The Stardust Lounge_ Stories From a Boy's Adolescence - Deborah Digges [50]
The voice on the video discusses each case, comparing the bird with others confined too closely who did not pluck out their feathers.
And why, the commentator asks, did the first dog feel that he was only safe behind the drapes? Why did the second dog fixate on the stick while another happily gave it up to his person, played with other sticks, then abandoned them to go inside?
It is hard to say, the voice explains. Perhaps these animals lack the necessary serotonin, were born with low levels. Close captivity appears to have depleted the once-healthy bird's levels. After rescue, he still could not recover without help from the drug.
Prozac seems to be working for G.Q. Since he has been taking capsules in a piece of bologna every morning, we haven't observed him going strange, stiffening, narrowing his eyes, and licking his lips, though Stephen, if he is irritated about something, adopts the gesture.
Portrait of Frank / Photo by Stephen Digges
Vocabulary List
H Period
Stephen Digges
1. Mettle: The boys jumped from rooftop to roof op showing off their mettle to the onlookers below.
2. Dour: Her expression was dour when she told me I was going to fail the quarter.
3. Beguile: The boys would beguile the cops into believing that the fire was electrical.
4. Ogle: Her shapely figure caused her students to ogle blatantly.
5. Cull: Ms. A. has chosen to cull me out of the rest of the group as someone whose excuses are unacceptable.
6. Deleterious: The entire concept of grading the individual according to a standardized system can cause a deleterious self-esteem problem.
7. Doleful: His expression was doleful as he was led into the police station.
8. Ameliorate: He would ameliorate his friends’ problems by stealing a car to drive them home.
9. Reticent: The reticent man turned out to be a spy.
10. Subvert: With the help of many I will subvert the present social and political systems.
11. Raze: The kid will raze his room in anger if he isn't let out soon.
Arrested once more for driving on a suspended license, Stephen walks in the door one evening. He's bailed himself out of jail, perhaps a good thing for him to know how to do.
Shaking his head, he quotes from the movie Jaws: “ ‘Sometimes the sharks go away.’ “ he says. “ ‘Sometimes they don't go away’ “
Another evening Trevor storms in the door, furious with the teachers at Amherst Regional High. He spent last summer at a special camp where he not only brought up his grades, he excelled with As in math, English, and history.
He had hoped to improve his status from eternal freshman in high school to junior or senior. When Trevor announced his plans to go to Wolfeboro School Camp in New Hampshire, the local high school suggested it might be possible, if, they added, he did well.
But now those teachers say no. No, his intense summer work is not enough, after all, to advance him. Even though he is much older than all of his classmates he must remain a freshman. Yes, they insist, if he wants to stay in school, he must retake his freshman year. Neither he nor I can change their minds.
Trevor's seething ignites Stephen's demonstrative anger. The two of them begin plotting to get back at the teachers. They're revving up to be sure, holding each other, conspiring.
Charles steps in and places his hands on their shoulders.
“Fellas,” he begins, tuning his voice a little, mimicking the mayor in Jaws. Charles exaggerates his preparation to get the boys’ attention. Trevor and Stephen stand back.
“ ‘Fellas, be reasonable, /for one am not going to stand here and watch you do some kind of half-assed autopsy on a fish and see that little Kitner boy spill out all over this dock …’ “
We look to all kinds of literature, poems, and songs to find direction. Bob Marley's “You can't blame the youth, you can't fool the youth of today