Reality Boy

Gerald Faust introduces himself as “the kid you saw on TV” (1). As a young child, he and his family were part of a reality television show called Network Nanny where the public watched him perform embarrassing acts, including defecating in a dressing room at the mall. Since then, he has earned a nickname, “the Crapper” (2), which follows him now throughout high school.

Gerald works part-time at the food stand at Penn Entertainment and Convention Center, or the PEC Center. One night while working, high school classmates Nichols and Todd come to antagonize Gerald at work. While Gerald pours beer for them, he tries recalling anger management techniques for calming down to fight his impulse to attack Nichols. When Nichols and Todd finally leave, Gerald sees his sister Tasha with her boyfriend, Danny. He hates Tasha, whom he thinks is an “asshole” (5).

After work, Gerald returns home to his parents’ house, which is a mini mansion in a gated community about 10 miles from the PEC Center. He’s immediately angered upon hearing Tasha having sex with Danny in the basement. The family has grown accustomed to this habit and do not discipline Tasha for the noise.