Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher Read Free Book Online

mean…”
    â€œBetter shut up,” Dale warned, then paused a minute. “Better give me your money, too.”
    â€œI thought you said…”
    â€œYeah, well, you was wrong. You gonna give me the money or you wanna go swimmin’?” Dale nodded toward the toilet stall, where I sat. Give him the money, Norman.
    Norman Nickerson dug deep.
    Â 
    By fifth period, word was out that Dale Thornton was looking for Eric Calhoune, and a high-stakes gambling pool had been set up in an inconspicuous corner ofthe student lounge. Bets were running three to one that I wouldn’t make it home with all my body parts. Dale had been seen in the hard chair in the outer office before the lunch bell, and rumor said he spent the entire lunch period in the office with Mautz discussing the relative merits of smokeless tobacco in the classroom. His only words upon release were: “Where’s that fat ass Calhoune? He’s a dead man.”
    â€œHe’ll have to go through me first,” Sarah Byrnes said in an effort to get me out of my study hall desk.
    â€œOh, that’ll take him all of about fifteen seconds,” I said. “The only hurt you put on him in that fight was on his knuckles. God, I’m dead. I’m a dead man.” I sat staring at the desk, considering. “Get Ms. Simmons in here right now. She’ll win a Nobel prize if she gets me on video. I’m a biological miracle: a living dead man.” A short, high-pitched laugh escaped me. “I could make the next issue of Crispy Pork Rinds. Oh, God, Crispy Pork Rinds. What a great idea.”
    â€œCome on,” Sarah Byrnes said. “It isn’t that bad. Let’s go to science class. He’s not going to beat you up in the hall.”
    â€œOh yeah? What makes you think that?”
    â€œBecause he’d get in trouble.”
    â€œRight. By who? Mautz? Why should he care? He’salready in trouble with Mautz. I’ll bet Mautz told him who wrote the paper. That’s it!” I screamed, realizing the truth. “See, this is like a big city gang war. The cops don’t really care when one bunch of bad guys knocks off another bunch of bad guys. They’re getting their job done for them. Mautz hates Dale Thornton, but he hates me, too. He wastes no bullets. I can see it now. He’ll get to the scene right after I choke to death on my own blood, call my mom and tell her how sorry he is. “If I just could’ve gotten there quicker. I’m awful darn sorry, Mrs. Calhoune. Maybe you could have another kid. A better one.’ I don’t see why…”
    â€œEric!” Sarah Byrnes said, “just calm down, will you? Dale Thornton isn’t going to get you in the hall because he’s never in the hall. He’s out smoking somewhere. Now let’s go to science. We can plan your getaway.”
    I slid out of my desk to follow Sarah Byrnes. What the heck did it matter where a dead man went?
    â€œIt’s important that you get away,” Sarah Byrnes said in the hall. “I’ve got a lot of money riding on you.”

CHAPTER 4
    â€œDid you see Sarah Byrnes?” Mom asks as I walk in looking rode hard and put up wet, thanks to our three-hour workout earlier. She wears a green-and-blue Gore-Tex running suit over her sweats, and her hair is pulled back into a ponytail, bangs plastered wet against her forehead. Mom’s been running.
    I nod. I almost fell asleep sitting on the couch beside Sarah Byrnes thinking of new things to say to her brick wall self. “Yeah.”
    â€œAnd?”
    â€œWould have been a good time to do my homework.”
    â€œStill no response, huh? What did the counselor say?”
    â€œSame old thing. Told me to talk about things that might jar her back. Remember Crispy Pork Rinds? ”
    Mom laughs. She spent more time up at school thanI did during that corrupt chapter in my life. She provided the paper and the printer,