I became increasingly desperate to give someone I felt comfortable with a buzz as the evening wore on, and finally worked up some goddam courage to call Phoebe. I told you about her, you would’ve really liked her. She was somebody you always felt like talking to on the phone. As risky as it was, I had to give it a shot; my current state of behavior warranted enough reasoning. As soon as I heard the soothing, calm tone of her voice, I was able to immediately relax and breathe easily.
"Hey Phoebe! How’s everything going? And what’re you doing up past your nine o’clock bedtime?" I questioned, sounding like a goddam parent while internally fighting over late night words to say to my sister. Hell, I was lucky enough that she picked up the phone …show more content…
What is it this time, Holden?" she responded in her typical annoying know-it-all kind of way. She was extremely wise and intelligent for her age, after all. She always seemed to have a distinct understanding for when something was bothering me.
"Oh nothing... nothing other than flunking the hell outta Pencey Prep," I responded, almost sounding proud yet ashamed, knowing that my 10 year old sister could see this one coming all too well. I had moved on from school to school, with the result being the same every goddam time, so much so that no one seemed surprised anymore except my overreactive mother. Phoebe sighed for a long moment before attempting at a …show more content…
Mom, I loved her more than anything, but she could really be a goddam sonuvabitch when it came to school and all her lofty expectations. Hell, who did she think I was, some goddam saint?
“I know college isn’t the easiest thing,” I heard Phoebe telling me, “and her expectations might be a little ambitious-minded.” She knew exactly what the hell I was talking about, yet she had never stepped a foot in Pencey or any other college dorm. She killed me. She really did. “Anyway, I gotta go catch some rest now, Holden,” she declared. I could hear her yawning in the background. What I would give to be next to her right now, rather than here in this crummy old Edmonton room. Something didn’t feel right, but I was too senseless to make a big deal about it.
“Take care now, I’ll be home early on Wednesday,” I assured her, suddenly feeling much calmer and noticeably more jubilant than just 10 minutes ago. A small, subtle, worried “bye” was the last word that I heard from her that
"Hey Phoebe! How’s everything going? And what’re you doing up past your nine o’clock bedtime?" I questioned, sounding like a goddam parent while internally fighting over late night words to say to my sister. Hell, I was lucky enough that she picked up the phone …show more content…
What is it this time, Holden?" she responded in her typical annoying know-it-all kind of way. She was extremely wise and intelligent for her age, after all. She always seemed to have a distinct understanding for when something was bothering me.
"Oh nothing... nothing other than flunking the hell outta Pencey Prep," I responded, almost sounding proud yet ashamed, knowing that my 10 year old sister could see this one coming all too well. I had moved on from school to school, with the result being the same every goddam time, so much so that no one seemed surprised anymore except my overreactive mother. Phoebe sighed for a long moment before attempting at a …show more content…
Mom, I loved her more than anything, but she could really be a goddam sonuvabitch when it came to school and all her lofty expectations. Hell, who did she think I was, some goddam saint?
“I know college isn’t the easiest thing,” I heard Phoebe telling me, “and her expectations might be a little ambitious-minded.” She knew exactly what the hell I was talking about, yet she had never stepped a foot in Pencey or any other college dorm. She killed me. She really did. “Anyway, I gotta go catch some rest now, Holden,” she declared. I could hear her yawning in the background. What I would give to be next to her right now, rather than here in this crummy old Edmonton room. Something didn’t feel right, but I was too senseless to make a big deal about it.
“Take care now, I’ll be home early on Wednesday,” I assured her, suddenly feeling much calmer and noticeably more jubilant than just 10 minutes ago. A small, subtle, worried “bye” was the last word that I heard from her that