to concentrate. Even so, I couldn’t get over the feeling there was a funny side to it. If this coaching had been Mother’s—or the school’s—idea, what an opportunity to walk out and say screw ’em. But it was mine, so I had to stay even though McLeod had acted
93
like my hand was a cockroach or something. Like, for Pete’s sake, I had made a pass at him. That’s what burned me up. Well—screw him! I’d take what I could from him, pass my exam, and then tell him to go to hell.
But fantasies of telling him to go shove didn’t help me to concentrate. I stuck it out till around twelve thirty. At that point, having taken in about zero, I split.
As I was pelting down the path I heard Richard’s hooves behind the long belt of pines on the other side of the cliff, coming at a fast clip. I didn’t want to meet McLeod, so I put on a burst of speed, vaulted over the gate, and high- tailed it to the bridge and across. Then I left the main road and went down the steep hill that gave onto the back of the village. Once there I felt safe. I strolled to the outdoor counter of the malt shop and treated myself to two hamburgers and a double malt which, having paid for, I could only eat half of. This morning was really a bomb!
From where I was standing I could see inside. A whole lot of Gloria’s gang were there, but I couldn’t see any of mine. So when I had eaten all I could, I decided to pay the cove a visit.
Running down the pier I jumped into one of the dinghies, untied it, and rowed past the point and north along the coast until I hit the cove. One of the reasons we had picked the cove was that from the seaward side it looked more or less like any other string of big rocks lining that part of the shore. But when you got right up to one end where there was a narrow opening, you could see the rocks were sort of a jetty running parallel with the shore, shielding a small beach in the elbow.
I turned in at the right place, rowed across the tiny cove, and tied the dinghy to a tree stump near the edge of the water. Then I ran around the curve, dodged around a big
94
boulder, and there they all were—Pete Minton (Percy’s brother), Sam Leggett, Tommy Klein, Luke and Mike Warner, and Matt Henry. They were all stretched out except Pete, who was sitting with his back against a rock. Thin spirals of smoke rose from each. Then I smelled it: pot.
That was something I certainly hadn’t bargained for. There was always a lot of talk about getting some, but grass in these parts is about as easy to find as porno. But I couldn’t go back now.
“Behold the grind!” Pete said dreamily.
“How’s the studying going?” Mike asked.
“And how’s the guy without a face?” Tommy pitched in. “What’s his name, fellers?”
“McLeod,” they all chorused.
So they knew. “Okay.” I sat down and leaned against a tree. I was really shaken but didn’t want to show it. I wanted very much to know how they knew, but knew better than to ask. Pulling a grass blade from near one of the rocks I smoothed it between my thumbs and blew it a couple of times, making a thin screeching noise.
“Man, you must really want to get into that funky school,” Pete said.
“Haven’t you heard, he wants to be a flyboy,” Sam took a long drag on his joint. “Off we go, into the wild blue wonder ...” He broke off into a giggle.
“Shove it,” I said.
“So sorry, sir. Achtung! Sieg heil! Up yours!”
“I said shove it.”
“My, aren’t we sensitive? Who said you could come out here, anyway? You aren’t one of us any more.”
“Yeah? So who’s gonna make me move?”
They were so bombed I felt pretty safe saying that, although even if they weren’t I could take any of them on
95
alone, even Pete, who’s heavier than I am. None of them is exactly what you’d call athletic.
There were no takers, but I knew I was on very dicey territory. Somehow, I didn’t know how, they knew what I was doing and they’d read me out of the
93
like my hand was a cockroach or something. Like, for Pete’s sake, I had made a pass at him. That’s what burned me up. Well—screw him! I’d take what I could from him, pass my exam, and then tell him to go to hell.
But fantasies of telling him to go shove didn’t help me to concentrate. I stuck it out till around twelve thirty. At that point, having taken in about zero, I split.
As I was pelting down the path I heard Richard’s hooves behind the long belt of pines on the other side of the cliff, coming at a fast clip. I didn’t want to meet McLeod, so I put on a burst of speed, vaulted over the gate, and high- tailed it to the bridge and across. Then I left the main road and went down the steep hill that gave onto the back of the village. Once there I felt safe. I strolled to the outdoor counter of the malt shop and treated myself to two hamburgers and a double malt which, having paid for, I could only eat half of. This morning was really a bomb!
From where I was standing I could see inside. A whole lot of Gloria’s gang were there, but I couldn’t see any of mine. So when I had eaten all I could, I decided to pay the cove a visit.
Running down the pier I jumped into one of the dinghies, untied it, and rowed past the point and north along the coast until I hit the cove. One of the reasons we had picked the cove was that from the seaward side it looked more or less like any other string of big rocks lining that part of the shore. But when you got right up to one end where there was a narrow opening, you could see the rocks were sort of a jetty running parallel with the shore, shielding a small beach in the elbow.
I turned in at the right place, rowed across the tiny cove, and tied the dinghy to a tree stump near the edge of the water. Then I ran around the curve, dodged around a big
94
boulder, and there they all were—Pete Minton (Percy’s brother), Sam Leggett, Tommy Klein, Luke and Mike Warner, and Matt Henry. They were all stretched out except Pete, who was sitting with his back against a rock. Thin spirals of smoke rose from each. Then I smelled it: pot.
That was something I certainly hadn’t bargained for. There was always a lot of talk about getting some, but grass in these parts is about as easy to find as porno. But I couldn’t go back now.
“Behold the grind!” Pete said dreamily.
“How’s the studying going?” Mike asked.
“And how’s the guy without a face?” Tommy pitched in. “What’s his name, fellers?”
“McLeod,” they all chorused.
So they knew. “Okay.” I sat down and leaned against a tree. I was really shaken but didn’t want to show it. I wanted very much to know how they knew, but knew better than to ask. Pulling a grass blade from near one of the rocks I smoothed it between my thumbs and blew it a couple of times, making a thin screeching noise.
“Man, you must really want to get into that funky school,” Pete said.
“Haven’t you heard, he wants to be a flyboy,” Sam took a long drag on his joint. “Off we go, into the wild blue wonder ...” He broke off into a giggle.
“Shove it,” I said.
“So sorry, sir. Achtung! Sieg heil! Up yours!”
“I said shove it.”
“My, aren’t we sensitive? Who said you could come out here, anyway? You aren’t one of us any more.”
“Yeah? So who’s gonna make me move?”
They were so bombed I felt pretty safe saying that, although even if they weren’t I could take any of them on
95
alone, even Pete, who’s heavier than I am. None of them is exactly what you’d call athletic.
There were no takers, but I knew I was on very dicey territory. Somehow, I didn’t know how, they knew what I was doing and they’d read me out of the
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