Cooper Foley was in trouble. Again. "What were you thinking?" I screamed at him. "Counterfeit tickets? Really?" "Easy ,Ralph," Cooper replied calmly. "I didn't know they were bogus." Copper always calls me Ralph. "Even so," I argued. " It's illegal to scalp real tickets." "No,it's not," he corrected. "Not if you sell them at face value." "Did you sell them at face value?" He smiled "No," I wanted to smack him. Cooper and I were making the long walk to school on the last day of the year before summer vacation. He was my best friend. Okay, my only friend. My only good friend, anyway. I think the main reason we got along so well was because we were completely different. I worry. Cooper doesn't. I think things through. Cooper doesn't. I freeze in social situations. Cooper doesn't. I hate playing sports. Cooper doesn't. I worry what people think of me. Cooper doesn't. I think we stayed friends because there was never any competition between us. We had plenty of fights over the years, but they always ended up in a wrestling match that lasted about eight seconds. No punches were ever thrown in anger. As we walked along on that hot June day, I was ready to plot all the exciting adventures we'd be sharing that summer. Instead I found out that Cooper was in trouble. Again.

"What's going to happen?" I asked. Cooper strugged as if he didn't really care. "Nothing. I got spanked, that's all. Nobody thinks I printed out a bunch of phony Yankees tickets. And for the record, I didn't."

Then who did?"

He gave me a sly smile. " Can't tell you that, Ralph. I'd have to kill you."

Coop was changing . . . and not for the better... I will continue this.