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Brannon was her uncle and she could get free candy and
drinks at his place any time she wanted to。 As soon as she was
on the sidewalk Mick caught her by the arm。 'You go right
home； Baby Wilson。 Go on； now。' Mick looked around to see
what else she could do to straighten things out again like they
ought to be。 She went up to Sucker Wells。 He stood farther
down the sidewalk； j where it was dark； holding his paper
cup and looking at * everybody in a dreamy way。 Sucker
was seven years old and he had on shorts。 His chest and feet
were naked。 He 1 wasn't causing any of the commotion； but
she was mad I as hell at what had happened。
｜
She grabbed Sucker by the shoulders and began to shake him。
At first he held his jaws tight； but after a min… I ute his teeth
began to rattle。 'You go home； Sucker Wells。 You quit
hanging around where you're not invited。' When she let him
go； Sucker tucked his tail and walked slowly down the street。
But he didn't go all the way home。 After he got to the corner
she saw him sit down on the curb and watch the party where
he thought she couldn't see him。
For a minute she felt good about shaking the spit out of
Sucker。 And then right afterward she had a bad worry feeling
in her and she started to let him come back。 The
big kids were the ones who messed up everything。 Real brats
they were； and with the worst nerve she had ever seen。
Drinking up the refreshments and ruining the real party into
all this commotion。 They slammed through the front door and
hollered and bumped into each other。 She went up to Pete
Wells because he was the worst of all。 He wore his football
helmet and butted into people。 Pete was every bit of fourteen；
yet he was still stuck in the seventh grade。 She went up to him；
but he was too big to shake like Sucker。 When she told him to
go home he shimmied and made a nose dive at her。
'I been in six different states。 Florida； Alabamaf
TMade out of silver cloth with a sash…
The party was all messed up。 Everybody was talking at once。
The invited people from Vocational were mixed with the
neighborhood gang。 The boys and the girls still stood in
separate bunches； though—and nobody prommed。 In the
house the lemonade was just about gone。 There was only a
little puddle of water with floating lemon peels at the bottom
of the bowl。 Her Dad always acted too nice with kids。 He had
served out the punch to anybody who stuck a cup at him。
Portia was serving the sandwiches when she went into the
dining…room。 In five minutes they were all gone。 She only got
one—a jelly kind with pink sops come through the bread。
Portia stayed in the dining…room to watch the party。 1 having
too good a time to leave；' she said。 'I done sent word to
Highboy and Willie to go on with the Saturday Night without
me。 Everbody so excited here I going to wait and see the end
of this party。'
Excitement—that was the word。 She could feel it all through
the room and on the porch and the sidewalk。 She felt excited；
too。 It wasn't just her dress and the beautiful way her face
looked when she passed by the hatrack mirror and saw the red
paint on her cheeks and the rhinestone tiara in her hair。 Maybe
it was the decoration and all these Vocational people and kids
being jammed together。
。Watch her run！
'
'Ouch！ Cut it out——
'
'Act your age！
'
A bunch of girls were running down the street； holding up
their dresses and with the hair flying out behind them。98
CARSON McCULLERS
Some boys had cut off the long； sharp spears of a Spanish
bayonet bush and they were chasing the girls with them。
Freshmen in Vocational all dressed up for a real prom party
and acting just like kids。 It was half playlike and half not
playlike at all。 A boy came up to her with a sticker and she
started running too。
The idea of the party was over entirely now。 This was just a
regular playing…out。 But it was the wildest night she had ever
seen。 The kids had caused it。 They were like a catching
sickness； and their coming to the party made all the other
people forget about High School and being almost grown。 It
was like just before you take a bath in the afternoon when you
might wallow around in the back yard and get plenty dirty just
for the good feel of it before getting into the tub。 Everybody
was a wild kid playing out on Saturday night—and she felt
like the very wildest of all。
She hollered and pushed and was the first to try any new stunt。
She made so much noise and moved around so fast she
couldn't notice what anybody else was doing。 Her breath
wouldn't come fast enough to let her do all the wild things she
wanted to do。
The ditch down the street！ The ditch！ The ditch！'
She started for it first。 Down a block they had put in new pipes
under the street and dug a swell deep ditch。 The flambeaux
around the edge were bright and red in the dark。 She wouldn't
wait to climb down。 She ran until she reached the little wavy
flames and then she jumped。
With her tennis shoes she would have landed like a cat —but
the high pumps made her slip and her stomach hit this pipe。
Her breath was stopped。 She lay quiet with her eyes closed。
The partyFor a long time she remembered how
she thought it would be； how she imagined the new people at
Vocational。 And about the bunch she wanted to be with every
day。 She would feel different in the halls now； knowing that
they were not something special but like any other kids。 It was
O。K。 about the ruined party。 But it was all over。 It was the
end。
Mick climbed out of the ditch。 Some kids were playing around
the little pots of flames。 The fire made a red glow and there
were long； quick shadows。 One boy had gone home and put on
a dough…face bought in advance for Hal
99
lowe'en。 Nothing was changed about the party except her。
She walked home slowly。 When she passed kids she didn't
speak or look at them。 The decoration in the hall was torn
down and the house seemed very empty because everyone had
gone outside。 In the bathroom she took off the blue evening
dress。 The hem was torn and she folded it so the raggedy place
wouldn't show。 The rhinestone tiara was lost somewhere。 Her
old shorts and shirt were lying on the floor just where she had
left them。 She put them on。 She was too big to wear shorts any
more after this。 No more after this night Not any more。
Mick stood out on the front porch。 Her face was very white
without the paint。 She cupped her hands before her mouth and
took a deep breath。 'Everybody go home！ The door is shut！
The party is over！'
In the quiet； secret night she was by herself again。 It was not
late—yellow squares of light snowed in the windows of the
houses along the streets。 She walked slow； with her hands in
her pockets and her head to one side。 For a long time she
walked without noticing the direction。
Then the houses were far apart from each other and there were
yards with big trees in them and black shrubbery。 She looked
around and saw she was near this house where she had gone
so many times in the summer。 Her feet had just taken her here
without her knowing。 W