I was on my own. Weekends I was
on my own. Ever the outsider, I
created my own strange little world.
I did it out of necessity. I needed a
way to fit in. I also needed money, a
way to buy the same snacks and do
the things that the other kids were
doing. Which is how I became the
tuck-shop guy.
Thanks to my long walk to
school, I was late every single day.
I’d have to stop off in the prefect’s
office to write my name down for
detention. I was the patron saint of
detention. Already late, I’d run to
join my morning classes—math,
English, biology, whatever. The last