“ Yeah, I know your name.”
“You’re a liar. You don’t remember me.”
“I remember you. You’re Carole Quirk’s friend.”
“But you don’t know my name.”
“Carole’s friend.”
“I knew it. You don’t know. Hey, what happened to you?”
“Ah, nothing. I got kicked out.”
“I know that, everyone knows that. What for?”
“Ah, I boosted some stuff.”
“ Yeah?”
“ Yeah, it was stupid. I don’t know.”
“Claudia Shaeffer said your dad…”
“ Yeah.”
“Is that true? Is he in jail?”
“ Yeah, he’s an asshole.”
“Why is he in jail?”
“For being an asshole.”
“They don’t put you in jail for that. Half the world would be in jail if they did that.”
“You don’t say that.”
“What?”
“Asshole.”
“So?”
“I don’t know. I just knew that about you. You don’t say…”
“Swears.”
“No.”
“Well, it doesn’t make me a bad person.”
“No.”
“I wasn’t raised like that.”
“You’re from, like, the South, right?”
“ Kentucky.”
“Yeah. Isn’t your dad like a cop or something?”
“A state trooper.”
“Oh, man.”
“You don’t like policemen.”
“No, I don’t know. My old man sure hates them. One thing.”
“I guess he would.’
“One thing, they always call you by your whole name. Raymond.”
“Yeah, that’s my dad.”
“Raymond, is this any way to get ahead in life? And shit like that.”
“Well, it’s not.”
“But you’re laughing.”
“I can’t help it, you make me laugh.”
“Good, I like to make you laugh.”
“You going to pay for that candy bar?”
“No, I’m going to put it back.”
“You already ate like half of it.”
“Well, then it should be half price.”
“Oh, you think you’re super bad, huh?”
“I would be if I had this hat.”
“You’d be super retarded. Anyway, Mr. Rufe just put in a camera over in the corner, so he can see when you juveniles steal from him.” “You think I care?”
“You should. He’ll call my dad and my dad’ll put you in jail.”
“Like I’m scared.”
“You should be.”
“Maybe you should be scared of me.”
“Why?”
“I was in jail.”
“ Yeah, but I’m not scared.”
“Not even when I’m close up like this? In the middle of the night and you’re all alone at the counter?”
“Not even then. Anyway it’s like seven thirty at night. It’s not even dark.”
“What about now?”
“No.”
“I think you should come for a ride with me.”
“My shift is almost over.”
“That’s good, then come for a ride.”
“I have to go home.”
“Just for one ride?”
“You don’t even know my name.”
“I know it.”
“You don’t. Say it.”
“Marletta.”
“Say it again.”
“Marletta.”
“So you know my name.”
“I know about you.”
“What do you know?”
“I know you do gymnastics. I know you’re smart. I know you like Carole Quirk but not her other friend, Amy.”
“Everyone knows that.”
“No, I know. I see you. I know your mom is black and your dad is white and that’s why you moved up here.”
“Who told you that? You think that’s funny?”
“No.”
“You better watch what you say.”
“No, I know that’s why you’re so good- looking.”
“I’m not.”
“No, you are. I thought so the first time I ever saw you.”
“No. No one says that”
“They’re all dipshits.”
“You think I am? Good- looking?”
“You are.”
“Why did you do that?”
“Kiss you? I wanted to.”
“You shouldn’t.”
“I can’t help it. I’m a juvenile.”
“You’ll help it when my dad sees you.”
“He protects you, huh?”
“Something like that. He gets pissed. And then he calls me by my whole name.”
“What does he call you when he’s not pissed?”
