ch13

That evening, the five couples pile into a big limo. Frankie and Anna sit with their backs against the paneling behind the driver. Matt is next to Frankie on the left side of the limo, followed by Meagan, Tory, and Chris. Melissa is next to Anna on the right side of the limo, followed by Greg, Jesse, and Amy.
Driver- You guys ready for the big game?
Matt- Aw, yeah!
Meagan- They’re gonna CRUSH Baltimore.
Anna- Yeah! Aw but Cal Ripken, Jr. is pretty hot.
Meagan- Got that right.
The limo driver smiles at the kids as he slides the screen back up and the limo drives off.
Frankie- Cal Ripken, Jr.? What is he, like, 80?
Matt- Well, no, closer to 60.
Meagan and Anna- He’s 40.
Amy- He has nice eyes…very blue.
Jesse- You watch baseball?
Amy- Sometimes…
Jesse- Me too!
Tory- Chris, you’re much hotter than Val.
Matt, Meagan, Anna, Frankie, Amy, Jesse- CAL.
Chris- Aw, thanks, sweetie.
Melissa- So, how long does it take to get there?
Greg- (putting his arm slyly around Melissa) Oh…not too long.
Frankie- (knocking on the screen) Can we play music?
Driver- Sure, sure. No need to ask. Go right ahead.
Frankie- Thanks.
The screen goes back up.
Frankie slips in his Creed CD.
Amy- OOH! (singing) With arms wide open…
Frankie- (shudders) Amy…who sings this?
Amy- Creed.
Frankie- Let’s keep it that way.

As the limo gets closer and closer to Yankee Stadium, excitement builds inside…
Meagan- OOH OOH I am SO excited!!!!!!
Matt- ME TOO!!!
Anna- AH!!! Where are we sitting??
Matt- Well, I talked to a friend of mine and the best seats he could find were…(he lowers his head)
Meagan- Oh boy.
Anna- Here it comes…
Matt- (lifts head back up, a smile forming) RIGHT BEHIND THE HOME TEAM DUGOUT!
Meagan and Anna- AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anna- Oh my god, oh my god…
Meagan- AH! Oh my GOD!
Frankie- Really? Matt, that is awesome!
Matt- (smiling, while thinking) I am the man.
Greg- So, we’re all sitting behind the Yankees’ dugout? That’s off the hook bro gimme five! (He puts his hand out in front of Matt, who bits his lower lip)
Melissa- What? What is it?
Matt- Well, you see…
Chris- What?
Matt- Well…uh…well, hey, you’re not all die hard fans, right?
Tory- Matt, cut to the chase.
Matt- (taking a deep breath, before spilling the beans at a hundred miles an hour) I tired to get ten seats together but I couldn’t and I really wanted the seats by the dugout and so that’s what I told him and then he said he could only get four seats and so I said well what about the other six and he said the game was sold out other than the nosebleed section and he asked me if you’d mind and I said of course not and so he gave me the tickets and it’s set. (He takes another breath, looking at the confused faces around him)
Chris- Ok…what?
Tory- The nosebleed section? Guys, this is a light shirt, there is no way blood is getting on it.
Amy- Yeah, I hate bloody noses!!
Jesse- They suck! I HATE them! I’ve never had a bloody nose, have you?
Amy- Nope. But I hear they’re pretty bad.
Greg- NO! The nosebleed seats are the ones way at the top of the stadium.
Melissa- Where you can’t see the game unless you use binoculars.
Chris- You’re completely shut off from the game. No one pays any attention to you.
Chris and Greg- Wait a second…(they smile) AWESOME!
They do their handshake as Melissa and Tory roll their eyes.
Tory- And Christopher, I suppose you would want to make out while we’re up there?
Chris- (clears his throat) Oh, no, uh uh.
Frankie- Well, uh, Matt, who is going to be sitting up in the nosebleed section?
Matt- (thinking out loud) Well, Greg and Chris don’t seem to mind having to be up there…and Tory and Melissa would be with them…
Meagan- (a worried expression on her face) And the other two…?
Matt- (shrugging) I guess we should send Jesse and Amy up there too.
Jesse and Amy- WHAT?!
Meagan, Frankie, and Anna sigh in relief, exchanging high fives.
Amy- That is SO not fair!
Jesse- What have I ever done to you, Matt?
Matt- Well, let’s see here…I’ll need a pencil and some paper…(he grabs some fancy limo stationary and a pen off of the drink bar, and begins a list) We’ll call this first category “Violating Matt’s Property”.
Jesse- Oh, come on! I’m not that bad.
Anna- Shh, you’ll break his concentration.
Jesse sighs heavily, slumping in his seat.
Matt- Hmm…where to start, where to start…ah, yes. December 19, 1999: Jesse steals Matt’s UFOs.
Jesse- What? I did no such thing!
Matt- Ah, but you did. Ask Greg, here.
Jesse turns to Greg, who has this confused look on his face.
Greg- Dude, how should I know?!
Matt- Gregory, don’t play games with me, you saw him do it. Anyway, moving on…
Jesse- (muttering to himself) This sucks.

As the limo is approaching the great Yankee Stadium, Meagan and Anna grab their cameras and, holding them out the open window, start snapping picture after picture.
Chris- Dude…what is the big deal? It’s just a baseball stadium…
Matt- (looking up from his list, which is now three stationary sheets long) Correction: It is a SHRINE.
Melissa- You know, one way to define “shrine” is “the tomb of a venerated person, such as a saint”.
Tory- Yes…but I’m sorry, Melissa. No one here cares.
Melissa makes a face at her.
Greg- I care!
Anna- Well, you, know, part of her definition makes sense. Saints walk on that field.
Meagan- Saints like Derek Jeter, Shane Spencer, Tino Martinez…(She and Anna look down sadly)
Jesse- And they’re buried there? The other day we asked if Derek Jeter died, and you said “no”.
Amy- (gasps) You LIE!
Anna- They’re not dead, you freaks. They are living saints.
Matt- (as he continues his list) Yes, and the small stadium located right behind left field is full of plaques honoring great Yankees, and Hall of Famers like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle…
Chris- Ok, before you put us to sleep, just…stop, dude.
Matt- (shrugs) Just proving my point.
Jesse- Aren’t you done with that stupid list yet?
Matt- (looking up) Oh, no, dude, I’m only on December 20, 1999.
Amy- But three pages ago, you were on December 19th!
Matt- (nodding his head) Yes, I am aware.
The driver lowers the window, letting them know that they have arrived.
The ten kids get out of the limo and stare up at the huge stadium.
Meagan and Anna- (entranced) Wow…
Frankie- (looking at Greg, Chris, and Jesse) Well, kids, it’s time for you and your girls to head upstairs. (He laughs, high-fiving Matt)
Greg- Dude, I am SO not a kid! If Matt’s not a kid, then I am certainly not a kid.
Matt- Ah, but Greg, I am older than you. Than all three of you.
Chris- I would prefer not to hear about it, thank you.
Melissa- Perhaps you are older chronologically, Matt, but physically, I would say Greg is older.
Greg smiles victoriously.
Matt and Meagan- NO!
Jesse- You’re like five feet tall, Matt.
Matt- NO! I am SO taller than that.
Meagan- He’s like 5’4”. At least.
The boys argue for a few more minutes.
Tory- Well, I suppose we should head up to our seats in the clouds.
Anna- Yes, have fun.
Melissa- (wrapping her arm around Greg’s and beginning to turn away) We most certainly will.

***

Down by the dugout…
Frankie, Matt, Anna, and Meagan have taken their awesome seats.
Meagan- Oh my god Derek Jeter is ten feet away from me…I am going to faint…
Matt- But I’m six inches away from you. Aren’t I faint-worthy?
Meagan- (not really paying any attention to him) Uh huh, sure…
Anna- Oh my god…there’s Shane! Damn…does he look fine!
Frankie- I think the correct phrase would be “Oh my god…there’s Frankie! Damn…does he look fine!”
Anna- (not looking) Yes, I’m sure you do…

Up in the clouds…
Greg, Chris, Jesse, Melissa, Tory, and Amy have taken their crappy seats up in the nosebleed section after climbing rows and rows of stairs. They are all exhausted, besides Greg.
Greg- Man, that was nothin’. Why are y’all so tired? Melissa, you need to save some energy!
Melissa- (breathing hard) Lot…of…stair…case…make…me…tired…now…I…want…pop…corn…
Jesse- You can’t pop a corn…that would be rude. Think of how the corn would feel.
Chris- (also breathing hard) Popcorn…you idiot…
Amy- (struggling to talk as she breathes) You…be…n…n…nice…to…Jess...e…
Tory- Need…some…wa…ter…
Greg- (yelling around him) Excuse me, could we have some assistance? My friends and I here need some refreshments!
There is an old man sitting a few rows ahead of the six. He turns around.
Old Man- Give it up kid, no one hears you up here.
Greg- (looking down at the man) Well, you know what, old man? We want food! I am Greg Raposo from Dream Street and-
Old Man- Easy, Sonny. Sit down and shut up.
A Brownie Troop of eight-year-old girls has overheard and looks at Greg, giggling.
Greg looks over at them.
Greg- What?
Little Girl #1- You are Greg…from…from Dream Street??
Greg- Yes…
Melissa kicks him.
Greg- I mean no…of course not.
Little Girl #2- You look a lot like him.
Chris- (standing up next to Greg, trying to cover) Yeah, he gets that a lot. Yeah, it’s crazy, you know, we’re walking down the street and people are like “Hey, you’re Greg!” and we’re like “No, he’s not” and-
Little Girl #3- Hey…you’re Chris!
Chris- Me?
Tory- (jumping up) Yes that’s right, and he’s all mine, little girl!
Little Girl #4- It is you…it’s really you!
Chris- I am me…ha ha…yes, that is true. Oh, but I am not Chris Trousdale, I am…
Amy- Chris Rock.
A black man looks down at the group.
Man- Son…you ain’t Chris Rock…you a white boy…
Chris- (getting a little nervous) Well…yes, no! I am TAN!
Tory- (stroking Chris’s cheek) Right you are.
Jesse- But there’s nothing wrong with being white!
Little Girl #5- You are JESSE!
Jesse- Uh…yes, Jesse would be me.
Little Girl #6- Jesse from Dream Street!
Amy- No…Jesse…Jesse Jackson!
Man- You kiddin’? Boy, you whiter than the other kid.
Greg- So what if he is? Why can’t there be PEACE?
Melissa- Yes…PEACE! That’s all we want.
Amy- And LOVE!
The six join hands and begin singing… “All you need is love…”
The people around them turn to stare.
After the first chorus, the little girls come over and join hands, further extending the chain. “Love, love! Love is all you need…”
The man comes down, smiling and taking Greg’s hand.
The old man comes up and takes the other man’s hand.
Soon, the whole section is joined, hand in hand, singing.
When the first song ends, Chris starts another… “All we are saying…is give peace a chance!”

Down by the dugout…
The two couples hear faint singing coming from above.
Frankie- Who the hell is singing?
Matt looks up, only to find an entire section of people swaying hand in hand, singing proudly.
Matt- Uh…I think there’s some kind of a peace act going on…
Frankie, Matt, Anna, and Meagan’s section, as well as others, turn to look up.
The players on the field and in the dugout stop to stare as well.
“All we are saying…is give peace a chance!”
An announcement comes on the loud speakers: “Just a request…could the people in Section Z please sit down and shut up?”

Up in the clouds…
The group has heard the announcement, and they begin to sit down in disappointment. All except for Greg, Jesse, Chris, Tory, Amy, Melissa, and the Brownies.
Little Girl #1- (raising her voice) Aw, Is that all you can do? Sit down? Stop singing? I am a proud member of Brownie Troop 711 and I REFUSE to sit down!
The section gets quiet.
The three couples applaud, their eyes wide. The other Brownies salute her.
Jesse- I second that! I may not be a member of Brownie Troop 711…but as a citizen of New York City, one of the most diverse cities in the world, I too REFUSE to give up!
Everyone applauds, standing back up.
Chris- (shaking Jesse’s hand, tearing) Dude…that was beautiful.
Greg- Alright! Now…LET’S SING!
Cheers erupt from Section Z as they all start to sing, clapping to the beat…“It don’t matter if you’re black or white…”

***

As the group leaves that night after the game, hundreds and hundreds of people wait outside the entrance for autographs from Jesse, Chris, Amy, Tory, Greg, and Melissa.
They sign, smiling and posing for pictures.

Frankie, Anna, Matt, and Meagan have gotten numerous autographs from the Yankees, and they discuss them as they head into the lobby, where there is a HUGE crowd.
Meagan- (looking up from her program as someone bumps into them) Damn, watch where you’re going!
Anna- Why is everyone down here??
Lady- Oh, you don’t know?
Matt- Know what?
Lady- The Peace Children.
Frankie- (tilting his head to the side, confused) What?
Meagan- Oh, right, pff, the “Peace Children”. Lady, who are they?
Lady- The Peace Children, who got everyone in Section Z singing.
Anna- Oh….who are they?
Lady- I don’t know…there’s three boys, and three girls…they’re about your age, I’d say.
Matt, Frankie, Anna, Meagan- Oh. Wait…(they look at each other) Uh oh…
Frankie- Where’re the other six, guys?
Just then, they spot them.
Matt- Oh, no…
The three other couples are completely surrounded by people.
Chris- We LOVE you guys!
Melissa- We couldn’t have done it all with out you!
Tory- You’ve given us the inspiration!
Greg- You really got my adrenaline going!
Jesse- What we’ve learned here today, is that all people are equal!
Amy- (putting her arm around a Brownie) Even the Brownies!
Everybody around them- Amen!
Meagan, Anna, Frankie, and Matt push through people to get to their friends.
Chris- Oh, hey, guys!
Tory- Do you want to pose with us for a picture?
Greg- Everybody, these are our friends! Frankie, here, is Italian, Anna is German, Meagan is Irish, and Matt is…is…
Jesse- Danish!
Matt- I am not Danish!
Amy- What are you…wait, are you racist against the Danish?
The crowd “boos” at Matt.
Matt- What? No! I am Russian, Ir-
Greg- And Matt is Russian!
Melissa- So here is a great display of how ethnically different we all are.
Tory- Isn’t it GREAT?!
The crowd cheers on…

Later that night, on the subway ride home…
Frankie- That had to be one of the most embarrassing events of my life.
Matt- You? Try having seven hundred people booing at you just because someone thought you were Danish…
Meagan- It’s ok, Matt. You can be Russian if you want.
Matt- I am also Irish and German.
Meagan- Really? I’m German also.
Anna- It was humiliating.
Chris- What?! Never!
Melissa- It was SUPERB!
Greg- We ROCK!
Jesse- We’re just a bunch of normal kids out to change the world…
Amy- That’s right, Jesse.
Tory- That was a beautiful speech you gave to Section Z, Jess.
Greg, Chris, Amy, Melissa- Yeah.
Jesse- Aw, shucks, guys.
Matt- You guys are so immature.
Chris- Immature?! You call spreading the word of Peace IMMATURE?!
Greg- Matt, I’d be you up, but that wouldn’t be peaceful.
Meagan- You guys ruined the game.
Melissa- No we didn’t.
Anna- Yes, you did. Didn’t you hear that announcement asking you to stop singing?
Amy- Yes, and that’s when Jesse and Susan from Brownie Troop 711 gave their speech.
Jesse- Susan, what a nice kid. She let me have her “bravery” patch.
Jesse shows off his patch as the other five “ooh” and “ah”.
Greg- Yeah, their troop leader asked you, me, and Chris to perform at a meeting sometime.
Frankie- What about me and Matt?!
Matt- Yeah, we’re your key high and low voices!
Greg- (shrugs) Guess you should have sat in the nosebleed section.
Chris- We were just in the right place a t the right time.
Matt- Oh well. It’s just a dumb Brownie meeting.
Jesse- Hey! Watch it! That’s my friends you’re talking about!
Amy- (starting to sing quietly) “All we are saying…is give peace a chance…”
Anna- AH! If I hear that stupid song one more time, I’m gonna shoot someone.
The six “Peace Children” look at Anna in shock.
Meagan- Oh, give it up!