Richie Trout Quotes in Eleanor and Park
"What are you supposed to do when it gets too cold to play outside?" [Eleanor] asked Ben. […]
"Last year," he said, "Dad made us go to bed at seven thirty."
"God. You, too? Why do you guys call him that?" She tried not to sound angry.
Ben shrugged. "I guess because he's married to Mom."
"Yeah, but—" Eleanor ran her hands up and down the swing chains, then smelled them. "—we never used to call him that. Do you feel like he's your dad?"
"I don't know," Ben said flatly. "What's that supposed to feel like?"
Until this moment, she'd kept Park in a place in her head that she thought Richie couldn't get to. Completely separate from this house and everything that happened here. (It was a pretty awesome place. Like the only part of her head fit for praying.) But now Richie was in there, just pissing all over everything. Making everything she felt feel as rank and rotten as him.
"Why is your stepdad looking for you?"
"Because he knows, because I ran away."
"Why?"
"Because he knows.” Her voice caught. "Because it's him."
How he looks at me.
Like he's biding his time.
Not like he wants me. Like he'll get around to me. When there's nothing and no one else left to destroy.
How he waits up for me.
Keeps track of me.
How he's always there. When I'm eating. When I'm reading. When I'm brushing my hair.
You don't see.
Because I pretend not to.
Richie Trout Quotes in Eleanor and Park
"What are you supposed to do when it gets too cold to play outside?" [Eleanor] asked Ben. […]
"Last year," he said, "Dad made us go to bed at seven thirty."
"God. You, too? Why do you guys call him that?" She tried not to sound angry.
Ben shrugged. "I guess because he's married to Mom."
"Yeah, but—" Eleanor ran her hands up and down the swing chains, then smelled them. "—we never used to call him that. Do you feel like he's your dad?"
"I don't know," Ben said flatly. "What's that supposed to feel like?"
Until this moment, she'd kept Park in a place in her head that she thought Richie couldn't get to. Completely separate from this house and everything that happened here. (It was a pretty awesome place. Like the only part of her head fit for praying.) But now Richie was in there, just pissing all over everything. Making everything she felt feel as rank and rotten as him.
"Why is your stepdad looking for you?"
"Because he knows, because I ran away."
"Why?"
"Because he knows.” Her voice caught. "Because it's him."
How he looks at me.
Like he's biding his time.
Not like he wants me. Like he'll get around to me. When there's nothing and no one else left to destroy.
How he waits up for me.
Keeps track of me.
How he's always there. When I'm eating. When I'm reading. When I'm brushing my hair.
You don't see.
Because I pretend not to.
