Holden gets drunk at a bar, watching a singer perform. He tries unsuccessfully to invite her for a drink. Later, he calls his friend Sally while drunk but she tells him to go home. Holden then goes to Central Park to check on the ducks but finds they have disappeared, making him think about death. He decides to sneak home to see his sister Phoebe in case he dies, worried that the front door may creak and alert his parents.

1. Catcher in the Rye Chapter 20