Little Manhattan Page #2

- Fine.

- Great.

Oh, I forgot.

I have this one errand.

I'm supposed to be

this flower girl...

...in a couple of weeks.

And I have this fitting.

But, it's going to be,

like, five minutes.

I promise.

Classic female move.

The bait-and-switch.

My mother's tricked me...

...into many a shoe store

with that one.

Is there anything worse

than dress shopping?

I'm serious.

I would rather have

my toenails peeled off...

...one by one, with pliers...

...than spend five minutes

in a dress store.

Boo.

Okay, what's going on here?

What the heck is this?

Oh, my God.

What's this feeling

in the pit of my stomach?

Who is this... This...

...amazing creature before me?

What do you think?

You are going to be the

prettiest flower girl there.

I'm definitely going

to be the oldest one.

Who...

Um, who's getting married?

My mom's sister.

Oh, cool.

It's kind of weird...

'cause she's, like,

seven months pregnant.

In that one moment...

Rosemary Telesco leaped

past Vanessa Muir...

...past Madison Shaw.

I look at Rosemary

and just felt so, um, confused.

She's a girl.

I'm supposed to despise girls...

...not feel nervous

talking to one.

Not be all tongue-tied.

I mean, this was

Rosemary Telesco.

I knew her since kindergarten.

Whoa!

Just... Just

a little rock.

I mean, it's gonna

to be fine.

I'm just gonna...

grab my scooter...

I'm really cool.

Honestly.

As she took me to practice

karate at her place...

...one thing became clear.

Rosemary went to PS 87...

...because her parents believed

in public education.

See, believing

in public education...

...wasn't really a luxury

my family could afford.

Don't go to Taos...

not without me.

Mr. and Mrs. Telesco,

her parents.

They, liked, starred

in this soap opera, Santa Fe...

...that's on, like, every day.

So you know

they had a few bucks.

Oh, look at that.

You see that?

I knew your folks were going

to keep 'em together.

Didn't I say it?

Let's go practice

in my bedroom.

Okay.

What do you think I'm going to say?

Oh, come on.

He is no good for you!

Get back in the truck!

If karate's all about focus...

Good one.

...my focus was all over

that pink room.

I mean, there I was...

Ki-yah!

...in the inner sanctum,

alone with her.

Ki-yah!

Smelling her smell.

What is that, strawberry?

So what made you

take karate?

Uh, made me?

Daryl Kitzens.

Daryl Kitzens made

you take karate?

Yeah, have you seen the guy?

He's insane.

Daryl Kitzens is

without a doubt...

...the scariest kid

in the Upper West Side.

- Ugh!

- He's a fifth grader...

...but he's supposed to be

in seventh.

He is a giant.

Held back two grades

out ofhis first five.

At the rate he's going,

he'll graduate...

...from high school at the age 27.

And he'll have terrorized

an entire generation...

...of Upper West Siders.

Are you afraid he's going

to beat you up?

No, no, no, no.

of course not.

I just, you know,

want to be ready...

...when that day comes, you know.

Who was I kidding?

I was petrified.

Kitzens hangs out a lot

in front of the subway station...

...on 72nd & Broadway.

I haven't walked past

that corner since october.

Well, we should practice more.

Yeah, sure. Let's go.

We need to start working

on those maneuvers he taught us.

Well, I kind of meant

some other time.

It's getting kind of late.

Oh.

Yeah, that sounds great.

Uh, it's getting kind

of late anyway, so...

Yeah.

How could I have said that?

Okay, just shake it off.

Keep it together.

Are you okay?

That's the, uh, the-the door.

Look at her.

Living this perfect life

up here.

With a view of the park

and everything.

Yet, she's so humble.

Suddenly...

Rosemary's whole world

seemed very attractive to me.

Her parents,

with all their success...

...the nanny who's been with her

since she was born...

...and the adopted

three-year-old sister...

...rescued from an orphanage

in Beijing.

And me.

My family's on a one-way ticket

to The Jerry Springer Show.

- Hi.

- Hi.

Um, is Leslie around?

Uh, yeah.

Les, your date's here!

She's coming.

I'm her...

...husband.

Only 20 more minutes

of video, okay, hon?

Bedtime soon.

All right.

Good night.

Adam, Ronny.

Ronny, Adam.

- You guys met?

- Yeah, yeah, we met. At the door.

Okay, good. Shall we, uh... Let's...

See this divorce thing...

You guys have fun.

Thank you.

Okay.

...it's a very difficult

situation for everyone.

This isn't anybody's

fault, you know.

It's not anybody's fault.

It's just that

your father and I...

...are a lot more different

than we thought.

They're just very

different people.

Even though

I was just nine and a half...

I totally took it like a man.

Now, I'm not saying

I'm some latch-key kid.

I mean, I don't want

to make it seem...

...like my parents are

irresponsible, either.

But, for a year now...

I've been able

to roam the city.

Well, okay...

...not really the city-

nine square blocks.

The planetarium to the north...

Riverside Park to the west...

Central Park to the east

and 72nd Street to the south.

In those blocks,

I own this town.

Rosemary lived on 81 st Street...

...near the park, a few yards

north of my territory.

When I started, you know...

...casually riding

past her building...

I was heading

into some uncharted waters.

It was summer break.

Our next karate class wasn't

for three days.

Do you know

how many Telescos there are...

...in the Manhattan phone book?

Two.

Telesco's.

One's a butcher shop...

...down in the Village.

Rosemary?

Nah, there's no

Rosemary here.

And trust me...

This is Frank.

...the other was

not her, either.

Hi. Is, uh, R-Rosemary there?

You're the kid that called

a half an hour ago.

What was I to do...

...except loiter and hope.

Uh-oh, her doorman's

looking at me.

Oh, my God, there she is.

I didn't have

a contingency plan for if...

...I actually saw her.

Just go up to her.

Go, go. Say hi to her.

She looked so busy.

I- I'll talk to her another day.

Coward. You fool.

How could you be so weak?

I- I'm not weak. I'm only human.

What was I going to say?

I was in the neighborhood?

That's pathetic.

No, you're weak,

and you're pathetic...

...and you're going to be alone

your entire life.

Who cares?

I'd rather be alone than endure

this misery and torment.

Whoa!

ooh!

Hey, watch it, child!

Gabe?

Oh, uh, hi.

How's-How's it going?

I was just, you know...

...in the neighborhood.

Don't you live

in the neighborhood?

Well, 73rd & West End.

I- I guess it sort of depends on

how the neighborhood is defined.

Mm-hmm.

Can I sound like anymore

of a loser?

So, um, what are you guys up to?

Well, my sister's got

a birthday party in the park.

I'm just bringing my book.

Want to come?

Uh, come?

Uh, sure.

Yeah, run.

Sorry you came?

Not yet.

Bubbles.

Bubbles, yeah.

Look...

Look, there's my point.

Those two kids are

the same age-she's...

...like, talking, using her hands,

telling stories...

...and he's drooling

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