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Show house/ 386 Brian applied himself for a day or two, catching up his missed assignments, and I rested easy, knowing I would have the date I wanted to the graduation party. But when spring quarter was winding down and it came time to pick up our caps and gowns, Brian found that one had not been reserved for him. His face was almost black. "That bastard! Christopoulous promised me. That's how it always is for me. I'm never a real person, to be treated like other people. Promises might matter to someone else, but not to me. Well, if they can't deal fairly with me, then I'll give 'em something besides easy=going, predictable Brian." The sound of his voice made me panic. There was something in his tone that reminded me of the words of Edgar, the bastard son of King Lear. We had just finished studying the play in my Honors English class and I was keenly aware of the consequences of such a deviant and bitter personality. "Brian, keep hold of yourself. Go talk to him. Don't do anything foolish until you find out what's going on." The next day, Brian was smiling grimly as he met me in the hall between classes. "I'll see you at graduation tonight," he said. "Brian, that's wonderful! It was just a misunderstanding, then?" He shook his head and steered me toward the parking lot before he spoke. "I told Christopoulous I'd burn the school to the ground if he didn't keep his promise to me. He said I was a half-credit short. He'd 'lost' it somewhere, he said. But he said we'd overlook it. I don't think he wants me back again next year." |