Adaptation of Catcher in the Rye - Sumin You

Adaptation of Catcher in the Rye, chapter 20

This adaptation of the novel “The Catcher in the Rye,” which takes place in KMLA, is the part where Holden gets drunk and calls up Sally from chapter 20. In this adaptation, I also tried to show how Holden felt by the end of the book- the part where he says he misses everyone, even his memories about the school that he used to hate.

By quarter after two, I was finally finished up with my Korean presentation. Boy, was I exhausted. I looked around my desk. It was a complete disaster. It was all covered up with books stacked up like a Jenga set. All those damn books. I felt like throwing away everything on my desk. I mean EVERYTHING. I could hardly even sit on my desk so I slumped down to the floor. When I fell on the floor, I imagined myself dying from stress and all. Just like how all those mean mother-in-laws end up in dramas and stuff. My mother used to watch one of those very phony dramas every weekend. Boy, those mean mother-in-law characters- they killed me. Maybe my roommates will find me cold and all lying unconscious on the floor as they woke up for morning exercise. Wait- maybe then I won’t have to go to morning exercise. The problem was I was too healthy and all for the fainting thing. Damn.

Finally, I felt like giving old Harry a buzz. I don’t know why. I haven’t seen him in a while, and I had nothing to say to him after all. I guess I was way too exhausted for the proper process of thinking. So what I did, I reached out for my phone, dialed his number and erased it about a hundred times, and finally manage to call him.

“Hello?” I said when someone answered the phone. My voice was cracking and all and I sounded as if I haven’t spoken for a thousand years.

“Who is this?” this very hushed voice spoke.

“It’s me, Sumin. Who are you? I gotta talk to Harry. Now.”

“Well, I am his roommate, and I think he’s sleeping. Including everyone else in this dorm. Why are you calling at this hour? Do you know what time it is?”

“Yeah. I have to talk to Harry. Very important. Put him on.”

“He’s asleep. And I think you really need some too. Good night.”

“Can’t you just wake him up or something? Wake him up!”

Then, I heard another voice. A voice I could recognize. His voice seemed real sleepy and all.

“Hello?”

“Harry? Is that you?” I was partly screaming by now.

“Yes-and stop screaming. Why are you up at this time? You always slept by eleven or something.”

“Whatever. Listen. Listen. Hey, remember the day I called you on the subway telling that I was way too bored and I just headed to your house?

“Uh… Yes I do. Why did you call?”

“Well, I have to tell you. The day, the day I visited your house? You still think I was really bored for chrissake? I missed you. I wanted to see you. I was missing everything. You, school, everything. I miss the rushing-out-in-the-morning thing. I miss the stinky classrooms and the nasty lunches. I miss the morning homework copying and I miss the classroom- just filled with people. I even miss those guys who always used to throw eraser bits to my back.

“Okay, okay. You the only one waking up by now?”

“Yes, I am. Me, myself and I.”

“Well, then, I think you gotta go have some sleep. Really. Good bye”

“Good night, you. Good night.”

Jesus, was I out of my mind.