So naturally he tried to cover up his stupid duck joke with an even lamer one."Have you noticed how everybody in the family has a nickname that ends with ie?"Paulie said. "They might as well hyphenate that into the family name. You'd beDeck Ie-Bride, and Celie would be Ceel Ie-Caswell."
Deckie smiled faintly. "And you'd be Paul Ie-Asshole."
Paulie stood there blushing, flustered, until he finally realized that this wasnot a friendly joke, this was Deckie letting him know that he didn't exist. SoPaulie turned and walked away from Deckie. Did Celie feel like this when shewalked away from me? If she did then I'm a rotten shit to make somebody elsefeel like this. Why can't I just keep my mouth shut? Other people keep theirmouths shut.
Later he saw Deckie and Celie hanging around together, laughing until tears randown Celie's face. He knew they were talking about him. Or if they weren't theymight as well be. That was the kind of laughter that never included Paulie, notat school, not at home, not here at this stupid family reunion in this stupidforty-room mansion that some stupid rich person called a "cabin." Wheneverpeople laughed in real friendship, close to each other, bound by affection ormutual respect or whatever it was, Paulie felt it like a knife in his heart. Notbecause he was particularly lonely. He liked being alone and other people madehim nervous so it wasn't like he suffered. It hurt him because it was exactlythe way people were with Mubbie. Nobody liked him and he still kept joking withthem as if they were friends, even Mother, she didn't like him either, any idiotcould see that, they were probably staying together for the sake of "the child,"which was Paulie of course. Or rather Mother was staying for Paulie's sake, andMubbie was staying for Mother's money, which was always useful for tiding himover between sales jobs, which Mubbie always joked his way into losing after