Reality Boy

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.

Gerald recalls hearing Tasha and Danny having sex during dinner a while ago. Gerald’s mother had tried ignoring the noise by making light conversation over the sounds, but Gerald became so enraged that he yelled at Tasha and Danny about their inappropriate behavior.

Gerald wishes his other sister, Lisi, was around to witness this behavior. Lisi also agrees that Tasha is “out of control” (8), and she’s similarly resentful that their mother does not intervene in Tasha’s triggering behavior. Unfortunately, Lisi is studying abroad in Glasgow, Scotland and cannot be around to support Gerald.

Gerald’s dad comes home and talks with his son. They witness a naked Danny enter the kitchen. Gerald’s dad gently chastises Tasha’s boyfriend about his nudity until he runs back into the basement. When Gerald’s dad’s attention turns back to him, he asks him what he plans to do the following year. Gerald jokes about going to jail, stating that he feels his “options are limited” (11). Gerald’s dad cannot tell if his son is joking or being serious. Gerald is not so sure himself.

Gerald recalls his first episode of Network Nanny. The nanny’s task was to help discipline Gerald, who had begun defecating in the house as a form of retaliation. Gerald refers to her as nanny, Nanny, and the Network Nanny, interchangeably. However, Nanny (her real name is Lainie Church) was really a British actress playing an experienced nanny—she received counseling by an actual nanny off-camera. Nanny advised Gerald’s parents on disciplinary tactics, such as limiting screen time and timeouts. However, Gerald’s behavior only worsened from the manufacturing of his on- and off-camera life. Gerald tried explaining to Nanny that he first defecated in the bathtub after Tasha lied about wanting to give him a bath and had tried to kill him instead. Nanny laughed and dismissed this claim, telling him, “Your sist-ah isn’t trying to kill you, Gerald. Don’t exaggerate” (17).

When Gerald starts anger management classes led by a coach named Roger, he begins an exercise routine to help him manage his emotions. He then asks permission to attend a boxing gym, and Roger grants this on the condition that he not box or punch another living person, to which Gerald agrees: “I was thirteen and a half and I had already hit enough people, so I was fine with that” (19). Though Gerald exceled at the gym, he still frequented an abandoned building to punch holes in drywall.

When Gerald returns home from the boxing gym one day, he encounters his mother. She makes him breakfast and engages in friendly small talk. When the sounds of Tasha and Danny having sex in the basement becomes audible, Gerald’s mother tries covering up the sound with a running faucet and other chatter. Since Gerald is running late for work at the PEC Center, he leaves before reacting to Tasha.

Gerald develops a crush on his PEC Center co-worker, Hannah, a young woman who works at register #1. He does not try to initiate a relationship with her at first because, for one, he barely sees her. Also, Roger discourages it. Roger believes that dating while going through anger management training will only hurt Gerald’s progress. However, Gerald thinks his crush is beautiful and admires the way she writes in a notebook during breaks.

One day, Hannah turns to him to remark on one of the performances taking place at the PEC Center. Gerald walks away from her because she is “irresistible,” and he is “on a mission to resist her” (25).

Gerald’s manager, Beth, catches him staring into space during closing. He’s in the middle of imagining “Gersday,” which he describes as “the extra day I get inside of a week that no one else knows about” (27). Gerald created Gersday when younger, on Nanny’s suggestion. Gersday helps him cope with everyday life, as “All Gersdays are good days” (27). Beth offers Gerald leftover chicken tenders and fries. When Gerald reaches for it, he brushes hands with his crush, who’s also reaching for food. They smile at each other before parting ways to eat separately.