people whisper about him. I wasn't quite sure what the whispers were about, but I was getting more and more curious.
It was one of those rare mornings when I was actually on time. He and Cheryl were locking up their bikes. Apparently Cheryl had forgotten her lock at home, so Alec was chaining both of theirs together. I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me a little bit uncomfortable. He and Cheryl had been spotted together on several occasions since his arrival in town.
"Hi, Cheryl," I said, which was pretty much the limit of our conversations these days. Cheryl and I had been best friends for most of our lives, and for a short time we were more than friends, but now, well, I didn't know what we were. Accomplices, maybe. Co-conspirators. I missed our friendship but had no clue how to get it back.
"Hi, Jared," she said in a strained sort of way. "Have you met Alec?"
He shook my hand. "Nice to meet you."
"Yeah."
He was much friendlier than I had imagined he would be, but I should have guessed that—after all, Cheryl would never hang out with a creep.
"I hear you're a runner," he said.
"Was."
"Still are," said Cheryl. "He's just not on the team this year, that's all."
I offered no further explanation.
"Maybe we could go jogging sometime," Alec suggested.
"Jared doesn't jog—he runs."
Alec glanced toward the school. "Listen, I gotta go—the soccer coach wants to talk to me before class. It was nice meeting you." And off he went with a confidence that divided the packs of kids in his way.
I turned to Cheryl, wearing a smug little grin.
"Don't look at me like that," she said.
"Like what?"
"Like you know something." Cheryl checked her kickstand. "And anyway, I can be friends with anyone I want."
I had to laugh. "I didn't say anything about you and Alec!"
"But you were thinking it."
"Then you need more practice at reading minds."
Cheryl blew into her hands to warm them, and now that I had caught my breath from the long run to school, I was beginning to feel cold myself.
"So what do you think of Alec?" she asked.
"I think he's OK."
"Everyone likes him."
"He seems like a likable guy."
The first bell rang, and Cheryl turned to hurry into school, having never been tardy in her whole life.
"Cheryl," I called to her before she got to the school steps. When she turned, I said, "I think you two look good together."
She gave me her famous prosecutor's gaze, ready to deny that they were "together" at all, but instead she just said, "Thanks," and went inside.
I had to admit I wasn't lying. I thought they really did make a nice couple—and it really ticked me off.
Our school's just a block away from Pine Street—which was unfortunately the only street in town where all the pine trees had been cut down and replaced by sycamores. The street was lined with shops and cafes that had died when the mall opened up a few miles away, and then were reborn when people decided malls were boring and quaint little street shops were cool.
Among the various cafes was Solerno's Pizzeria, a place run by an old grimace of man whose taste buds must have been removed, because his pizza had more salt than the ocean, and enough garlic to keep the town free of vampires. Still, when compared to the school cafeteria, Solerno's was a world-class restaurant, and so kids flocked there during lunch, hoping for a thick slice of god-awful pizza, and hoping to catch miserable old Solerno in a less awful mood than usual.
That same afternoon, I ran into Alec and Cheryl at Solerno's during lunch. Alec was actually talking to the old man, suggesting that he change his selection of spices. I have to tell you, I would have laid down and worshiped Alec myself if he got through to Solerno, but, true to form, the old man threatened to hit him with a broom.
Still curious as to what made Alec tick, I sat down with him and Cheryl, and we suffered through our pizza together.
The conversation didn't go much of anywhere, until Cheryl decided it was time
It was one of those rare mornings when I was actually on time. He and Cheryl were locking up their bikes. Apparently Cheryl had forgotten her lock at home, so Alec was chaining both of theirs together. I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me a little bit uncomfortable. He and Cheryl had been spotted together on several occasions since his arrival in town.
"Hi, Cheryl," I said, which was pretty much the limit of our conversations these days. Cheryl and I had been best friends for most of our lives, and for a short time we were more than friends, but now, well, I didn't know what we were. Accomplices, maybe. Co-conspirators. I missed our friendship but had no clue how to get it back.
"Hi, Jared," she said in a strained sort of way. "Have you met Alec?"
He shook my hand. "Nice to meet you."
"Yeah."
He was much friendlier than I had imagined he would be, but I should have guessed that—after all, Cheryl would never hang out with a creep.
"I hear you're a runner," he said.
"Was."
"Still are," said Cheryl. "He's just not on the team this year, that's all."
I offered no further explanation.
"Maybe we could go jogging sometime," Alec suggested.
"Jared doesn't jog—he runs."
Alec glanced toward the school. "Listen, I gotta go—the soccer coach wants to talk to me before class. It was nice meeting you." And off he went with a confidence that divided the packs of kids in his way.
I turned to Cheryl, wearing a smug little grin.
"Don't look at me like that," she said.
"Like what?"
"Like you know something." Cheryl checked her kickstand. "And anyway, I can be friends with anyone I want."
I had to laugh. "I didn't say anything about you and Alec!"
"But you were thinking it."
"Then you need more practice at reading minds."
Cheryl blew into her hands to warm them, and now that I had caught my breath from the long run to school, I was beginning to feel cold myself.
"So what do you think of Alec?" she asked.
"I think he's OK."
"Everyone likes him."
"He seems like a likable guy."
The first bell rang, and Cheryl turned to hurry into school, having never been tardy in her whole life.
"Cheryl," I called to her before she got to the school steps. When she turned, I said, "I think you two look good together."
She gave me her famous prosecutor's gaze, ready to deny that they were "together" at all, but instead she just said, "Thanks," and went inside.
I had to admit I wasn't lying. I thought they really did make a nice couple—and it really ticked me off.
Our school's just a block away from Pine Street—which was unfortunately the only street in town where all the pine trees had been cut down and replaced by sycamores. The street was lined with shops and cafes that had died when the mall opened up a few miles away, and then were reborn when people decided malls were boring and quaint little street shops were cool.
Among the various cafes was Solerno's Pizzeria, a place run by an old grimace of man whose taste buds must have been removed, because his pizza had more salt than the ocean, and enough garlic to keep the town free of vampires. Still, when compared to the school cafeteria, Solerno's was a world-class restaurant, and so kids flocked there during lunch, hoping for a thick slice of god-awful pizza, and hoping to catch miserable old Solerno in a less awful mood than usual.
That same afternoon, I ran into Alec and Cheryl at Solerno's during lunch. Alec was actually talking to the old man, suggesting that he change his selection of spices. I have to tell you, I would have laid down and worshiped Alec myself if he got through to Solerno, but, true to form, the old man threatened to hit him with a broom.
Still curious as to what made Alec tick, I sat down with him and Cheryl, and we suffered through our pizza together.
The conversation didn't go much of anywhere, until Cheryl decided it was time
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