i'm in fifth grade.
well, he killed a deer once.
criminal.
that's no fair. you make me sick. i don't know why you have to live here, anyway. daddy says we should think of it like you were a charity kid. toby takes out his comb, combs his hair a bit, then holds it out to pearl, an exaggerated look of innocence on his face.
we're gonna have snowcream!
no, you are.
can i join the girl scouts?
'you got letters from those schools!' toby grabs them as if they were the very stuff of life. pearl stands expectantly. toby notices her, then walks off holding the letters to his chest.
i can't find where this green piece goes -- it's gotta be grass. dwight sighs with irritation at the interruption of his listening pleasure, and turns up the volume on the record.
"yeah, he's here," she holds the receiver out to toby, whispering, "are you tobias?"
i know something'll make you feel good: that man called -- you got the scholarship. toby grits his teeth and clenches both fists victoriously. he's won.
he said they're gonna give you two thousand three hundred dollars a year and it costs two thousand five hundred dollars.  so you gotta come up with the other two hundred. great, huh? i'm making hot dogs -- i'll make one for you. can you put mustard on some bread for us? toby gets a jar of mustard from a cupboard, but it's empty, so he tosses it on top of the trash can, gets a new jar and starts to open it.
what're you doing home so earl.  oh! toby he got that scholarship -- two thousand and three hundred dollars! dwight makes himself a drink, takes two large swallows, then turns to toby.
it looks empty to me.
dad!