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I started up the stairs Harley and I hadn't grown up exactly like a brother and a sister, but we had spent so ht of hiested it, it seemed to bother him so I stopped

"Are you decent?" I called from the top of the stairway There was just a short hallway to the right that passed his bedroom and what had been Latishas nursery; there was an equally short hallway to the left that led to Uncle Roy and Aunt Glenda's bedroom and a bathroom across from that The s on both, ends were sht day, it looked like a tunnel

"Am I decent? Depends who you ask" Harley replied

I laughed and stepped up to his bedroo on his stomach, the pillow over his head to block out the sunshine, the blanket down to his waist I knew from other times that he liked to sleep in his underwear

Harley's room was half the size ofdressers and a desk Uncle Roy had actually built hiht of his two bedrooanized fashion over it, two books opened and face down and a small pile of notebooks beside that I could see his line drawings in one of the notebooks Beside it was a book entitled American Houses As usual, his socks were on the floor beside the bed where he had thrown them and where he had dropped his shoes His jeans were draped over his desk chair and the dark blue shirt he had worn yesterday was crumpled on the top of his dresser

Unlike e, Harley's had no posters on its walls He favored soh he really enjoyed softer h he never let anyone but me know It was as if he believed that the moment some of his friends found out he was sensitive, he would lose face or worse yet, be challenged and teased and more vulnerable

"I was hoping you would be up and out by now, or at least at breakfast," I told him

He didn't turn but I could see his eves close as if he had a terrible headache When he sighed, his entire body lifted and fell Finally, he turned, dropped his head back to his pillow, put his hands behind his head and looked at me

"Roy," he began "caht The bottom line was that I should be sure to make myself invisible, not annoy anyone and not embarrass him or you or the family Hein the company of you civilized folks It doesn't exactly fill me with enthusiasm Believe me, he'd much rather I didn't come out"

"That's not true and anyway I would much rather you did," I tossed back at him "This is my special day Harley Arnold, and you had better come out You put on your nicest clothes too," I ordered

He laughed

"My nicest clothes are what your mushy kid friends knock around in"

"That's not so either I knohat you have and what you don't," I told hi up your pants and your shirts properly Look at this mess"

"Yes, Mother"

"Never ht blue shirt I liked to see hi, come home and put this on,," I instructed "Wear those loafers with it and a pair of blue socks And shave! And don't tell ht it for you on your birthday and I know you still have plenty"