The Boy Who Could Make Himself Disappear — Kin Platt

"OUT OF IT"
"He was squeezing his arms and his legs, in turn. Then he put his hands on his chest and rubbed it. 'I don't know,' he said. 'I feel funny.'
'What do you mean--funny?'
'Like there's nothing there--like I'm empty. Like I was always afraid of being. Out of it.' 'Out of it?'
'Yeah. You know. No more.' "

Roger Baxter was new and lonely in New York. His mother didn't pay him much attention. And with a speech impediment, he had a tough time making friends.

Sometimes it was easier to pretend you were deaf--then you couldn't answer, naturally. Or you could pretend you didn't understand --even if it made you seem dumb. And if things got really cold, you could disappear.