sk.dreamcatcher-第29部分

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se　was　painted　there。
　　　　Now；　sitting　in　the　snow　but　no　longer　feeling　it　melting　to　cold　slush　under　his　ass；　drinking　his　second　beer　without　even　being　aware　he　had　opened　it　（the　first　empty　he　had　cast　into　the　woods　where　he　could　still　see　animals　moving　east）；　Pete　remembered　the　day　they　had　met　Duds。　He　remembered　Beaver's　stupid　jacket　that　the　Beav　had　loved　so　much；　and　Beaver's　voice；　thin　but　somehow　powerful；　announcing　the　end　of　something　and　the　beginning　of　something　else；　announcing　in　some　ungraspable　but　perfectly　real　and　knowable　way　that　the　course　of　their　lives　had　changed　one　Tuesday　afternoon　when　all　they　had　been　planning　was　some　two…on…two　in　Jonesy's　driveway　and　then　maybe　a　game　of　Parcheesi　in　front　of　the　TV；　now；　sitting　here　in　the　woods　beside　the　overturned　Scout；　still　smelling　the　cologne　Henry　hadn't　been　wearing；　drinking　his　life's　happy　poison　with　a　hand　wearing　a　bloodstained　glove；　the　car　salesman　remembered　the　boy　who　had　not　quite　given　up　his　dreams　of　being　an　astronaut　in　spite　of　his　increasing　problems　with　math　（Jonesy　had　helped　him；　and　then　Henry　had　helped　him　and　then；　in　tenth　grade；　he'd　been　beyond　help）；　and　he　remembered　the　other　boys　as　well；　mostly　the　Beav；　who　had　turned　the　world　upside　down　with　a　high　yell　in　his　just…beginning…to…change　voice：　Hey　you　guys；　quit　it！　Just　fucking　QUIT　it！
　　　　'Beaver；'　Pete　said；　and　toasted　the　dark　afternoon　as　he　sat　with　his　back　propped　against　the　overturned　Scout's　hood。　'You　were　beautiful；　man。'　But　hadn't　they　all　been？
　　　　Hadn't　they　all　been　beautiful？


4

Because　he　is　in　the　eighth　grade　and　his　last　class　of　the　day　is　music；　on　the　ground　floor；　Pete　is　always　out　before　his　three　best　friends；　who　always　finish　the　day　on　the　second　floor；　Jonesy　and　Henry　in　American　Fiction；　which　is　a　reading　class　for　smart　kids；　and　Beaver　next　door　in　Math　for　Living；　which　is　actually　Math　for　Stupid　Boys　and　Girls。　Pete　is　fighting　hard　not　to　have　to　take　that　one　next　year；　but　he　thinks　it's　a　fight　he　will　ultimately　lose。　He　can　add；　subtract；　multiply；　and　divide；　he　can　do　fractions；　too；　although　it　takes　him　too　much　time。　But　now　there　is　something　new；　now　there　is　the　x。　Pete　does　not　understand　the　x；　and　fears　it。
　　　　He　stands　outside　the　gate　by　the　chainlink　fence　as　the　rest　of　the　eighth…graders　and　the　babyass　seventh…graders　stream　by；　stands　there　kicking　his　boots　and　pretending　to　smoke；　one　hand　cupped　to　his　mouth　and　the　other　concealed　beneath　it　…　the　concealed　hand　the　one　with　the　hypothetical　hidden　butt。
　　　　And　now　here　e　the　ninth…graders　from　the　second　floor；　and　walking　among　them　like　royalty　…　like　uncrowned　kings；　almost；　although　Pete　would　never　say　such　a　corny　thing　out　loud　…　are　his　friends；　Jonesy　and　Beaver　and　Henry。　And　if　there　is　a　king　of　kings　it　is　Henry；　whom　all　the　girls　love　even　if　he　does　wear　glasses。　Pete　is　lucky　to　have　such　friends；　and　he　knows　it　…　is　probably　the　luckiest　eighth…grader　in　Derry；　x　or　no　x。　The　fact　that　having　friends　in　the　ninth　grade　keeps　him　from　getting　beaten　up　by　any　of　the　eighth…grade　badasses　is　the　very　least　of　it。
　　　　'Hey；　Pete！'　Henry　says　as　the　three　of　them　e　sauntering　out　through　the　gate。　As　always；　Henry　seems　surprised　to　see　him　there；　but　absolutely　delighted。　'What　you　up　to；　my　man？'
　　　　'Nothin　much；'　Pete　replies　as　always。　'What's　up　with　you？'
　　　　'SSDD；'　Henry　says；　whipping　off　his　glasses　and　giving　them　a　polish。　If　they　had　been　a　club；　SSDD　likely　would　have　been　their　motto；　eventually　they　will　even　teach　Duddits　to　say　it　…　it　came　out　Say　shih；　iffa　deh　in　Duddits…ese；　and　is　one　of　the　few　things　Duddits　says　that　his　parents　can't　understand。　This　of　course　will　delight　Pete　and　his　friends。
　　　　Now；　however；　with　Duddits　still　half　an　hour　in　their　future；　Pete　just　echoes　Henry：　'Yeah；　man；　SSDD。'
　　　　Same　shit；　different　day。　Except　in　their　hearts；　the　boys　only　believe　the　first　half；　because　in　their　hearts　they　believe　it's　the　same　day；　day　after　day。　It's　Derry；　it's　1978；　and　it　win　always　be　1978。　They　say　there　will　be　a　future；　that　they　will　live　to　see　the　twenty…first　century　…　Henry　will　be　a　lawyer；　Jonesy　win　be　a　writer；　Beaver　will　be　a　long…haul　truck…driver；　Pete　will　be　an　astronaut　with　a　NASA　patch　on　his　shoulder　…　but　this　is　just　what　they　say；　as　they　chant　the　Apostle's　Creed　in　church　with　no　real　idea　of　what's　ing　out　of　their　mouths；　what　they're　really　interested　in　is　Maureen　Chessman's　skirt；　which　was　short　to　begin　with　and　has　ridden　a　pretty　good　way　up　her　thighs　as　she　shifted　around。　They　believe　in　their　hearts　that　one　day　Maureen's　skirt　will　ride　up　high　enough　for　them　to　see　the　color　of　her　panties；　and　they　similarly　believe　that　Derry　is　forever　and　so　are　they。　It　will　always　be　junior　high　school　and　quarter　of　three；　they　will　always　be　walking　up　Kansas　Street　together　to　play　basketball　in　Jonesy's　driveway　（Pete　also　has　a　hoop　in　his　driveway　but　they　like　Jonesy's　better　because　his　father　has　posted　it　low　enough　so　you　can　dunk）；　talking　about　the　same　old　things：　classes　and　teachers　and　which　kid　got　into　a　fuckin　pisser　with　which　kid；　or　which　kid　is　going　to　get　into　a　fuckin　pisser　with　which　kid；　whether　or　not　so…and…so　could　take　so…and…so　if　they　got　into　a　fuckin　pisser　（except　they　never　will　because　so…and…so　and　so…and…so　are　tight）；　who　did　something　gross　lately　（their　favorite　so　far　this　year　has　to　do　with　a　seventh…grader　named　Norm　Parmeleau；　now　known　as　Macaroni　Parmeleau；　a　nickname　that　will　pursue　him　for　years；　even　into　the　new　century　of　which　these　boys　speak　but　do　not　in　their　hearts　actually　believe；　to　win　a　fifty…cent　bet；　Norm　Parmeleau　had　one　day　in　the　cafeteria　firmly　plugged　both　nostrils　with　macaroni　and　cheese；　then　hawked　it　back　like　snot　and　swallowed　it；　Macaroni　Parmeleau　who；　like　so　many　junior…high…school　kids；　has　mistaken　notoriety　for　celebrity）；　who　is　going　out　with　whom　（if　a　girl　and　a　guy　are　observed　going　home　together　after　school；　they　are　presumed　to　be　probably　going　out；　if　they　are　observed　ban　in　onto　hands　or　suckin　face　it　is　a　certainty）；　who　is　going　to　win　the　Super　Bowl　（fuckin　Patriots；　fuckin　Boston　Patriots；　only　they　never　do；　having　to　root　for　the　Patriots　is　a　fuckin　pisser）。　All　these　topics　are　the　same　and　yet　endlessly　fascinating　as　they　walk　from　the　same　school　（I　believe　in　God　the　father　almighty）　on　the　same　street　（maker　of　heaven　and　earth）　under　the　same　white　everlasting　October　sky　（world　without　end）　with　the　same　friends　（amen）。　Same　shit；　same　day；　that　is　the　truth　in　their　hearts；　and　they're　down　with　K。C。　and　the　Sunshine　Band　on　this　one；　even　though　they　will　all　tell　you　RIR…DS　（rock　is　rolling；　disco　sucks）：　that's　the　way　they　like　it。　Change　will　e　upon　them　sudden　and　unannounced；　as　it　always　does　with　children　of　this　age；　if　change　needed　permission　from　Junior…high…school　students；　it　would　cease　to　exist。
　　　　Today　they　also　have　hunting　to　talk　about；　because　next　month　Mr　Clarendon　is　for　the　first　time　going　to　take　them　up　to　Hole　in　the　Wall。　They'll　be　gone　for　three　days；　two　of　them　schooldays　（there　is　no　problem　getting　permission　for　this　trip　from　the　school；　and　absolutely　no　need　to　lie　about　the　trip's　purpose；　southern　Maine　may　have　gotten　citified；　but　up　here　in　God's　country；　hunting　is　still　considered　part　of　a　young　person's　education；　especially　if　the　young　person　is　a　boy）。　The　idea　of　creeping　through　the　woods　with　loaded　rifles　while　their　friends　are　back　at　dear　old　DJHS；　just　droning　away；　strikes　them　as　incredibly；　delightfully　boss；　and　they　walk　past　The　Retard　Academy　on　the　other　side　of　the　street　without　even　seeing　it。　The　retards　get　out　at　the　same　time　as　the　kids　at　Derry　junior　High；　but　most　of　them　go　home　with　their　mothers　on　the　special　retard　bus；　which　is　blue　instead　of　yellow　and　is　reputed　to　have　a　bumper　sticker　on　it　that　says　SUPPORT　MENTAL　HEALTH　OR　I'LL　KILL　YOU。　As　Henry；　Beaver；　Jonesy；　and　Pete　walk　past　Mary　M。　Snowe　on　the　other　side；　a　few　high…functioning　retards　who　are　allowed　to　go　home　by　themselves　are　still　walking