A LONG WITH JAN and I, Rosalie Buttons (better known as Roz) and Fran Zaro formed a group we called the Gruesome Four. Why the Gruesome Four? Well, when you’re twelve years old, feeling awkward and ugly, and are unable to get anywhere with older boys, it’s easy to start feeling gruesome. At any rate, one day last year when everything was going wrong, I came up with the name, and it stuck.
Fortunately, we don’t feel gruesome most of the time. As a matter of fact, I really don’t think we’re gruesome at all.
Roz actually is pretty, with long sand-colored hair and eyes that match. Not only that, she’s got an older sister who teaches her stuff like how to put on makeup and dress, and how to act around older boys. So Roz does pretty well for herself.
As for Fran, well, she’s kind of weird looking with her frizzy black hair, freckled face, and thick glasses. But when she takes her glasses off so you can see her violet eyes, you suddenly realize that Fran is pretty, too. Anyhow, whenever the four of us get together, you can be sure that something is bound to happen.
Roz practically flipped out when I told her the news about the date with Sheldon. Although it was I who originally discovered him, it was Roz and Jan who really fell for him in a big way. While Fran and I had been involved with Mark and his friend, Gary, Roz and Jan had invested many hours trying to get Sheldon to notice them. But Sheldon had always given the impression that we were nothing more than cute little girls. Until now that is.
On the day of the big ice-skating date, we waited with nervous anticipation for Sheldon to show up at our appointed meeting place. This was at the park wall that overlooked the baseball field—the very spot where I had discovered Sheldon in the first place.
The park was always a meeting place for kids in our neighborhood. Washington Heights, the part of New York City where we lived, was full of apartment buildings, most five and six stories high. The park was a wonderful area of grass and trees that overlooked the Hudson River, where we could forget we were in the city. But the most wonderful part of it had to be the baseball field. Because in it could always be found an assortment of wonderful boys.
“I wonder who Sheldon’s going to bring with him,” Fran said excitedly, as she climbed up to sit on the wall. “I hope they’re all cute!”
“Me, too,” I agreed. “We need some new blood around!” Ever since things burned out with Fran and me and Mark and Gary, the two of us hadn’t been able to find anyone to like, much less to like us back.
“Well, don’t look now, Linda. But if you’re counting on this date to get you acquainted with some new boys, you’re going to be sadly disappointed,” said Roz, pointing down the block.
I looked where she indicated, and my hopes fell. Because walking next to Sheldon was just one other boy.
“Norman Banner,” Fran said disappointedly. “What a waste! He hardly counts as a boy at all!”
“I know,” I said glumly. For we all knew Norman from hanging around the baseball field. Despite his glasses, he really wasn’t bad looking. But Norman had one big fault. All he ever thought about was sports. He was quiet and shy when it came to girls. Going on a date with Sheldon and Norman was like going on a date with Sheldon by himself.
We tried not to let our disappointment show. But Sheldon must have picked up on our feelings because no sooner had we sat down on the A train that was to take us downtown than he announced, “I told some of the rest of the guys about the skating today. Everyone else was too lazy to get up this early, but a few of them may show up at the rink later on.”
“A few?” Fran and I looked at each other and our spirits picked up. Maybe this day wasn’t going to be a waste after all!
When we finally got out on the ice I found myself having a hard time getting used to skating again. My ankles were wobbly so I had to stay near the railing where I had something to grab on to when I lost my balance.
Sheldon and Norman were having no such problems. In no time at all they were zooming around the rink. They were both better skaters than I had thought they would be. I was sorry to see that when it came to speed they were way ahead of us girls.
But not when it came to finesse. That’s where Roz stood out. Her parents had given her professional skating lessons and it showed. She whirled around doing all sorts of fancy spins and maneuvers. Sheldon kept watching her, and he looked very impressed with what he saw. Then he actually put aside his masculine pride and asked her to teach him to skate backwards!
“Sure! Just hang on to me!” Roz’s face positively glowed as she took hold of Sheldon’s hands and spun him around. She pushed forward while he slid backward awkwardly. Roz was definitely making progress with him.
As for me, I was making no progress at all. I struggled out to the middle of the rink where I finally began to pick up speed. I was determined to show Sheldon and Norman that I was a decent enough skater in my own right. I had just caught up to where Roz and Sheldon were skating when someone came slamming into me from behind. I felt my feet sliding out from under me and struggled wildly to regain my balance. It did no good. Thump! I landed flat on my backside in a hard, wet, and slushy portion of the ice.
“Why don’t you watch where you’re going, Linda Berman?” a voice called out nastily.
I looked up and saw a boy laughing at me as if my sitting there sprawled out on the ice was the funniest sight he’d ever seen. He was the boy who had rammed into me in the first place, and he was a boy who, unfortunately, I had seen before.
He was Lenny Lipoff, who had to have the biggest, loudest, nastiest mouth in the entire neighborhood. Lenny was the type of kid who loved to make trouble. He was wild and crazy, and you never knew what he was going to do next.
Like ramming into me in the skating rink. I just knew Lenny had done it on purpose! Now, here he was, laughing at me and making me look like a fool in front of all my friends, who had gathered around.
I felt my face flush with anger. “Why you rotten—you did that on purpose, Lenny Lipoff. I know you did!”
“Who me? How could you say that, Linda?” The look on Lenny’s face was one of pure innocence. “It was an accident—I merely lost my balance. Here, let me help you to your feet.” With exaggerated politeness, he reached out his hand to help me up.
And I was dumb enough to give him the benefit of the doubt and let him! I gave him my hand, and he pulled me up to my feet. Only, no sooner had I started to get my balance than he gave my hand a jerk and then let go. Before I knew what was happening, there I was sprawling on the ice again!
Somehow, everyone found this to be very amusing. All my friends, plus Sheldon, Norman, and Lenny, were practically rolling with laughter, while I was burning with rage. I scooped up a handful of wet slush and tossed it at Lenny. I missed and he went skating around the rink, still laughing away.
“I’ll get even with you later, Lenny the Lip,” I shouted. “You better not feel safe here for even one second!”
But now I was so angry I couldn’t even get up on my feet. I kept slipping and sliding and falling back down again.
“Here, Linda. I’ll help you up,” a voice boomed out. Two huge hands grabbed me under my arms, lifted me up into the air as if I weighed nothing, and planted me firmly on my feet. I turned around in amazement and saw it was Nicky James, the only person I knew who was capable of a feat like that.
Nicky was the biggest kid in the neighborhood. He was over six feet tall, with feet that were at least size thirteen and hands to match. Nicky had grown over six inches in one year and still hadn’t gotten used to it. He was gawky and all out of proportion, with stickout ears, a hawk nose, and freckles all over his face. But despite his appearance, Nicky was really nice—that is unless you made the mistake of calling him “Glick.” No one knew where that nickname came from, but whenever Nicky heard it he would absolutely flip out. But ordinarily, he was very nice—not like that awful Lenny!
“Thanks, Nicky,” I said sheepishly, brushing the slush off the seat of my pants. “At least someone around here has some manners!” I glared at Sheldon and Norman, who were now struggling to control their laughter. “What are you doing here, anyhow?”
“Ice skating!” Nicky answered brightly. “Sheldon told us he was coming here with you girls and invited us to come along.”
“Sheldon! You invited Lenny Lipoff?!” I turned on Sheldon with anger. “How could you? Of all the boys in the neighborhood! I thought you were going to ask someone nice!”
“Lenny is nice—just a little high-spirited,” laughed Sheldon. “You just don’t know him like I do!”
“And I hope I never will!” I retorted as I skated away. My mind was busy thinking up a scheme to get even with that horrid Lenny Lipoff!
Actually, as much as I hate to admit it, Lenny Lipoff was cute in a funny sort of way. He had thick curly brown hair that tumbled over his forehead and big brown eyes fringed with long straight lashes. He also had a great nose, a feature I alway noticed on people since I was so unhappy with my own. But what made Lenny really interesting looking was the long scar on the right side of his face.
Lenny claimed he got the scar in a knife fight. I didn’t believe him for a minute. Although there probably were plenty of people who felt like stabbing Lenny when he opened his big fresh mouth or pulled one of his nasty practical jokes!
Myself included, I fumed, as I skated through the crowd trying to spot him. But Lenny was nowhere on the rink. Where could he have gone?
Then I happened to glance into the rink’s snack bar. There was Lenny, standing at the counter busily stuffing his face. On his plate I could see two hot dogs covered with mustard and mounds of sauerkraut. There was a big pile of french fries smothered with ketchup. He had a big cup of soda in one hand. Lenny was totally engrossed in what he was eating, and he had his back to the rink.
I saw my opportunity. I skated off the ice and made my way to the snack bar as quietly as possible. Balancing on the thin blades of my skates, I crept up behind him. I waited until he was about to take a drink of soda. Then I pretended to lose my balance and went crashing into him.
It was beautiful! Not only did his soda slosh up out of the cup and splash all over his food and the table, but he fell forward with his face landing in his plate. When he stood up, there was mustard, ketchup, and sauerkraut stuck all over his face! I loved it!
I forced myself to contain my laughter. “Oh, Lenny! How clumsy of me to trip over my feet that way! Here, let me help you!” I grabbed a handful of napkins and started mopping up the table and dabbing at his face. Of course I only succeeded in smearing the mess even more.
Lenny was truly a sight to behold. Then, just at that moment, the rest of our group showed up at the snack bar. What a triumph it was for me to have them see Lenny standing there with food dripping off his face!
I think if Lenny could have grabbed hold of me, he would have killed me right there and then. But fortunately, he was too busy cleaning himself off. Or maybe he was too embarrassed to show how upset I’d gotten him in front of his friends, who were trying their best not to laugh.
At any rate, Lenny calmed down enough to accept my apology and agree that we were now even. Then, believe it or not, he continued to eat his damaged hot dogs and fries!
The rest of the day was pretty calm. Roz and Jan both kept as close to Sheldon as possible. Fran was having a ball with both Nicky and Norman to talk to. Lenny kept mostly to himself, alternating between speeding around the rink and buying more junk food to eat. I skated around from one group to another, never taking my eyes off Lenny the entire time. Even though he had called a truce, you never knew what he was capable of doing if I let my guard down!
I arrived home feeling good about everything. For one thing, we had proven that girls were just as good skaters as boys were. But more than that, the Gruesome Four had managed to successfully complete our first date with the older boys.
Before we split up to go home, Sheldon had mentioned going skating again sometime. And although the boys he had picked to come along this time were less than ideal, there were more where they came from. Next time Sheldon might just show up with some really great boyfriend material. Then who could predict what kind of great things might follow?