I'm sitting in the basement, watching Ollie and JP attempt to play soccer in the crowded cement library extension. Eddie and I are sitting on top of separate tables, so we are out of the way of JP and Ollie, and also Ryan and Alex, who are riding around on Ryan's skateboard. Eddie is reading song lyrics of Alex's CDs.
     Alex is decked out in his usual attire: A slightly large black tee shirt, black wide leg JNCOs, which are frayed at the bottom. He is also wearing his black DCSHOECOUSA shoes. He assumes a look of false angelic innocence when the skateboard slams down, creating a huge thud in what is supposed to be "quiet reading." Some people are watching "Good Will Hunting" in the old part of the library, and even more people are in the waiter movie/movie night area reading on couches and other random chairs. My mind wanders to Sundays ago when I was listening to ICP with Step on me Splatt (or Stephanie Spratt, as she was more commonly known) and trying to get Chris' attention.
     Ryan turns off the lights, receiving my fully attention. "It's better in the dark." He replies to my puzzled look. It's not really the dark, because there are many large windows in the extension, and plenty of mid afternoon sunlight streams through, warming my bare legs.
     Alex and Ryan go upstairs, into the dining hall, allowing piano music to waft slowly into the basement. Erin, Ryan's twin sister, shows up, a popsicle in each hand. We descend upon her like vultures, pounding her with questions about how she got the forbidden ice.
     This sent Eddie and I through the library and around the back of the building through packout and under the dining hall, where the extra freezers were stored. We wondered around humming the theme to Mission: Impossible. We found the freezer in question with little difficulty and stuffed our eager hands into the popsicle box. With a popsicle in each hand, we took off running back towards the library, and smack into one of the foreign kitchen staff. I put a huge grin on my face and we continued to run, back to where our friends were.
     They also wanted popsicles of their own, so the six of us went back to pack out, and Alex, Ryan, Ollie and JP all crammed their hands into the freezer and raced out, triumphantly holding their prizes. We devoured them savagely, causing us to pinch the bridges of our noses to relieve the pain of brain freeze.
     Ryan and Alex get bored of using the library extension as their skatepark, so we move up to the old volleyball courts, which is nestled between the basketball courts and the pottery shack. When we get there, we realize that we lost Ollie somewhere in the short 50 foot trip. Ryan and I walk up to the basketball courts, to get Moritz. He joins us and shares Ryan's skateboard with Ryan and Alex while JP uses Alex's. Alex wisens up after a few minutes and shares with JP.
     Eddie once again is going through Alex's CDs, and the boys occasionally glance at me, sitting cross legged on the pavement, next to Eddie, scribbling away in a notebook. I stop writing once Alex's small shadow covers my paper. I look up and squint at him. He has super fine blonde hair and a pale face with freckles sprawled everywhere. He has hazelish eyes that usually sparkle with mischief. He grins evily at me and dives for my sides in an attempt to tickle me. I yelp and scramble to my feet. My commotion turns the attention of the four boys away from song lyrics and skateboards to me. Moritz shakes his head and mutters something about crazy Americans. I throw him a nasty glance and sit down again.
     Alex hovers over me. I ask him some questions to divert his attention away from my ticklishness. However, these questions also get Moritz's attention. Alex and I are now in a heated debate about whether or not a certain store exists in our neighborhood.
     Moritz looks at us with utter confusion. I was used to those looks--because of his limited English, he rarely understood me when I talked rapidly, as I was now. He studied Alex and I for a moment before asking his carefully thought out question.
     "You and he are...uh...from same place.....uh....city?" He said slowly, pronouncing each syllable with his thick German accent. My head snaps around to face him, and my body soon follows.
     "HHHMMM??" I ask in my characteristic way of responding when my name was called or when I was addressed. Moritz repeated his question, a little quicker than before. A huge grin spread across my face as I put Alex in a quick headlock. "You got that one right!" I said grinning as I ground my knuckles into his fine angelic hair. He squirmed, trying to get out from my headlock. Finding that he couldn't, he opens his mouth.
     "Yeah, yeah, we li--OWWW!!!" I screamed as Alex's teeth sank into my side. Grabbing my wounded area, I leap away from him, as he triumphantly grins, and Moritz doubles over in laughter. JP and Ryan look at the three of us quizically and Eddie just ignores us. I swat Alex on the back of his head, shove my paper and pen into my backpack which i swing over my shoulder and walk off the courts, away from the hysterical boys.