My mother wasn't home yet. Watson was at a meeting. The only adult around was Nannie.
"Hey, Nannie," I said. "Can I go to Miller's Park?"
"Sure, Kristy," she said, her blue eyes sparkling. "Go ahead. Just be back by dinnertime."
"K, bye!" I called out to her and Emily Michelle on my way out the door.
I decided to walk instead of taking my bike. If I took my bike, I would have to watch it constantly while at Miller's Park. I didn't want it stolen.
Miller's Park isn't really that close to my house. First you have to go all the way down McLelland Road. Then McLelland merges with Hazlet avenue, and then you cross Burnt Hill Road on Morgan Road. By the time I did all that, I was pretty tired. I was ready to relax.
Carly, Barbara, Greer, and bunch of kids I vaguely knew by face were already there.
"Hey!" Greer greeted me. "We're just waiting for Lauren to come before we start." If anyone would give Mallory hope about her looks, it was Greer. Greer had red hair like Mal; and she was really beautiful. Shannon said guys were always going after her.
"Start what?" I asked. I had no idea why were at Miller's Park anyway.
"Hacky sack. Lauren's great at it. Too bad Claudia couldn't make it today--she says it's the only athletic thing she can do besides skiing."
I grinned. "Yeah, Claud's never been good at sports."
Just then Lauren appeared. Like me, she had walked. "Hey guys," she called out.
"Hi," we all said.
Then a guy who I recognized as Lew Greenberg pulled out a small, colorfully embroidered ball.
We played hacky sack until we got bored; and then we sat around shooting the bull for a while. Then Dorianne Wallingford pulled a pack of cigarettes out of her purse and offered them around.
Momentarily forgetting everything that Dawn and MaryAnne had told me about Sunny's mom dying of lung cancer and everything adults had told me about the dangers of smoking, I took one.
If I was going to talk the talk, I had to walk the walk. Otherwise, I'd just be a poseur. Besides, I mean, I'd lost the most important thing in my life: the BSC. What did I have to to lose?
I took my first puff. Smoke filled my lungs; but I soon got used to it. It wasn't something I would do every day--but the thrill of doing something I wasn't supposed to gave me a little rush of adrenaline.
And then I locked eyes with Mrs. Prezzioso.
"Hey, Nannie," I said. "Can I go to Miller's Park?"
"Sure, Kristy," she said, her blue eyes sparkling. "Go ahead. Just be back by dinnertime."
"K, bye!" I called out to her and Emily Michelle on my way out the door.
I decided to walk instead of taking my bike. If I took my bike, I would have to watch it constantly while at Miller's Park. I didn't want it stolen.
Miller's Park isn't really that close to my house. First you have to go all the way down McLelland Road. Then McLelland merges with Hazlet avenue, and then you cross Burnt Hill Road on Morgan Road. By the time I did all that, I was pretty tired. I was ready to relax.
Carly, Barbara, Greer, and bunch of kids I vaguely knew by face were already there.
"Hey!" Greer greeted me. "We're just waiting for Lauren to come before we start." If anyone would give Mallory hope about her looks, it was Greer. Greer had red hair like Mal; and she was really beautiful. Shannon said guys were always going after her.
"Start what?" I asked. I had no idea why were at Miller's Park anyway.
"Hacky sack. Lauren's great at it. Too bad Claudia couldn't make it today--she says it's the only athletic thing she can do besides skiing."
I grinned. "Yeah, Claud's never been good at sports."
Just then Lauren appeared. Like me, she had walked. "Hey guys," she called out.
"Hi," we all said.
Then a guy who I recognized as Lew Greenberg pulled out a small, colorfully embroidered ball.
We played hacky sack until we got bored; and then we sat around shooting the bull for a while. Then Dorianne Wallingford pulled a pack of cigarettes out of her purse and offered them around.
Momentarily forgetting everything that Dawn and MaryAnne had told me about Sunny's mom dying of lung cancer and everything adults had told me about the dangers of smoking, I took one.
If I was going to talk the talk, I had to walk the walk. Otherwise, I'd just be a poseur. Besides, I mean, I'd lost the most important thing in my life: the BSC. What did I have to to lose?
I took my first puff. Smoke filled my lungs; but I soon got used to it. It wasn't something I would do every day--but the thrill of doing something I wasn't supposed to gave me a little rush of adrenaline.
And then I locked eyes with Mrs. Prezzioso.