Chapter 67: Impending Departures

April 27, 1981

Today’s Debate class was a party. Meg brought cake and ice cream, and we sat around and munched, talked, and hung out for an hour. The non-qualifiers who’d been out there trying were just as much a part of the real group and we encouraged those who would be back — only Kelly Williams, our lone non-qualifying senior, wouldn’t be, I thought — to practice and work over the summer. And offered help, as much as we could.

I felt sorry for the dilettantes. I think it only hit them this late that they could’ve been part of something. But they hadn’t been, not with us, and I was pretty sure the door had closed. But there are other doors. I wanted them to go find something that would suit them, let them thrive. Just getting an A in an easy but meaningless class is pointless. It’s learning something, doing something, that matters.

Mom ran Ang and me to Karate after school. I was really getting into it. Lots of work, but, hey, it’d already come in handy, and I could feel myself improving. I wasn’t super-serious about it, but earning a black belt was just grinding it out and practicing.

After we got home, a bit into dinner, Dad looked at Angie and said, “By the way, Angie, I tried. Work’s fine, I can take off the extra days, but Amtrak’s just got two roomettes for Chicago. No rooms. And I don’t want to go coach, or have you or Steve go coach.”

“Steve and I could share a roomette. There are two beds, right?”

Dad blinked. “Well, um ... yes. I hadn’t thought of that. I don’t know...”

Amazingly, Mom came to the rescue. I had to fight to keep from looking as surprised as I was. “I think they could do that. They’re responsible and used to being in each other’s space without any conflicts. As long as they both promise no monkey business, staying up too late, running around the train, anything like that. As someone...” she fixed me with a stare, “ ... used to do.” I hadn’t missed the subtle emphasis she put on monkey business. Dad would miss it, but it was clear what we were promising.

Angie gave me a quick look. She caught it, too. “Of course we’ll promise. It’ll be fun and relaxing, even if I’m sharing a tiny little room with my annoying brother.” She giggled and punched my arm.

“Of course. No monkey business or staying up too late or any of that. I can make the supreme sacrifice of sharing with my bratty little sister.”

Mom and Dad both laughed. “I think even strangers would realize you’re the best of friends,” Mom said.

Dad smiled, broadly. “As you know, I’d rather take the train. If it’s OK with you, I’ll make the reservations.”

Mom again jumped in. I was pretty sure what her game was. Point to you, Mom.

“Unless they fight like cats and dogs like we always thought might happen, they can probably share the rest of the trip, too.”

Angie nodded. “We can do that. It’d sure save some money. I’d much rather spend it on doing cool things than on a room we’ll barely be in except to sleep.” Her tiny emphasis on sleep was the equal of Mom’s little point earlier.

“Well then. It’ll be a real close family vacation. I like that!” Dad either missed them or was much more clued in than I thought. But I guessed that Mom was playing her concerns close to the vest.

“I can’t wait,” I smiled. “This is gonna be great. Ang gets to play tour guide to new places, we get to take her to visit places she’s never been.”

9:30pm

Angie slipped in, rubbed noses, stretched out.

“Can you believe Mom supported that? Really? Mom?!”

I nodded. “I can. She’s decided that, if we’re gonna do something, she can’t stop us. And she’s right. If they got three roomettes, we could sneak around at 4am or something. If she watches every minute she can, we could sneak around when she’s at the store. But she can put us on the spot and make us promise.”

“And we’ll keep our promises because we’re good kids. Even though we could hide whatever.”

“First, I don’t know that we could hide stuff. And you don’t either. I’m pretty sure that, even without evidence, she’d pick up on it. I know how I look after a, um ... good nap. And how you look.”

“Point.”

“And then second, to the extent it’s a game, we’re playing a long game, like we said. It’s not a race. Screw up and we’re under the microscope for a long time, behave and the scrutiny diminishes. I give you credit for a lot of her current attitude. Pushing it a bit let you and her clear the air and let her clear the air with Doctor Stanton. Some of this is Doctor Stanton telling Mom we’re behaving.”

“It’ll be tempting.”

“Of course. But it’s tempting right here, right now. But I’ll behave.”

“And so will I. Which she knows.” Angie grinned. “You know, I could let it annoy me, but really, I’m glad Mom’s sharp and looking out for us.”

“Me, too. And ... you know something?”

“What?”

“This is my point about how the whole thing is affecting us.”

“Huh?”

“We’re reacting like two kids. If I was my old self, or you were your old self, could we put up with someone saying, ‘Hey, you, you can’t do ... things ... together’? It’d annoy grown-up me if someone even thought they could say that.”

“Yeah.” She stretched. “I don’t feel, what, thirty ... um ... damn, see? I can’t even remember.”

“Thirty-three, I think.”

“Damn. Yeah. I don’t feel like that at all.”

“Me neither. I don’t know if I feel fifteen — I’m way less likely than a ‘real’ fifteen-year-old to do a lot of ‘teenage angst bullshit’ things...” Angie giggled pretty hard at that. “But it’s a lot closer than fifty, um ... six ... now.”

“Teenagers suffering from an excess of maturity,” Angie grinned.

“Yeah, that. And Mom has picked up on the maturity. Otherwise, we’d just be making like bunnies and to hell with the consequences.”

“There’ll still be things she wouldn’t approve of.”

“Of course. But within reasonable limits.”

“Yeah.” She yawned. “I need sleep. Gene’s coming to group. Don’t be too mean to him, big brother.”

“Would I do that?”

“You wouldn’t. You want him in the group, too.”

“I do. Night, little sis.”

“Night, big brother.”

We rubbed noses, and then she was off to bed.

April 28, 1981

I met Gene outside and shook hands. “C’mon downstairs. I’ve got some rules to go over. Which I think you’ll like, but, hey. Maybe not.”

“I’m game. Lead on.”

We walked downstairs and took chairs in the billiard room. I walked through the rules — what happens in study group stays in study group, respect everyone’s differences, support each other, study hard and play hard, etc. I brought out the written version. He looked it over, smiled, and signed.

“Now there’s a vote, like I told you. I don’t doubt how it’ll go, but it’s policy. Go upstairs, say hi to Rita, charm her. Someone’ll come get you.”

“Thanks!”

When he left, I sighed and shook my head. It was still surreal. I felt that the new reality would soon cement itself as the reality, but right now, Gene was in two completely different places in my mind.

As expected, the vote passed unanimously. Ang wanted to go fetch her boyfriend; who was I to say no? We all clapped when he came in. I looked at Ang, she looked at me, nodded.

“Gene, I’ve got one more reveal. I’d let your girlfriend reveal it, but, she wants me to do it since it’s been my job.” I let out an overly dramatic sigh. “C’mon.”

I walked with him over to the billiard room, sat down, and revealed the big secret of the guest room. His jaw dropped. “Wait? Really? And, like ... um ... wow! Should I assume ... um ... I mean, it’s Angie inviting me.”

I laughed. “Hey, she’s my sister. Think I want to dwell too long on that? But I don’t think you’re off track.”

“Um ... wow. I. Wow.” Gene looked pretty nervous. And eager.

“That’s part of why I went through things before. I mean, how I see it. How most of us see it. Anything you put in your mind about anyone else, besides them having a nap, is your problem. And we’ve now got two same-sex couples, plus two cases where brothers and sisters are both members of the group. There are a lot of things to not think too deeply about. Even if it floats your boat, it’s still a bit rude.”

He blushed a bit. “Makes perfect sense. I’m just fine with that. I could kinda get away with things at home, some. Dad’s often out late, Mom works part-time and doesn’t go in my room much. But this is much more cool.”