“Where are you going to put all this stuff?” he asked, knowing full well that there was nowhere to put it.
“I haven’t figured that out yet.” And then she glanced over at Paxxie. “Who decorated the living room? Dracula? My God, where did they get that stuff? The Salvation Army?”
“Probably the dump,” Peter said cheerfully. “That’s where we got our stuff.”
Gabby looked at him and shook her head in despair, as Paxton smiled at him again, while carrying one of Gabby’s enormous valises. Where was she going to put all her stuff, Paxton wondered too. Having seen the single tiny closet in their room, it was an interesting question.
“Are you a senior?” Paxxie asked him.
“I was. I graduated in June. I’m just starting law school. But I’ve been living off campus for the last two years. Thank God the brat didn’t talk my parents into that, or she’d really have driven me crazy.” They were back at the entrance to the living room again and he looked as though he was about to leave, and pleased to do it. “Well, she’s all yours.” He glanced at the mountain of bags they had dumped in the middle of the room, helped himself to a doughnut from Paxton’s bag, and waved as he made an escape, and Gabby stood smiling at Paxton.
“Thank you for your help. And I apologize for him,” she said as soon as her brother left. “He’s a hopeless jerk. But the truth is, I love him. I wouldn’t admit it to him, but I can to you. He’s hopeless, and he used to beat me up … or try to.” But it was obvious that they were very fond of each other, and for a moment, Paxton envied them. She and George had never shared that kind of playful affection. But he was also ten years older than Peter, and had no sense of humor whatsoever.
Their conversation drew out the other two, and as Paxton and Gabby helped themselves to doughnuts and Cokes, Dawn and Yvonne emerged from their room, to stare at Gabby’s mountain of valises.
“My God, where did all that come from?” Yvonne said with a look of immense irritation. “Did you get my Kools?” she asked Paxton.
“I did.” Paxton handed them to her, and Yvonne handed her the correct change. She didn’t want any gifts from Savannah. And Dawn went to unpack the rest of the groceries, after Paxton had introduced them to Gabby. Yvonne was looking suspiciously at her, smoking a cigarette, and she was quick to ask her where she came from.
“San Francisco. I haven’t exactly ventured far from home,” she apologized with a small shrug. “But I love it here. I’ve been visiting my brother here for four years, and all my friends are here, the ones who went to college anyway.” She looked at the three of them enthusiastically. “You’re gonna love it.” Yvonne shot a quick glance at Paxton, indicating that she wasn’t so sure, and even Dawn looked a little uncertain.
“I didn’t really want to go to college at all, but my parents insisted I come here.” Her father was a professor of English.
“Did you want to go to school back home?” Gabby was interested in all of them, and she looked like an open, easygoing, happy person.
“No.” Dawn shook her head with a sad smile. “I wanted to get married. And we want to go to India to study Eastern religions.”
“I want to go to law school,” Yvonne confessed, smoking her cigarette and using an ancient, half-melted olive-green plastic ashtray. “But it’s a long road from here. I’m here on a scholarship, and I’ve got to make the grades, or I’m gonna be out on my black ass and back in Alabama before I know it. And I’m not goin’ back till I can do something to change it. What about you, Savannah?” Paxton didn’t want her calling her that, but she decided not to antagonize her further.
“I want to be a journalism major.” She smiled. “So I can write about you changing the South.” Yvonne grinned in spite of herself, and lit another cigarette as soon as she put out the first one. She was
“I haven’t figured that out yet.” And then she glanced over at Paxxie. “Who decorated the living room? Dracula? My God, where did they get that stuff? The Salvation Army?”
“Probably the dump,” Peter said cheerfully. “That’s where we got our stuff.”
Gabby looked at him and shook her head in despair, as Paxton smiled at him again, while carrying one of Gabby’s enormous valises. Where was she going to put all her stuff, Paxton wondered too. Having seen the single tiny closet in their room, it was an interesting question.
“Are you a senior?” Paxxie asked him.
“I was. I graduated in June. I’m just starting law school. But I’ve been living off campus for the last two years. Thank God the brat didn’t talk my parents into that, or she’d really have driven me crazy.” They were back at the entrance to the living room again and he looked as though he was about to leave, and pleased to do it. “Well, she’s all yours.” He glanced at the mountain of bags they had dumped in the middle of the room, helped himself to a doughnut from Paxton’s bag, and waved as he made an escape, and Gabby stood smiling at Paxton.
“Thank you for your help. And I apologize for him,” she said as soon as her brother left. “He’s a hopeless jerk. But the truth is, I love him. I wouldn’t admit it to him, but I can to you. He’s hopeless, and he used to beat me up … or try to.” But it was obvious that they were very fond of each other, and for a moment, Paxton envied them. She and George had never shared that kind of playful affection. But he was also ten years older than Peter, and had no sense of humor whatsoever.
Their conversation drew out the other two, and as Paxton and Gabby helped themselves to doughnuts and Cokes, Dawn and Yvonne emerged from their room, to stare at Gabby’s mountain of valises.
“My God, where did all that come from?” Yvonne said with a look of immense irritation. “Did you get my Kools?” she asked Paxton.
“I did.” Paxton handed them to her, and Yvonne handed her the correct change. She didn’t want any gifts from Savannah. And Dawn went to unpack the rest of the groceries, after Paxton had introduced them to Gabby. Yvonne was looking suspiciously at her, smoking a cigarette, and she was quick to ask her where she came from.
“San Francisco. I haven’t exactly ventured far from home,” she apologized with a small shrug. “But I love it here. I’ve been visiting my brother here for four years, and all my friends are here, the ones who went to college anyway.” She looked at the three of them enthusiastically. “You’re gonna love it.” Yvonne shot a quick glance at Paxton, indicating that she wasn’t so sure, and even Dawn looked a little uncertain.
“I didn’t really want to go to college at all, but my parents insisted I come here.” Her father was a professor of English.
“Did you want to go to school back home?” Gabby was interested in all of them, and she looked like an open, easygoing, happy person.
“No.” Dawn shook her head with a sad smile. “I wanted to get married. And we want to go to India to study Eastern religions.”
“I want to go to law school,” Yvonne confessed, smoking her cigarette and using an ancient, half-melted olive-green plastic ashtray. “But it’s a long road from here. I’m here on a scholarship, and I’ve got to make the grades, or I’m gonna be out on my black ass and back in Alabama before I know it. And I’m not goin’ back till I can do something to change it. What about you, Savannah?” Paxton didn’t want her calling her that, but she decided not to antagonize her further.
“I want to be a journalism major.” She smiled. “So I can write about you changing the South.” Yvonne grinned in spite of herself, and lit another cigarette as soon as she put out the first one. She was
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