"Mythology," said Stacey. "But guess what. Bad news. It closed awhile ago. We should go to Think Big, though. You'd like that store. It has gigantic versions of everything. It is way cool."

"Great," I replied. Then we sank into silence. I started to think about the weekend again, and about seeing Quint. I'd been trying to figure out what I wanted to say to him about our "relationship," and when I should talk to him. I'll admit I was pretty nervous, but there on the train I made a resolution: I'd have The Talk with him that night when I was at his family's house for dinner. That is, if I could find the right moment.

As the train rocked along, I also thought of Becca. I remembered how she'd looked at me with big, sad eyes as I said good-bye. I knew she'd survive the weekend, but I couldn't help worrying about her just a little. After all, she's only eight. It's hard to be apart from your family when you're that age.

Soon, though, I stopped worrying and started to feel excited. I noticed that the landscape we were passing through had changed. Instead of fields and woods and the occasional neighborhood, I was starting to see bigger buildings and busier roads. We were getting dose to New York!

Chapter 4.

Half an hour later, we had arrived in New York. We were whizzing along a crowded, traffic-filled street, stuffed into the back of a cab with Stacey's father. He'd met us at Grand Central Station and whisked us out onto the street and into the cab almost before I could catch my breath.

Manhattan. What an awesome place. I heard Stacey's dad ask about the train trip, but I let Stacey answer him. I was too busy staring out of the windows as the cab hurtled along. Why do cabs always drive so fast in New York? I guess they're just going with the flow. Everything is fast in the city. People talk fast, they walk fast, they do everything fast.