Chapter 27 By: Anthony Vargas Ian Sellar Jared Tate Patrick Warren

Alright, so I got back from another boring day of class and found a little red envelope on my bed. I just ignored it of course… I had some toenails to clip and I couldn’t have wasted my precious time with more junk mail. I was just sitting there when Stradlater’s roommate barged in. He just started making a mess, of course; that little moron. Walks right on in like he owns the place and throws his big ass backpack on the bed. God I hate that guy. “Hey man, what’s up?” he said. His name was Mark. I really don’t know why he asked. It’s not like either of us care. I sat there with my toe nail clippers, waiting for the moron to take the hint and leave, and he finally did… moron. I tossed his backpack off the bed, and again, saw the red envelope. That time, I actually read it.

That crazy Holden Caulfield kid who used to room with Stradlater, until Pencey gave him the boot, got thrown into some crazy house in California. Man, I liked that guy better than this new Mooney kid. You had to feel sorry for that crazy sonuvabitch, I mean Holden and all. Well, I guess I kinda liked the poor guy. We hung out a few times. It wasn’t that fun, and I had to take time out of my busy schedule, but it was okay I guess. Holden spent the entire time making fun of everything and telling us how that sexy bastard, Stradlater, was such a phony. Everything was a phony to him. Just as I was about to finish clipping my toenails, Ely came in and told me that some guys down the hall were going to give Holden a call; I guess I felt like I had to join him… for Holden, that is. For, like, the thousandth time, I put down my toenail clippers and joined the guys in the other room. They dialed without me. When I got there, they already had Holden on the phone. Poor Holden. I realized there weren’t many of us. Holden didn’t have many friends. I could just picture Holden sitting in that crazy room somewhere in California, wearing that slick hat of his. No wonder the kid went crazy… he only had a few friends.

I don’t see why Holden gets to hang out in California while I’m stuck out here at Pencey. Holden should just come back and work things out on his own. And, I guess, if I have to, I could hang out with him… to help him get better, of course. He always liked it when I came over to his room. I didn’t come in much though. I really didn’t want to intrude on his privacy; that would have been rude. It’s not like I was too fond of that Stradlater guy anyway. Always calling me “Ackley Kid”, that jerk; so full of himself and all, always giving girls the time. So, I guess the guys and Holden didn’t need me there. I wandered back to my room to finish those last three toenails. “Crap,” I muttered to myself. That damn Mooney kid was sitting in my GOOD chair. Eating his goddam muffin. I swear, he eats that same muffin every day, sometimes he even brings a yogurt over. Not today though. “You’re getting crumbs all over the place!” I yelled. Wow, you wouldn’t believe how many crumbs he left on MY chair.

“It’s no biggie.” He said it so nonchalantly. It really got to me. That stare he’s had, it drove me crazy. And his glasses only intensified the whole ridiculousness of his look. “Ya moron,” I told him. “What? I’ll clean it up.” “No you won’t.” He had no intentions of cleaning it up. “I still have crumbs from the last time you came in here.” God. He was still staring at me. I wouldn’t look him in the eye, but I could tell he was staring. He put that crumby muffin down on the table and picked up the letter from Holden. I couldn’t take it any more. That just drives me crazy, people picking up other peoples’ stuff and all. “GET OUT!!!” I yelled. I don’t think I’d ever seen that Mooney kid run so fast. He almost tore the damn shower curtains. I picked up his stupid muffin and took a little bite. It was kinda stale. I wondered where he got his muffins, and then threw it through the shower, and back into his room. Thank God he was gone. Next time that kid comes in here, I’ll be on my way to the crazy house. Maybe I can go to California and room with Holden, if that will help his condition and all… just as soon as I finish clipping my toenails…