Junot Díaz
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (Excerpt L)
I really must have been in a dangle over Suriyan-which is why I threw myself something serious into project Oscar . Those first weeks, while I waited for Suriyan to forgive me, I had fatboy like Master Killer in Shaolin Temple . Was on his ass 24/7 . Got him to swear off walking up to strange girls with his I-love-you-craziness . (You’re only scaring these poor girls, O.) Got him to start watching his diet and to stop talking crazy negative- I am ill fated, I am going to perish a virgin, I’m lacking in pulchritude- at least while I was around, I did. (Positive thoughts, I stressed, positive thoughts, motherfucker!) . Even brought him out with me and the boys. Not anything serious- just out for a drink when it was a crowd of us and his monstroness wouldn’t show much. (The boys hating-What’s next? We start inviting out the homeless?) But my biggest coup of all? I got dude to exercise with me. To fucking run . Page 182