Chapter 27 Project By: J.T. Brown O.D. Quinn B.M. Scapa K.R. Thomas

215 The Catcher in the Rye 27 I DON’T KNOW too many of the details and all—since Holden keeps to himself—but Mother and Daddy told me Holden is trying to figure things out right now. You know, getting looked at by some sort of mind- doctors near D.B. in California somewhere. Mother said he won’t be coming back for a few months from now. That’s pretty sad because I love him and all. I really do. I don’t see what the big deal is, I mean Holden is all right. But I guess if it makes him happier, than I’m all for it. I think what’s wrong with Holden—is that he’s never happy, it’s like he hates everything and everybody. Daddy says he is a sinner, or maybe a “sinik” or something like that. I dunno. But, I think Holden is all right. I am going out there this summer, though. Mother and Daddy don’t think that’s a good idea, but I’m going to go out there anyway—even if I have to get my own taxi cab and all. I mean I’ve been saving up for a while to get a ticket or something.

216 The Catcher in the Rye I don’t think Mother and Daddy should have paid some company in California to help Holden—I mean it’s a waste of time. He even missed my big play ‘cause of it, I mean it was a total bore, but still. It was a pretty big deal. Actually, a very big deal; at least to me. Mother, Daddy, and I could have done just as good of a job as that company thing out in California. I mean I know what’s wrong with Holden: he just isn’t happy enough. He told me he’s surrounded by a bunch of “phonies” and stuff at the schools he went to, so it’s probably their fault. He’s always saying that everybody is a bunch of “phonies”. I don’t know why, I think everyone is all right. Plus, he’s always using swear words. I hate that. I don’t understand swear words, I mean why use them when there are plenty of other words that almost mean the same thing. But, I guess when you get older, you start to swear. I won’t though—I promised myself I am never going to swear. Ever. He just seems so sad all the time. I talked to D.B. on the phone and he said that that’s just part of growing up. I mean, just before he left, he took me to the Central Park Zoo and took me to the carousel. I went around on the thing a few times just like I did when I was younger. It was sort of childish of me to do, but that’s not the point.

217 The Catcher in the Rye Anyways when I was all done and ready to head home since it was raining and all, Holden was just crying. I asked him why and he said nothing. I don’t know why he was so sad, maybe he was thinking about Allie or something. But nobody cries for no reason—at least no one I know of. I tried to comfort him, but he just kept balling and telling me everything was fine and that he was all right. I didn’t believe him or nothing, but I let him be. He didn’t say a single word on the way back to the apartment and I didn’t try to force a conversation or anything. Holden hates forced conversations, he thinks they’re awkward. He says if people don’t have anything good to talk about, then they’d just be better off keeping to themselves. Holden still keeps in touch every once in a while, but only to me, he doesn’t like to write to Mother and Daddy too often. He is still bitter towards them about sending him to California to get better and everything. But, he told me it’s not too bad, I mean it’s a crumby place and all, but he said it’s not all bad. He said everybody thinks that if something is just a little bad, then it’s all bad, but it isn’t really like that.

218 The Catcher in the Rye He told me in one of his letters that the loonies are actually all right once you get to know them after a while. That makes me happy—you know that it isn’t all bad out there. Plus D.B. goes to visit him almost every weekend to make sure he isn’t getting lonely. I think that means a lot to Holden, whether he admits it or not. When we took him to the bus stop, that day, he pulled me aside away from Mother and Daddy for a bit. He told me one thing that was really loony. He said that I shouldn’t grow up, that it’s not worth it. I mean, he said he didn’t mean it literally or anything, but he said he didn’t want me to turn out like everybody else. I told him I wasn’t sure I understood, and then he smiled and said that’s what he wanted. I thought the whole thing was a little weird. I mean, the way he said it, he said it as if he wouldn’t see me again and I can’t stop myself from growing up, but I still think about it a lot. I think about what he said everyday.