Page 37 - Demo

%u00a9Jack Fritscher, Ph.D., All Rights ReservedHOW TO LEGALLY QUOTE FROM THIS BOOKWhat They Did to the Kid 25%u201cYou should know,%u201d Peter said, %u201cthat our father studied here at Misery for six years and we know everybody.%u201d%u201cYour father was a seminarian?%u201d%u201cIn this seminary, yeah. He was in Father Gunn%u2019s class. But he quit.%u201d%u201cI never thought of that happening. An ex-seminarian being somebody%u2019s father, I mean. That%u2019s funny.%u201d%u201cWhat do they teach you in Peoria, kid?%u201d Hank pretended disgust.%u201cEver been there?%u201d I asked. %u201cWhere you from?%u201d%u201cP. A.,%u201d Hank said.%u201cThe great state of Pennsy.%u201d Peter mimed a cheer that reminded me of a girl.%u201cAre you both in my class?%u201d I asked.%u201cNever,%u201d Peter said. %u201cI%u2019m fourth-year high school, a senior, and you%u2019re a freshman like Hank.%u201d%u201cSee those guys playing touch football over there, Peoria?%u201d Hank asked. %u201cYou ever play?%u201d%u201cAround the neighborhood. Never on a team.%u201d%u201cHere everybody plays. Except my brother,%u201d Hank motioned, %u201cwho%u2019s got a medical excuse. You%u2019ll play and learn to take it.%u201d%u201cTake it? He doesn%u2019t even get it,%u201d Peter said. They both roared.%u201cWho said I couldn%u2019t take it?%u201d I asked.%u201cI%u2019ll bet he doesn%u2019t even own a jock,%u201d Hank said.%u201cGod. I%u2019ll bet he doesn%u2019t need one.%u201d%u201cYou got one, Peoria?%u201d Hank asked. He was bigger than Peter, who was bigger than me. %u201cI asked you do you got one?%u201d%u201cOne what?%u201d%u201cYou got a jock?%u201d%u201cYou know,%u201d Peter motioned, %u201ca jockstrap. A bag for your bowling balls.%u201d%u201cSure,%u201d I lied. %u201cSure I got one.%u201d I didn%u2019t know what they were talking about.%u201cGood,%u201d Hank said. %u201cYou better. Because if you don%u2019t, when you die all maimed up, Saint Finger will wave his Peter at you. Or is it...hell, I never can keep it straight.%u201dI wanted to change the subject because this was impure. I had only been at the seminary three hours, had watched my family drive off in our big blue Hudson, and people who were going to be priests were talking impure. %u201cWhere%u2019d you say you were from in Pennsylvania?%u201d%u201cWhat%u2019s it to you, Pee-oh-ree-ahh?%u201d Hank said. %u201cUp yours, I guess.%u201d He ran off, leaving Peter staring at me.