It's like this, cat

king and mowing in Gramercy Park in the middle of August. Gramercy Park is a pri

records he's got on sale and what characters are buying them. Maybe I'll buy something, maybe not, but as

res and books on exhibit in the halls, and you walk through to the back, where you can take out books. It's nice and cool, and nobody glares at you

ifferent machines you can listen to. Almost the most fun is watching the people: little, fat,

nding there reading the backs of records, but I don't really catch a look at more than her shoes-

ach other's eye and bot

hat day with Nick when I had Cat with me, and now we're both a long way from Coney Isla

n at Girl Scout camp a few weeks, and then she earned some money baby-sitting. So she came to think about records,

place," she

the way in here by yourself? Doesn't your mom get in a f

a small art exhibition opening. She said I could go home

o have a mother that didn't

d her when I said I liked Gone With the Wind and I did

nce fiction?" I ask, and Mary m

bout what I eat and whether my feet are wet, and she always se

t'd be nice. I mean to have someone worrying about whether you're co

mothers, and Mary picks up the record of West Side S

l the truth I hadn't

ut him. It was won

ho

The man wh

Story about, him?"

's a lot of dancing, and then there's a fight and this kid gets-well, it

me a very s

n't we?

uh

Why not? W

"You think they'll let us in,

ly ever talked to that talks like a per

e man doesn't seem to be one bit worried about taking our money. No wonder. It's two dollars

better call Mom! Let's find o

her I was walking past West Side Story and found I

ould sh

I don't know. I just really don't

e show before, except a couple of children's things and something by Shakespeare P

t it wonderful! I just happened to meet you at the beach, and then I meet you at Goody's, and we get to see thi

"After it's over, I'm goi

to the subway. I'll have to get off at the first stop, Four

ut, which is hard if you don't know what to say. Anyway, you can't ask

, Mary, this is Dave. You want to go to a movie or something, huh?" It sounds stupid, and I'd be embarrassed.

nto her again. Maybe the beach, in the fal

t. I shout, "Hey, how about we go to the b

ts. "Columbus Da

and clear because by then the subway has

and we both wave,