Joey Pigza Loses Control by Jack Gantos

Author:Jack Gantos [Gantos, Jack]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Published: 2011-04-03T18:30:00+00:00

10

SECRET

“Mexico?” Mom repeated. “Ha! Who told you I was in Mexico?”

“Tiffany,” I replied.

“I’m sure she was just trying to be helpful,” Mom said. “But it’s my guess that she couldn’t find Mexico with a map.” Then she lowered her voice. “I was doing something private. I was in traffic court. I didn’t tell you but I got a ticket on my way back from Pittsburgh. Can you believe I was pulled over for driving erratically? I was dodging the holes and the cop thought I was drunk. Then he saw that my license was expired. So yesterday I had to go to court and pay a fine and now I have to wait thirty days for a new license.”

“Oh,” I said. “Sorry.” I was the one had who told her to dodge the holes.

“Well, that’s enough about me,” she said. “What did you do this last while? Have you made lots of new friends on the team?”

“No,” I said. “I just pitch. I don’t have to go to practice. They field and do all the hitting.”

“Don’t they let you hit?” she asked.

“They let me try,” I replied. “I just haven’t hit the ball yet. I swing, but so far I’ve whiffed every time.”

“What about after the game?” Mom asked. “Do you go out and eat pizza?”

“No. Dad’s the coach and so I just hang out with him and we eat pizza together.”

“Well, I wish you’d make some friends,” she said.

“I have Pablo,” I replied.

“But you need to hang around kids your own age,” she said.

“I’m different than they are,” I said. “You always said so. You always said I was special.”

“And you are,” she said as if she had her arms around me. “But you can be my special Joey and have friends.”

I knew what she was getting at. But it was hard making friends on a team when Dad was the coach. He yelled at everyone and when the games were over they took off. They didn’t want to hang around and get yelled at anymore. But I knew Mom wanted to feel better so I said, “I’m working on it. There are a few nice kids I’m getting to know.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that, honey,” she said. “You just be yourself and they’ll like you even better.”

Suddenly I remembered something good I wanted to say. “I pitched a whole game and won,” I blurted out. “Now we’re trying to win the championship. And yesterday I spent the whole day in Pittsburgh. It was the best day of my life. I love the city. There is so much to do and I had a blast.”

“Was your dad with you?”

“No. He was working, but I was fine. I didn’t go far and I didn’t talk to strangers or do anything they tell you not to do on Sesame Street.”

“Are you changing your medication?” she asked.

That was the question I didn’t want her to ask and I got that spastic feeling all over my skin like when you slowly walk

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