Chapter 11

I got old Jane Gallagher on the brain again on the way back to the lobby. I couldn't stop thinking about her and Stradlater in the back of Ed Banky's goddamn car. I was pretty sure Stradlater hadn't given her the time. I knew old Jane like a book. But I couldn't stop thinking about her.
She used to live in the house next door to ours. I saw her by the pool one day and went over and said hello. I hadn't conversed with her before or anything. After that, me and Jane got to be friends and all. She was a funny girl, old Jane. I wouldn't exactly discribe her as strictly beautiful. She knocked me out though.
I remember one afternoon when I was over at her house and we were in the porch. We were playing checkers. I used to kid her once in a while because she never took her kings off the back row. Anyway, all of a sudden, this booze hound her mother was married to came out and asked Jane if there were any cigarettes in the house. He had a lousy personality. Old Jane wouldn't answer him when he asked her. He asked her again but she didn't even look up from the game. The guy finally went back inside. Once he did, I asked Jane what the hell was going on. She wouldn't even answer me then. Then, all of a sudden, this tear plopped down onto a red square on the checkerboard. I went over and made her move onto the glider so that I could sit next to her. That's when she really started to cry. The next thing I knew, I was kissing her all over - anywhere - her eyes, her nose, her forehead and all - everywhere apart from her mouth. Anyway, that's the closest we ever got to necking. After that we went to a goddamn movie. I held hands with her the whole time. Most girls you hold hands with, their goddamn hand dies on you. But Jane was different.
Anyway, after I'd stopped thinking about Jane I still wasn't tired or anything. So I got a cab and told the driver to take me to Ernie's. It's a night club in Greenwich Village where my brother D.B used to go. He used to take me with him once in a while.