“It’s me Barry, Diane’s dad.”
“Oh hi Barry, how you doing?”
“I’m okay. Ethan you drove Diane here to the park right?”
“Yes I did. I drove Diane to the park because she said she and her family had to come to the Basket Ball Tournament to get Mike and Mitch because Mike and Mitch got into a fight with two other kids there.”
“Yes they did, that’s why we all came here to get them and we’ve been here at the park for a while. Did Diane call you through her Walkie Talkie yet?”
“No she hasn’t. I’m waiting for her to call me back on my Walkie Talkie any minute now.”
“Okay. Listen Ethan, you cannot bring Diane back to that Health And Fitness Center with Mike and Mitch. Mike and Mitch are in serious trouble right now because of the fight between them and the other two boys so Diane cannot just take them and leave out of the area with them just because she doesn’t hurry up and see any of us! We’re here now, we’re going to get Mike and Mitch. Whenever Diane calls you through her Walkie Talkie you tell her that we said you cannot bring Mike and Mitch back to the Health And Fitness Center with her! You tell her she cannot take Mike and Mitch out of the area, she has to wait for us!”
“Okay no problem.”
“Thanks!” Barry closes the cell phone and turns to everybody and shouts, “Let’s go!” Everyone turns and hurries away.
Mary, Margarita, Barry, Tomas, Tonio, Marilyn, Nicolas, Michael and the promoters rush through the park again. Suddenly Michael’s cell phone rings. Everyone stops as Michael looks at his cell phone. “It’s Ethan,” Michael says.
“Ethan?” Barry says. “Let me take that Michael.” Michael hands Barry his cell phone. Barry puts the cell phone to his ear. He speaks into it and says, “What’s up Ethan? Did Diane contact you through her Walkie Talkie yet?”
“Yeah she contacted me through the Walkie Talkie a couple of minutes ago,” Ethan says. “She says she’s taking Mike and Mitch to get their shirts and other belongings from out the boys’ locker and told me to get ready when she brings them to the car. I told Diane you said not to bring Mike and Mitch to the Health and Fitness Center with her that she cannot take them out the area, that she has to wait for you. Then she seemed to get very anxious and wanted to know what’s taking you all so long! She says she has to get back to that Health And Fitness Center right away! She said if I don’t take her back to the Health And Fitness Center and she doesn’t hurry up and see any of you, she said she’ll see if she can find someone else to give her a ride to the Health And Fitness Center.”
“Find someone else to give her a ride?! Why is she so desperate to get back to that Health And Fitness Center that she can’t wait for us to show up?!”
“I don’t know!”
“Thanks Ethan! I’ll get back to you!” Barry angrily closes the cell phone and hands it back to Michael. He turns to everybody and says, “Ethan said he told Diane I said not to bring Mike and Mitch back to the health and Fitness Center that she cannot take them out the area, that she has to wait for us. Ethan said Diane got very anxious and told him if he doesn’t take her back to the Health And Fitness Center and she doesn’t hurry up and see any of us, she’ll see if she can find someone else to give her a ride to the Health And Fitness Center.”
“What!” the rest of the family shouts.
“Find someone else to give her a ride?!” Mary shouts. “Oh great, now she’s gonna try to bum a ride from someone!”
“Why is she so anxious to get back to that Health And Fitness Center?!” Margarita shouts.
“I have no idea Mom! Boy I can’t wait to catch up with her because I am going to straighten her out!”
“Calm down Mary,” Barry says. “We’ll find her.”
Harvey, Vivian and Gladys approach Mary, Margarita, Barry and Tomas. “Hey,” Mary says. “Have y’all seen Diane, Mike and Mitch yet?”
“Yeah,” Harvey says. “Vivian and I saw Diane, Mike and Mitch a little while ago.”
“Y’all have?”
“Yeah.“
“Where?“
“Way at that side of the park,” Vivian says. “When we came up behind Diane, Mike and Mitch, we overheard Diane asking some cab driver if he was heading anywhere towards Newark Airport or does he know anyone who’s heading towards Newark Airport, then she quickly changed the subject as soon as she saw us.”
“What!” Mary and her family shout.
“What the hell is she doing asking about Newark Airport?!” Barry shouts. “What does Newark Airport has to do with the Health And Fitness Center?! The Health and Fitness Center is not that way, it‘s in the opposite direction!”
“We know,” Harvey says. “When we asked Diane why she wanted to know about heading towards Newark Airport, she said she needed that information for a friend.”
“For a friend?” Margarita asks.
“Yeah. I don’t think Diane really wanted to go back to the Health And Fitness Center. I think that was just her excuse so she can hurry and leave the area to meet up with that guy Jonathan!”
“What?!” Mary and her family shout. “Jonathan?!”
“The guy she tried to marry?!” Mary shouts.
“Yeah,” Harvey says. “He’s at Newark Airport right now. He’s going to board a flight to Jamaica in several hours. I think Diane is secretly trying to meet up with him there before his flight to Jamaica leaves!”
“What!” Mary and her family shout.
“What makes you think so Harvey?” Michael asks.
“Gladys told us that Jonathan’s girlfriend Candis called your office a little while ago to make a complaint against Diane,” Harvey says.
“What!” Mary and her family shout.
“Jonathan’s girlfriend called our office to make a complaint against Diane?” Margarita asks.
“A complaint about what?” Michael asks.
“Candis called your office and told one of the staff members that she found out Diane might be secretly planning to go all the way to Newark Airport to quickly meet up with Jonathan before he flies off to Jamaica,” Gladys says.
“What!” Mary and her family shout.
“Candis told the staff members she discovered a text message sent out from Jonathan to his cousin Bennie! Jonathan wanted Bennie to give Diane the message that he’s at Newark Airport and his flight is gonna leave later on! If Diane is interested in coming out there to see him real quick, he’ll cancel his flight and wait for her.”
“What!”
“A witness told me when Bennie saw Diane standing at the gate with Mike and Mitch, they saw Bennie saying something to Diane, they said all of a sudden Diane got excited then seemed anxious to leave the area real quick, then got real inpatient waiting for y’all to show up,” Vivian says. “When none of y’all showed up, she took Mike and Mitch and disappeared with them just like that!”
“So that’s why they weren’t at the front gate when we showed up there!” Barry shouts. “She was on a secret mission to meet up with that Jonathan guy!”
“That’s why she’s so anxious to get the hell out of here, is because of that Jonathan guy again and she is ready to drag Mike and Mitch way out to Newark Airport with her just so she can chase after this guy!” Mary shouts. “It had nothing to do with the Health and Fitness Center at all! It was just her excuse so she can hurry and leave this area to get out of here to meet up with that Jonathan guy!”
“Yeah Diane used the Health And Fitness Center because she didn’t want us to know the real deal behind her being so anxious to leave!” Michael shouts. “Boy wait till I see her again!”
“Wait a minute Michael!” Margarita shouts. “We’re all are gonna have a word with Diane! The main thing we have to worry about right now is to hurry and get to Diane before she drags Mike and Mitch way out to Newark Airport!”
“I don’t think Diane is going to be able to drag Mike and Mitch out to Newark Airport anyway,” Harvey says. “When we overheard Diane asking the cab driver about Newark Airport, we overheard the cab driver telling her that there’re no cabs driving out to Newark Airport for another couple of hours.”
“Then we overheard Diane tell the cab driver well since she can’t seem to get a ride to Newark Airport, she might as well just wait around for her family to show up,” Vivian says, “that’s when Harvey and I approached Diane, Mike and Mitch and asked her why she wanted to know about Newark Airport.”
“That’s the only reason why she’s deciding to wait around for us, is because she can’t get a ride to Newark Airport?” Mary says.
“I think so,” Vivian says.
“Come on everybody!” Barry shouts. “Let’s hurry and go get to Diane, Mike and Mitch!” Everyone turns and hurries away.
Back across the basket ball court, Alex and Valerie are walking around. Valerie looks to the side. She then says, “Hey Alex! There goes Diane, Mike and Mitch right over there near Juan and Nelson!” Valerie points in the distance as Alex looks in the distance.
“I see Mickey with them too,” Alex says. “There’s also an ambulance over there.” Alex and Valerie see Diane D standing right between Mike and Mitch with her left arm wrapped tightly around Mitch’s left arm and her right arm wrapped tightly around Mike’s left arm as Mickey stands with them all facing and looking at Juan and Nelson as medical units still tend to Juan and Nelson. Alex starts to call out, “Hey Diane! Diane!”
Diane D, Mike, Mitch and Mickey turn their heads to the side and look towards Alex.
Alex starts to walk towards Diane D, Mike, Mitch and Mickey as Valerie stays behind.
Alex approaches Diane D, Mike, Mitch and Mickey and says, “Hey Diane, Mickey! Your family is looking for y’all. They’re on their way to the lockers to meet up with you there.”
“Yeah I bet they are,” Diane D says.
“We just came here to check on Juan and Nelson real quick,” Mickey says. Diane D and Mickey turn their head towards Juan and Nelson.
Juan and Nelson continue to hold their faces, heads and necks in pain as the nurse and medical units continue to tend to them.
“Hey Juan!” Mickey shouts. “You okay?”
“No!” Juan shouts. “I’m in a lot of pain!”
“Sorry to hear about that?”
“How about you Nelson?!” Diane D asks.
“I’m in a lot of pain too!” Nelson shouts.
“I’m sorry this all happened!” Mickey shouts. “Well we gotta get ready to go. We’ll catch y’all later.”
“And Nurse,” Diane D says. “If you happen to see our family come by again, just tell them that we’ll be near the boys’ locker room.”
“Okay Diane,” the nurse says. “I will.”
Diane D continues to hold tightly onto both Mike’s and Mitch’s left arms and gently pulls them away as Mike and Mitch stare at Juan and Nelson.
Juan and Nelson stare back at Mike and Mitch as Diane D pulls Mike and Mitch away. Mickey and Alex follow Diane D, Mike and Mitch. Several pre-teen boys approach Mike and Mitch and follow them as one of the boys say, “Hey Mike, Mitch.”
“Hey Mike and Mitch,” another boy says. “What’s up?” Mike and Mitch talk with the other boys as Diane D continues pulling them away.
Diane D turns to Mickey and says, “Come on Mickey. We got to stop at the locker room.”
“Okay Diane,” Mickey says.
“So what’s up Mike and Mitch?” a third boy says.
“Where’re y’all going?” a fourth boy says.
Diane D pulls Mike and Mitch towards the entrance of the boys’ locker room. Mickey turns to Diane D and says, “I’m going to get their shirts Diane.”
“Okay Mickey,” Diane D says. “We’ll wait out here.”
“Okay.” Mickey heads towards the boys’ locker room as Diane D stops and waits with Mike and Mitch across the entrance of the boys’ locker room continuing to hold tightly onto Mike’s and Mitch’s left arms having Mike standing directly behind Mitch as Mike and Mitch continue to talk with their friends.
Alex waits with Diane D and starts to talk with her as Mitch says to one of the boys, “Are you sure Juan and Nelson said that shit about us?”
“Because we’ll go confront their asses right now,” Mike says.
“Yeah they did say it,” the first boys says.
“They did?” Mitch says. “We’re gonna go over there and kick their asses right now.”
“Come on.”
“Hold on.” Mitch turns to Diane D and asks, “Hey Diane can we step away for a minute?”
“No y’all may not,” Diane D says.
“It’s just for a minute,” Mike says. “We’ll be back.” Mike and Mitch quickly turn away and are about to pull away from Diane D.
Diane D continues to hold tightly to their left arms, quickly jerking them back shouting, “Don’t even think about it!” Mike and Mitch turn back to Diane D as Diane D shouts to them, “You two aren’t going anywhere!”
“We just want to see how Juan and Nelson are doing,” Mike says.
Diane D turns to Alex and says, “Aauuhh they want to see how Juan and Nelson are doing.” Diane D turns back to Mike and Mitch and says, “Nice try.” Diane D then looks towards the other boys and points her finger up to them shouting, “Listen fellas!” The other boys, Mike and Mitch look at Diane D as Diane D says, “Don’t be trying to persuade them to go off anywhere with you guys because they’re not going, you got that?!”
“We weren’t trying to persuade them to go off anywhere with us,” the second boy says.
“Yes y’all were! They’re not going to go anywhere until the rest of my family gets here, get it?! Got it?! Good!” Diane D turns back towards Alex and talks with him as she continues to hold tightly onto Mike’s and Mitch’s left arms.
Mike and Mitch turn back to the other boys as Mike tells them, “She’s not letting go of us man.”
“Yeah do y’all have another bright plan?” Mitch says as he and Mike continue to talk with their friends.
Alex looks down at Diane D’s clothes and asks, “Are they getting sweat on you Diane?”
Diane D looks down at her clothes and says, “Yep, they sure are.” Diane D wraps her left arm tightly around Mike and Mitch’s left arms. She takes her right hand and starts to wipe her clothes.
“Why were you in such a hurry to get back to that Health And Fitness Center Diane? That Health And Fitness Center must be a real special place or something is over there that you’re so anxious to get back to.”
“You’re right Alex, it is a special place,” Diane D says. Diane D continues to wipe her clothes. Mike and Mitch continue to talk with their friends as they look and point their right fingers towards Juan and Nelson.
At the bleachers, Juan and Nelson look towards Mike and Mitch as Juan says, “Are they talking about us?”
“Who?” the nurse asks.
“Mike and Mitch, the ones who hit us. They’re looking over here pointing their fingers at us.” The nurse turns around to look. She, Juan and Nelson look in the distance towards Mike and Mitch.
Outside the Boys’ locker, a man with an icy cart approaches Mike, Mitch and Diane D. “Free ice cold drinks here!” the man shouts. “Ice cold drinks!” The youth boys start to look in the cart. They reach into the cart and grab some drinks. One of them turns to Mike and Mitch and asks, “Y’all gonna get some drinks?”
“Yeah,” Mike and Mitch say. They are about to pull away from Diane D again, but Diane D continues to hold tightly onto their left arms, quickly jerking them back. Mike and Mitch turn to Diane D as Mitch says, “Can we at least get some drinks? We are thirsty.”
“Sure you can get some drinks,” Diane D says. “But I’m still not letting go of you.” Diane D turns back to Alex as Mike and Mitch turn back towards the icy cart.
“I’ll get it for y’all,” one of the boy says. “Which drinks do y’all want?”
“Get me an orange soda man,” Mike says.
“Okay.” The youth boy turns back to the cart and reaches inside. He pulls out a can of orange soda. He turns back to Mike and hands Mike the can of orange soda. Mike tries to remove his left arm from Diane D’s grip. Being that Diane D continues to have a tight grip on Mike’s and Mitch’s left arms, Mike is not able to open the can of soda. “Can you open it man?” the youth boy asks Mike.
“We got it,” Mike says. Mike holds the can to Mitch. Mitch pulls the tab open with his right hand and opens the can for Mike. Mike starts to drink the orange soda.
“So y’all not coming with us right now?” the boy asks.
“No she’s not letting go of us,” Mitch says. Mike then hands the soda can to Mitch. Mitch takes the can and starts to drink from the soda can. Mitch then hands the soda can to Diane D.
Diane D takes the soda can and asks, “Are you finished with this?” She looks at the soda can and says, “It’s still some soda in here.” She looks at Mitch and says, “If you’re trying to butter me up with some of this soda so I can let go of y’all, it’s not going to work.” Diane D looks back at the soda can.
“Butter you up?!” Mitch says. “I’m not trying to butter you up!”
Diane D drinks from the can of orange soda. She finishes taking a drink. She looks at the can of soda and says, “Wow good orange soda. Orange is one of my favorite flavors. I like it.” Diane D looks back at Mitch and says, “Keep buttering me up.” Diane D turns back to Alex as Mitch annoyingly turns away from her.
Mitch shouts to the icy cart man, “Yo give me a bottled water man!”
“A bottled water?” the first boy says. “Why, what you want a bottled water for?“
“Yeah what you gonna do with it?” the second boy asks. “You’re going to throw the water at somebody?”
“Yeah who are you going to throw the water at?” the third boy asks. “You going to throw it at Diane?”
“I’m going to throw it at y’all if y’all don’t shut the fuck up!” Mitch says.
Diane D turns from Alex to the boys and asks, “What’s going on guys?”
“Nothing,” the third boy says.
“Nothing,” the first boy says.
Diane D stares at the boys. The icy cart man hands Mitch the water bottle. Being that Diane D still has a tight grip on Mike’s and Mitch’s entire arms, Mitch is not able to open the water bottle. “Can you open it man?” the second boy asks.
“No she still got our arms real tight,” Mitch says.
“Well tell Diane to let go of your arms for a second so you can open the water bottle,” the third boy says.
“No it’s not gonna matter to her man, she’s not gonna let go of us. We got it.” Mitch holds the water bottle to Mike. Mike turns the water bottle top as Mitch twists the bottle the opposite way. Mike takes the top off the water bottle. Mitch starts to drink the bottled water.
The Youth boys look at them as one of them says, “Man I love the way you two stick together and work things out together. Y’all work as a team!”
“They sure do,” the fourth boy says. Mitch then hands the water bottle to Mike. Mike starts to drink from the water bottle as Mitch continues to talk with the other boys. Mike and Mitch then look towards Juan and Nelson pointing their fingers at them again.
Near the bleachers, Juan and Nelson still look towards Mike and Mitch as Juan says, “They’re still talking about us.”
“They are?” Nelson says.
“Yeah. They keep looking over here pointing their fingers at us. They act like they still want to beat us up.”
The nurse turns around and look at Mike and Mitch. She turns back to Juan and asks, “Just what did y’all do to those twin boys to make them fight you?”
“We didn’t do anything to them. Just a simple joke that’s it.”
“Well you got to realize not everybody can take certain jokes.”
“I realize that now.” Juan, the nurse and Nelson turn back and look at Mike and Mitch.
Back outside the boys’ locker room, one of the boys says to Mike, “Ask Diane again to let y’all come with us for a minute.”
“No I’m not asking her again man,” Mike says. “Can’t you see her mind is already made up? She’s not letting go of us!”
“Maybe if I ask Diane, she’ll let go of y’all and let y’all come with us for just one minute,” another boy says.
“No don’t ask her man,” Mitch says. “We don’t need to get her started.”
“I’m just gonna ask her real quick.”
“No man just leave her alone,” Mike says. “And I mean it to.” Mike and Mitch angrily look at the boy.
“Okay, okay, I won‘t ask her.”
Mike and Mitch angrily look away from the boy. Mike starts to drink the bottled water again. He hands the bottled water back to Mitch. Mitch starts to drink the bottled water again. Mickey finally comes back from the boys‘ locker room. He walks towards Diane D holding two small identical short sleeved buttoned shirts. He holds both shirts in the air, trying to figure out which shirt is whose as Diane D puzzled stares at the shirts.
On the other side of the park, Mary, Margarita, Barry, Tomas, Tonio, Marilyn, Nicolas, Michael and the promoters are walking and looking around. “Well where’s Diane, Mike and Mitch?” Mary says. “They’re not here.”