Dead Stars by Bruce Wagner

Author:Bruce Wagner [Wagner, Bruce]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: General Fiction
ISBN: 9780142196878
Publisher: Plume
Published: 2012-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CLEAN

[Telma]

Cave Dwellers

“Guess

who’s coming over for a visit on Friday?”

“Who?”

“Phoebe.”

“O Phoebe! I miss her!”

“Well, she misses you too. She wants to see you.”

“We’re not going to her office?”

“Nope.”

“I like her office.”

“She’s making a housecall.”

“Ratchet!”

“Ratchet? What does that mean?”

“Just—that it’s ratchet!”

. . .

“Mom, that boy Biggie called & asked me out to lunch.”

“Asked you out where?”

“Not really ‘out.’ He asked if I wanted to come to lunch at his house in Bel-Air.”

“Who else is going to be there?”

“His nanny & I guess a chef? And maybe his brother.”

“You said he was so shy. I think it’s nice that he called, that must have been very hard for him.”

“Welllllllllll . . . I actually called him.”

“O you did. How very forward of you.”

“Not to ask him out, just to talk. Then he asked me.”

“Have they found out what’s wrong with him?”

“No—I mean, I don’t think so. I guess I don’t really know. Maybe he’ll tell me when I see him.”

“And where are his parents again?”

“He lives with his dad. Him & his brother. His mom hasn’t been———I think maybe she was gay & maybe left his father for a woman.”

“This is something you were told, or something you’ve come up with using your amazing powers?”

“Sort of told. Kind of reading between the lines. I don’t think she ever—I don’t think the mom ever really came back. She, like, disappeared. As far as I know.”

“Not at all? To see her sons?”

“It’s sort of ratchety. That she never came home. Because from my understanding, it did happen a while ago.”

“Strange.”

“Biggie said that evidently his mom is a spelunker. A spelunker is a person who likes going into caves. Evidently, his mom & the woman are spelunkers who go all around the world finding caves. To explore. I don’t really have the whole story. I don’t even have one quarter of the story.”

“Kind of interesting, anyway. Don’t you think?”

“I don’t really want to gossip.”

“It’s information, not gossip.”

“It feels sorta gossipy.”

“You’re protective of your new friend, & that’s good. That’s a lovely quality, Telma.”

“Can I go there for lunch?”

“Of course you can.”

. . .

“Should I ask Phoebe to the fundraiser?”

“What fundraiser?”

“Mom! The Courage Ball.”

“When is that?”

“Mom, do you have Alzheimer’s?”

“That’s not very nice.”

“Mom, you’re on the committee. I’m going to perform.”

“O! That snuck up so fast. . . .”

“Mom, we’ve been talking about it. I’ve been rehearsing.”

“I’ve missed the last few meetings——”

“Steve Martin is hosting! Mom, you love Steve Martin! & they’re giving an award to Michael. Michael Douglas. And O my God, Rihanna!”

“It’s going to be an amazing evening.”

“Ratchet! You don’t seem very excited.”

“I have a headache, that’s all.”

“Mommy?”

“What, honey.”

“I’m sorry I asked if you had Alzheimer’s.”

“It really didn’t bother me, sweetheart.”

“Good. Anyway, we get two extra tickets & I thought it would be nice to ask Biggie Brainard. I mean, not that he couldn’t get a ticket himself. Because he like owns the whole hospital. I thought it would be nice for him to come with.”

“It’s very nice. Very thoughtful.”

“Can I give the

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