A Separate Piece 
                          John Knowles


   The moment was past. Phineas I know had been even
more startled than I to discover this bitterness in himself.
Neither of us ever mentioned it again, and neither of us 
ever forgot that it was there.


    He sat down and studied his clenched hands.  "Did I 
ever tell, " he began in a husky tone,  "that I used to be
aiming for the Olympics?"He wouldn't have mentioned it
except after what he had said he had to say something
very personal, something deeply held. To do otherwise, to
begin joking, would have been a hypocritical denial of
what had happened, and Phineas was not capable of that.


   I was still hanging from the bar; my hands felt as though
they had sunk into it.   "No, you never told me that,"  I
mumbled into my arm.


  "Well I was. And now I'm not sure, not a hundred percent
sure I'll be completely, you know, in shape by 1944. So I'm
going to coach you for them instead."

 I chose this passage, because this seems like the new pivotal
point of this book. From here it seems Phineas is going to get
Gene ready for a possible Olympics. And through the train-
ing I think the two friend will get even closer. I also think that
Gene will finally get some attention from the boys at the school,
and won't be overshadowed by Phineas' previous popularity. I
think Phineas will see what being unpopular is like. Gene will
finally get to see what being popular is like. Overall I think they
will have a stronger bond between them, and move on towards
the Olympics.