good, good, excellent reading. urn, okay, so. what do people think? what' s going on here?
okay.
luke?
no . you went twenty minutes ago .
the poem. the poem, folks. hello?
hey -- uh , what' s going on? jakob seems awkward around monty , nervous .
teaching m y class , i guess.
okay, so i'll see you later? monty nods .
sure . come in.
i won' t tell on you. mary walks into the room, looking around suspiciously. jakob points at a chair .
tak e a seat. mary sits .
so what's up?
monty? an old friend of mine. he went here, too.
actually, i have many friends who don't look like me.
we grew up together. so what can i do for you?
okay, first of all --
don't worry about everyone else.
what did your mother say when you go t that?
the tattoo.
oh . and?
well , what did you say, i guess .
oh . did he?
just curious. __
no , i'm not changing the grade. i'd be happy to discuss -- mary yanks her bookbag off the floor and straps it on her shoulder.
look, instead of worrying about the grade so much, let's talk about the actual---
all right. just wanted to let you know that monty --
yeah, it's nice.
do you think real human beings use the word "doozy"?
maybe we'll have a snow day tomorrow.
i don't know how to ski.
are you ready for this? slattery changes channels.
for tonight.
what do we say to him? he's goin g to be living in a cell for seven years .
it's like visiting a friend in the - hospital with cancer . what do we say?
i don't even know wh y he invited me .
we hardly ever see each other these days . you and i are his friends from the past .
i can't believe he'l l be gone for seven years. someone turns him in and boom, goodbye.
what does that mean ?
lords of the outer boroughs. remember that? slattery stands and stretches. he looks tired.
where do you want it?
what's he planning to do with doyle?
they should at least let him take his dog with him. maybe it wouldn't be so lonely. slattery cocks an eyebrow and stares at jakob.
i'm just saying it would be nice if you could.
monty's tough. i think he'll be okay.
if it was me , i'd never last a day. but monty's different.
so explain it to me .
you're talking about.  it can't be as bad as people say. i mean, it's a federal prison. i'm sure they're pretty careful --
he won't do that. his dad's bar --
kill himself? not a chance. no way. what's the third choice?
that's what's going to happen. he'll go and he'll make it through.
what does that mean? slattery raises his thumb.
no , i'm fine. jody walks away. slattery and jakob examine her tush.
a student, yeah. a junior. what's weird is, i mean this girl is sixteen. maybe seventeen, i don't know. she's not really pretty -- not in the usual way, but she's -- i don't know, she's got something.
i told him -- i told terry he ought to just forget about it, put her out of his mind, but he's -- he's kind of obsessing. it's a little scary, the way he talks about it. he's like, ^five years from now, she'll be almost out of college. and i'll be thirty-one. nothing wrong with that.' r~\ slattery sips from his whiskey. he still hasn't looked at jakob.
no.
i'm not a pervert or anything.
oh, we got here early.
whose uncle is he?
frank wants to be a redneck. he comes here and whistles dixie while he's peeing.
oh .
mary d'annunzio.
i've got to go. i'm here with friends.
uh, i don't --
sure.
i think dusk is very good. but i like his earlier stuff better.
look, monty, she's seventeen. we can't take her in here.
now listen --
i can't believe you brought my student in here.
you're going to get me fired. do you realize that? she'll tell her friends, --'=-= --- and they'll -t-e-1-1-the-i-r friends --
not yet? what does that mean?
shit, monty, she's seventeen! she's my
yeah, but.  i don't know. you've seen the size of my apartment.
what about nat?
the thing is -- monty takes another sip and then holds the champagne flute up to the light.
one more glass of this and i'm officially drunk.
yeah, of course.
you know what? it would be an honor.
after that speech, jesus christ, how could i refuse? slattery returns with a glass of whiskey. he sits next to his friends and sighs.
she's my student. my student.
jakob.
yeah, i'm -- monty puts his hand on slattery's arm.
do you want me to stay here?
should i tell nat you're downstairs -x having sex with a prostitute? \, ,. j
whoa, what are you doing? what are you doing? mary, now standing and slightly swaying, laughs.
i give a shit. do you know what happens if somebody sees me -- us -- like that? mary sits on the far side of the sofa, knees primly clasped together, exaggerating the role of good girl.
are you drunk? mary  ''mm uh huh. and i had some e before.
jesus. : he tries to rub the sleep out of his eyes.
we call it x in this country.
listen, mary, do you think it would be possible to avoid talking about this at school? this whole night?
tell me you're joking.
what?
what's what you love about me ? mary turns to look at him again, but it's clear she's not really following the conversation.
never mind.
no. i don't think you're weird.
of course. you're ophelia?
no , it was very good.
i was there .
ar e you allowed to stay out this late? on a school night?
i need to go to sleep.
over there, i think. mary winks at him and makes her way across the room. en route she grabs a champagne flute off daphne's platter and chugs it. she replaces the glass and slips into the bathroom. jakob watches her go. he watches the bathroom door close behind her. he stands, a bit unsteadily. he's been drinking all night . he weaves his way to the bathroom door . he waits . eventually mary opens the door. she looks up at jakob, he r "eyes as wide as tweety bird's .
no .
i've been looking all over for you. can we get out of here?
i kissed her.
mary d'annunzio. i kissed her .
i kissed my student. my seventeen year old high school student. they'll fire me .
yeah? slattery hands him the glass of whiskey.
what time is it? but monty is jnot present, he is elsewhere, lost in whatever fevefie occuples""his mind. slattery's eyes are clo~sed;-he- seems to be sleeping.
do you know what time it is? another long pause.
he likes the snow. monty whistles for doyle and the dog jumps to his feet and runs over, wagging the stump of his tail, his muzzle dusted with snow.
come on, this is crazy. on, t i.jsh come monty points at jakob.
monty i
frank.  frank!
stop!
okay. enough.
don't try to move yet.
hospital.  we need to take you to the hospital.
okay.
thanks. he turns and watches her glide down the hill toward 86th street. he looks down: at doyle. doyle looks-iap- at ~hifff. tm -
cool dog. jakob shakes his head and smiles, and they continue walking south.
	103:
ii