CHAPTER 30

 

At the end of the rehearsal, a moody dude with shaggy hair lopes down the steps into the basement with his hands stuffed into the front pockets of his hoodie.

It’s Schuyler! The boy Sophia was gaga over underneath the boardwalk. I recognize his wavy John Stamos hairdo.

“Hey, Aunt Kathy,” he says to Ms. O’Mara.

“Hey, Schuyler,” says Ms. O’Mara.

She wraps her arms around him in a big hug. Instead of hugging back, he keeps his hands tucked inside his pockets.

“Did you have fun today?” Ms. O’Mara asks.

He shrugs.

“What’d you do?”

“Nothin’.”

O-kay. The boy is definitely moody and melancholy. His skin is kind of pale and pasty, too. I suspect he might live in a cave. Too bad Shakespeare Down the Shore isn’t doing Hamlet this summer. Schuyler would be perfect for the title role of the gloomy prince.

“You guys?” says Ms. O’Mara. “This is my nephew, Schuyler.”

“Hey, man,” says Jeff, reaching out to give Schuyler a cool-dude handgrip. “’Sup?”

(Yes, that’s how we said “What’s up?” in 1991.)

“Hey,” says Schuyler, halfheartedly returning Jeff’s flashy handgrip. “Just so you know, bro—I’m in high school. I don’t hang out with middle school nerds.”

“Schuyler?” says Ms. O’Mara, shaking her head.

“That’s cool,” says Dan. “I won’t hang out with nerds like me when I’m in high school, either.”

Schuyler grins. Slightly. “Sorry, bro. No disrespect.”

“None taken,” says Bill.

“I’m in high school,” says Travis. “You can hang with me. Maybe. But not right now. I need to see my stylist. Gonna get a man-perm so I can play Puck with curly hair.”

Travis bows and makes a flashy exit up the stairs, skipping up two, down one, up two the whole way.

When Travis is gone, Schuyler asks, “How old is that doofus?”

“Sixteen,” says Ms. O’Mara. “Just like you.”

“Wow,” I say. “You’re ancient.”

“He’s only four years older than us, Jacky,” says Meredith.

“Right. Four years. One-third of our entire lives. Do the math, Meredith.”

“No thanks. School’s out.”

“You’re right. But sixteen means he’s still two years younger than my big sister Sophia.”

Schuyler nods, but I can tell he has no idea who Sophia is and why I’m talking about her.

“That’s cool,” is all he says.

“Schuyler’s going to be on the tech crew,” says Ms. O’Mara.

“Awesome,” says Jeff. “Have you checked out the venue yet?”

“Huh?” says Schuyler.

“The stage. It’s the same one they use for the Battle of the Bands.”

“It’s right on the beach,” I add.

“Let’s go have a look,” suggests Dan.

“Yes,” says Meredith. “Let’s go see where we’re going to be rock stars!”

Jeff looks a little sheepish. “Um, I thought we were going to be, you know… fairies.”

“Rock star fairies!” I say, doing my best heavy metal arm pump. “Let’s hit the beach.”

So we take Schuyler down to the Seaside Heights Band Shell—an outdoor amphitheater with a stage built out of risers. There’s no ceiling, so the whole show will take place under the stars. It is awesome. It is my favorite place to be in the whole world.

A stage!