Johnny Truant

Johnny is the narrator of the story. He's a man in his 30's with a troubled past. His father dies when he's young and shortly thereafter, he's abandoned by his mother and is raised in the foster system. His foster father, Raymond, beats him continuously and tells him to keep himself inline or he'll suffer more beatings.

Johnny attends school and takes his anger out on the other children. He gets in fights nearly every day, sometimes more than once per day and gets in trouble with the teachers. The more he fights, the more Raymond beats him.

Once grown and on his own, he travels a bit and meets his friend Lude. They have a lot in common, as they frequent bars and take new women home every few days. His life is filled with sex and booze. He lands a job at a tattoo parlor...