Laura didn’t answer, and Charlie casually changed the subject. “When’s your father coming down to pay you a visit?” he said.
“Oh, I don’t know. I don’t think he will. He’s too busy,” she answered, but she was thinking about Beth. What did the boy look like? Was he fun, had he been in love with her? Did she like him? Did she let him…
“Too busy?” said Charlie. “Must be traveling, hm?”
“No,” she answered absently, “he and my mother are—I mean—they—” She was suddenly staring at Charlie in confusion. It was too late.
“They what?” he said.
She looked around helplessly as if some way of escape might suddenly appear, and all of a sudden she felt very weak and lost. Her family was falling apart, and she was falling in love with Beth. The world was inside out, all wrong. She didn’t understand it, she hardly even realized what was happening to her. She couldn’t stop and she didn’t know where she was going. Charlie’s eyes burned her face.
Laura put her head in her hands and tight silent sobs shook her. He came around the table and sat beside her, putting an arm around her and trying to comfort her. “You know, we’re really old friends, Laura. By proxy, anyway. I’m a great listener. Want to tell me about it?”
She couldn’t control her tears. At last she said simply, “They’ve gotten a divorce. It’s all over now. It shouldn’t affect me like this. Please don’t tell anybody,” and she looked up at Charlie anxiously.
“Of course not,” he said. “But just remember I’ve got a dandy shoulder for crying on, any time you’re in the mood.” And he gave her a warming smile. Laura returned it gratefully.
“Come on, let’s go,” he said.
At the Alpha Beta front door Charlie said, “I’m not going in with you, Laura.” She looked up in surprise, and he chuckled. “You might feel obliged to kiss me good night. Gets pretty hot and heavy in the front hall at closing time—as I recall.” He was not in the least tempted to kiss her.
It seemed to Laura a very special favor, one that respected her acute sensitivity, and she didn’t know how to thank him. “Charlie—” she began. “It was very nice of you to take me out and listen to my troubles.”
“Wasn’t nice of me at all. I enjoyed it,” he said with a smile. In the little silence that followed it struck him that there was only one way to prove that statement and that was to ask her out again. It occurred to Laura too, only to humiliate her. But Charlie saw her as a nice kid in an emotional jam, and because she seemed to need someone to lean on, because of their families, because she looked forlorn, he thought one more evening wouldn’t hurt him. “When can I see you again?”
Laura was astonished. “Why, I don’t know—” she said.
“Well, how about a week from Saturday?” he said, figuring only that he hadn’t any other plans.
“Oh, that would be fine.” She looked at him curiously.
“Swell. I’ll call you,” he said. And he went off down the front walk.
She went upstairs to the room, wondering why Charlie Ayers had asked her out for the night of the Varieties show, one of the biggest campus events. Charlie didn’t know he had until two days later when he checked the university calendar, and then he cursed himself. But he didn’t break the date.
Laura came in the room to find Beth on the phone. She looked up from her conversation and smiled at Laura and after a moment she hung up. She spun around in her chair and said, “Well, is he as good as he looks?”
“Oh,” Laura blushed. “He’s awfully nice.”
“Going to see him again?”
“Yes. For the night of the Varieties.”
“Well!” Beth smiled at her. “He must be impressed.” Laura didn’t answer. “Finally remembered where I met that guy,” she went on.
An awful suspense grabbed at Laura’s stomach. “Who?” she said.
Beth frowned a little. “Your friend. Ayers. Charlie.”
“Oh. Have you met him?”
Beth studied her and Laura could feel her amusement without understanding it. “Um-hm,” Beth said. “Real handsome kid, isn’t he?”
“Yes,” Laura said briefly. She didn’t like the way Beth and Charlie remembered each other at all.
“Well, I think I’ve got it now—I must have met him at a party somewhere.”
“A fraternity party?” She was chagrined by her own jealousy.
“I guess so.” Beth smiled. “Charlie been telling tales?”
“Of course not!”
Beth began to laugh softly. “Laura, you must be interested.”
Laura’s face turned red. “In what?”
“In Charlie, of course. What else?” Laura couldn’t look at her smile. “I don’t blame you,” Beth went on, needling her subtly. “He’s nice, as I remember. I thought it was a damn waste to give a brain like that to a guy with a face like that.”
Laura wouldn’t answer her. She wouldn’t even look at her. Beth enjoyed the boycott.
“He’s too handsome for me,” she said. Laura rummaged defiantly in her closet, her back to Beth. “I like ’em ugly,” Beth said.
“Oh, you’re just joking,” Laura said pettishly to a wall of wool skirts.
“No, I’m not. I like ugly faces. I like interesting faces better than pretty faces…. You have an interesting face.”
Laura turned around then and met Beth’s provocative eyes for an instant and then looked at the floor. “I do?” she said.
The door opened noisily and Emily burst in, laughing. “Hi, roomies!” she said.
“Jesus, Emmy!” Beth got up with a grin and walked over to her. “Let me see your face.” It was lipsticked from ear to ear and down her neck to the collar of her blouse. Beth laughed at her. “Laura, our roommate is bombed,” she said.
Emily studied herself in the mirror. “And it’s indelible,” she wailed.
“Is she drunk?” Laura whispered to Beth.
“Sure,” said Beth. “She’s stoned.” She took Emmy’s chin in her hand and surveyed her face. Emmy submitted docilely to the examination, with her eyes shut. “Open your eyes,
