Different Seasons

The boys stop for a rest, and Gordie tells the other boys a story that he made up about Davie Hogan, a large boy who is bullied and tormented until he decides to get revenge. The revenge takes place during Pioneer Days, a town festival, which ends with a pie-eating contest. Davie drinks an entire bottle of castor oil before the contest, then hoovers his way through five pies before the castor oil takes effect, and he vomits all over the nearest competitor. Then the vomiting reflex spreads through the entire crowd, and Davie goes home triumphant. The boys are disappointed that the story ends there without a real conclusion. Gordie suggests that Davie’s dad probably came home and gave him a beating, and the kids at school kept right on teasing him. Teddy suggests that a better ending would be for Davie to shoot his family and run away to join the Army Rangers.

The boys get up and start walking again. Chris asks Gordie if he is going to write down the Davie story. Chris expresses some awe for the way stories seem to pop out of Gordie’s head like soap bubbles. He says that Gordie is going to be a great writer someday.