then the cooler freshmen and sophomores. All kids from all the departments were hanging out together.
When we got to the bottom of the rock, some kids turned to check us out, then turned back to what they were doing. Some of them waved. They knew we belonged.
Caitlin grabbed me.
“Look, it’s David Freddy and Elliot Waldman. Let’s start with them.”
They were sitting, legs stretched out, passing a joint between them with a bunch of kids sitting around them looking worshipful.
One of them was Caleb.
“Hi,” Caitlin said a little breathlessly. “We’re looking for our friend, a Russian girl…”
“If you want to be in the skit, sit down,” Elliot said. “We’ll see if we can fit you in.”
Caitlin immediately sat down.
“No way,” Caleb protested. “They can’t be in the skit.”
“We don’t want to be in the skit,” Callisto said.
“Well, I don’t know,” Caitlin said.
“This is my place,” Caleb said.
“It’s a rock in Central Park,” Callisto said. “You don’t own it.”
“We’re looking for my friend,” I said. “A Russian girl.”
“Who are you again?” Caleb asked. His brown hair was longer than short and shorter than long and parted just off center in a cowlick that made what could be considered average looks unaverage. He was skinny and wore a brown T-shirt with an army jacket and a pair of faded blue jeans. His eyes were dark hazel and serious. His lips were full and he had scruff on his cheeks, and in my opinion he looked like he was always scowling. It was probably just a side effect of his deep thoughts and drama department broodiness.
“Rose,” I said.
“Oh yeah—the one who throws things at me,” he said.
“The Russian girl would have come with that girl Tammy and some Science kids,” Maurice said.
“Tammy. Is she one of the goblin girls with the antique dresses and green hair? Smoking cloves?” Elliot asked.
We all nodded.
Elliot jerked his thumb over his shoulder to another part of the rock.
“Get her and leave please. This is my scene,” Caleb said.
Then he grabbed a beer from a brown shopping bag on the ground and cracked it open.
As we started to walk away, Caleb called after us.
“Rose. I can see your underwear.”
“Your brother is a jerk,” I said.
“I know,” Callisto told me.
“Imagine having to share a womb with him,” Caitlin added.
We made our way over to a bunch of girls all looking vintage-y perfect in their antique dresses and kid gloves. I didn’t see Yrena, but Tammy was sitting with them on the ground, trying to fit in.
“Hey! Maurice! I knew you would change your mind and join us,” she said, standing up as soon as she saw us. She wobbled a bit, totally tanked, and then stumbled over.
“Maurice,” she said. She pulled him into a big hug and clung on to him for a little bit too long. “I’m so glad you came. I like you so much.”
Maurice peeled her off of his shoulders.
“We’re looking for Yrena,” he said. “Have you seen her?”
“Oh, she went home,” Tammy said.
“Are you sure?” I asked.
“I think so. I don’t know! I don’t even know her,” Tammy said. “I wish I could just go home. Just right now. Like Dorothy.”
Then Tammy clicked her heels three times but lost her balance and fell flat on her butt. She threw her arms up in the air dramatically.
“Help me up, Maurice!” she said. As he did so, she added, “I remember now. They went to the owl place.” Even when she was up, she still tried to hold Maurice’s hand.
“What’s the
And then I saw it. It was really just a big old rock with kids standing everywhere on it. On the ground there were brown bags filled with snacks and six-packs of beer. Only this was just kids from Performing Arts, not from every school in the city. It was more gritty than the museum party. More mixed. Less elite feeling.
Mostly it was older kids. Juniors and seniors. And then the cooler freshmen and sophomores. All kids from all the departments were hanging out together.
When we got to the bottom of the rock, some kids turned to check us out, then turned back to what they were doing. Some of them waved. They knew we belonged.
Caitlin grabbed me.
“Look, it’s David Freddy and Elliot Waldman. Let’s start with them.”
They were sitting, legs stretched out, passing a joint between them with a bunch of kids sitting around them looking worshipful.
One of them was Caleb.
“Hi,” Caitlin said a little breathlessly. “We’re looking for our friend, a Russian girl…”
“If you want to be in the skit, sit down,” Elliot said. “We’ll see if we can fit you in.”
Caitlin immediately sat down.
“No way,” Caleb protested. “They can’t be in the skit.”
“We don’t want to be in the skit,” Callisto said.
“Well, I don’t know,” Caitlin said.
“This is my place,” Caleb said.
“It’s a rock in Central Park,” Callisto said. “You don’t own it.”
“We’re looking for my friend,” I said. “A Russian girl.”
“Who are you again?” Caleb asked. His brown hair was longer than short and shorter than long and parted just off center in a cowlick that made what could be considered average looks unaverage. He was skinny and wore a brown T-shirt with an army jacket and a pair of faded blue jeans. His eyes were dark hazel and serious. His lips were full and he had scruff on his cheeks, and in my opinion he looked like he was always scowling. It was probably just a side effect of his deep thoughts and drama department broodiness.
“Rose,” I said.
“Oh yeah—the one who throws things at me,” he said.
“The Russian girl would have come with that girl Tammy and some Science kids,” Maurice said.
“Tammy. Is she one of the goblin girls with the antique dresses and green hair? Smoking cloves?” Elliot asked.
We all nodded.
Elliot jerked his thumb over his shoulder to another part of the rock.
“Get her and leave please. This is my scene,” Caleb said.
Then he grabbed a beer from a brown shopping bag on the ground and cracked it open.
As we started to walk away, Caleb called after us.
“Rose. I can see your underwear.”
“Your brother is a jerk,” I said.
“I know,” Callisto told me.
“Imagine having to share a womb with him,” Caitlin added.
We made our way over to a bunch of girls all looking vintage-y perfect in their antique dresses and kid gloves. I didn’t see Yrena, but Tammy was sitting with them on the ground, trying to fit in.
“Hey! Maurice! I knew you would change your mind and join us,” she said, standing up as soon as she saw us. She wobbled a bit, totally tanked, and then stumbled over.
“Maurice,” she said. She pulled him into a big hug and clung on to him for a little bit too long. “I’m so glad you came. I like you so much.”
Maurice peeled her off of his shoulders.
“We’re looking for Yrena,” he said. “Have you seen her?”
“Oh, she went home,” Tammy said.
“Are you sure?” I asked.
“I think so. I don’t know! I don’t even know her,” Tammy said. “I wish I could just go home. Just right now. Like Dorothy.”
Then Tammy clicked her heels three times but lost her balance and fell flat on her butt. She threw her arms up in the air dramatically.
“Help me up, Maurice!” she said. As he did so, she added, “I remember now. They went to the owl place.” Even when she was up, she still tried to hold Maurice’s hand.
“What’s the
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