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Show 108. Chic acted real glad to see JD, too. He even took time to show him howhe'd repaired his first TV set. "You're getting in the big money, Chic. What will you charge for this one?" Chic made a face. "It's our own. Dad said he'd kill me if I ruined it, so, of course, I didn't." "My friend the genius!" JD was honestly impressed. "You wanta play a game of pool? You too busy?" He looked at the staggering backlog of broken and aged clap-trap that Chic had surrounded himself with in the shop. "No, let's go," Chic lifted his parka off a set of antlers that doubled as coat rack. "I fully subscribe to what Benjamin Franklin said," he rattled on happily, "Beware the work ethic! or, freely translated, 'A penny squandered is a penny burned!'" They left the shop laughing, JD already perking up to be with his optimistic, spontaneous goon of a friend. They played pool that afternoon like JD couldn't remember. When they got hungry, they stopped for grilled cheese and onion sandwiches, the way only Ben Skurzynski could make them, downed a couple of root beers, then upped the stakes and started over again. They weren't good, like they'd been two years ago when they played all the time, but they had fun. Walking home, Chic told JD they both ought to get more recreation. "Remember when we used to shoot baskets every Saturday? And when we weren't shooting baskets or pool, you were out fishing with Garth." "Yeah, working's a real drag. I can't get out of it, though," JD kicked a rock ahead of him. "Work and Gayle. That leaves you no time. What you need is a thirty hour day." "Ah, yes! Gayle!" JD hadn't thought of her all afternoon. "We broke up." JD figured Chic might as well hear it from him. "Oh, yeah? I've heard that before." "Well, you won't hear it again. She can't stand the sight of me. It's all over." "What happened?" |