Page 27 - Demo

%u00a9Jack Fritscher, Ph.D., All Rights ReservedHOW TO LEGALLY QUOTE FROM THIS BOOKWhat They Did to the Kid 15May 14, 1953I thought we would all be on our guard at the real spring dance, but the party was our first one that wasn%u2019t a kid%u2019s birthday party run by adults, so we were on our own, and hesitant. Mostly the guys watched and the girls danced and stood together around the plaster statue of the Virgin brought to Barbara Martin%u2019s knotty-pine basement from the classroom. After about an hour, three of us went outside to see where some of the wild ones had gone to sneak a cigarette, blow smoke rings, and spit.%u201cWhat you doin%u2019 out here?%u201d Danny yelled. Smoke came out of his face.%u201cMind your own business,%u201d Billy O%u2019Connor said.%u201cIs that clumsy Billy who bumps into girls?%u201d Danny asked.%u201cMind your own business,%u201d I said.Danny walked toward us, his voice singsonging back at me, %u201cMind your own business.%u201d He danced a little dance like a boxer. %u201cMind your own business. Chick, chick, chicken!%u201d Danny advanced on Billy. %u201cCome here, lover boy!%u201dDanny Boyle%u2019s gang of three stepped in behind him. They started after Billy. I pushed him to the door, but they grabbed him back. Danny Boyle flipped out an open pocketknife. He shoved Billy against the house wall, grabbed his belt, and held the knife in his face. %u201cHey, clumsy Billy, you been fixed? Maybe I should ask old sweet tits Barb.%u201d%u201cDon%u2019t talk dirty,%u201d I said.%u201cShut up, or I%u2019ll fix you.%u201d%u201cYou and what army?%u201d I said. %u201cLet him go.%u201d I made a fist.%u201cYou telling me what to do, you ass-kisser?%u201d He let go of Billy%u2019s belt and came toward me. %u201cGo kiss your sweet nun%u2019s ass, Ry. Go brown-nose till it falls off.%u201d He closed the knife in his hand and shoved it into his pocket. %u201cI don%u2019t need this to fix you!%u201d He made two fists and jumped at me.We pushed at each other. Danny threw a punch and missed. Billy and I laughed and bolted inside, hooking the screen door. Danny led his gang circling the stoop making finger signs. %u201cChick, chick, chicken!%u201dI shouted, %u201cOh, Danny Boy!%u201d The three of us started singing high in the back of our noses, making fun of big fat opera singers to make fun of Danny Boyle: %u201cThe pipes, the pipes are calling! Oh, Danny Boyle! The cops will come and haul you off to jail.%u201d Billy flicked the porch light fast, on and off, and the gang charging toward our door scattered back into the shadows of the yard.%u201cChick, chick,%u201d Danny Boyle yelled back from the dark. %u201cI rule the roost around here!%u201d