Skeletons. That's exactly what the trees in Washington Square Park looked
like at this time of the night: spindly, grotesque skeletons. At least that
was how they looked to Jessica Parker. Its was amazing how a place could
feel like an amusement park one month and a cemetery the next. But that was
New York City. It was constantly changing, and often not for the better,
that could be said of a lot of things, actually. Jessica's life included.
"Why does this park totally die right before Christmas?" Mel suddenly asked of nobody in particular.
Jessica smirked. One of the coolest things about Mel Moore was that she had an uncanny knack for saying exactly what Jessica was thinking. She also shared the same intolerance for bullshit. They were like hidden sisters.
"Because there's no action down here," Ed said. His breath made little white clouds in the frigid December air. "The real action is in Midtown. I say we buy some little red suits and pom-pom hats, then go volunteer to be elves outside some big megastore, like Macy's."
"I'm too tall to be an elf," Jess replied.
"Me too," Mel added.
Ed shrugged. Dead leaves crunched under his feet. "Then we'll get some fake beards for you guys. Instead of being elves we'll be the three wise men."
Jess had to laugh. Her best friend Ed always made her laugh. Maybe that's why she loved him so much. Whatever. She was sure Ed didn't love her back, especially since she knew that he was addicted to her beautiful sister, Joyce. Gosh. Joyce was a doll face with a slim figure. A typical girly. Jess, however, wasn't that type. She was a little tomboyish, although she had a very emotional side. The only remotely feminine aspect of her appearance was her unkempt mane of blond hair.
"I guess it's too cold for any Christmas pageantry, anyway," Ed mumbled, shivering from the cold.
Ed was right. It was too cold for anything. Even chess. Jess had never seen the park this quiet or deserted.
"How about we go over to my place to hang out?" Mel suggested, breaking the silence.
"It sure beats standing out here in the cold doing nothing." Jess said, leading the way. She had known Mel for years now and went over to her place so very often.
It wasn't a very long way to her house, besides, it was only a few blocks away from the park.
"Oh crap. I lost my keys. Jess do you have them?" Mel said, searching through her pink sling bag.
"Why would I have your keys when you don't?" Jess replied with a frown.
"Uh-oh. I think we'd better go Midtown to find something to do. Mel can't even find her keys and her mom is out doing Christmas shopping." Ed suggested, looking at the beautiful Jess. Was she even aware about his crush for her? She was so beautiful, especially her hair. But he was sure she didn't love him back. She only liked him as a friend.
"Yeah. Lets take a cab. My legs are so cold I can't walk." Jess mumbled, hitting her thighs with her fists.
"Wait you two." Mel abruptly stopped in her tracks.
"You know what? We should do something to liven things up." She adjusted her black wool cap and brushed a few wayward red curls out of her eyes. "It's winter break. We're free. I say we create a little excitement of our own."
Jess met Mel's gaze. She knew that gleam in Mel's green eyes all too well. It whispered: Let's do something crazy.
"Why don't I like the sound of that at all?" Ed muttered.
Mel laughed. "Come on, you guys. We're here in New York City. By the looks of things, we basically have the place to ourselves." She waved her hand at the empty benches and frozen pavement. "I mean, everyone else is holed up in their apartments or vacationing or doing whatever it is that normal people do."
"Your point being?" Ed asked.
"That I'm bored!" Mel cried. "I don't do drugs anymore, so I have to find something to do, right?" she laughed.
Jess kept quiet. Unfortunately, the joke wasn't very funny. Mel had only been off cocaine since Thanksgiving, and Jess knew enough about drugs to know that a lot of addicts relapsed in those first precarious weeks of clean living, especially when they were bored.
"I don't know," Ed said quietly. "If you ask me, I'd say a little boredom is a good thing. Anyway, aren't we supposed to be going to Midtown?"
Ed was right. Ed was always right. The conversation was leading nowhere. However, this time, she was just as bored as Mel. She couldn't help but disagree with Ed.
"So what do you have in mind?" Jess asked Mel.
Mel raised her eyebrows. "A little game," she said. She smiled at Ed, then back at Jess. "What do you think of truth or dare?"
Ed snickered. "Ooh. That sounds really exciting. Can we play spin the bottle next?"
Mel ignored him. "Jess? What do you say?"
"Sure," Jess said. It actually did sound exciting. That way she could ask Ed about whether he had a crush on Joyce. That was a good thing about it.
"Alright. You girls win. I'll join in too then, what else can I do?" Ed replied helplessly. He could never say no to Jess. That was the problem. "Can we at least play at Jess's house? We're all freezing our butts off, in case you forgot."
Mel shook her head. "I say we start here. Jess?"
"No better time than the present." Jess agreed. Although she felt bad that Ed was being pushed around, she was just too bored. "So who goes first?"
"We'll shoot for it." Mel said. "Rock, scissors, paper." She stuck her hand behind her back. "On three..."
Great, Ed thought. He hated rock, scissors, paper almost as much as truth or dare, with his luck, he'd probably lose—and they would dare him to strip naked or something.
Mel smiled. "One...two...three..."
Ed extended a fist: rock. It always seemed safest, although somebody smarter—like Jess—might disagree. His eyes flashed to Jess's hand. Ha! Scissors. He glanced at Mel. Rock too. Unbelievable. For once he had good luck blessed upon him.
"Ooh...so you're the lucky one," Mel said with a gleam in her eyes. "Truth or dare?"
"Dare. Lets see what you two can make me do." Jess replied, smiling.
"Okay. Lets see you make out with Ed. When I say make out, I really mean make out. Not just closed-mouth smooching." Mel grinned. She knew about Jess's huge crush on Ed and was trying to help them love each other.
"Sure. I'd do that." Jess replied, looking at Ed. "You ready?"
Ed couldn't answer the question. He'd envisioned making out with Jess countless times, in thousands of different scenarios—but never once had he imagined this: exchanging a few sloppy kisses for Mel Moore's benefit. On the other hand...
Jess winked at him. She repeated the question. "You ready?"
He barely heard her. His heart was thumping so fast that the sound of his pulse filled his ears; he felt almost like he was buried under a thick, gauzy blanket. He no longer felt uncomfortably full, either. His stomach felt strangely empty. Regardless of whether or not this moment conformed to any fantasies he had, he realized that it was actually happening.
He was about to kiss Jessica Parker.
"Uh, you sure you want to do this?" Ed asked, swallowing.
Instead of answering, she simply covered his lips with her own.
"Why does this park totally die right before Christmas?" Mel suddenly asked of nobody in particular.
Jessica smirked. One of the coolest things about Mel Moore was that she had an uncanny knack for saying exactly what Jessica was thinking. She also shared the same intolerance for bullshit. They were like hidden sisters.
"Because there's no action down here," Ed said. His breath made little white clouds in the frigid December air. "The real action is in Midtown. I say we buy some little red suits and pom-pom hats, then go volunteer to be elves outside some big megastore, like Macy's."
"I'm too tall to be an elf," Jess replied.
"Me too," Mel added.
Ed shrugged. Dead leaves crunched under his feet. "Then we'll get some fake beards for you guys. Instead of being elves we'll be the three wise men."
Jess had to laugh. Her best friend Ed always made her laugh. Maybe that's why she loved him so much. Whatever. She was sure Ed didn't love her back, especially since she knew that he was addicted to her beautiful sister, Joyce. Gosh. Joyce was a doll face with a slim figure. A typical girly. Jess, however, wasn't that type. She was a little tomboyish, although she had a very emotional side. The only remotely feminine aspect of her appearance was her unkempt mane of blond hair.
"I guess it's too cold for any Christmas pageantry, anyway," Ed mumbled, shivering from the cold.
Ed was right. It was too cold for anything. Even chess. Jess had never seen the park this quiet or deserted.
"How about we go over to my place to hang out?" Mel suggested, breaking the silence.
"It sure beats standing out here in the cold doing nothing." Jess said, leading the way. She had known Mel for years now and went over to her place so very often.
It wasn't a very long way to her house, besides, it was only a few blocks away from the park.
"Oh crap. I lost my keys. Jess do you have them?" Mel said, searching through her pink sling bag.
"Why would I have your keys when you don't?" Jess replied with a frown.
"Uh-oh. I think we'd better go Midtown to find something to do. Mel can't even find her keys and her mom is out doing Christmas shopping." Ed suggested, looking at the beautiful Jess. Was she even aware about his crush for her? She was so beautiful, especially her hair. But he was sure she didn't love him back. She only liked him as a friend.
"Yeah. Lets take a cab. My legs are so cold I can't walk." Jess mumbled, hitting her thighs with her fists.
"Wait you two." Mel abruptly stopped in her tracks.
"You know what? We should do something to liven things up." She adjusted her black wool cap and brushed a few wayward red curls out of her eyes. "It's winter break. We're free. I say we create a little excitement of our own."
Jess met Mel's gaze. She knew that gleam in Mel's green eyes all too well. It whispered: Let's do something crazy.
"Why don't I like the sound of that at all?" Ed muttered.
Mel laughed. "Come on, you guys. We're here in New York City. By the looks of things, we basically have the place to ourselves." She waved her hand at the empty benches and frozen pavement. "I mean, everyone else is holed up in their apartments or vacationing or doing whatever it is that normal people do."
"Your point being?" Ed asked.
"That I'm bored!" Mel cried. "I don't do drugs anymore, so I have to find something to do, right?" she laughed.
Jess kept quiet. Unfortunately, the joke wasn't very funny. Mel had only been off cocaine since Thanksgiving, and Jess knew enough about drugs to know that a lot of addicts relapsed in those first precarious weeks of clean living, especially when they were bored.
"I don't know," Ed said quietly. "If you ask me, I'd say a little boredom is a good thing. Anyway, aren't we supposed to be going to Midtown?"
Ed was right. Ed was always right. The conversation was leading nowhere. However, this time, she was just as bored as Mel. She couldn't help but disagree with Ed.
"So what do you have in mind?" Jess asked Mel.
Mel raised her eyebrows. "A little game," she said. She smiled at Ed, then back at Jess. "What do you think of truth or dare?"
Ed snickered. "Ooh. That sounds really exciting. Can we play spin the bottle next?"
Mel ignored him. "Jess? What do you say?"
"Sure," Jess said. It actually did sound exciting. That way she could ask Ed about whether he had a crush on Joyce. That was a good thing about it.
"Alright. You girls win. I'll join in too then, what else can I do?" Ed replied helplessly. He could never say no to Jess. That was the problem. "Can we at least play at Jess's house? We're all freezing our butts off, in case you forgot."
Mel shook her head. "I say we start here. Jess?"
"No better time than the present." Jess agreed. Although she felt bad that Ed was being pushed around, she was just too bored. "So who goes first?"
"We'll shoot for it." Mel said. "Rock, scissors, paper." She stuck her hand behind her back. "On three..."
Great, Ed thought. He hated rock, scissors, paper almost as much as truth or dare, with his luck, he'd probably lose—and they would dare him to strip naked or something.
Mel smiled. "One...two...three..."
Ed extended a fist: rock. It always seemed safest, although somebody smarter—like Jess—might disagree. His eyes flashed to Jess's hand. Ha! Scissors. He glanced at Mel. Rock too. Unbelievable. For once he had good luck blessed upon him.
"Ooh...so you're the lucky one," Mel said with a gleam in her eyes. "Truth or dare?"
"Dare. Lets see what you two can make me do." Jess replied, smiling.
"Okay. Lets see you make out with Ed. When I say make out, I really mean make out. Not just closed-mouth smooching." Mel grinned. She knew about Jess's huge crush on Ed and was trying to help them love each other.
"Sure. I'd do that." Jess replied, looking at Ed. "You ready?"
Ed couldn't answer the question. He'd envisioned making out with Jess countless times, in thousands of different scenarios—but never once had he imagined this: exchanging a few sloppy kisses for Mel Moore's benefit. On the other hand...
Jess winked at him. She repeated the question. "You ready?"
He barely heard her. His heart was thumping so fast that the sound of his pulse filled his ears; he felt almost like he was buried under a thick, gauzy blanket. He no longer felt uncomfortably full, either. His stomach felt strangely empty. Regardless of whether or not this moment conformed to any fantasies he had, he realized that it was actually happening.
He was about to kiss Jessica Parker.
"Uh, you sure you want to do this?" Ed asked, swallowing.
Instead of answering, she simply covered his lips with her own.