Chapter 16The next few days passed uneventfully for Joe and Crank. Each night, they went to sleep in their alley along Maple Avenue; each morning, they woke up early and went down to Tap's Bar. Though they had no money, Joe and Crank still hung around the bar from the time it opened to the time that Ralphy kicked them out; Tap's was the only place where they were still welcome, the only place left to go. Usually, they just sat around and talked to the guys there, or watched the little black-and-white television mounted above the bar. Once in a while, one of their friends would even buy them each a beer.
And so, they passed the time, drinking a little, sleeping in the alley, and scrounging around for food. Neither had a cent left to spend, but somehow, they managed to get by. They freeload
