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George Pollock State KidIssue 50
The Prisoners Eat Lobster
It was time for Joy Stojak to go.She had come through for Billy Stone. Her public testimony had given him the leveragehe needed to pry the heel of the juvenile justice system off his neck. With her father in a jail cell, held without bail for Joy's safety and ceaselessly spewing invective against BillyStone, the police, and his wife for “doin' nothin',” Joy needed to look after a distraughtmother.Also, she could no longer bear the sight of Billy and Vera together.At mid-afternoon, Mrs. Stojak arrived at Granite City in the beat-up family Chevy sedanwith Frank Jr. at the wheel. They were there to pick up Joy and take her home. Billy --wearing a sharp dark blue jacket, turquoise tie, tan trousers, and spit-shined black shoes --walked Joy out to the car. Joy had changed into a frilly skirt and affixed a pink bow to her hair -- fresh clothes courtesy of Vera -- and was, despite her ordeal, a flower of femininity. Neither spoke. Neither looked at the other. They had already said everything.Mrs. Stojak sat slumped in the front seat. Frank Jr. got out of the car.Billy stiffened. The last time they were in each other's presence, Frank Jr. had chasedBilly up the stairs of the Stojak home yelling and waving a hockey stick.“It's okay,” Joy said. “He just wants to say something to you.”Frank Jr. approached Billy. “Look, I ... I... I feel really bad. I'm sorry.”“So am I.”Mrs. Stojak rolled down the car window. “I'm sorry, too,” she said.“Thank you, Mrs. Stojak,” Billy said. “Joy told me she's going to take good care of you.”“You got your license,” Billy said to Frank, Jr.“Just got it.”“I'm getting mine this summer.”“I hear you're getting out.”It looks good, but I'm not out until I'm out.”“You'll get out. No way they can keep you here now, with everybody knowing the realstory. I'm sorry, Billy, I didn't mean ...”“I know you didn't. I'll call you. We'll talk. Tell your mother I don't blame her a bit, either.And I just think your Dad needs help. It's going to be okay, Frank.”“Okay.”
 
Frank Jr. got in the car and started it up. Joy took a few halting backward steps towardthe car, without taking her eyes off Billy, then rushed back into his arms. They huggedwhile Mrs. Stojak and Frank Jr. stared straight ahead, not disapprovingly.Joy broke away and ran sobbing to the car and it took her away. Billy watched the car outof sight, then went back inside where David Weatherall was waiting for him in therecreation room.***When he entered the recreation room, the TV was on and Weatherall was watching thenews along with several visitors. All heads turned his way, the TV and others in the roomdiscarded like a used handkerchief.“Billy, Conroy and Salera just announced the hearing for this Friday at nine,” DavidWeatherall said. “They strongly implied, and I mean
 strongly
implied, that it will be shortand sweet. Make plans for the weekend, my friend!”“The other agreements?”“Waiting for you in Carson's office,” Vera said.“Excuse me, I'll be right back.” Billy rushed out the door, sprinted to Director Carson'soffice and burst in. “Sorry, sorry, but I was told ....”“Here,” said Director Carson, handing Billy a large manila envelope. He ripped it open,skimmed it and ran out of the office to the recreation room and right into Vera's arms. Thetwo of them hugged, twirled, jumped up and down and danced wildly around the room,knocking over furniture, forcing visitors to hug the walls.“It's true! I'm going to be free! I'm going to be free! Thank God! Thank God!”Laughing, Vera said, “Watch out, world, here comes the famous Billy Stone -- on theloose!”David Weatherall, eyes moist, gave Billy a big hug. “Listen, I have a lot to tell you, butfirst, some people here to see you.”“Hi, Billy,” said Miss Casey, holding out a gloved hand. “Congratulations. Been a longtime.”“Yes, it has.”“You never called me.”“I meant to,”Billy said, shaking her hand. “I wanted to talk to you. What happened toyou?”“I quit. Couldn't take it any more. I was afraid I would kill McFardle.”“What are you doing now?”“I work for a publisher in Boston. I've been talking to David here about your book. Wemay be doing business. I hope so, Billy.”“I'll explain later,” said David Weatherall.“I know things are crazy for you now, Billy,” Miss Casey said, “so I'll just give you mycard and we'll get together next week for a long talk. We have a lot to talk about.”
 
She smiled and pressed her card into Billy's hand.“Next week, for sure,”Billy said.“I was quite unhappy with the sample chapters that you sent me, young man,” said Sister Francis Helen, approaching Billy in her long black habit with starched white collar hugging her neck and with the long rope of beads at her side swinging and clicking.Though her order, Sisters of Providence, had long since made traditional dress optional,she was one of a very few who continued to dress as she always had. “I trust that my noteto you made that quite clear. Publishers these days will print anything, but I expect much,much more from you, I hope you understand. Now next week after you're out of thisdreadful place, I shall meet with you to talk about your manuscript which, I must stress,is extremely raw.”“Yes, Sister. Thank you, Sister.”What have you read lately?”“Les Miserables.”“All of it?”“Yes.”“Did Hugo speak to you?”“Yes, Sister. I also read A Man for All Seasons.”“Did it give you courage?”“Yes, Sister. It thought about it a lot when I was in the king's tower.”“A great play with much to teach us all.”“Yes, Sister.”“Excuse me, Sister,” Dr. Sam Bridges said,” but I just want to say something quickly toBilly and then you can have him back. Billy, after the hearing on Friday, would you meetwith me in my office at the hospital? There's something quite important that I mustdiscuss with you.”“Sure, what is it?”“Better we talk in my office. I'll be at the hearing. We can go directly from there to myoffice. I won't take much of your time. I know that you and Vera will want to go out andcelebrate the big day. Okay?”“Okay.”“Hi, Billy,” said Nathan Silverman. “First of all, congratulations. I've been watching youon TV. I've also been talking with your agent about your book. But it seems we've gotsome competition. I see somebody is here from Royal Books.” He glanced in thedirection of Miss Casey. “But I wanted to tell you directly that we are prepared tosweeten ...”Kali, Durk, Angel, Johnson Johnson, and Billy Ruggieri crashed into the room. “Weheard the news, man,”said Kali, and he proceeded to loose a string of joyous obscenitiesrelating Attorney General John Conroy and friends to various body parts and and bodily
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