The Wanderers by Richard Price

"Well..." He shuffled his feet.
    "G'night."
    He put an arm across her shoulder and brought his mouth to hers. She resisted for a second, then closed her eyes and put her arm around the back of his neck. She tongued like a pro and stood right up against his body. They mingled tongues for a full five minutes, until both their chins were dripping with spit.
    "I like you, Despie."
    "I like you too."
    "Maybe we could go out Saturday."
    "Sure."
    She turned to go inside. Buddy walked away, wiping his chin on his jacket sleeve. After he crossed the street he shouted to her loud enough to turn on some lights.
    "I'll call you tomorrow!"
    She waved, and he took off like a jack rabbit for White Castie.
     
    In homeroom the next day Despie slipped a note to Denise three aisles over:
    DO YOU KNOW A FRIEND OF YOUR BOYFRIEND'S NAMED BUDDY? I MET HIM LAST NIGHT AND WE ARE GOING OUT SATURDAY. DO YOU WANT TO EAT LUNCH TOGETHER AND TALK?—DESPIE
    Denise wrote back:
    YES, I KNOW BUDDY. I LIKE HIM AND I THINK HE IS CUTE. I WILL MEET YOU IN THE BACK OF THE LUNCHROOM NEAR THE WINDOWS—DENISE
    "So how'd you meet Buddy?" C asked, taking a bite out of a thin bologna sandwich.
    "Well, last night I had nothin' to do so I was walkin' down Allerton when I saw Buddy walkin' up the other side of the street. I thought he looked cute. He didn't see me or nothin'. Anyways, he bumps into this fat lady an' starts elbow tittin'. This lady knocks him down. It was really funny. She started yellin' at him an' then I see he's wit' these other guys."
    "Was Richie wit' them?"
    "That's your boyfriend?"
    "Yeah ... I'll kick his ass if he was elbow tittin'."
    "He was there but he was just hangin' aroun'. Anyways, I figure I'll play along, so I walked around the block and come down on the other side of the street, and Buddy starts walkin' toward me."
    "What happened?"
    "He bumped into me but he didn't do nothin' else."
    "So then what happened?"
    "He asked me if I wanted pizza. But first he gave me this bullshit story about gettin' jumped by two guys in a Cadillac."
    "That sounds like Buddy."
    "Then he walked me home an' asked me out for tomorrow night."
    "That's too much."
    "Yeah. What's he like?"
    "Well, he's cute, he's in the Wanderers, he lives in the projects."
    "Did he have a girl friend that he broke up with because she was seein' someone else?"
    "Well, he was goin' wit' this girl Margo that was seein' someone else, but she broke up with Buddy. Buddy didn't break up wit' her."
    "He told me he broke up wit' her."
    "Sure."
    "Is he on any teams?"
    "Nah, but he's a good bowler, they all are," said C.
    "Do you wanna double tomorrow?"
    "Yeah, we're goin' to the Globe. You wanna come?"
    "Yeah. He's gonna call me tonight."
    "Howdja do on the Social?" C asked.
    "I passed. I copied offa that creep Barry Jacobi."
     
    Buddy was late coming down to the lunchroom. The Wanderers were already eating at their table.
    "Hey! The man of the hour!"
    Buddy sat down and took out a ham sandwich.
    "You goin' out wit' Despie tonight?" Richie asked.
    "Nah, I gotta call her."
    "Lissen, me an' C are goin' to the movies tomorrow night. You wanna come?"
    "O.K. As long as we can split up later, if you know what I mean."
    "Yeah, well, my parents won't be home tomorrow night. They got a Cousins' Club meetin'."
    "Dynamite!"
    "Yeah, you can have my room. Me an' C will take my parents' bedroom."
    "You got any bags?"
    "My old man does. Hey, wait. Whadya mean do I got any bags. You ain't gonna need 'em."
    "Don't be too sure."
    "Five dollars."
    "You ain't got five dollars."
    "That's O.K. You ain't gonna get laid."
     
    Buddy couldn't get his father's car, so they walked to the Allerton Globe to see two good horror pictures, which was fine with Buddy because Despie shrieked a lot and buried her head in his armpit. With his arm around Despie's shoulder, Buddy leaned his head over the back of the seat and caught Richie's eye. Richie did the same, wiggling his tongue obscenely. C excused herself, and she and