Над пропастью во ржи

           Thecarszoomedby,brakesscreechedallovertheplace,hisparentspaidnoattentiontohim,andhekeptonwalkingnexttothecurbandsinging"Ifabodycatchabodycomingthroughtherye."Itmademefeelbetter.Itmademefeelnotsodepressedanymore.

           Broadwaywasmobbedandmessy.ItwasSunday,andonlyabouttwelveo’clock,butitwasmobbedanyway.Everybodywasontheirwaytothemovies—theParamountortheAstorortheStrandortheCapitoloroneofthosecrazyplaces.Everybodywasalldressedup,becauseitwasSunday,andthatmadeitworse.Buttheworstpartwasthatyoucouldtelltheyallwantedtogotothemovies.Icouldn’tstandlookingatthem.Icanunderstandsomebodygoingtothemoviesbecausethere’snothingelsetodo,butwhensomebodyreallywantstogo,andevenwalksfastsoastogettherequicker,thenitdepresseshelloutofme.EspeciallyifIseemillionsofpeoplestandinginoneofthoselong,terriblelines,allthewaydowntheblock,waitingwiththisterrificpatienceforseatsandall.Boy,Icouldn’tgetoffthatgoddamBroadwayfastenough.Iwaslucky.ThefirstrecordstoreIwentintohadacopyof"LittleShirleyBeans."Theychargedmefivebucksforit,becauseitwassohardtoget,butIdidn’tcare.Boy,itmademesohappyallofasudden.IcouldhardlywaittogettotheparktoseeifoldPhoebewasaroundsothatIcouldgiveittoher.

           WhenIcameoutoftherecordstore,Ipassedthisdrugstore,andIwentin.IfiguredmaybeI’dgiveoldJaneabuzzandseeifshewashomeforvacationyet.SoIwentinaphoneboothandcalledherup.Theonlytroublewas,hermotheransweredthephone,soIhadtohangup.Ididn’tfeellikegettinginvolvedinalongconversationandallwithher.I’mnotcrazyabouttalkingtogirls’mothersonthephoneanyway.