he walked over to Fifth Avenue, crossed the street and went into Central Park.
Spence, he knew, lived on Central Park West, over on the other side of the park. Spence had proudly pointed out the building one day last spring when their class had taken the short bus ride over to the West Side, a field trip to see some tall ships cruising their way down the Hudson River. Spence, of course, acted as if he owned the entire building.
Zach knew that if you entered the park at 86th Street, it was practically a straight shot to Spence’s building. So this had to be his way home.
Maybe the old Zach would have let this go, not just the ball hitting him in the head, a cheap shot if there ever was one, but the entire way Spence had acted at practice today. Ragging on him every time he saw an opening. And even when he didn’t.
The new Zach wasn’t letting it go.
If he could come into this place at night and scare off a mugger, he could do this with Spence once and for all. Still plenty of daylight left. Coach P. made sure practice started at two-thirty sharp every day so that the kids who lived close enough to Parker to walk to school—or the ones who took the subway home—could get home when it was still light out.
There.
He saw Spence coming.
Listening to his iPod, earbuds in his ears, bopping his head to music Zach couldn’t hear.
Zach hadn’t imagined the scene playing out this way. He’d pictured himself calling out Spence’s name, getting his attention, telling him they needed to have a talk.
Only now Spence wouldn’t be able to hear him.
So Zach ran up ahead and hopped the stone wall. He was waiting for Spence as he came around a bend in Park Drive, planning to jump out at him the way the guy at the reservoir had been planning to surprise that woman jogger the other night.
Not quite.
Spence noticed him and shook his head, more annoyed or just plain disgusted than surprised. He pulled out his white earbuds.
“What?” he said.
“What?” Zach said. “You’re not happy to see me?”
“Harriman,” Spence said, “as much fun as it is to jack you up from time to time—”
He started to pass, but Zach blocked his way.
“Time to time?” Zach said. Trying to grin a Spence grin back at him. “Don’t you mean all the time?”
“I don’t have the time for it today. My mom is waiting for me at home. We gotta do something. As a family.” Air-quoting the word family.
“Well,” Zach said, “even though I hate cutting into your family time, we need to talk.”
“About what?”
“About you being an even bigger jerk than I thought you were,” Zach said. “Which, I have to say, would make you the biggest pain-in-the-butt jerk our age in history. Like we should be studying jerks like you in one of our history books.”
Spence tilted his head, as if this were another time he couldn’t possibly have heard right.
“You must be joking, freak boy.”
Zach shook his head. “No, you heard me,” he said.
“But you’re not hearing me,” Spence said. “I don’t have time for this.”
“Make time, Spence.”
“If I do,” Spence said, “that ball hitting you on the head is going to feel like a love tap.”
“I doubt it.”
Zach wasn’t even thinking about what he wanted to say, the words just kept coming out like he was the coolest, toughest guy in the park.
“Okay, then,” Spence said, shrugging. “Let’s do this.”
“Let’s.”
Zach turned and hopped back over the wall, leading the way. Spence was a few yards behind, speaking quietly into his cell phone, Zach hearing him tell somebody that he was ten minutes away, swear.
Zach had already picked out the spot beforehand, a small clearing between a patch of trees at the top of a hill. He could see a touch football game being played, the shouts and laughter reaching him. Even now, even with what was about to happen between him and Spence, Zach couldn’t help thinking what a big, amazing place Central Park was, how there was a
Spence, he knew, lived on Central Park West, over on the other side of the park. Spence had proudly pointed out the building one day last spring when their class had taken the short bus ride over to the West Side, a field trip to see some tall ships cruising their way down the Hudson River. Spence, of course, acted as if he owned the entire building.
Zach knew that if you entered the park at 86th Street, it was practically a straight shot to Spence’s building. So this had to be his way home.
Maybe the old Zach would have let this go, not just the ball hitting him in the head, a cheap shot if there ever was one, but the entire way Spence had acted at practice today. Ragging on him every time he saw an opening. And even when he didn’t.
The new Zach wasn’t letting it go.
If he could come into this place at night and scare off a mugger, he could do this with Spence once and for all. Still plenty of daylight left. Coach P. made sure practice started at two-thirty sharp every day so that the kids who lived close enough to Parker to walk to school—or the ones who took the subway home—could get home when it was still light out.
There.
He saw Spence coming.
Listening to his iPod, earbuds in his ears, bopping his head to music Zach couldn’t hear.
Zach hadn’t imagined the scene playing out this way. He’d pictured himself calling out Spence’s name, getting his attention, telling him they needed to have a talk.
Only now Spence wouldn’t be able to hear him.
So Zach ran up ahead and hopped the stone wall. He was waiting for Spence as he came around a bend in Park Drive, planning to jump out at him the way the guy at the reservoir had been planning to surprise that woman jogger the other night.
Not quite.
Spence noticed him and shook his head, more annoyed or just plain disgusted than surprised. He pulled out his white earbuds.
“What?” he said.
“What?” Zach said. “You’re not happy to see me?”
“Harriman,” Spence said, “as much fun as it is to jack you up from time to time—”
He started to pass, but Zach blocked his way.
“Time to time?” Zach said. Trying to grin a Spence grin back at him. “Don’t you mean all the time?”
“I don’t have the time for it today. My mom is waiting for me at home. We gotta do something. As a family.” Air-quoting the word family.
“Well,” Zach said, “even though I hate cutting into your family time, we need to talk.”
“About what?”
“About you being an even bigger jerk than I thought you were,” Zach said. “Which, I have to say, would make you the biggest pain-in-the-butt jerk our age in history. Like we should be studying jerks like you in one of our history books.”
Spence tilted his head, as if this were another time he couldn’t possibly have heard right.
“You must be joking, freak boy.”
Zach shook his head. “No, you heard me,” he said.
“But you’re not hearing me,” Spence said. “I don’t have time for this.”
“Make time, Spence.”
“If I do,” Spence said, “that ball hitting you on the head is going to feel like a love tap.”
“I doubt it.”
Zach wasn’t even thinking about what he wanted to say, the words just kept coming out like he was the coolest, toughest guy in the park.
“Okay, then,” Spence said, shrugging. “Let’s do this.”
“Let’s.”
Zach turned and hopped back over the wall, leading the way. Spence was a few yards behind, speaking quietly into his cell phone, Zach hearing him tell somebody that he was ten minutes away, swear.
Zach had already picked out the spot beforehand, a small clearing between a patch of trees at the top of a hill. He could see a touch football game being played, the shouts and laughter reaching him. Even now, even with what was about to happen between him and Spence, Zach couldn’t help thinking what a big, amazing place Central Park was, how there was a
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