It was still early; the top edge of the rising sun had only just peeked over the roof of the church. A car passed across the way and disappeared down the main street. Another soon passed in the opposite direction. The town was just coming to life. Carter sniffed the air and caught the scent of bread baking somewhere nearby. Ordinarily he loved the warm, pleasant smell, but at the moment it turned his insides, and he became acutely aware of another, far-less-pleasing aroma. Unhappily, he found that it was emanating from his damp, sticky shirt. Rubbing away the crust from the side of his mouth with the back of his hand, he had a very dim recollection of having recently been sick to his stomach.This unpleasant memory was confirmed by the small, fetid puddle near the stoop of the statue where his head had just been resting.

Little by little, as he gulped back the urge to be sick again, it all began to come back to him. When Elena had walked out of the club the night before and the others had all abandoned him, Carter had stood there like a dolt, not knowing where to go or what to do. It had felt as though a part of him had died, and he felt desolate and empty inside, as if his life had suddenly lost all purpose. Upon the realization that all his discipline and careful preparations that summer had been nothing but a fool’s errand, there had seemed only one reasonable course of action. Ignoring the crowd as the music began to play once more, he had walked straight across the dance floor to the bar and plunked down his money.

The rest was a blur.

Now, as he was pondering the wreckage of the hopes and dreams that had led him to that spot, two young boys in soccer uniforms, kicking a ball along before them, crossed the piazza and passed by the statue on their way to an early-morning match. Upon beholding the pitiable sight that was Carter, the two stopped and gawked at him with expressions of distinct revulsion.

“Schifoso,” one said.

The other nodded in agreement, and the two hurried off.

Carter had yet to hear that particular word, but the contempt with which it had been uttered gave it meaning enough for him to understand it perfectly. Summoning all his strength and the little dignity left him, he got to his feet.