sk.carrie-第17节

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'Going？'　Susan　shrugged　and　picked　up　her　chalk　again。　She　had　a　monstrous　writer's　cramp。　'No；　but　I　still　want　it　to　be　nice。'　She　added　shyly：　'Tommy's　going。'
They　worked　in　silence　for　a　bit；　and　then　Helen　stopped　again。　No　one　was　near　them；　the　closest　was　Holly　Marshall；　on　the　other　end　of　the　mural；　colouring　the　gondola's　keel。
'Can　I　ask　you　about　it；　Sue？'　Helen　asked　finally。　'God；　everybody's　talking。'
'Sure。'　Sue　stopped　colouring　and　flexed　her　hand。
'Maybe　I　ought　to　tell　someone；　just　so　the　story　stays　straight。　I　asked　Tommy　to　take　Carrie。　I'm　hoping　it'll　bring　her　out　of　herself　a　little　。。。　knock　down　some　of　the　barriers。　I　think　I　owe　her　that　much。'
'Whom　does　that　put　the　rest　of　us？'　Helen　asked　without　rancour。
Sue　shrugged。　'You　have　to　make　up　your　own　mind　about　what　we　did；　Helen。　I'm　in　no　position　to　throw　stones。　But　I　don't　want　people　to　think　I'm　uh　。。。'
'Playing　match'
'Something　like　that。'
'And　Tommy　went　along　with　it？'　This　was　the　part　that　most　fascinated　her。
'Yea；'　Sue　said；　and　did　not　elaborate。　After　a　pause：　'I　suppose　the　other　kids　think　I'm　stuck　up。'
Helen　thought　it　over。　'Well　。。。　they're　all　talking　about　it。　But　most　of　them　still　think　you're　okay。　Like　you　said；　you　make　your　own　decisions。　There　is；　however；　a　small　dissenting　faction。'　She　snickered　dolefully。
'The　Chris　Hargensen　people？'
'And　the　Billy　Nolan　people。　God；　he's　scuzzy。'
'She　doesn't　like　me　much？'　Sue　said；　making　it　a　question。
'Susie；　she　hates　your　guts。'
Susan　nodded；　surprised　to　find　the　thought　both　distressed　and　excited　her。
'I　heard　her　father　was　going　to　sue　the　school　department　and　then　he　changed　his　mind；'　she　said。
Helen　shrugged。　'She　hasn't　made　any　friends　out　of　this；'　she　said。　'I　don't　know　what　got　into　us；　any　of　us。　It　makes　me　feel　like　I　don't　even　know　my　own　mind。'
They　worked　on　in　silence。　Across　the　room；　Don　Barrett　was　putting　up　an　extension　ladder　preparatory　to　gilding　the　overhead　steel　beams　with　crepe　paper。
'Look；'　Helen　said。　'There　goes　Chris　now。'
Susan　looked　up　just　in　time　to　see　her　walking　into　the　cubby…hole　office　to　the　left　of　the　gym　entrance。　She　was　wearing　wine…coloured　velvet　hot　pants　and　a　silky　white　blouse　…　no　bra；　from　the　way　things　were　jiggling　up　front　…　a　dirty　old　man's　dream；　Sue　thought　sourly；　and　then　wondered　what　Chris　could　want　in　where　the　Prom　mittee　had　set　up　shop。　Of　course　Tina　Blake　was　on　the　mittee　and　the　two　of　them　were　thicker　than　thieves。
Stop　it；　she　scolded　herself。　Do　you　want　her　in　sackcloth　and　ashes？
Yes；　she　admitted。　A　part　of　her　wanted　just　that。
'Helen？'
'Hmmmm？'
'Are　they　going　to　do　something？'
Helen's　face　took　on　an　unwilling　masklike　quality。　'I　don't　know。'　The　voice　was　light；　over　innocent。
'Oh；'　Sue　said　nonmittally。
（you　know　you　know　something：　accept　something　goddammit　if　its　only　yourself　tell　me）
They　continued　to　colour；　and　neither　spoke。　She　knew　it　wasn't　as　all　right　as　Helen　had　said。　It　couldn't　be；　she　would　never　be　quite　the　same　golden　girl　again　in　the　eyes　of　her　mates。　She　had　done　an　ungovernable；　dangerous　thing　…　she　had　broken　cover　and　shown　her　face。
The　late　afternoon　sunlight；　warm　as　oil　and　sweet　as　childhood；　slanted　through　the　high；　bright　gymnasium　windows。
From　My　Name　Is　Susan　Snell　（p。　40）。
I　can　understand　some　of　what　must　have　led　up　to　the　prom。　Awful　as　it　was；　I　can　understand　how　someone　like　Billy　Nolan　could　go　along；　for　instance。　Chris　Hargensen　led　him　by　the　nose…at　least；　most　of　the　time。
His　friends　were　just　as　easily　led　by　Billy　himself。　Kenny　Garson；　who　dropped　out　of　high　school　when　he　was　eighteen；　had　a　tested　third…grade　reading　level。　In　the　clinical　sense；　Steve　Deighan　was　little　more　than　an　idiot。　Some　of　the　others　had　police　records；　one　of　them；　Jackie　Talbot；　was　first　busted　at　the　age　of　nine；　for　stealing　hubcaps。　If　you've　got　a　social…worker　mentality；　you　can　even　regard　these　people　as　unfortunate　victims。
But　what　can　you　say　for　Chris　Hargensen　herself？
It　seems　to　me　that　from　first　to　last；　her　one　and　only　object　in　view　was　the　plete　and　total　destruction　of　Carrie　White　。。。
'I'm　not　supposed　to；'　Tina　Blake　said　uneasily。　She　was　a　small；　pretty　girl　with　a　billow　of　red　hair。　A　pencil　was　pushed　importantly　in　it。　'And　if　Norma　es　back；　she'll　spill。'
'She's　in　the　crapper；'　Chris　said。　'e　on。'
Tina；　a　little　shocked；　giggled　in　spite　of　herself。　Still；　she　offered　token　resistance：　'Why　do　you　want　to　see；　anyway？　You　can't　go。'
'Never　mind；'　Chris　said。　As　always；　she　seemed　to　bubble　with　dark　humour。
'Here；'　Tina　said；　and　pushed　a　sheet　enclosed　in　limp　plastic　across　the　desk。　'I'm　going　out　for　a　Coke。　If　that　bitchy　Norma　Watson　es　back　and　catches　you　I　never　saw　you。'
'Okay；'　Chris　murmured；　already　absorbed　in　the　floor　plan。　She　didn't　hear　the　door　close。
George　Chizmar　had　also　done　the　floor　plan；　so　it　was　perfect。　The　dance　floor　was　clearly　marked。　Twin　bandstands。　The　stage　where　the　King　and　Queen　would　be　crowned
（i'd　like　to　crown　that　fucking　snell　bitch　carrie　too）
at　the　end　of　the　evening。　Ranged　along　the　three　sides　of　the　floor　were　the　prom…goers'　tables。　Card　tables；　actually；　but　covered　with　a　froth　of　crepe　and　ribbon；　each　holding　party　favours；　prom　programmes；　and　ballots　for　King　and　Queen。
She　ran　a　lacquered；　spade…shaped　fingernail　down　the　tables　to　the　right　of　the　dance　floor；　then　the　left。　There：　Tommy　R。　&　Carrie　W。　They　were　really　going　through　with　it。　She　could　hardly　believe　it。　Outrage　made　her　tremble。　Did　they　really　think　they　would　be　allowed　to　get　away　with　it？　Her　lips　tautened　grimly。
She　looked　over　her　shoulder。　Norma　Watson　was　still　nowhere　in　sight。
Chris　put　the　seating　chart　back　and　rifled　quickly　through　the　rest　of　the　papers　on　the　pitted　and　initialwarred　desk。　Invoices　（mostly　for　crepe　paper　and　hapenny　nails）；　a　list　of　parents　who　had　loaned　card　tables；　petty…cash　vouchers；　a　bill　from　Star　Printers；　who　had　run　off　the　prom　tickets；　a　sample　King　and　Queen　ballot
Ballot！　She　snatched　it　up。
No　one　was　supposed　to　see　the　actual　King　and　Queen　ballot　until　Friday；　when　the　whole　student　body　would　hear　the　candidates　announced　over　the　school's　inter。　The　King　and　Queen　would　be　voted　in　by　those　attending　the　prom；　but　blank　nomination　ballots　had　been　circulated　to　home　rooms　almost　a　month　earlier。　The　results　were　supposed　to　be　top　secret。
There　was　a　gaining　student　move　afoot　to　do　away　with　the　King　and　Queen　business　all　together　…　some　of　the　girls　claimed　it　was　sexist；　the　boys　thought　it　was　just　plain　stupid　and　a　little　embarrassing。　Chances　were　good　that　this　would　be　the　last　year　the　dance　would　be　so　formal　or　traditional。
But　for　Chris；　this　was　the　only　year　that　counted。　She　stared　at　the　ballot　with　greedy　intensity。
George　and　Frieda。　No　way。　Frieda　Jason　was　a　Jew。
Peter　and　Myra。　No　way　here；　either。　Myra　was　one　of　the　female　clique　dedicated　to　erasing　the　whole　horse　race。　She　wouldn't　serve　even　if　elected。　Besides；　she　was　about　as　good…looking　as　the　ass　end　of　old　drayhorse　Ethel。
Frank　and　Jessica。　Quite　possible。　Frank　Grier　had　made　the　All　New　England　football　team　this　year；　but　Jessica　was　another　little　sparrowfart　with　more　pimples　than　brains。
Don　and　Helen。　Forget　it。　Helen　Shyres　couldn't　get　elected　dog　catcher。
And　the　last　pairing。　Tommy　and　Sue。　Only　Sue；　of　course；　had　been　crossed　out；　and　Carrie's　name　had　been　written　in。　There　was　a　pairing　to　conjure　with！　A　kind　of　strange；　shuffling　laughter　came　over　her；　and　she　clapped　a　hand　over　her　mouth　to　hold　it　in。
Tina　scurried　back　in。　'Jesus；　Chris；　you　still　here？　She's　ing！'
'Don't　sweat　it；　doll；'　Chris　said；　and　put　the　papers　back　on　the　desk。　She　was　still　grinning　as　she　walked　out；　pausing　to　raise　a　mocking　hand　to　Sue　Snell；　who　was　slaying　her　skinny　butt　off　on　that　stupid　mural。
In　the　outer　hall；　she　fumbled　a　dime　from　her　bag；　dropped　it　into　the　pay　phone；　and　called　Billy　Nolan。
From　The　Shadow　Exploded　（pp。　100…　10　1）：
One　wonders　just　how　much　planning　went　into　the　ruination　of　Carrie　White　…　was　it　a　carefully　made　plan；　rehearsed　and　gone　over　many　times；　or　just　something　that　happened　in　a　bumbling　sort　of　way？
。。。　I　favour　the　latter　idea。　I　suspect　that　Christine　Hargensen　was　the　brains　of　the　allair；　but　that　she　herself　had　only　the　most　nebulous　of　ideas　on　how　one　might　'get'　a　girl　like　Carrie。　I　rather　suspect　it　was　she　who　suggested　that　William　Nolan　and　his　friends　make　the　trip　to　Irwin　Henty's　farm　in　North　Chamberlain。　The　thought　of　that　trip's　imagined　result　would　have　appealed　to　a　warped　sense　of　poetic　justice；　I　am　sure。　。。
The　car　screamed　up　the　rutted　Stack　End　Road　in　North　Chamberlain　at　a　sixty…five　that　was　dangerous　to　life　and　limb　on　the　washboard　unpaved　hardpan。　A　low…hanging　branch；　lush　with　May　leaves；　occasionally　scraped　the　roof　of　the　'61　Biscayne；　which　was　fender…dented；　rusted　out；　jacked　in　the　back；　and　equipped　with　dual　glasspack　mufflers。　One　headlight　was　out；　the　other　flickered　in　the　midnight　dark　when　the　car　struck　a　particularly　rough　bump。
Billy　Nolan　was　at　the　pink　fuzz…covered　whee