tell you.”
They grinned at each other. Veronica said happily, “Maybe I will go to the party tomorrow. What time was that you’re meeting at Frank’s house?”
“Seven-twenty.” Peter stood up. “Come on.”
“Where?”
“Let’s skate. We’ll go over to the park.”
“And Stanley?”
“We’ll ignore him.”
“Yaah!” yelled Stanley.
“But he won’t ignore us,” said Veronica.
“Who cares?” said Peter. He felt as if a weight had been lifted off his chest. His mother, her mother, Stanley, the whole world—nobody was going to stop him from going skating with his friend on Friday afternoon. Just let them try!
Chapter 7
“Here?” Bill Stover said. “You told her to come here? Are you crazy or something?”
There were six of them—Peter, Marv, Frank, Paul, Jeffrey, and Bill standing in front of Frank’s house ready to embark.
Paul sniffed the air around Jeffrey and said, “What’s that stuff you got on your hair? It smells like Flit.”
“It is Flit,” Frank said. “It’s supposed to keep bedbugs and girls away.”
“Aw, cut it out,” said Jeffrey, passing a hand over his head. “It’s just the stuff my father uses.”
“Your father’s bald,” said Paul.
“So how come you had to tell her to come here?” Bill said again. “Who needs her?”
“It’s a free country,” Peter said testily, wondering where she was anyway. It must be past seven-thirty. “I can ask anybody I like.”
“How come you’re not wearing a tie?” Frank said to Marv. “You look like you’ve just come from the coal mines.”
Marv fingered the collar of his plaid flannel shirt and said meekly, “I didn’t know we were supposed to wear ties. It’s not school.”
“It’s going to look just great,” Bill continued, “the six of us marching up to Lorraine’s house with her. What’ll they think?”
“Look, what are you getting all steamed up about?” Frank said, taking off his tie and putting it in his pocket. “It’s not like it was Lorraine or one of those drippy girls. It’s only Veronica.”
“I can’t stand her,” Bill said. “If I’d known she was coming I would have stayed home.”
“Well, it’s not too late now,” Peter said, waving his arm in the direction of Bill’s house. “Why don’t you go home. You’d never be missed.”
“You’re really getting nutty,” Bill shouted. “She’s really turning you into a first-class nut. All of a sudden you’re so palsy-walsy with her. It’s crazy! Last term you couldn’t stand her and this term you follow her like a sappy shadow.”
Marv said, looking at Frank’s pocket, “If you’re not going to wear that tie, could you lend it to me?”
“That’s gratitude,” said Frank. “I took it off because I didn’t want you to be the only one not wearing a tie.”
“Let’s all not wear ties,” said Jeffrey, pulling his off.
“You take that back!” Peter said, clenching his fists, and moving in on Bill.
“Come on, come on, break it up!” Frank said, handing Marv the tie. “I’ll go up and get another tie, and if she’s still not here by the time I get back, we’ll go without her.”
“You mean we’re going to wear them?” said Jeffrey, fishing his tie out of his pocket and looking at it mournfully.
Veronica still hadn’t come by the time Frank returned with another tie, so the pack of them began walking slowly in the direction of Lorraine’s house. She must have changed her mind about coming, Peter guessed, and wondered why she always seemed to avoid the other kids. One of these days he’d ask her. But wasn’t it funny how everything had changed in six months’ time. Why, back in P.S. 63, everybody was scared of Veronica. People would go in the other direction when they saw her coming. They hated her and grumbled about her all the time. But now that they were in high school, and she’d stopped fighting, she was the one who went in the other direction. Why? Some of
They grinned at each other. Veronica said happily, “Maybe I will go to the party tomorrow. What time was that you’re meeting at Frank’s house?”
“Seven-twenty.” Peter stood up. “Come on.”
“Where?”
“Let’s skate. We’ll go over to the park.”
“And Stanley?”
“We’ll ignore him.”
“Yaah!” yelled Stanley.
“But he won’t ignore us,” said Veronica.
“Who cares?” said Peter. He felt as if a weight had been lifted off his chest. His mother, her mother, Stanley, the whole world—nobody was going to stop him from going skating with his friend on Friday afternoon. Just let them try!
Chapter 7
“Here?” Bill Stover said. “You told her to come here? Are you crazy or something?”
There were six of them—Peter, Marv, Frank, Paul, Jeffrey, and Bill standing in front of Frank’s house ready to embark.
Paul sniffed the air around Jeffrey and said, “What’s that stuff you got on your hair? It smells like Flit.”
“It is Flit,” Frank said. “It’s supposed to keep bedbugs and girls away.”
“Aw, cut it out,” said Jeffrey, passing a hand over his head. “It’s just the stuff my father uses.”
“Your father’s bald,” said Paul.
“So how come you had to tell her to come here?” Bill said again. “Who needs her?”
“It’s a free country,” Peter said testily, wondering where she was anyway. It must be past seven-thirty. “I can ask anybody I like.”
“How come you’re not wearing a tie?” Frank said to Marv. “You look like you’ve just come from the coal mines.”
Marv fingered the collar of his plaid flannel shirt and said meekly, “I didn’t know we were supposed to wear ties. It’s not school.”
“It’s going to look just great,” Bill continued, “the six of us marching up to Lorraine’s house with her. What’ll they think?”
“Look, what are you getting all steamed up about?” Frank said, taking off his tie and putting it in his pocket. “It’s not like it was Lorraine or one of those drippy girls. It’s only Veronica.”
“I can’t stand her,” Bill said. “If I’d known she was coming I would have stayed home.”
“Well, it’s not too late now,” Peter said, waving his arm in the direction of Bill’s house. “Why don’t you go home. You’d never be missed.”
“You’re really getting nutty,” Bill shouted. “She’s really turning you into a first-class nut. All of a sudden you’re so palsy-walsy with her. It’s crazy! Last term you couldn’t stand her and this term you follow her like a sappy shadow.”
Marv said, looking at Frank’s pocket, “If you’re not going to wear that tie, could you lend it to me?”
“That’s gratitude,” said Frank. “I took it off because I didn’t want you to be the only one not wearing a tie.”
“Let’s all not wear ties,” said Jeffrey, pulling his off.
“You take that back!” Peter said, clenching his fists, and moving in on Bill.
“Come on, come on, break it up!” Frank said, handing Marv the tie. “I’ll go up and get another tie, and if she’s still not here by the time I get back, we’ll go without her.”
“You mean we’re going to wear them?” said Jeffrey, fishing his tie out of his pocket and looking at it mournfully.
Veronica still hadn’t come by the time Frank returned with another tie, so the pack of them began walking slowly in the direction of Lorraine’s house. She must have changed her mind about coming, Peter guessed, and wondered why she always seemed to avoid the other kids. One of these days he’d ask her. But wasn’t it funny how everything had changed in six months’ time. Why, back in P.S. 63, everybody was scared of Veronica. People would go in the other direction when they saw her coming. They hated her and grumbled about her all the time. But now that they were in high school, and she’d stopped fighting, she was the one who went in the other direction. Why? Some of
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