meeting when the party's over, Lenny and I. You should stay for it."
"What kind of meeting?" Jean asked.
"You'll see."
"I came with Carol. Can she be there?"
Darlene seemed exasperated. She could change her expression quicker than most people inhaled. "That girl. She doesn't know what she is. Do you know what she said to me this evening?"
"I can guess."
"She said, 'You know, Darlene, there are two sides to everything. You don't know what belongs on front until you check the behind.' Can you believe she said that to me?"
"I don't even know what it means."
"It means, dope head, that she's still trying to get in my pants. Lenny tells me you're straight as an arrow. How can you have a dyke as a best friend?"
"It's easy. She's not a dyke to me. She's a great girl."
Darlene paused. "Have you two ever done it?"
"Done what?"
"Had sex, for godssakes! Have you?"
"No. Carol's not interested in me that way."
"What is she interested in then?"
"She's my friend. She needs friends as much as straight people. Maybe more.
Maybe you should try being her friend rather than always badmouthing her."
"Maybe she should quit hitting on me first," Darlene said.
"She's not hitting on you. She's just flirting with you. You should be flattered."
"I'm not. She makes me nervous. She makes me feel like I might be ajoto and not know it."
"Maybe you are a joto, Darlene." Jean allowed herself a rare smile. "Anybody who goes around with a head looking like a snake fest has got to have something wrong with her."
Darlene laughed. "Hell, you're probably right." She finished with her hair and turned around. "How do I look?"
"Am I the right person to ask? I just told you. You look great."
"Thanks. You want to go get something to eat?"
"You mean, leave the party?" Jean asked.
"Yeah, I mean leave the party. You can't eat any of the rot in Lenny's refrigerator. We can hit the Jack-in the Box down the street and be back in twenty minutes."
Jean shook her head. "You go ahead. I don't feel very hungry."
Darlene sat on the bed beside her friend, concerned.
"Really, are you all right, Jean?"
Jean shrugged. "Yeah, I'm just tired."
"Are you and Lenny getting on all right?"
"Yeah." Jean paused. "I think so. Do you know something I don't?"
Darlene hesitated. "No." She stood quickly. "I'll be back soon. Remember that meeting. I want you there."
"I won't be there unless Carol's there. She's my ride home."
"Aren't you going to spend the night with Lenny? It is his birthday, after all."
"No," Jean said. "My mother would freak."
Darlene seemed to think for a moment, then nodded. "That's what mothers are for."
Darlene left. Jean continued to sit on the edge of the bed and sip her beer. She studied herself in the mirror. It was only then she remembered the dream she'd had that morning. It had been wonderful yet simple, painful to wake from. She dreamed she was floating above her house and that just a few blocks away she could see a colorful amusement park, the rainbow of shimmering lights illumining her insides as much as the neighborhood. The feelings of the dream had been more important than the actual events. She knew that if she would just fly over there, she could enter that place of constant fun and excitement.
Where there were people who cared and things to do that meant something.
And in the dream she was being given that choice, to leave her house, her life, and never return. Why had she awakened? She sure as hell hadn't said no to the offer. Now the memory of the dream made her sad. Made her sad that it was gone, forever.
After some time Lenny entered his bedroom. He had on his black leather jacket; he seldom took it off, even on nights as warm as this. His long black hair was pulled back in a ponytail. They had talked little all night.
Conversation wasn't big with either of them. They were better just sitting and watching a movie together, or smoking a joint, or making love. She had assumed they'd have sex tonight since, as Darlene
"What kind of meeting?" Jean asked.
"You'll see."
"I came with Carol. Can she be there?"
Darlene seemed exasperated. She could change her expression quicker than most people inhaled. "That girl. She doesn't know what she is. Do you know what she said to me this evening?"
"I can guess."
"She said, 'You know, Darlene, there are two sides to everything. You don't know what belongs on front until you check the behind.' Can you believe she said that to me?"
"I don't even know what it means."
"It means, dope head, that she's still trying to get in my pants. Lenny tells me you're straight as an arrow. How can you have a dyke as a best friend?"
"It's easy. She's not a dyke to me. She's a great girl."
Darlene paused. "Have you two ever done it?"
"Done what?"
"Had sex, for godssakes! Have you?"
"No. Carol's not interested in me that way."
"What is she interested in then?"
"She's my friend. She needs friends as much as straight people. Maybe more.
Maybe you should try being her friend rather than always badmouthing her."
"Maybe she should quit hitting on me first," Darlene said.
"She's not hitting on you. She's just flirting with you. You should be flattered."
"I'm not. She makes me nervous. She makes me feel like I might be ajoto and not know it."
"Maybe you are a joto, Darlene." Jean allowed herself a rare smile. "Anybody who goes around with a head looking like a snake fest has got to have something wrong with her."
Darlene laughed. "Hell, you're probably right." She finished with her hair and turned around. "How do I look?"
"Am I the right person to ask? I just told you. You look great."
"Thanks. You want to go get something to eat?"
"You mean, leave the party?" Jean asked.
"Yeah, I mean leave the party. You can't eat any of the rot in Lenny's refrigerator. We can hit the Jack-in the Box down the street and be back in twenty minutes."
Jean shook her head. "You go ahead. I don't feel very hungry."
Darlene sat on the bed beside her friend, concerned.
"Really, are you all right, Jean?"
Jean shrugged. "Yeah, I'm just tired."
"Are you and Lenny getting on all right?"
"Yeah." Jean paused. "I think so. Do you know something I don't?"
Darlene hesitated. "No." She stood quickly. "I'll be back soon. Remember that meeting. I want you there."
"I won't be there unless Carol's there. She's my ride home."
"Aren't you going to spend the night with Lenny? It is his birthday, after all."
"No," Jean said. "My mother would freak."
Darlene seemed to think for a moment, then nodded. "That's what mothers are for."
Darlene left. Jean continued to sit on the edge of the bed and sip her beer. She studied herself in the mirror. It was only then she remembered the dream she'd had that morning. It had been wonderful yet simple, painful to wake from. She dreamed she was floating above her house and that just a few blocks away she could see a colorful amusement park, the rainbow of shimmering lights illumining her insides as much as the neighborhood. The feelings of the dream had been more important than the actual events. She knew that if she would just fly over there, she could enter that place of constant fun and excitement.
Where there were people who cared and things to do that meant something.
And in the dream she was being given that choice, to leave her house, her life, and never return. Why had she awakened? She sure as hell hadn't said no to the offer. Now the memory of the dream made her sad. Made her sad that it was gone, forever.
After some time Lenny entered his bedroom. He had on his black leather jacket; he seldom took it off, even on nights as warm as this. His long black hair was pulled back in a ponytail. They had talked little all night.
Conversation wasn't big with either of them. They were better just sitting and watching a movie together, or smoking a joint, or making love. She had assumed they'd have sex tonight since, as Darlene
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