The Wanderers Read Online Free PDF Page B

He could sing. He sang "Some Enchanted Evening" like Robert Goulet and wasn't ashamed to sing in front of people. So occasionally he hung with the Wanderers. Everyone knew his mother and father were flippy. That his sister was a royal skank who fucked for a dime. That his house was covered with tissues and dirty magazines.
    That night, he walked slowly and silently under the streetlights painfully aware of C at his side. When she left the party, he impulsively ran after her. She was crying. He offered to walk her home. "The Pharaohs might still be around," he said. She said nothing. After a few blocks she stopped crying. Once in a while she would sniff. She didn't look up at him, didn't raise her head. Turkey wracked his brain for something to say. They reached Big Playground.
    "Did you have a good time tonight?" he asked.
    She started up again, her sobs ripping into him. She plopped down on a bench. He sat next to her—not too close. "I'm sorry, C. I was only tryin' to make conversation."
    She looked up at him with watery eyes, wiping her nose, smiling bravely. "You're sweet, Turkey. Thank you for walking me home." He placed his arm on the top of the bench behind her shoulders. "I'm gonna go up now."
    "I'll walk you upstairs." He stood up.
    "No, it's O.K., I can go myself. Thanks for walking me home. I mean it, you're really sweet." She smiled at him and walked toward her building.
    He sat on the bench watching her shaded bedroom window until the light went out.
    ***
    "I'm sorry."
    "For what?"
    "For Saturday."
    C examined her nails. "Sataday?"
    "You know."
    "Know what?"
    "Goddamnit, don't be a cunt!" Richie said it louder than he planned, and a few little kids stopped their basketball game to watch the show on the bench. Richie knew C would be bitchy when he apologized, so he'd rehearsed that line for half an hour, and now he'd said it too loud, and too uncool, and he blew it.
    "Why not, Richie, what else would a prick go out with?"
    Richie was impressed. That was even a better line than his. "That hurts, C, that really hurts." He looked hurt. The kids went back to their basketball game.
    "Aww," she pouted, "Richie's hurt."
    Richie stood up and surveyed Big Playground. C remained on the bench, crossed her legs, and continued to study her nails. "I can't talk to you," he said to no one in particular as he scanned the basketball court. "I never could."
    "You're talkin' now," she said in a singsong voice.
    He sat back down. "Look, I said I was sorry an' I ain't gonna say it again. You don't like it you can gimme back my fuckin' ankle bracelet."
    "That's the way you apologize, Richie? You call me a cunt an' say if I don't like it I can give you back your fuckin' ankle bracelet?" She finally looked up and he saw she had tears on her cheeks. Something in Richie folded like a flower.
    ***
    Friday night.
    "C'mon, C."
    "No!" She rolled onto her stomach. Richie had to be satisfied with stroking her back and grabbing her ass.
    "Look," he compromised, "I'll only stick it in ... this much." He narrowed the space between his fingers. She lay motionless like a corpse.
    "O.K., forget it." He started getting dressed, but she didn't move. He put on his socks and shoes. Then he put on his T-shirt. But she wasn't budging until she heard the metallic zip of his fly being closed.
    She turned over and Richie in his socks, shoes, and T-shirt dove between her legs like a sea gull swooping down for a clam in the ocean. His pants were on the floor, the zipper zipped. As he worked between her thighs with a maniac determination, there was a tremendous explosion and the room filled with smoke. C screamed. Richie jumped to his feet, his heart going crazy, his erection shrinking like a speeded-up film of a blooming flower shot in reverse. An acrid thickness filled the air. C clutched the blanket to her in wild-eyed horse terror. Richie saw the shreds of a firecracker by the door. On the other side of the door Dougie and Scottie made sounds of idiot glee.