Page 104 - Where the Dream Ends ebook

Marc Erdrich

“No, I don’t think so,” Brian said, getting up. “I was just
on my way over to Gary’s house and stopped by to say hello.”
Laura’s family knew Gary.

“Say hello for us,” she said. “And remember, you’re wel-
come any time.” She walked him to the door. It was the very
familiarity of the house that bred contempt in Brian. Wasn’t
this his house? He knew Laura’s room as if it was his own.
Why wasn’t she his as well?

Laura was Jewish, like Brian, but she was different from
any Jewish girl he ever knew. She was especially different with
boys. The other Jewish girls Brian met at school were nice, but
they weren’t as exciting as Laura. She was built differently: her
legs were long and slender — she was already taller than Brian;
her breasts were small; and her voice was quiet and beckoning
in a way that was totally unfamiliar and distracting. The way
she carried herself was different, too. When she came down
the stairs she seemed to flitter as if her feet barely touched the
steps. Brian’s mother called it the Loretta Young entrance.

It was 2:30 when he got to Gary’s house. As expected, Gary
was annoyed with him.

“How come you’re late?” Gary asked, looking at his watch.

“I stopped off to visit Laura’s mom,” Brian lied. “I was just
there for a few minutes.

Gary knew Brian was lying, and for the rest of the after-
noon his friend was in a bad temper. They played Scrabble
and Gary won. He usually won anyway, but Brian could tell it
didn’t make him feel better.

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