Studs Lonigan by James T. Farrell Page B

said:
    â€œLet’s fight, you little rascal!”
    Martin biffed Tubby, and Bill said:
    â€œThe kid takes after his big brother, only he’s got it on him with the dukes.”
    Tubby then grabbed Martin again, and the child said:
    â€œLemme go, you boob!”
    The guys clapped, and the girls were taken by his cuteness. Fran said it was the wrong way for Martin to take after his brother.
    Lucy pulled Martin toward her, tied him with her arms, said he was just too darling for words; she kissed him.
    â€œYeah, he’s got it on his brother all around. As a Romeo, he’s got Studs backed off the boards,” Bill said.
    Studs blushed and got exceedingly interested in the stale joke with which Tubby was laboring.
    Martin fought free, and as he rushed out of the room he yelled back:
    â€œI wish to hell you’d lemme ’lone!”
    They laughed; Fran Lonigan frowned.
    The conversation went on; everybody wondered what they would do. Lucy set them at ease by boldly suggesting wink. The girls blushed and giggled while they were getting into their places. But the game went off stiffly because there were too many boys. They changed to kiss-the-pillow. Everyone got into the spirit of the game, even Weary. He found it wasn’t so goofy kissing girls. And Helen Borax acted like she might have a crush on him. He’d never thought much of her, except that she was the kind of a chicken who never tried to act her age and who seemed to think she was a queen. But it wasn’t hard to kiss her. And Studs got gay because he was getting his chance to kiss Lucy, and he didn’t have to keep his liking for her under cover. He told himself he liked her, and repeated this; he liked her around him, liked to look at her, liked her laugh, liked her near him, liked to think of doing things for her, suffering, fighting, playing football, defending her against demons and villains, and anybody.
    As they played, Fran Lonigan said: “Gee, what would Sister Bernadette Marie, what would she say if she saw us now?”
    â€œI wonder,” smiled Helen Borax.
    â€œParticularly you girls. She’d expect it of me, because she always said I was only a chicken, anyway, and not serious like Helen and you girls,” Lucy said.
    Helen colored.
    Bill smiled broadly, and said that if Bertha knew about it she’d get jealous and wish that she’d been around to play. He said she joined the convent because she’d been disappointed in love, and maybe if she got the chance she’d get a crush on TB or Tubby.
    â€œWhat do you mean she’s been disappointed in love?” asked TB.
    â€œSure. She acts just like an old maid,” Bill said.
    â€œBut what I want to know is who’d love her?” asked TB.
    They laughed, and the girls thought it was horrid.
    Bill kept the floor and said he knew the old battleaxe would like to play. He said he’d show just how she would play. He put on a sour pan, hunched himself a trifle, the way she was hunched, talked shrilly and goofily, and dropped the pillow in front of Muggsy. He kissed Tubby, who blushed with embarrassment, and they nearly all split their sides laughing.
    The game went on. Studs dropped the pillow, by accident, in front of Helen. They looked meanly at each other, and neither moved until everybody yelled at them to play the game square, so. they knelt down, each at an edge of the pillow, peck-kissed each other, and deepened their mutual hatred.
    They changed to post-office. Tubby was suggested as postmaster, but Bill demanded the job, saying he was the logical person to examine all transactions. Fran Lonigan, as hostess, started the ball rolling. As she walked into the bedroom, right off the parlor entrance, Bill grabbed her, and kissed her; it was his tax. She laughed and didn’t get angry. Fran called Dan. Dan kissed Bill on the way of entry. It was funny.
    Dan called Fran Reilley, and kissed her. She called her brother. She stamped