n　and　the　bizarrely　short　Mr。　Schindledecker　stood　gazing　up　at

Dan；　wearing　an　ugly　double…breasted　suit　and　pulling　on　his　wiry　brown　mustache。　？Are　you

planning　to　join　us；　Mr。　Humphrey；　or　would　you　rather　stay　out　here　and　watch　through　the

window？？

Dan　rolled　up　his　copy　ofThe　New　Yorker　and　tucked　it　under　his　arm。　？I　think　I？ll　join　you；？　he

replied；　stepping　inside　the　lab　and　walking　calmly　to　a　seat　at　the　back　of　the　room。　How　strange。

Dan　never　did　anything　calmly；　and　he？d　barely　recognized　his　voice　when　he？d　spoken　just　now；

for　in　it　was　a　brazen　note　of　cockiness；　as　if　something　new　inside　of　him　had　blossomed　and　was

ready　to　be　let　loose。

It　was　like　that　line　in　the　Keats　poem；　？Why　Did　I　Laugh　Tonight？？Verse；　Fame；　and　Beauty　are

intense　indeed。　。　。　。

And　Dan　was　definitely　feeling　it。

the　scoop　on　the　stoop

？Let？s　go　outside　and　smoke　cigarettes；？　Elise　whispered　in　Jenny？s　ear　as　they　headed　down　to

the　cafeteria　for　recess；　Constance　Billard？s　11A。M。　juice…and…cookies　break。　Only

second…semester　seniors　were　allowed　to　leave　school　during　recess；　so　she　was　very　clearly

proposing　something　pletely　illegal。

Jenny　stopped　on　the　stairs。　？I　didn？t　know　you　smoked。？

Elise　unzipped　the　small　outside　pocket　of　her　beige　Kenneth　Cole　backpack　and　pulled　a　pack　of

Marlboro　Lights　halfway　out。　？Only　every　once　and　a　while；？　she　replied；　pushing　the　pack　back

inside　in　case　a　teacher　came　down　the　stairs。　？Are　you　ing？？

Jenny　hesitated。　If　the　receptionist　noticed　them　leaving；　she　might　yell　at　them　and　then　call

their　homeroom　teacher　or　even　their　parents。　？How？？？

？Let？s　justgo　；？　Elise　urged；