The Hustler [Alex Gaskarth]

Chapter Ten: The Batman

     "Gross! What the hell is that?" I asked. It was Sunday afternoon, and Alex had just cut the top open on the first pumpkin. There were three for each of us to carve, but he insisted on helping me with my first, which apparently included opening up an icky, goo-filled interior.

     "Those, young grasshopper, are the guts of the pumpkin, which you get to scoop out before we carve it," Alex winked.

     "Scoop out with what? Is there like, a spoon or something?"

     "Nope. You do it with your bare hands." His tone and expression were completely serious, until he caught my slightly grossed-out expression. Truthfully, I didn't want to stick my hands inside the pumpkin, but if that's what Alex wanted me to do, then that's what I would do. Fortunately for me, he took pity, and laughed.

     "Kidding, 'Lia. You use this thing." He handed me a small orange scoop, picked up one for himself, and demonstrated. His hand disappeared into the bright orange fruit, and came up a second later, with the scoop which was covered in bright orange pumpkin guts. He dumped them on the newspaper covering the pool deck around us and smiled. "See? Now you try."

     "Okay..." I tenatively picked up the puke-orange scoop and stuck my hand inside the pumpkin. A small 'eep!' made its way out of my mouth when my hand touched the cold, slimy inside, and Alex tried hard not to laugh. Determined to be the polar opposite of Sammy, I pushed my hand to the bottom, and scraped out a small scoopful of guts, before placing them triumphantly on top of the small pile Alex had started.

     "Not bad. But you have to really dig into it. Like this." He scooted over behind me and placed his hand over mine, then steered it back into the pumpkin. A moment later, my hand was covered in guts, the scoop was overflowing, and Alex was smiling again.

     "See? It's more gross, but you get the job done faster."

     "I guess." I scooped out several more piles of guts, then paused. "Hey Alex?"

     "Yeah?"

     "You can let go now... I've got it."

     He drew his hand away from mine quickly, and blushed. "Sorry. I was kind of... distracted. That's kind of my thing. I space out a lot sometimes."

     "It's fine. Mostly because your hands are covered in pumpkin guck right now, so we're kind of even," I laughed.

     He looked down at his hand and grimaced, then wiped it on his jeans. "I'll wash 'em later," Alex explained, noticing the surprised look on my face. "When you carve a pumpkin, yet expect to get dirty."

     "I'll remember that for next year. Lucy and I will have to carve a couple and put them on one of the balconies."

     "You can take one of these home when we're done, if you want. I went a little overboard buying them all."

     "You sure? We don't need one."

     "Of course! What are the trick or treaters gonna think when you don't have any dec- oh."

     I nodded as the realization sunk in for Alex. "Yeah... it's kind of hard to do trick-or-treating in our building. Especially in our apartment, since the elevator comes right in and stuff. That's why Lucy and I usually take her little sister trick-or-treating in her parents' neighborhood."

     "Why don't you come here?" He burst out suddenly.

     "What? Like, bring Lucy and her sister here?"

     "Yeah," he said slowly, as if he were just coming to terms with the idea. And then, more confidently, "Yeah! It'll be a blast! Plus, you've met almost all of my friends, and I haven't met any of yours."