Читать книгу Are We There Yet? - Дэвид Левитан, David Levithan, Рэйчел Кон - Страница 13

CAL DOESN’T WANT TO STAY FOR THE SILVER FAMILY REUNION. AFTER she speeds away in the bitchin’ Camaro, Elijah waves goodbye for a full minute before entering the airport.

He finds his mother and brother easily enough.

“So where’s your girlfriend?” Danny asks as Mrs Silver hugs Elijah tightly.

“She’s not my girlfriend.”

“So where is she?” Danny is wearing a suit. For the airplane.

“She had to go.” Elijah can’t stand still. His sneakers keep squeaking on the linoleum. He doesn’t know whether it’s the suit that makes Danny look old or whether it’s just life. He is filling out, as their mother would say, as if the outline of his adult self was always there, waiting. Elijah thinks this is scary.

“I brought you danish,” Mrs Silver says, handing Elijah a white box tied with bakery string.

“You’re the greatest,” Elijah announces. And he means it. Because he knows the bakery, he can see his mother holding the number in her hand, hoping against hope that they’ll have blueberry, because that’s his favourite.

Mrs Silver blushes. Danny gazes intently at a newsstand.

“I need to buy gum,” he says.

“Oh, I have gum.” Mrs Silver’s purse is opened in a flash.

“Yeah, sugarless. I don’t want sugarless. I’ll just go get some Juicy Fruit, OK?”

“Oh,” Mrs Silver sighs. “Do you need money?”

Danny smiles. “I think I can afford a pack of gum, Mom.” Then he’s off, dropping his bag at Elijah’s feet.

“I’ll take some Trident,” Elijah offers.

Mrs Silver rummages again and unearths a blue pack and a green pack.

“Sorry, no red,” she says with a smile as she hands the gum over.

“No problem. Thanks.” Elijah tucks the gum into his pocket. He doesn’t like either blue or green, but he doesn’t mind taking it. Someone else on the plane might want some.

While Danny buys his gum (and newspapers and Advil and a hardcover legal thriller), Elijah asks about his father’s leg, and she tells him it’s getting better. He thanks her again for the trip – he is sure it’s going to be great, there are so many things he wants to see. She thinks his hair is a little too long, but doesn’t say anything. (The telltale look at his collar gives her away.)

“So are we ready?” Danny is back.

“Ready as we’ll never be,” Elijah replies. Danny’s tie is caught in his shoulder-bag strap. Elijah is inordinately pleased by this.