I HATE YOU ELMER FRICKE

Dennis was my best friend when I was ten and eleven and twelve and then they sent him to another home for boys. The teacher wounded Dennis too. We were bonded by our surviving him. We spent Saturday afternoons together. We walked and sat in fields and orchards and held hands and even kissed. He held me sometimes for a long time. We never said what t he teacher did to us. We made a pact not to. That made sense to us. When he went away he took my secret with him and I kept his with me.
We often got in trouble together. Once it was all Elmer Fricke's fault. His name was as weird as him. He had pimples and bucked teeth that were also sharp and pointy. He was the self appointed crossing guard and play ground monitor. His pants were always too short and his dirty white socks fell down loosely on his scuffed black shoes. He walked on the outsides of his feet so the sides of his shoes were particularly more worn. He was fat so the crossing guard contraption that he wore around his bulging stomach rode up to his breasts which were bigger than most of the girls. His nose was always encrusted with snot.
Dennis and I decided that we wanted to know what a tuna fish sandwich would smell like if we lit it on fire. And so we found a corner in back of the school and began our experiment. Much to our annoyed dismay Elmer Fricke came snooping around - saw what we were doing and reported us to the principal. Back then they hit kids and we knew we were in for it, big time. Our principal was a sadistic pervert. Sure enough, we were escorted to the office by a teacher and proud Elmer - asshole!
Dennis had gotten the strap before by the principal. I never had but I knew there was no avoiding it now. He called Dennis in first. When he came out I saw his eyes all red and he glanced away. I went in next. I got through it - five hits with that big ole strap. Today, that fucking pervert would have been arrested.
And that's why I hate Elmer Fricke.