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, maricón!"
"What's âmaricón' 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 maricón," Turk said.
"That a new word you learned?" I said.
"Maricón," Turk said. "Aurelio Maricón."
"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."
"Them?"
"Mexicans," Turk said. "You gonna protect him?"
"I'm gonna protect him," I said.
"I never had you figured for a spick lover, man."
Mr. Hartley said, "I'd like some quiet, please, in the back of the room."
We sat still, and when Mr. Hartley looked back down at his notes, I whispered to Turk, "Just leave him alone."
Mr. Hartley looked up again and saw Turk and me looking at him innocently, eager for knowledge.