Wednesday was a bright fall day. The sky was an incredible blue and it was a perfect, bracing fifty degrees. With just a week before Thanksgiving, each day that could be enjoyed outside felt like a little gift, and everyone in the city seemed to know it.
Because of the weather, after school David and Mickey made their way to the baseball diamonds in Central Park, where they were going to play football.
It was a weekly game and whoever showed up played. David was always a quarterback because he had laser accuracy and an incredible ability to throw the bomb, and Mickey liked to be a lineman so he could grab guys and wrestle the ball away from them. They hadn’t talked since David called Mickey and told him about how Jonathan wasn’t supposed to invite them all on the trip, which David was currently wishing he hadn’t done, since Mickey seemed very, very on edge.
“I mean, I kind of can’t believe Jonathan,” Mickey said. He kept shaking his head and looking around. “I sort of feel like he lied to me, you know.”
“I know.” And David did know. The trip was nothing, but the more he thought about Jonathan’s dad stealing that money, the more he wondered if Jonathan knew about it all and was just taking him sailing to keep him quiet about the whole thing. “He and Arno said they were going to come a little later.”
“Oh yeah? If they show up, I’ll give you twenty bucks,” Mickey said. “I love those guys, but they suck at sports, especially team sports.”
“I think they’re just planning to watch.”
“That’s lame.”
They walked quietly for a moment. They were both wearing sweatshirts, running shoes, and wind-pants, so they made loud swishing noises while they walked. David had a football stuffed in his kangaroo pocket. He looked pregnant. They sipped steaming coffee from paper cups.
“Really fucking lame,” Mickey said.
“Hey,” David said. “What’s the matter? Maybe it’s a big misunderstanding and he really did mean to invite you instead of me. Or maybe he’s ditching both of us and he picked Arno instead. And we don’t even know if he invited Patch.”
Mickey kicked at some pebbles in the horse path. “Yeah, maybe.”
But David didn’t like the sound of that any more than Mickey did.
They arrived at the baseball diamonds and waved at the ten kids who were already there, throwing around footballs and tackling each other. One kid, clearly hungover, was dry-heaving into a bush. Another had already twisted his ankle and was lying on his side, moaning. A few girls were there to play, too. The group of footballers approached them. Mickey and David tossed their coffee cups into a trash can.
“Mickey’s got to be on my team,” David said to the group. “I don’t want this crazy monkey sacking my butt every time I get a snap.”
Immediately, a guy from Collegiate named Roman called for Mickey, and Mickey went on the team that wasn’t David’s.
“I want you!” Mickey yelled and pointed at David. He started hopping up and down and barking. “I’m Ray Lewis and I am going to bury your sorry ass in the dirt!”
“Great.” David looked around and saw Jonathan and Arno coming toward the field. They were late, and everyone watched them approach. They were both in long black overcoats, crewneck sweaters, and loafers.
“I have Arno,” Roman yelled. “Not the other one.”
“We’re not playing,” Jonathan called out.
“What’re you, cheerleaders? Fuck that!” Alex Turner screamed. He was Mickey’s team’s captain. “I got Arno.”
Everybody on David’s team was quiet. That meant they had Jonathan.
David watched Arno and Jonathan confer for a moment, and then Jonathan jogged over to David. They nodded at each other.
“Can I stay at your house tonight?” Jonathan asked. “I’ve had about enough of Arno’s.”
“Of course you can.” But David knew his voice was stiff.
They set up to play, and on first down, David lobbed one out to Jonathan, who did his best to catch the ball. David watched as the ball spiraled and then he saw Jonathan seem to tug it down from the sky. Then everyone stared in complete surprise, as Jonathan brought the ball down and cradled it in his scrawny arms. Mickey launched himself at Jonathan just as he began to run. And Jonathan went down, the ball squirting out of his hands and bouncing away. Mickey and Jonathan landed on the grass.
“Wow,” Jonathan said, “I forgot you were allowed to do that!” He tried to laugh as he struggled to his feet, and then extended a hand to Mickey.
“Yeah,” Mickey said. “I love to come right at the guy with the ball—I’m really upfront and honest that way. No lies here.”
“Okay,” Jonathan said. Mickey looked at Jonathan and saw that he was totally confused. They jogged away from each other, and Jonathan caught Arno giving Mickey a “what the hell, dude, you know Jonathan is fragile” look.
They played a few more downs, and then everyone was huffing and out of breath. Jonathan was bent over, still, from when Mickey had taken him out.
“Let’s go!” Alex Turner screamed. Everyone looked at him. He was really into the game. Just then Froggy came up in a brand-new Giants football jersey.
“I want in.” Froggy pranced around, and started pointing at Arno, because he wanted to get back at him for breaking his parents’ bed.
“You can have my spot,” Jonathan said. “I’ve got to make a phone call. See you guys later. David, I’ll be at your house around seven or eight.”
Jonathan was already walking away before anyone could stop him. David, Mickey, and Arno watched him go. They turned around and looked at the remaining players. Froggy grabbed the ball and ran with it, and then flipped onto the grass.
“Is he trying to tackle himself?” David asked. While they watched, a knife fell out of Froggy’s pocket. He stood up and hid it, and bounced up and down, staring at Arno. While Froggy screamed at Arno, everyone stared at the smear of dog shit he’d gotten on his khakis.
“Can you imagine getting stabbed to death playing pick-up football?” Arno asked. “I don’t think I want to play anymore.”
“Everybody in position!” Alex Turner screamed. He grabbed the ball and torpedoed it at David, who caught it with one hand and shot it back.
“We’re done for the day,” David said. But when he looked around, Arno was already gone. David called out to Mickey and they walked toward the park exit together.
“Somebody should call Jonathan and make sure he’s okay,” Mickey said. “I really creamed his ass.”
“Don’t worry. I’m going to see him for dinner.” David smiled, and the two waved their cell phones at each other.
Mickey was already calling Philippa. So David speed-dialed Amanda. But then he pressed END when he remembered that he was supposed to be getting secretly engaged to her, and he punched in Risa’s number instead.