Chapter 18

           WhenIlefttheskatingrinkIfeltsortofhungry,soIwentinthisdrugstoreandhadaSwisscheesesandwichandamalted,andthenIwentinaphonebooth.IthoughtmaybeImightgiveoldJaneanotherbuzzandseeifshewashomeyet.ImeanIhadthewholeeveningfree,andIthoughtI’dgiveherabuzzand,ifshewashomeyet,takeherdancingorsomethingsomewhere.IneverdancedwithheroranythingthewholetimeIknewher.Isawherdancingonce,though.Shelookedlikeaverygooddancer.ItwasatthisFourthofJulydanceattheclub.Ididn’tknowhertoowellthen,andIdidn’tthinkIoughttocutinonherdate.Shewasdatingthisterribleguy,AlPike,thatwenttoChoate.Ididn’tknowhimtoowell,buthewasalwayshangingaroundtheswimmingpool.HeworethosewhiteLastexkindofswimmingtrunks,andhewasalwaysgoingoffthehighdive.Hedidthesamelousyoldhalfgaineralldaylong.Itwastheonlydivehecoulddo,buthethoughthewasveryhotstuff.Allmusclesandnobrains.Anyway,that’swhoJanedatedthatnight.Icouldn’tunderstandit.IswearIcouldn’t.Afterwestartedgoingaroundtogether,IaskedherhowcomeshecoulddateashowoffbastardlikeAlPike.Janesaidhewasn’tashow-off.Shesaidhehadaninferioritycomplex.Sheactedlikeshefeltsorryforhimorsomething,andshewasn’tjustputtingiton.Shemeantit.It’safunnythingaboutgirls.Everytimeyoumentionsomeguythat’sstrictlyabastard—verymean,orveryconceitedandall—andwhenyoumentionittothegirl,she’lltellyouhehasaninferioritycomplex.Maybehehas,butthatstilldoesn’tkeephimfrombeingabastard,inmyopinion.Girls.Youneverknowwhatthey’regoingtothink.IoncegotthisgirlRobertaWalsh’sroommateadatewithafriendofmine.HisnamewasBobRobinsonandhereallyhadaninferioritycomplex.