Free The Sledding Hill by Chris Crutcher Page A

load right this minute,” he says. “She’s not exactly a chip off the old block.”
    His mind jumps to his own dad. “Man, my dad would crap his drawers over all this,” he says, and his pace increases even more. Eddie Proffit is eating this hill up. “He would put the school board on notice. Speaking of crap, you know what’s really crap? Of course you do, you’re dead. I’ll tell you anyway .”
    He’s right, I do know, but I let him tell me .
    â€œWhat’s really crap is that book was making me feel less lonely and they want to take it away. Now that I have you, and your dad, I feel better anyway, but think of all the people who don’t have you or your dad. The guys who want this book out of here thinks it’s a sin if somebody thinks a ‘bad’ word, or considers a ‘bad’ idea. They don’t care if the characters seem like friends to people who don’t have any. I bet God’s not really like that. And I’ll bet it ticks Him off big-time when he sees them using him to get their way. I wouldn’t be surprised if we have a hurricane.”
    He’s right and he’s wrong. The universe isn’t like that. But it doesn’t tick the universe off one bit. Theuniverse is loving enough to let what happens happen. The universe has no interest in the outcome .
    Â 
    When Eddie starts into the second circuit of his workout today, he looks over and sees Chad Nash. Chad’s so invisible at Youth for Christ he resembles me. He’s at church every Sunday and he hangs around the edges of the after-school meetings, but you don’t hear a word from him. He says, “Hey, Eddie.”
    Eddie looks over.
    â€œOkay if I run with you?” Chad says.
    Eddie nods.
    Eddie seems easy to talk to, and since he’s not talking, he’s no danger as a rat. I know from one look, that’s what Chad’s looking for. Course Chad doesn’t know that when he runs with Eddie, he runs with me, who is also no danger as a rat.
    Chad’s dad was a NCAA decathlon champion fifteen years ago. He’s a big, buff, outgoing guy withRed Brick Christian family values that don’t sweep wide enough to include his son, though his dad doesn’t know that. I didn’t know it until just this second. Chad Nash is gay, which has him scared spitless because of his membership in YFC. It’s like if you were in the KKK and discovered your biological father is Jewish. I’m catching up on Chad’s history while we run, which includes terror at disappointing a father who is loud and clear in his devotion to Leviticus, the go-to Old Testament book that says gayness and badness are the same thing.
    Chad knows Eddie is on the fast track toward baptism and membership in Youth for Christ, but Eddie seems different. He’s praying Eddie will be an ally because he is way tired of hiding out.
    â€œMy parents won’t let me have friends outside the church,” Chad says, “and I hear you’re gettin’ baptized.”
    Eddie slows his pace to match Chad.
    â€œYFC is coming out strong against Warren Peece. I can’t tell if you like the book or not, but I do andI’m going to have a tough time going along.” He runs in silence a minute or so, breathing way harder than their pace requires. I feel it. He wants to just say it. His secret has been exploding inside him. Truth is, Eddie already knows, or assumes, and couldn’t care less. Mr. Proffit raised Eddie to worship math and science. Random chance assigns somewhere between eight and twelve percent of the population gay, about the same as left-handers.
    Eddie looks over at Chad to let him know he hears.
    â€œ Warren Peece is the first book I’ve ever read with…with characters who seem like they could be my friends,” he says. “That Mitch guy, he’s so cool, like, one of the coolest characters in the book.” Mitch is a gay