Read Online The High Cost of Living by Marge Piercy - Free Book Online

I’ll turn into an old maid and age behind drawn blinds playing with cosmetics and dresses.”
    â€œAre you aging at—What age are you?”
    â€œSeventeen.”
    â€œYou’re not getting social security yet,” Leslie said mockingly, but she shivered. Was never leaving a possibility? Was that why Cam had brought her sister to the theater? Nervously she picked up a small metal box from the dresser and fiddled with it. Suddenly it began to tinkle out music. “What?”
    â€œMama and I found that at a garage sale. We search them out sometimes on weekends. Dad never goes. He doesn’t like to do anything Mama does. He likes to hang out with what Mama calls his cronies—two friends he plays penny-a-point pinochle with every Friday night. They must be the last pinochle players in the world.” Honor took the music box from her. “I bet you didn’t notice what’s inside?”
    â€œSome earrings.”
    â€œThose are real garnets. They belonged to my father’s mother. But I can’t wear them, they’re for pierced ears. Mama won’t let me get my ears pierced. She talks about infection. It makes me furious! I’m trying to get Bernar’ to go with me to have it done. I’d have the nerve then. Once it’s done, what can she do? I don’t suppose your ears are pierced?”
    â€œWrong. I had it done when I was fourteen. I used to wear big gold hoops.”
    â€œI should think silver would look better with your hair?”
    â€œI used to be partial to a shade of red-gold I thought matched it. Now gold’s so expensive it’s ludicrous that when I was fourteen and a biker’s old lady I used to wear gold in my ears.”
    â€œI’ve never seen you wear any jewelry but your man’s watch.” Honor lifted the loop of Leslie’s hair that covered her ear, on its way to the rubber band that confined it. “You do have a little stud—but just on one side. Did you lose the other?”
    â€œVal—Valerie and I—used to buy a pair of post earrings together. We’d split the pair and each would wear one. Val has the mate to this turquoise stud.”
    â€œValerie. I thought you didn’t have a sister.”
    â€œNo, we lived together for three years.”
    â€œI don’t know if I’d like to live with another woman. I’ve had it with sisters.”
    I’ve got to do better than this, she thought. “We were lovers, Honor, Honorée.”
    â€œAnd when you were fourteen you really slept with a boy? Is that what you mean by the phrase you were a biker’s old lady?”
    Leslie laughed with relief. Honor wasn’t going to faint or scream. “I don’t think I was ever a virgin. I probably had sex some time up in the sand dunes when I was nine. I suppose before fourteen it doesn’t count. Yeah, I was involved with first one guy, Billy, and then Cliff. I was involved with Cliff from, let’s see, around Christmas just before I turned fifteen until halfway through my sixteenth year. It was practically like a two-year marriage. Cliff was my first marriage and Val my second.”
    â€œIt’s amazing to imagine having sex for years by the time you were my age. Just think, you’d already broken up with Cliff! Oh, there must be something wrong with me!”
    She blinked. Honor had taken it like a sugar pill. Or had she? Had she just somehow not listened? She could hardly say, Hey, never mind the early heterosexual stuff, you have to focus on what matters to me. “It was my first try at breaking out of the house. Not a smart way. It’s lucky I didn’t get pregnant and stuck for good. But the gang seemed high on energy, style, speed. That’s what drew me. Except I liked books. They were escape too. I always liked to read from the time I discovered that. They were someplace else, like the gang.”
    â€œHow did you happen to go to