Dogs Don't Tell Jokes (Someday Angeline 2)
Page 21
Ira was in the middle of listing all the accomplishments of somebody named Kirby Puckett, when he suddenly turned and asked, “What do you want, Goon?”
Gary shrugged. “Nothing.”
Ira returned to his negotiations.
“So, baseball cards, huh?” Gary asked.
“Uh-huh,” answered Steve, or maybe Michael. Gary couldn’t tell them apart.
“Look,” Ira said to Michael (or maybe Steve). “If you don’t want to do it, don’t do it. Personally, I think I’m doing you a favor, but I’m not going to twist your arm.”
“Some favor,” said the other Higgins twin.
“What are you talking about?” protested Ira. “The only reason I’m even offering the deal is, I already have four Kirby Pucketts.”
Gary laughed.
They all looked at him.
“What’s the matter?” asked Ira. “Don’t you think it’s fair?”
That had nothing to do with it. He just thought Kirby Puckett was a funny name. He thought of a joke about it being foul, not fair, but kept it to himself.
It felt good to not tell a joke, for once.
“What do you think, Goon?” asked Michael (or maybe Steve). “Should I do it?”
Gary shrugged. “Um …”
“You’re not going to listen to Goon, are you?” asked Steve (or maybe Michael).
“Sure. Whatever he says—I’ll do the opposite!”
They all laughed.
“So what do you think, Goon?”
“Um …”
He was saved by the bell.
“Well, gotta go,” said Gary. “See you later.”
He tried hanging out with different groups of people during recess and lunch. He even sat and listened to Janis Carr, Vicki Mathews, and Marsha Posey talk about giving each other permanents. Finally Vicki turned and demanded, “What are you doing here?”
He shrugged. He couldn’t think of anything to say, except a joke—“if you really want your permanents to be permanent, you should use concrete instead of hair spray”—but he kept it to himself.
He might as well have told them a joke because when he walked away, he heard them all laughing at him.
“Hey, Joe!” he shouted as he ran out onto the football field.
Joe was talking to Zack, but turned and smiled at Gary. “Hey, what’s happ’nin’, Goon?”
Gary shrugged and smiled.
Joe continued his conversation with Zack.
“So, how about throwing me a pass today?” said Gary. “No one ever guards me.”