The Sledding Hill by Chris Crutcher

Author:Chris Crutcher [Crutcher, Chris]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2005-05-18T14:00:00+00:00

10

HOLY WAR WHOLLY DECLARED

“Dang, it feels good to talk,” Eddie says. He and my dad are having lunch in the janitor’s room with me, only I’m not eating and they don’t know I’m here, and Eddie is catching up full speed.

“This is the place to do it,” Dad says, nodding toward the door. “Door’s three inches thick and locked. The band could be playing the “1812” Overture in here and not a soul could hear it. What did you bring me?”

Eddie reaches into his lunch sack and brings out two extra turkey sandwiches and a thermos of clam chowder.

“This is such a great trade-off. All I have to do is let you talk and I get lunch.”

“And you don’t even have to listen,” Eddie says.

“True, but I do, because I am an educator who believes in showing respect to my customers, unlike some I know.”

Eddie chuckles.

My dad says, “Oh, I don’t get to call myself an educator?”

“Well, you’re the…yeah, I guess.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Dad says. “I may come face-to-face with more students in a day than any teacher in this building. And I almost always deliver.”

“And you’re pretty smart,” Eddie says.

“And I’m way smart, as you guys like to say,” Dad says back.

“What do you think about Mr. West challenging Warren Peece?”

Dad says, “Tell me this doesn’t have the reverend’s fingerprints all over it.”

“I’m glad you said that,” Eddie says. “He put me on the fast track to salvation, so I have a feeling he has plans for me.”

“Fast track?”

Eddie explains how, for the next few weeks, his life will have about three hours a day without Tarter in it. It’s an exaggeration, but not by much.

“Hooo,” Dad says. “You must have ticked someone off in another life.”

“No lie…you were right, though,” Eddie says. “It was smart for me to stay in those classes because I’m, like, the perfect spy. I don’t even have to lie ’cause I don’t talk. I mean, they got the book pulled for now, but they haven’t won yet. It goes through at least one hearing, maybe two. A whole bunch of kids in that class were really liking it; it’s got all kinds of bad language and stuff. But that’s not the only reason they like it.”

“Doesn’t hurt, though, does it?” Dad says.

“Nope.”

“Eddie, you better get used to the idea of that book being gone. The in-school meeting is a formality. The principal of this school is a hard-line Red Bricker. If she deems the book unworthy, it’s done. And the school board is loaded with more Red Brickers. You’ve got three members who are active members of Tarter’s congregation.”

They’re both quiet a minute, which is like a record for Eddie when his “mute” button’s off. Then my dad says, “Eddie, when you start talking again for real, don’t you think you should look at making some new friends?”

“I’ve got friends.”

“You’ve got people you know. But you and Billy were together almost all the time. You ran together, you biked, you hung out. You got turned down by girls.

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