Chapter 4

I chewed the rag for a while with Stradlater while he was getting ready for his big date and all. It was hot as hell in the can and the windows were all steamy. I sat down on the washbowl and listened to Stradlater whistling Song of India while he shaved. I started turning the cold water on and off - nervous habit I have. Stradlater was a slob in his habits, just like Old Ackley apart from Stradlater was more of a secret slob. For instance his razor was rusty as hell and full of lather and hairs and crap. He looked good when he’d finished fixing himself up, but he was a secret slob anyway, if you knew him like I did. I still had my hunting hat on. I got a big bang out of that hat, I really did.

Stradlater asked me to do this goddamn descriptive composition for English. It had to be in tomorrow and he had this date. I had nothing else to do so I said I would do it if I could. He told me his date was Jane Gallagher. Boy I nearly dropped dead when he said that! She practically lived next door to me the summer before last. We used to play checkers together and all. She used to keep all her kings in the back row, never used them or anything she just liked the way they looked all lined up. She was a dancer too. Ballet and all. She used to practice two hours a day, in the hottest weather and all. I wanted to go and say hello to her, but I wasn’t in the mood. You have to be in the mood for these types of things.

Stradlater put on my hound’s-tooth jacket and made sure I was going to do his goddamn composition and went to meet old Jane. I sat there for about half an hour after he’d left. I mean I just sat in my chair, not doing anything. I kept thinking about Jane and her having a date with Stradlater. It made me so nervous I nearly went crazy. I already told you what a sexy bastard Stradlater was. Then old Ackley came in. For the first time in my life I was glad he did. He kind of took my mind off all the other stuff.