A Separate Peace.pdf - Southwest High School

60"So," Brinker curled his lip at me, "your little plot didn't work so well after all.""What's he talking about?" said Finny as I thrust his crutches beneath his shoulders."Just talking," I said shortly. "What does Brinker ever talk about?""You know what I'm talking about well enough.""No I don't.""Oh yes you do.""Are you telling me what I know?""Damn right I am.""What's he talking about," said Finny.The room was bitterly cold. I stood trembling in front of Phineas, still holding his crutchesin place, unable to turn and face Brinker and this joke he had gotten into his head, thiscatastrophic joke."He wants to know if I'll sign up with him," I said, "enlist." It was the ultimate question forall seventeen-year-olds that year, and it drove Brinker's insinuations from every mind but mine."Yeah," said Brinker."Enlist!" cried Finny at the same time. His large and clear eyes turned with an oddexpression on me. I had never seen such a look in them before. After looking at me closely hesaid, "You're going to enlist?""Well I just thought—last night after the railroad work—""You thought you might sign up?" he went on, looking carefully away.Brinker drew one of his deep senatorial breaths, but he found nothing to say. We three stoodshivering in the thin New Hampshire morning light, Finny and I in pajamas, Brinker in a blueflannel bathrobe and ripped moccasins. "When will you?" Finny went on."Oh, I don't know," I said. "It was just something Brinker happened to say last night, that'sall.""I said," Brinker began in an unusually guarded voice, glancing quickly at Phineas, "I saidsomething about enlisting today."Finny hobbled over to the dresser and took up his soap dish. "I'm first in the shower," hesaid."You can't get that cast wet, can you?" asked Brinker."No, I'll keep it outside the curtain."