at The Farm in winter, it totally is.
“So, what’s the experiment?” asked Jeremy.
“Um, well, it was my grandfather’s idea. He’s a judge? I mean, he was, but he’s retired from the bench.” Jeremy nodded, looking super-fascinated. “He thought it would be interesting to see what would happen if I took an object, like this jug, and pretended it was a dog. To see how people might, um, react.” Somehow, I had succeeded in making the reason I was walking O.J. sound even weirder than the actual reason I was walking O.J.
“Cool,” said Jeremy. “So, are you trying to see if people think you are crazy and treat you differently as a result?”
“Um, yeah, I guess so.”
“What are your findings so far?”
“I, uh, well, so far I just got started.”
Jeremy frowned and nodded solemnly. “I thought you looked a little weird when I first saw you coming down the block. But not crazy. You should act crazier.”
“I should
what
?”
“Act crazier. You know, to make people think you really believe you’re walking a dog. Like, maybe petting it? Or playing with it? Like this.” He got down on all fours next to O.J. and held up the tennis ball, which he had carried over with him, yelling, “Here, boy! You want the ball? You want it?” He bounced the ball on the sidewalk and caught it.
“Yeah, uh, maybe,” I said, looking around to make sure no one had seen. I wished he’d get up.
“O.J.? His name is O.J.?” asked Jeremy, leaning in and squinting.
“No,” I said.
“Then why’s it on his collar?” asked Jeremy, pointing. He sat up on his heels and laughed. “Hey, I get it. That’s funny. It’s made from an old orange juice jug.”
“No duh,” I said. I was pretty sure he wasn’t laughing at me, but I suddenly wished I hadn’t told him anything.
“Jeremy?” A woman who also had dark brown wavy hair had come out of the house and was standing on the front porch. “Oh, there you are.”
Jeremy picked himself up off the sidewalk. “Mom, check it out. This is Zelly. Zelly FRIED,” he added meaningfully. “She’s ten too.”
“Almost eleven,” I corrected him.
“Didn’t I tell you? You were worried for nothing. Nice to meet you, Zelly.” I could tell she was looking at O.J., but thankfully she didn’t ask. “Jeremy, sweetie, I reached a good stopping point. If you want, we can go hit some balls now.”
“Just a sec,” Jeremy told her.
“Okay. See you soon, I hope, Zelly,” Jeremy’s mom said to me before she went back into the house.
“Do you play?” Jeremy asked me.
“Play?”
“Tennis.” He pushed his glasses up on his nose and bounced the ball again.
“Uh, no.” I didn’t know how to tell him that kids around here play soccer, baseball, and hockey. Not tennis. And boys around here don’t wear necklaces.
“If you want, I could teach you sometime. We can play for free at the university because my dad is going to be teaching there. They even have outdoor courts where you can play at night.”
“Yeah, okay, maybe,” I said.
“Cool!” said Jeremy, dashing toward his house. When he reached the other side of the street, he turned and yelled, “Bye, O.J.!”
I dragged O.J. down to the dead end, dumped him out, and cleaned up after him down there. It went a lot better than the first time, probably because I was pretty sure no one was watching me. Also, because there was less mess to clean up this time, and after the first disastrous mess I knew what not to do in terms of how to hold the plastic bag. After I disposed of the bag, I waited for as long as I could stand. I wanted to be sure to give Jeremy and his mom plenty of time to leave so I wouldn’t run into them on the way back home.
When I finally got home, my mom was waiting at the door.
“Zelly, where have you been? I was getting worried.”
“I took O.J. for a walk.”
“To where? Brooklyn?” She gave me an anxious little smile.
“I’m sorry. I was talking to this kid. He just moved
“So, what’s the experiment?” asked Jeremy.
“Um, well, it was my grandfather’s idea. He’s a judge? I mean, he was, but he’s retired from the bench.” Jeremy nodded, looking super-fascinated. “He thought it would be interesting to see what would happen if I took an object, like this jug, and pretended it was a dog. To see how people might, um, react.” Somehow, I had succeeded in making the reason I was walking O.J. sound even weirder than the actual reason I was walking O.J.
“Cool,” said Jeremy. “So, are you trying to see if people think you are crazy and treat you differently as a result?”
“Um, yeah, I guess so.”
“What are your findings so far?”
“I, uh, well, so far I just got started.”
Jeremy frowned and nodded solemnly. “I thought you looked a little weird when I first saw you coming down the block. But not crazy. You should act crazier.”
“I should
what
?”
“Act crazier. You know, to make people think you really believe you’re walking a dog. Like, maybe petting it? Or playing with it? Like this.” He got down on all fours next to O.J. and held up the tennis ball, which he had carried over with him, yelling, “Here, boy! You want the ball? You want it?” He bounced the ball on the sidewalk and caught it.
“Yeah, uh, maybe,” I said, looking around to make sure no one had seen. I wished he’d get up.
“O.J.? His name is O.J.?” asked Jeremy, leaning in and squinting.
“No,” I said.
“Then why’s it on his collar?” asked Jeremy, pointing. He sat up on his heels and laughed. “Hey, I get it. That’s funny. It’s made from an old orange juice jug.”
“No duh,” I said. I was pretty sure he wasn’t laughing at me, but I suddenly wished I hadn’t told him anything.
“Jeremy?” A woman who also had dark brown wavy hair had come out of the house and was standing on the front porch. “Oh, there you are.”
Jeremy picked himself up off the sidewalk. “Mom, check it out. This is Zelly. Zelly FRIED,” he added meaningfully. “She’s ten too.”
“Almost eleven,” I corrected him.
“Didn’t I tell you? You were worried for nothing. Nice to meet you, Zelly.” I could tell she was looking at O.J., but thankfully she didn’t ask. “Jeremy, sweetie, I reached a good stopping point. If you want, we can go hit some balls now.”
“Just a sec,” Jeremy told her.
“Okay. See you soon, I hope, Zelly,” Jeremy’s mom said to me before she went back into the house.
“Do you play?” Jeremy asked me.
“Play?”
“Tennis.” He pushed his glasses up on his nose and bounced the ball again.
“Uh, no.” I didn’t know how to tell him that kids around here play soccer, baseball, and hockey. Not tennis. And boys around here don’t wear necklaces.
“If you want, I could teach you sometime. We can play for free at the university because my dad is going to be teaching there. They even have outdoor courts where you can play at night.”
“Yeah, okay, maybe,” I said.
“Cool!” said Jeremy, dashing toward his house. When he reached the other side of the street, he turned and yelled, “Bye, O.J.!”
I dragged O.J. down to the dead end, dumped him out, and cleaned up after him down there. It went a lot better than the first time, probably because I was pretty sure no one was watching me. Also, because there was less mess to clean up this time, and after the first disastrous mess I knew what not to do in terms of how to hold the plastic bag. After I disposed of the bag, I waited for as long as I could stand. I wanted to be sure to give Jeremy and his mom plenty of time to leave so I wouldn’t run into them on the way back home.
When I finally got home, my mom was waiting at the door.
“Zelly, where have you been? I was getting worried.”
“I took O.J. for a walk.”
“To where? Brooklyn?” She gave me an anxious little smile.
“I’m sorry. I was talking to this kid. He just moved
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