the weather breaks for a little
while after that and even
though its still gray and
slushy
its kind of unseasonably
warm like almost in the 50s
and the one morning im
walking over to the school
with richie
and hes being sullen and
weird like usual but whatever
and we walk past the wall
outside the commons where
the graffiti was
and the physical plant guys
are taking advantage of the
weather and theyre out there
with the sandblasting
equipment
getting rid of the writing and
nulles is out there watching
them with his red glasses and
twitchy little mouth
and richie stops to watch
them work and it takes me a
few seconds to realize hes not
with me
and i look back and richies
watching and grinning and
apparently nulles sees him
cuz he lumbers over there
and i walk back to where they
are cuz i dont wanna miss
this and i cant hear the first
thing nulles says to richie but
richie keeps smiling at nulles
and goes -let it come down-
and i think hes talking about
the graffiti but that
wouldnt make sense cuz then
nulles goes -you have
literally no idea what yr
messing with here none- and
then
i must catch his eye cuz he
gestures to me and says to
richie -why dont you tell yr
little friend
-how weve both been here
before- and i look at richie
and go -fairview- and he
narrows his eyes and shakes
his head
-dee dee has enough to figure
out right now- and nulles
chuckles -dee dee thats right
i forgot how fond you are
-of nicknames- then the
smile drops -no matter
whatever yr trying to do here
its not gonna work- and
richie laughs
-apres moi le deluge- and
nulles tightens up even more
-i dont believe you- and
richie stops laughing
and his voice gets low and
even -you know as well as i
do that fairview is all shiny
and new on top
-and the foundation
underneath is rotten and weak
and all its gonna take is just
enough pressure from above
-before the whole thing
crashes down around yr
ankles- and nulles doesnt say
anything for a minute but
then
he smiles a tight little smile
and says -well see richie
well see- and turns back
towards the wall
and walks over to watch the
workers some more and
richie doesnt take his eyes off
him and i go -what the fuck
-is going on here- and richie
scoffs but doesnt stop
watching nulles -just another
asshole in a long series of
assholes
-this world is just chock full
of them- and he starts
walking back and im still
totally unsatisfied and i go
-wait wait wait
-what was all that shit about
before and everything
collapsing and you not
knowing what yr messing
with-
and richie looks off
thoughtfully -you know i
really think hes just mad cuz i
kissed cuddy and not him-
and i almost throw up in my
mouth a little bit -jesus christ
can you imagine holy shit
thats gross- and richie laughs
and nods
-kissing cuddy was no picnic
either but that i mean nulles
you dont come back from shit
like that ever
-they dont make a
mouthwash that strong- and
that makes me laugh and
richie laughs again
and were at the door by then
so we just go inside laughing
