I'm stuck here. In this goddamn institute. I've got T.B. I go to this school call Pency Prep but they've kicked me out. I only passed in English. I'm not going into it. I'll just tell you about the stuff that happened to me when things got really bad and I had to come out here to cool off. That's all he told me. D.B i mean. He's my brother. He works in Hollywood writing short stories. He wrote an amazing one called The Secret Goldfish. Just incase you've never heard of him.

I'll start on the day I left Pency Prep. The big game. It was a big deal at Pency, the game against Saxon Hall. You were sposed to kill yourself or something if Pency didn't win. I remember standing way up on the hill, next to this goddamn cannon from the Revolutionary War and all. All you could see was the pitch and two teams bashing the hell out of each other. You couldn't really see the grandstand but you could hear them yelling, practicallly the whole school was there. Except for me.

The only reason I was up there was because I'd just got back from New York. I was coaching my goddamn fencing team. Very big deal. We were in New York that morning for this meet with McBurney School. Only, we didnt have the meet. I ended up leaving all the foils and equipment and stuff on the goddam subway, it's not my fault I had to keep getting up to look at the goddam map so we wouldn't get off at the wrong place. Plus, I was on my way to see my history teacher, old Spencer, thats another reason why I wasnt at the game. I figured seeing as he had the grippe, I probably wouldn't see him again till christmas vacation.

Anyway, it was december and all and it was as cold as ice, especially up on the goddam hill. I had no gloves or anything, just my reversible. the week before, somebody'd stolen my camel hair jacket and my fur-lined gloves were in the goddam pocket. Old Pency was full of crooks. And goddam phoneys. Quite a few of 'em came from rich families but they were still crooks and phoneys. Anyway, there i was on the hill, freezing my goddam ass off. Only, I wasn't really watching the game. I was trying to feel some kind of good-by. I mean, I've left places and schools before, but without knowing im actually leaving it. I hate it. When im leaving a place i like to know im leaving it. But all of a sudden i remmembered something that helped me know i getting the hell out of this place.

I turned round and started running to old spencer's house. I ran all the way to the main gate. I had to wait a second. Catch my breath. I'm a heavy smoker you see. I carried on though. It was so goddam icy i nearly gell and broke my goddam neck and all. I don't even know why i was running. I just felt like it.

When i finally got there, i rang the doorbell. Boy was i frozen. My face was hurting and i could hardly move at all. I shouted right out loud Untill finally, Mrs Spencer opened the door. They didn't have too much dough, so they didn't have a maid or anthing. So they always opened the door themselves. "Holden dear!" Mrs Spencer said. "How delightful to see you! Come on in! Are you frozen to death?" I guessed she was glad to see me. At least, it seemed that way.

Boy, did i move quick. I needed to get out of the cold, before i froze my ass off. "How have you been Mrs Spencer?, hows Mr Spencer?"
"Give me your coat dear". I don't think she heard me asking her how she or Mr Spencer was. She's sort of deaf.
She hung up my coat and brushed my hair back with her hand. I have a crew cut most of the time so i never have to comb it often. I asked her again. "How have you been Mrs Spencer?," i said ot louder this time, just incase she didn't hear me.
"I've been fine Holden. How have you been?" I knew from the way she asked me, old Spencer'd told her they kicked me out.
"And hows Mr Spencer, has he still got the grippe?"
"He's in his room dear, go right in."