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bunch of times everbody seemed to be gettin disgusted cause i couldn'；t remember what i was
sposed to do。
then they tried this other thing they call the defense； where they put three guys in front of
me an i am sposed to get thru them an grap the guy with the football。 the first part was easier；
cause i could just shove the other guys'； heads down； but they were unhappy with the way i
grapped the guy with the ball； an finally they made me go an tackle a big oak tree about fifteen or
twenty times— to get the feel of it； i spose。 but after a wile； when they figgered i had learnt
somethin from the oak tree； they put me back with the three guys an the ball carrier an then got
mad i didn'；t jump on him real vicious…like after i moved the others out of the way。 i took a lot of
abuse that afternoon； but when we quit practicin i went in to see coach fellers an tole him i didn'；t
want to jump on the ball guy cause i was afraid of hurtin him。 coach； he say that it wouldn'；t hurt
him； cause he was in his football suit an was protected。 the truth is； i wasn'；t so much afraid of
hurtin him as i was that he'；d get mad at me an they'；d start chasin me again if i wadn'；t real nice to
everbody。 to make a long story short； it took me a wile to get the hang of it all。
meantime i got to go to class。 in the nut school； we really didn'；t have that much to do； but
here they was far more serious about things。 somehow； they had worked it out so'；s i had
three homeroom classes where you jus set there an did whatever you wanted； an then three other
classes where there was a lady who was teachin me how to read。 jus the two of us。 she was real
nice an pretty and more'；n once or twice i had nasty thoughts about her。 miss henderson was her
name。
about the only class i liked was lunch； but i guess you couldn'；t call that a class。 at the nut
school； my mama would fix me a sambwich an a cookie an a piece of fruit— cept no bananas— an
i'；d take it to school with me。 but in this school they was a cafeteria with nine or ten different
things to eat an i'；d have trouble makin up my mind what i wanted。 i think somebody must of said
somethin； cause after a week or so coach fellers e up to me an say to just go ahead an eat all
i wanted cause it been 〃taken care of。〃 hot damn！
guess who should be in my homeroom class but jenny curran。 she e up to me in the
hall an say she remember me from first grade。 she was all growed up now； with pretty black hair
an she was long…legged an had a beautiful face； an they was other things too； i dare not mention。
the football was not goin exactly to the likin of coach fellers。 he seemed displeased a lot
an was always shoutin at people。 he shouted at me too。 they tried to figger out some way for me
to just stay put an keep other folks from grappin our guy carryin the ball； but that didn'；t work cept
when they ran the ball right up the middle of the line。 coach was not too happy with my tacklin
neither； an let me tell you； i spent a lot of time at that oak tree。 but i just couldn'；t get to where i
would thow mysef at the ball guy like they wanted me to do。 somethin kep me from it。
then one day a event happen that changed all that too。 in the cafeteria i had started gettin my
food and goin over to set nex to jenny curran。 i wouldn'；t say nothin； but she was jus bout the
only person in the school i knew halfways； an it felt good setting there with her。 most of the time
she didn'；t pay me no attention； an talked with other people。 at first i'；d been settin with some of
the football players； but they acted like i was invisible or somethin。 at least jenny curran acted
like i was there。 but after a wile of this； i started to notice this other guy was there a lot too； an he
starts makin wisecracks bout me。 sayin shit like 〃how'；s dumbo？〃 an all。 and this gone on for a
week or two； an i was sayin nothin； but finally i says— i can'；t hardly believe i said it even now—
but i says； 〃i ain'；t no dumbo；〃 an the guy jus looked at me an starts laughin。 an jenny curran；
she say to the guy to keep quiet； but he takes a carton of milk an pours it in my lap an i jump up
an run out cause it scares me。
a day or so later； that guy e up to me in the hall an says he'；s gonna 〃get〃 me。 all day i
was afraid terribily； an later that afternoon； when i was leaving to go to the gym； there he is； with
a bunch of his friends。 i tried to go the other way； but he e up to me an start pushin me on the
shoulders。 an he'；s sayin all kinds of bad things； callin me a 〃stupo〃 an all； an then he hit me in the
stomach。 it didn'；t hurt so much； but i was startin to cry and i turned an begun to run； an heard him
behind me an the others was runnin after me too。 i jus run as fast as i could toward the gym；
across the practice football field an suddenly i seen coach fellers； settin up in the bleachers
watchin me。 the guys who was chasin me stop and go away； an coach fellers； he has got this
real peculiar look on his face； an tell me to get suited up right away。 a wile later； he e in the
locker room with these plays drawn on a piece of paper— three of them— an say for me to
memorize them best i can。
that afternoon at the football practice； he line everbody up in two teams an suddenly the
quarterback give me the ball an i'；m sposed to run outside the right end of the line to the goalpost。
when they all start chasin me； i run fast as i can— it was seven or eight of them before they could
drag me down。 coach fellers is mighty happy； jumpin up and down an yellin an slappin everbody
on the back。 we'；d run a lot of races before； to see how fast we could run； but i get a lot faster
when i'；m bein chased； i guess。 what idiot wouldn'；t？
anyway； i bee a lot more popular after that； an the other guys on the team started bein
nicer to me。 we had our first game an i was scared to death； but they give me the ball an i
run over the goal line two or t