stuff and went straight to the point. Sheila and I donât get along .
âMom wanted me to call you.â
âWhy? Whatâs wrong?â
âNothing. She wants us to be on TV.â
âWhat?â
âJust listen. You know the Larry Singer show?â
âNo.â My hectic schedule doesnât allow for much TV .
âHeâs this talk show host. People get on and talk about their problems and their families.â
âSo?â
âHe wants our family to be on the show.â
âHowâs he know about us?â
âShe called him. Thereâs a number at the end, and you call the show. Theyâre gonna be in the city interviewing people.â
âWhatâs this got to do with me?â
âYouâre part of the family.â Sheila sounded pissed. âThey want everybody there so itâll be more real.â
âMaybe we could all get in a fight.â
âLook, it wasnât my idea to call you! Mom wants to get on. Itâs the least you can do.â
âRight. After everything sheâs done for me.â
I could hear Sheila smoking, blowing hard .
I said, âWill Willie be there?â
âMaybe. Heâs in juvie.â
âWhat about Ray and Lynette?â
âRayâs in jail.â
âFor what?â
âBeing stupid. Selling crank to a cop. Lynâs back East.â
âHow come?â
âShe and Gary finally got married.â
âHowâs Brandy doing?â
âYou can ask her yourself. Donât you wanna be on TV?â
âNot really.â
âMom wants you there! The people saidââ
How many times can you trick a dog into coming back so you can kick him? A lot. A lot. This time you might pet him .
So I called the number Sheila gave me and made an appointment to âaudition.â Thatâs why I didnât show up at school that week. One reason .
The appointment was in this big hotel downtown. The doorman tried to chase me off until I said who I was meeting .
I rode the elevator to the top of the building, up to the penthouse, one whole floor. A guy opened the door, looking too glad to see me. Another guy was on the phone the whole time I was there .
âLorraine? Come in! Dick Simpson! Associate producer. Weâve heard so much about you!â
âIâll bet.â
âSit down! Can I get you something to drink?â
âYeah, a fifth of vodka.â
âHa-ha! Seriously, would you like a soda?â
I was playing the part, being who he expected. I didnât want to disappoint him. Or her .
âSo!â Dick said. âThey tell me youâre homeless. That must be pretty rough.â
âYeah.â The place was huge, with a thick white carpet and a glass wall framing the skyline and bridge. The furniture was all chrome and leather. âThat wig sure looks real,â I said .
âIt is.â He looked alarmed .
âReal hair cost more?â
âNo, I mean itâs mine. See?â He didnât look happy. âSo, anyway,â he said, âyou left home when you were twelve.â
âFor good? Or all the other times she kicked me out?â
âFor good, I guess.â
âFourteen.â I lit a Marlboro .
âYour mom said you two donât get along. Is that right?â He handed me a gold and crystal bowl for an ashtray .
âYouâre kidding me,â the other guy said into the phone .
âShe said you were incorrigible,â Dick added .
âI doubt it. She wouldnât even know what that means.â
âUncontrollable, she meant.â
âShe said that?â
âNot exactly.â His eyes bulged. âI gathered that you were the most difficult of all her children.â
âMost intelligent,â I said. âShe donât like that.â
âWhy not? Please tell me about it, Lorraine.â He leaned forward, lips parted for a juicy morsel .
I