Punish the Sinners Read Free Page B

how to deal with teen-age girls. And now, in their mid-thirties, it was probably too latefor either of them to learn. So, in their own ways, each of them coped with his discomfort—Balsam by grinning foolishly, and Vernon by ignoring them completely. As they began their tour of St Francis Xavier High School, Peter Balsam put the entire incident out of his mind.
       On the tennis court the four girls gave up their game and gathered together. Judy Nelson, a few months older than the other three, was snickering.
    “We really bugged him that time,” she said. “He always tries to pretend we don’t exist”
    “Only during the summer.” Penny Anderson shuddered. “During the year you can’t get away from him.” If any of the girls heard her, they didn’t respond. They were still watching the two figures as they disappeared into the school building.
    “Did you see what happened when I waved to him?” Karen Morton asked. “I thought he was going to freak. I hate the way he stares at me.”
    “Everyone stares at you,” Judy replied, trying to keep the envy out of her voice. “And the way you flash your body around, who can blame them?” Judy was pleased to see her Mend blush.
    “She can’t help it,” Janet Connally defended Karen. “We can’t all afford to get new clothes every week.”
    Karen Morton flushed again, unsure whether her overdeveloped figure or her poverty was the most shameful, and wishing someone would change the subject To her relief, the fourth girl in the group did.
    “That must have been the new teacher with Monsignor,” Penny Anderson said. “My mother picked him up at the train this afternoon and took him to his apartment. She says he’s weird.”
    “Then he’ll fit in here just fine,” Judy commented.“If you ask me, this whole town’s weird.” She shuddered a little, but the other three girls ignored it: Judy had hated Neilsville as long as they could remember.
    “Are you going to take his course?” Penny asked Judy.
    “I wouldn’t miss it,” Judy said, a conspiratorial look coming over her face. “Let’s all take it.”
    “I don’t know if my mother will let me,” Penny said doubtfully. “She doesn’t think they ought to be teaching psychology.”
    “Nobody does, except Monsignor,” Janet put in. “And I keep wondering why he wants it so badly. I mean, it seems like the last thing he’d want us to know anything about.”
    “Maybe he had to put it in,” Karen suggested. “Maybe the Bishop insisted.”
    “Oh, who cares?” Judy Nelson said impatiently. “The point is, if we can all get into that class, and they don’t split us up like they usually do, we can get away with anything. I mean, a new teacher, who isn’t even a nun? It’ll be too much. After the first week he won’t know what hit him.”
    “It would be fun,” Penny agreed. “But I’ll have to work on Mother.”
    “And speaking of mothers,” Judy cut in with a grimace, “I have to meet mine down at Osgood’s to buy a new dress. You want to come along?” The question was addressed to the group, but only Karen Morton responded:
    ”I’ll come. We’ll find you something sexy to wear to the party Saturday.”
    “As if she’d let me buy something sexy,” Judy groaned. “She thinks I’m twelve years old.” The two of them wandered off, leaving Penny and Janet alone on the court. After a moment, Judy spotted the fifth girlstill silently serving balls to herself on the handball court. She nudged Karen, then turned and called to her friends, loudly enough for the other girl to hear, “You coming, or are you just going to stand there and watch the elephant play?”
    Janet Connally’s eyes widened in surprise at her friend’s meanness, but she said nothing. She just tugged at Penny’s arm, and began walking away. At the other end of the court Judy Nelson was giggling at her own wit.
       The object of Judy’s wit, Marilyn Crane, wanted to shrink up and die. She’d heard the crack,