Chasing the Bear

'So do what you need to do,' my father said. 'And know that you got a place to run to and backup if you need it.'

I looked around the table at the three of them.

'Yes,' I said. 'I've always known that.'

Chapter 37

I met Aurelio at the head of his street and walked the ten blocks to school with him. He was pale and swallowed often.

'Scared?' I said.

'They hate me,' he said.

'I bet they don't,' I said. 'It's just that they can pick on you, so they do.'

'But why?'

'Some kids are like that,' I said.

'Why don't they leave other kids alone?' Aurelio said.

'I don't know,' I said. 'I suppose it makes them feel important.'

As we reached the school yard, a kid named Turk Ferris, that I played football with, yelled, 'Hey, maricA?n!'

'What's a??maricA?n' mean?' I said to Aurelio.

'Pansy,' he said.

Another guy I knew, Carl Dodge, said, 'Hey, Spenser, how come you're walking with the little greaser?'

'Aurelio,' I said.

'Okay,' Carl said. 'How come you're walking with Aurelio?'

'He's a friend of mine,' I said.

Carl shrugged. Aurelio and I went on into the school and were in our homeroom when the bell rang. Aurelio sat up front. I sat in the back. Turk Ferris sat beside me. English was our first class. Mr. Hartley was the teacher. We were reading A Tale of Two Cities. Turk opened his book and pretended to be reading it while he talked to me.

'How come you're hanging around with Mexicans?' he said.

'I like Aurelio,' I said.

'He's queer, man,' Turk said.

'You think?' I said.

'A maricA?n,' Turk said.

'That a new word you learned?' I said.

'MaricA?n,' Turk said. 'Aurelio MaricA?n.'

'I don't know if he's queer,' I said. 'But if you're right, and he is, does that mean he has to get beat up every couple days?'

'How 'bout 'cause he's a beaner?' Turk said.

'Whatever,' I said. 'Why you want to beat him up?'

''Cause we don't like them.'