Little Manhattan Page #6

...and I'm with the sweatiest

ten-year-old in Manhattan.

The kid's practically

had a moustache...

...since he was in nursery school.

Everything I took for granted-

stolen in a New York minute.

Ki-yah!

Somehow...

Ki-yah!

...karate wasn't quite the same

without Rosemary.

So... How was

that class for you?

Was it a good one?

Um, I'm having a little trouble...

...with this Mochizuki maneuver.

Yeah, yeah,

me, me too.

I couldn't resist.

I needed more and more pain.

So, uh, how's, how's

that Tim guy at the Mochizuki?

He's a lot

better than me...

...but he wants us to

practice together.

Oh, r-r-really?

Wow, th-that's terrific.

You know, hey, when,

when can we get together?

Well, I've got cello this

afternoon, so, not today.

Cello?

But I thought cello

was on Saturdays.

Tuesday and

Saturday.

She can't cancel

her frickin'cello lesson?

Doesn't she know

our days are numbered...

...before that bus to camp?

How 'bout I call you?

Sure.

Sounds great.

So that's it?

Just a lousy "call you"?

Not even an "I'll call you."

A "how bout I call you"?

What on earth does that mean?

When?

You have no new messages.

What choice did I have,

but to return...

...to my old, miserable life?

Wait a minute.

You were happy.

Oh, please!

I was miserable.

I just didn't know...

...how miserable I was.

Whoa.

Heads up!

Whoa.

Watch it!

- Sorry.

Where's your head

today, G-man?

My head?

Yeah, it's not with the ball.

What was that?

It's, it's not my head, Dad.

It's, um... it's my leg.

I hurt it in karate class.

Karate.

See, guys like us...

...we weren't built

for kicking bricks.

Let's keep our

priorities in line.

Eyes on the prize.

Go. Sweet spot.

- One, two, three...

- He was right.

My priorities

were all screwed up.

I was an athlete.

I just had to shake it off.

Yeah!

Look at me.

I can bounce back.

I don't need some girl

in my life for me to be happy.

Hello.

Yeah.

You know what?

I really hate it...

...when people

call me at home...

...and try to sell me stuff.

That's okay.

Okay. Bye.

Hello.

Hi.

Yeah, he's right here.

Gabe.

It's a girl.

I got it!

ADAM:

Got it?

I got it!

Hey.

I said I was gonna call.

Did you?

I don't even remember.

Smooth under pressure.

That's me.

If only I could do something

about the beating of my heart.

Could she hear that

through the phone?

So what are you

doing tomorrow night?

Um, tomorrow night?

Yeah, it's summer, so it's not

like a school night or anything.

Uh, I-I'm free, totally.

'Cause my parents

got these special tickets...

...to this concert with this guy

who's supposed to be, like...

...the greatest singer

in New York or something.

Do you, um, want to go?

Uh, me, me, me and your parents?

And me, too.

My mom said I could

invite anyone I want.

Sounds awesome.

Great.

She called.

She said she was gonna call

and she kept her word.

This was not just some figment...

...of my imagination.

...our love is a two-way street.

Hey.

You're looking

sharp there, tiger.

Like I even care.

Nice.

I especially

like the hair.

Come on, mess it up.

Don't take all your romantic

advice from him, Gabe.

You look very nice.

I, um, I'm gonna

wait downstairs.

Do you want us to come down

and say hi to her parents?

No.

Excuse me.

They said they'd have you

home by 11:
00...

...and if you're gonna be one

second later, I'll need a call.

Okay.

Our little boy

is growing up, huh?

Yeah, he is.

Pretty snazzy.

Big night?

Just some date

with some girl...

...you know, nothing,

nothing big.

That girl that came by here

the other day?

That'd be the one.

She was a nice girl,

that girl that came by here.

All right, Mr. Gabe.

Hey, Gabe.

Nice to see you.

You, too.

Thanks for joining us.

Hi, Mrs. Telesco.

Hello. How are you?

Good.

Welcome to The Carlyle.

Ma'am.

Yeah, Mickey took me

here on our third date.

We had to stand right

over there by the bar...

...because we couldn't

afford a table.

And from that

moment on...

...there was

no turning back for us.

You're gonna love this guy.

No one sings

like Loston Harris.

This guy is New York.

I can't tell you what

that first song was about.

Something about love

and a boy and a girl...

...and this boy

can think of nothing...

...but holding that

girl's hand in the darkness.

I'm not sure how

I got the courage.

Maybe it was the buzz

from the Shirley Temple.

Maybe it was Loston Harris-

...the greatest singer this

little town has ever known.

But I knew our relationship

had to get to the next step...

...or Rosemary and I would just

remain karate friends forever.

Never had I been

so keenly aware...

...of the ability of my palm

to manufacture sweat.

But I was determined to hold

that girl's hand...

...for every single second.

What does this mean?

Does she hate me?

Is she grossed out by me?

Am I pushing everything

way too fast?

All those ridiculous

songs about love-

I finally understood.

Forget the second stop.

We're gonna walk

from here, too.

Thanks.

Thanks.

Well, uh, you guys

say your good nights now...

...and, uh, Daddy and I

are gonna get some milk...

...for breakfast tomorrow, okay?

So...

Good night, Mrs. Telesco.

Oh, thank you

for coming, Gabe.

Oh, thank you.

Your parents

are cool.

Everyone says I'm gonna

hate them in a few years.

Think you will?

Probably.

If people say so.

This is the time.

I know it. She knows it.

My God,

even her parents know it.

Why can't I kiss her?

What's stopping me?

Is it cooties I fear?

So... Big wedding

this weekend.

Yeah, right.

I forgot about that.

I wish you could come.

It's gonna be

really boring.

Yeah, I really

wanna see you...

...do your flower

girl thing.

Part of me is sure

I'm gonna tr...

Did... Did I do it right?

I don't know.

I have absolutely

nothing to compare it to.

My God, was I even close?

I...

I should go.

Yeah.

Good night.

Good night.

Hey, how was your night,

little Romeo?

It was good.

It was great.

Fine, I think.

But I had no idea.

I kept playing the moment over

and over and over in my head.

Was it too fast?

Too hard? Too gross?

Did she actually

want me to kiss her?

I gotta go.

I gotta go.

I gotta go.

Or did I scare her away?

Oh, I had it bad,

this new feeling...

...deep in the pit of my stomach.

This horrible love sickness.

Maybe this is what cooties are.

By the next day, I was a wreck.

I purposely didn't call her...

...okay, except for one hang-up...

...because I knew

I would see her in karate.

I got to class

ten minutes early.

Hey.

Hey.

Okay, I knew what I was doing

here early, but what was he?

One thing was clear-

this business...

...had to be settled

right here and right now.

Staples.

Ki-yah!

Ki-yah!

Ki-yah!

If only life was so simple.

3:
09.

She's not even coming.

Hai.!

She doesn't

even want to see me.

She's blowing off class.

She hates me.

Your fists should

be like a hammer.

She came.

She's here. She loves me.

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