High and Inside (2 page)

“I think we'll be pretty good,” Matt replied. “Jake's pounding it already, and I think Phil's going to start at catcher. And we've got some decent pitching…”

“How about you? Where's the coach playing you?”

“Second, mostly,” Matt said. “And some outfield.” He didn't want to mention the problems he was having at the plate. Enough people on the South Side team already knew he was afraid of the ball.

“Well, have a good weekend,” Officer Peters said. “I'm taking Joker for his workout. Say hi to your mom for me.”

Matt watched as the policeman and Joker moved away. The sleek black dog stayed tight by Officer Peters' side, even though he wasn't on a leash, and the two “partners” moved as one. Every few steps, the husky brown-haired officer would stop and so would Joker. The shepherd would then look up at his master and wait for the command before proceeding or even so much as moving a paw.

Officer Peters and his family had lived on their block since before Matt, his mother and his older brother Mark had moved in a few years back. Having a police officer just a couple of doors down had always made his family feel a little more secure. But strangely it had also made Matt feel slightly nervous at times too. Although he'd never broken the law, Matt was keenly aware that he'd better not even think about it with Officer Peters and Joker around.

chapter two

Matt woke up excited the next morning. It was springtime; it was Saturday; and baseball season was set to start in two days.

But it was more than that. This weekend he had been invited out to the Piancatos' resort on nearby Long Lake. Jake's parents had made a yearly habit of taking some of their son's friends to their lodge for a May weekend, just before the resort started getting busy for another tourist season. Typically, Jake and his buddies had the run of the docks, swimming area, the canoes and the property. It was always a lot of fun and had become a spring tradition to which Matt looked forward.

He had packed his bag the night before, wanting to make sure he was ready to go when the Piancatos arrived. Matt had his swimsuit, although he knew the lake would be cold. He had extra jeans and T-shirts and socks and his down-filled sleeping bag. He and Jake would be sharing one of the guest cabins for the weekend. It was going to be a blast.

Sitting at the kitchen table in his family's modest two-bedroom house, Matt heard a car horn just as he finished his second piece of toast. His mom heard it too. “That's Jake's parents,” she said. “Are you all ready to go?”

Matt nodded. He picked up his gear and headed for the door. His petite auburn-haired mother wasn't far behind him. “You'd better give me a kiss here,” she smiled warmly, rising on her toes to kiss her son on the forehead. “I don't want to embarrass you in front of your friend.”

Matt gave his mom a big hug, a peck on the cheek and an extra little squeeze. “Make sure you remember your manners and behave yourself up there,” she said. “Remember, it's a privilege to get the chance to go.”

“I know, Mom,” Matt said, a trace of weariness in his voice. “Don't worry, I will. You don't have to tell me that every time I go somewhere, you know.”

They were at the front door, and Jake's parents had pulled the familiar long red station wagon with the brown wood paneling into their driveway. Mom waved and smiled at the Piancatos. Because he and Jake had been friends forever, their parents knew each other pretty well too. Jake's mom and dad smiled back from the front seat.

Jake was in the backseat, but he swung open the station-wagon door, jumped out and hollered. “Hey Mattster! Are you ready for the Long Lake Monster? Because he's ready for you!” Jake was holding a stuffed, plush, green sea serpent and waving it toward him menacingly. Inside the car, Jake's parents shared a quiet giggle. The Long Lake Monster had been a standing joke between the Piancatos and Matt ever since the first time he had visited their lodge and been too scared to go into the water because he thought it was inhabited by sea monsters. But at the time, Matt was just five years old and had never swum in a lake before. He was twelve going on thirteen now and had grown to love the cool clear water of Long Lake.

The resort was just five miles outside of town, so it would only take a few minutes to get there. But every time Matt visited, he felt like he was hours removed from the city. Long Lake had been designated by the government as a protected area and development had been limited to just the Long Lake Lodge, the Piancatos' small resort, and a number of family cabins strung around the serene lake. The cabins were spaced out, and the lake was framed by towering stands of pine that created a feeling of wilderness even though it was so near the heart of the city. There was a large public beach with a picnic area and campground next to the lodge, so anybody could enjoy Long Lake, but motorboats weren't permitted on the water, meaning that it was usually fairly quiet. It had become one of Matt's very favorite places in the world. Jake was awfully lucky to live out there all year-round, he thought for probably the five-hundredth time.

Matt sat in the backseat with Jake, surrounded by bedding, supplies and stacks of non-perishable food, items the Piancatos were taking out to the lodge this weekend as they worked to prepare for the upcoming busy guest season. Mr. Piancato was a large, balding man in his fifties who had the same easy-going smile as his son and a crazy sense of humor. Mrs. Piancato was a gentle, pretty woman who had been like a second mother to Matt over the years. Looking at her, it was obvious where Jake got his curly blond hair and blue eyes.

Matt really felt comfortable with the Piancatos. He surveyed the three of them and couldn't help thinking—also for about the five-hundredth time—that Jake was fortunate to have both a mom and a dad in his life.

Not that Matt felt particularly shortchanged. His mother was about as supportive and understanding as any parent could be. It's just that sometimes he wondered how it would feel to have a dad at home too. His own father had left the family when Matt was just three, too early for him to remember much. They had had no contact since, and he and his mother seldom talked about it.

Matt's thoughts were interrupted by Jake. “We're going to have some company at the lake this weekend,” he said enthusiastically. “My cousins are going to be there too. Since Phil and Amar couldn't make it, Mom invited Cody and Vance up for the weekend.”

Matt's heart sunk. He already knew that Phil and Amar Sunir—the others in he and Jake's crowd— weren't able to come along this weekend because of other commitments. But he had assumed that he and Jake would be able to hang out on their own at Long Lake. Now he was learning that Cody and Vance were coming too. Matt had met Jake's cousins before, and he had never hit it off with them.

“Er, great,” Matt said, mustering as much fake enthusiasm as he could. “How old are those guys now?”

“Cody is fourteen and Vance is nearly sixteen,” Mrs. Piancato interjected pleasantly from the front seat. “We haven't seen them for awhile. But their parents are in Mexico for a couple of weeks, and so we offered to take care of the boys while they're gone. Jake's dad drove up to Eton and picked them up early this morning. They're already out at the lake. Jake hasn't even seen his cousins yet because he stayed in town last night with his aunt.”

Although he was disappointed, Matt felt like he managed to hide it. Besides, maybe he would get along better with Jake's cousins now that everybody was a little older. He could give it a shot at least.

“I see the lake,” yelled Jake, winning the game that the Piancatos always played in the car. The first person to see any tinge of blue through the trees on the winding road into Long Lake was the winner. And the winner got to skip unloading the gear once they arrived.

Mr. Piancato pulled the station wagon past the public beach and into the driveway of the Long Lake Lodge. The resort was modest, consisting of one main building and a dozen quaint satellite cabins, all constructed from massive logs. But each of the units was well-appointed inside with a fireplace, down-filled comforters and pillows and a full four-piece bathroom. And each of them had a comfortable veranda to sit on and watch the sun set over Long Lake.

The car stopped, and Matt hopped out, stretching his legs and arms. He always loved the smell at the Piancatos' lodge, the crisp, slightly cooler air and the shade of the big pines. It was the same every time he came. So relaxing.

“Duuude!” The peace was shattered by a voice coming from the main lodge. Jake's cousin Cody was headed toward them. “Man, Cuz, you've grown up a bit.”

Jake blushed, looking back at Cody, who stood about two inches taller and had straight blond hair hanging nearly to his shoulders. Cody was wearing a black
Green Day
T-shirt and long, skater-style, purple shorts. Matt couldn't help noticing he had a gold ring in his left earlobe.

Matt felt awkward. Picking up on the situation, Mrs. Piancato cleared her throat. “Jake, did you introduce Matt to Cody?”

“This is Matt?” Cody exclaimed. “Little Matt? This is the same kid who we met out here a couple of years ago? The kid who was scared of the lake monster?”

Jake nodded. It was Matt's turn to blush now. How long was that Long Lake Monster thing going to stick with him, anyway?

“You're a lot bigger too,” Cody said.

Matt felt a little more at ease—for a second, that is.

Around the corner of the main lodge came Vance, Jake's older cousin. He wasn't smiling. About the same height as Cody, Vance had long, shiny, black hair and was dressed in black jeans, red sneakers and a black sweatshirt with a skull and crossbones logo. He looked at the Piancatos and Matt but said nothing.

“Hey, Vance,” said Mr. Piancato. “Are you finding your way around here okay?”

“I guess,” shrugged the teenager. “Just looking for something to do.”

“Perfect,” Mr. Piancato replied. “I've got a whole car here to unload. So let's get to it boys.”

Mr. Piancato and the boys, except for Jake who had won the I-see-the-lake contest, unloaded the station wagon, while Mrs. Piancato went directly into the lodge. When the chores were finished, Jake asked Matt if he wanted to check out the lake. “Sure,” Matt replied. “Let's go see if that monster's still down there.”

The two laughed. Across the driveway, Vance was giving them a slightly quizzical look. “What's the joke, man?” he said to Jake.

Jake started to remind Vance about Matt's previous fears of the Long Lake Monster and how it was still a standing joke in the family but he didn't get quite finished before Vance interrupted. “Whatever, man,” he said. “What do you guys do for fun around here?”

Matt and Jake looked at each other. What did he mean fun? It was a lake, wasn't it? Did they have to spell it out for him?

“Swim, mostly,” Jake said. “We do some fishing, hiking and we've got mountain bikes. There are some great trails…”

Once again, Vance cut him off. “I'm going back to my cabin,” he said. “I didn't think I'd have to join the freakin' Boy Scouts just cause my parents decided they need a holiday from taking care of their kids.”

Matt shook his head. He remembered Vance having a bit of an edge the last time they met too. In fact, now that he thought about it, Vance had been the one who had locked him and Jake in one of the sheds on the lodge property as a joke. The two had only been in third grade at the time and had been forced to wait for a couple of hours before Jake's mom finally heard them yelling and pounding on the door and let them out.

“I'll go with you guys,” Cody declared, shrugging his bony shoulders and flipping his long hair out of his eyes. “Nothing else to do up here, anyway.”

The three boys headed down to the lake, which was perfectly framed by the green of the trees that ringed it. The water was so calm that it was almost a shame to swim in it, Matt thought.

That thought didn't last long, though, as Jake charged past him and thundered into the lake. “First in,” he said as he dove and swam a few sharp strokes before resurfacing and shaking the water off his blond curls. “Man, that is refreshing,” he yelled.

Matt charged in behind him. He could tell the water was going to be shockingly frigid because even the light spray hitting his legs was numbing. He dove in too, momentarily stunned by the icy rush that hit his forehead. But by the time he came up for air, he felt entirely alive.

Cody was still standing on the shore, idly picking up rocks and tossing them in. “It's too cold, man,” he said. “I'm going back up to the lodge.”

Matt was secretly happy that Cody was leaving. It was just him and Jake, like he had planned. The two swam for about half an hour, taking turns diving off the platform that was moored near the end of the roped-off swimming area before wading back to the beach.

They flipped down their towels and sat there, taking in the sun. “You ready for Monday?” Matt asked Jake. “North Vale could be pretty tough.”

“The question is,” Jake said with mock bravado, swinging an imaginary bat out toward the lake, “is North Vale ready for me?”

The boys spent a few more minutes at the beach before the bell began clanging from the main lodge. It must be lunchtime. Jake and Matt scooped up their towels and bolted toward the sound. Swimming and fresh air was enough to make a guy hungry in a hurry.

Jake's mom had whipped up some smokies on the barbecue grill on the deck of the main lodge. Matt had to marvel as he bit into his, which was covered with mustard and hot peppers. It never failed that food tasted better out at Long Lake than it did anywhere else.

For the rest of the afternoon, Matt and Jake tossed around the baseball, took a short hike to the top of the ridge overlooking the lake and helped out Jake's dad by picking several hundred stones off the beach. After a dinner of hamburgers, corn on the cob and baked potatoes, the boys still had a couple of hours before bedtime. Matt felt himself already growing tired, even though it was only eight-thirty. Fresh air usually had that effect on him.