Page 86

By Jack Joseph Smith

faces@ The two cops had turned and walked off the playgrounds The next day I felt pretty cook about my position. on the yard, I was already becoming a revolutiona ry young'Jeauit, There by the wall I was. The high walj, where we played King of the Mountaing Hands in my pockets I was, Bouncing up and down with a grin sliding over my faces Ex boxer, coach, Italian, wae standing there watching me and picking uP 2 little bit of evil from my movenents, I was high and looking around, He walked over to me, looked me in the eye, and then let me have it, Bam bam, bam bang, fast, and my head swam, Visions went all around, but I didn't buckle, He turned from Mes. and walked oy, I watched him disappear around the side of the far school buildings. and waited for a long time before I saw hin coming around the corner of the sonvent direstiy above-me ow the hillj He came slowly, taking a look around him on his ways. A siekness passed between mé, 28 I watehed his face coming closer, Soon we were again, staring each other in the eyes) when he said, Frost,.it's a good thing you didn't woveg and then walled away agains Papa Joe drilled me onee for cookie vibrations too ; Up in the airs I wasy going like a charm strung lose from a tight eit bracelet, I had hit the cement on that one, and when I stood and began to stare, he mentioned that I had better get back to what I was doing, and this time do it without acting like a girl im her first dress I liked Davids One time I had stood up for him, and almst had to fight a Polish | Coach, .who had the strongest. hands I have ever Pelt, that dug nnd fingers into ! your eollr bone, yntil you kissed the grounds ,beeause he had walked into the middle i of something he hadn't watch begins I'm om his side coach; He didn't believe me, and deeided to take it all the ways How would you like to fight me?

Original Scan

Page 86

AI Interpretation

GPT

After Papa Joe humiliates the cops, Michael feels himself becoming a young revolutionary until an ex-boxer coach and Papa Joe himself physically check that swagger, tying schoolyard violence, masculine testing, and David's vulnerability into the same hard lesson.

The beatings are not framed as cruelty so much as calibration, a way of knocking theatrical rebellion back into the body. David matters because Michael's loyalty to him reveals that beneath the performance of toughness there is still a fierce instinct to stand with the endangered.

Claude

The ice-on-playground stretch: the Italian ex-boxer coach bams Michael twice for bouncing, then later approves by saying Frost, it's a good thing you didn't move — the yard's power order being taught by private assault.