Read Online The Education of Bet by Lauren Baratz-Logsted - Free Book Online
Authors: Lauren Baratz-Logsted
Tags: Ages 12 & Up
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now, aren't you? And this is the sort of thing Will Gardener does. It's what
all
boys who go off to school do: we squirrel away our money, and, whenever possible, we sneak out at night and go to the local pub to smoke and drink. Come on, then."
He yanked me through the door.
***
"A pint of bitter for me, and a pint of ale for my friend here," Will ordered.
"I have never had a drink in my life," I said to him through gritted teeth as the publican moved to fill his order.
"No time like the present, then," Will said cheerfully, locating a small table for us. The table had a wobbly leg. Of course. "And you'll like the ale. It's easier than anything else to get used to. Much smoother. Why, you should be grateful I did not order you a whiskey first thing."
Will reached into his jacket and took out a small pouch from which he extracted a square of thin white paper and some flaky brown stuff. Then he put the brown stuff inside the paper and rolled it up.
"Smoke?" he offered.
"No, thank you," I said, waving the smoke away as he lit up. Not that my waving had any effect. The whole room was so filled with the stuff, it was like being in London on its foggiest day.
"Drink up," Will instructed when our drinks were delivered, taking a healthy draft from his own pint.
I was tempted to say "No, thank you" imperiously again, but then, thinking of what Will had said, that I would need to learn some of these things in order to fit in at school, I took a tentative sip.
"Huh," I said. "That's not bad." I had some more. "It's a lot drier than lemonade." I had some more. "In fact, since it's not sweet like lemonade, I can see where this could be very thirst-quenching on a hot day." I had—
"Slow down a bit." Will grabbed my wrist lightly. "You didn't really have any dinner. There's no need to drink the whole barrel your first night."
I hiccupped.
"Well, what do we have here?" I heard a female voice, a little rough sounding, say.
"Looks to me like two handsome young men out for a bit o' fun," a second female voice said, sounding even rougher than the first.
I looked up to see that two women had suddenly appeared to the right of our table. They looked to be not many years older than myself, but they wore paint on their faces; their lips somehow looked tired beneath the bright slashes of red. The low-cut bodices of their dresses were so tight, fleshy white breasts nearly spilled out from their tops. The one standing closer to Will was on the thin side, while the one beside me looked like she ate often.
"Buy a pair of pretty ladies drinks?" the one near Will said.
"Of course," he said with a smile. "Just go up and order whatever you want. My treat."
"What are you doing?" I demanded in a low voice as the women went off to the bar. "I thought you said that we, that
I,
would need as much money as possible for school."
Will shrugged and raised his glass. "A young man is always happy to buy a pretty lady a drink."
"But neither one of them is—"
"Here we are!" the thin one said. Then, without asking, she took a seat right in Will's lap. Before I knew what was happening, the heavier one was in mine.
"Such handsome young men," Will's new friend said, stroking his hair.
"They could be twins," mine added.
I was shocked that Will allowed himself to be stroked thus, shocked even more at my reaction at witnessing it. I wondered at my feelings, thought they might be jealousy. But then, through the fog of ale, I saw my feelings for what they were: I regarded Will as a sort of sibling, and seeing him like this now, I thought he was better than her. Or if not better than her, then better than this.
"Twins could be fun," Will's said.
"We've never had twins before," mine said. "What are your names?"
"I'm Will," Will said. "And, er,
he's
Will too."
"Oh," Will's said, looking mildly disappointed, "you're not twins, then." She shrugged, brightened. "Do you have a bit o' the ready?"
"What
are
they talking about?" I asked Will, not even
all
boys who go off to school do: we squirrel away our money, and, whenever possible, we sneak out at night and go to the local pub to smoke and drink. Come on, then."
He yanked me through the door.
***
"A pint of bitter for me, and a pint of ale for my friend here," Will ordered.
"I have never had a drink in my life," I said to him through gritted teeth as the publican moved to fill his order.
"No time like the present, then," Will said cheerfully, locating a small table for us. The table had a wobbly leg. Of course. "And you'll like the ale. It's easier than anything else to get used to. Much smoother. Why, you should be grateful I did not order you a whiskey first thing."
Will reached into his jacket and took out a small pouch from which he extracted a square of thin white paper and some flaky brown stuff. Then he put the brown stuff inside the paper and rolled it up.
"Smoke?" he offered.
"No, thank you," I said, waving the smoke away as he lit up. Not that my waving had any effect. The whole room was so filled with the stuff, it was like being in London on its foggiest day.
"Drink up," Will instructed when our drinks were delivered, taking a healthy draft from his own pint.
I was tempted to say "No, thank you" imperiously again, but then, thinking of what Will had said, that I would need to learn some of these things in order to fit in at school, I took a tentative sip.
"Huh," I said. "That's not bad." I had some more. "It's a lot drier than lemonade." I had some more. "In fact, since it's not sweet like lemonade, I can see where this could be very thirst-quenching on a hot day." I had—
"Slow down a bit." Will grabbed my wrist lightly. "You didn't really have any dinner. There's no need to drink the whole barrel your first night."
I hiccupped.
"Well, what do we have here?" I heard a female voice, a little rough sounding, say.
"Looks to me like two handsome young men out for a bit o' fun," a second female voice said, sounding even rougher than the first.
I looked up to see that two women had suddenly appeared to the right of our table. They looked to be not many years older than myself, but they wore paint on their faces; their lips somehow looked tired beneath the bright slashes of red. The low-cut bodices of their dresses were so tight, fleshy white breasts nearly spilled out from their tops. The one standing closer to Will was on the thin side, while the one beside me looked like she ate often.
"Buy a pair of pretty ladies drinks?" the one near Will said.
"Of course," he said with a smile. "Just go up and order whatever you want. My treat."
"What are you doing?" I demanded in a low voice as the women went off to the bar. "I thought you said that we, that
I,
would need as much money as possible for school."
Will shrugged and raised his glass. "A young man is always happy to buy a pretty lady a drink."
"But neither one of them is—"
"Here we are!" the thin one said. Then, without asking, she took a seat right in Will's lap. Before I knew what was happening, the heavier one was in mine.
"Such handsome young men," Will's new friend said, stroking his hair.
"They could be twins," mine added.
I was shocked that Will allowed himself to be stroked thus, shocked even more at my reaction at witnessing it. I wondered at my feelings, thought they might be jealousy. But then, through the fog of ale, I saw my feelings for what they were: I regarded Will as a sort of sibling, and seeing him like this now, I thought he was better than her. Or if not better than her, then better than this.
"Twins could be fun," Will's said.
"We've never had twins before," mine said. "What are your names?"
"I'm Will," Will said. "And, er,
he's
Will too."
"Oh," Will's said, looking mildly disappointed, "you're not twins, then." She shrugged, brightened. "Do you have a bit o' the ready?"
"What
are
they talking about?" I asked Will, not even
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