Chapter 28: Are You a Puppy?
Even though this was his second visit to the Big Apple, New York still felt like a strange city to Ryan. After spending a full month in a small northern Canadian town, though, the bustling metropolis actually felt warm and welcoming.
Home Alone had wrapped its Canadian exteriors and moved to New York. Ryan had very few scenes here, so his schedule was much freer. That didn't stop him from complaining, however.
The reason was simple. Just a few days before they arrived, the Sleepless in Seattle crew—who had been shooting in the city—had packed up and headed to Seattle. His plan to meet up with Nicole had fallen through. They hadn't seen each other since her quick visit to his set more than two weeks earlier.
At least he still had one friend his own age in this city.
"Long Island," Ryan told the assistant the production team had assigned as his driver.
Dear Nat, I wonder what you're doing right now. Have you grown any taller? Standing in front of Natalie's house, Ryan rang the doorbell. In his mind he pictured the slender girl who always looked like a strong wind could blow her away.
"Hello, Mrs. Sherry?" When the middle-aged woman opened the door, Ryan greeted her politely. He had grown quite a bit since they last met, so she stared at him for a second before asking uncertainly, "Are you… Ryan?"
"Yes." Ryan flashed a bright smile. "Is Nat home?"
"She is." Mrs. Sherry quickly ushered him inside. "No wonder Nat has been muttering 'why hasn't that guy shown up yet.' So you're the one coming to New York!"
"Nat, come down quick—Ryan's here!" Mrs. Sherry called upstairs.
Rapid footsteps thundered down the stairs. Natalie, ponytail swinging, rushed down, but stopped short the moment she saw him. She clasped her hands behind her back, lifted her small chin, and declared, "Ryan Jenkins, you're getting more childish every day!"
"Hey, Nat. Is that how you welcome a friend?" Ryan shot back without missing a beat.
Natalie gave a light snort and walked down the rest of the stairs with her hands still behind her back. She circled him once.
"Ryan, don't you think playing Kevin in Home Alone is a little too babyish?"
"It's called innocence, thank you very much," Ryan countered immediately.
"Oh my God, is this the super genius the newspapers keep talking about? He hasn't even graduated kindergarten!" Natalie's words carried a clear sting.
"But all my grades are A's. I'm the top student at St. John's Elementary." Ryan's nose tilted toward the ceiling.
"Really? Let's check the papers. 'Never listens in class, barely speaks to classmates, got his guardian called to school five times in one semester.'" Natalie ticked off his offenses one by one.
"Did they? I don't remember that." Ryan denied it shamelessly. "Since when is the New York Post reliable?"
"You can't deny it's true."
Mrs. Sherry knew her daughter and Ryan argued every time they talked on the phone, but she hadn't expected them to start the moment they saw each other after almost a year apart. She had to step in. "Nat, Ryan—can you pause the debate for a second?"
"Sorry, Mrs. Sherry." Ryan scratched his head sheepishly.
"Fine, Mom." Natalie grabbed his arm. "We'll go to my room so we don't disturb you."
"I'll bring up some snacks and drinks."
Ryan had once read that if a girl willingly took you to her bedroom, it meant she truly trusted you and saw you as a close friend.
"Are these all photos from when you were learning dance and acting?" Ryan looked at the black-and-white and color pictures covering the walls—adorable little Natalie in every one. If one of these ever made it to eBay twenty years later, it would cause an absolute frenzy.
"Yeah, I started dance lessons when I was four!" Natalie lifted her chin proudly.
Then she pointed at a photo of her accepting an award. "This is from the Hebrew debate competition. Just so you know, Ryan, besides English I also speak Hebrew and French!"
"Wow, that's impressive, Nat." Ryan looked suitably shocked, then answered in an even prouder tone, "Actually, I speak two foreign languages too—French and Latin!"
He immediately launched into a dramatic recitation in perfect Latin:
"Arma virumque cano, Troiae qui primus ab oris Italiam fato profugus Laviniaque venit litora…"
"Ryan Jenkins!"
Natalie ground her pearly teeth, looking ready to pounce and bite the boy who loved teasing her most.
"Whoa, look at this—Jurassic Park, Ryan's Story Collection, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. They've all been read multiple times. Nat, you're actually my biggest fan!" Ryan grinned even wider when he spotted the books on her desk.
"Hmph~"
Natalie snorted loudly, then deliberately said with disdain, "Your books are just children's stories. Nothing special. They're nowhere near as deep as The Sixth Sense."
"Come on, Nat." Ryan waved his hand. "If everything I wrote was as heavy as The Sixth Sense, the tabloids wouldn't just call me weird—they'd be calling me a freak."
Hearing her best friend's last words, Natalie's expression softened. She dropped her proud, stubborn pose and spoke with rare seriousness. "I'm sorry, Ryan. I shouldn't have brought that up. You're my best friend. When I saw what those tabloids wrote, I wanted to storm their offices and tear them apart."
"It's fine, Nat." Ryan gently squeezed her hand. "You know I never care what the paparazzi say. Even if they paint me as a strange, stubborn, delusional kid, so what? Not even God can please everyone. The only opinions I care about are the ones from people who matter. Everyone else can go to hell."
"Alright, Ryan. Even though we disagree on a lot of things, as your best friend I'll always stand behind you and support you!" Natalie said firmly.
"Wow, I'm so touched I might cry." Ryan made an exaggerated face, making Natalie roll her eyes. She gritted her teeth and said, "You know what, Ryan? Sometimes I really want to bite you. You're honestly so annoying."
"You can't say that. You can disagree with my opinions, but you should defend to the death my right to have them—Ow! Natalie Hershlag, you actually bit me! My wrist is going to break! Let go! Are you a puppy or something?"
"Mmmph~" Natalie clearly had no intention of releasing him.
"If you don't let go, I'm fighting back!"
Ryan was never one to take a beating without returning fire. He steeled himself and leaned down to bite her ear. At that exact moment Natalie finally let go and started to lift her head—disaster struck.
Thud!
Her forehead slammed straight into his chin. The clash of teeth was excruciating. Ryan hissed in pain while Natalie clutched her forehead and muttered complaints.
"Nat!"
"Ryan!"
As if by telepathy, they looked at each other at the same time. The moment their eyes met they both burst out laughing. The whole world seemed brighter because of their happy laughter.
"Nat, I'm really glad we became friends."
"Me too, Ryan."
They spent the entire afternoon talking—sometimes laughing together when they agreed, sometimes arguing fiercely when they didn't. But there was no denying it: they had become true best friends.
When Natalie's family invited him to stay for dinner, Ryan accepted. Just as he had expected from the rumors in his previous life, every dish was vegetarian—oatmeal, vegan cheese bread, and vegetable salad. He found it a little hard to get used to.
In their letters he had discussed the topic with Natalie several times. Vegetarianism wasn't bad in itself, but being too strict about it wasn't great either—especially for a growing child. Plant protein simply couldn't fully replace animal protein. It was hard not to wonder if her strict diet had anything to do with how small and delicate she had been in his previous life.
"Nat, if you have time you should come visit the set," Ryan said after the somewhat unsatisfying meal while chatting with the family.
"I still have school," Natalie answered, glancing at her father. She looked tempted but politely declined.
"Alright. It's getting late—I should head back to the crew or Director Columbus will start worrying." Ryan checked the time and stood up to leave.
"How long are you staying in New York?" Natalie asked.
"Only a few more days." Ryan thought for a moment. "I'm heading to Pennsylvania soon with Pat to visit a friend. Pat's my agent."
He really was going to Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, to see his investment manager, Mr. Scott. It was partly a vacation and partly business.
Back when Jurassic Park royalties started coming in, Ryan had handed everything over to Scott to manage. Besides buying some long-term stocks, the manager had made other investments. Overall there had been losses and gains, but the gains far outweighed the losses.
The accountant who handled Ryan's finances sent monthly reports to him and Nicole. Even though Ryan's business knowledge was terrible in both lives, he could at least read simple financial statements.
Overall, Mr. Scott's ability and professional ethics were excellent.
Still, the name had always felt vaguely familiar to Ryan. He was almost certain he had heard of this investment wizard in his previous life.