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People were jaot too noisy to talk I stood near the edge of things, in the shade of an olive that was probably planted when the house was built,Rays, featuring one of JT’s for out "Rosa Lee" I spotted Loyd across the way, but would have had to step on a hundred toes to get to hiainst the ith his ar attention to a small woarette ad, except he wasn’t s: white T-shirt, white smile, those models are always the picture of health His hair was mink black, in a ponytail And he had terrific ars like this, but in a certain fraood muscle definition

A woman approached me suddenly from behind and shouted, "Codi Noline! God, honey, you look like a rock ’n’ roll star"

In s I looked no more like a rock ’n’ roll star than Mother Teresa "I’ll take that as a coet them nowadays"

"Lord, I knohat you mean," she said It was Trish Garcia, as a cheerleader and clandestine smoker when I’d last known her Now she sh, and looked like a cartwheel was out of the question "I heard Hallie’s in South Africa"

I laughed "Nicaragua"

"Well, what in the world’s she doing there?"

In high school, Hallie and I were beneath Trish’s stratum of normal conversation I remembered every day of those years, no lapses there Once in the bathroom I’d heard her call us the bean-pole sisters, and speculate that ore hand-ed Had I co up norance of the darow crops without wrecking the soil," I said "She has her e hard at being uniood sign "Well, I guess it pays good," she said

"No, they’re not really paying her, just living expenses is about all, I think She’s doing it just to do it She wants to be part of a new society"

Trish stared I pretended Hallie was there at the party soo they threw out the dictator and gave all his land to the poor people," I said "But they need a lot of help in the far the poor far up their crops"

Hallie would laugh at "farh at the whole scene, the education of Trish the Cheerleader She would love ly "I heard about that I heard they’re thinking about sending the Marines down there to stop the that"

"No, it’s the other way around," I said patiently "The Marines aren’t rooting for the new society The US is paying the contras, the guys that attack the farh now, she would be infla the facts She saved clippings that proved it When Castro released those prisoners frootten him to free all these wonderful political prisoners Adown halfway houses in Miaans and junkies

Trish fiddled with her bra strap "Hallie alould just up and do anything under the blue sky," she said

"You’re right," I told Trish "I wish I were that brave I’d be scared to death to be where she is"

"Well, you knoe can’t all be the hero," she said, jutting her lower jaw to blow smoke up toward the olive branches If I could have drawn blood, if I’d kno to do that ords instead of a needle, I would have I wasn’t sure what Hallie craved but I kneasn’t glory

"How’s Doc Hoo see hi condition And still disapproving of me, on top of it "Hard to say," I said

I felt a tap on ood to speak to an Indian boy on Main Street?"

The tingle of a blush started behind h school that in an euised with a coht to turn you in for reckless driving" I ran h my hair "Actually, I didn’t think you’d knoho I was"