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Western Carolinian Volume 61 Number 07 (08)

items 19 of 44 items
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Item’s are ‘child’ level descriptions to ‘parent’ objects, (e.g. one page of a whole book).

  • ■ 10.19.95 —I invisible academy 09 Smoking (JSt a fiction in two parts by Phoebe Esmon Grace met Paul the year she took up smoking professionally. A second semester freshman, she still stood at the cigarette display deep in thought as to which brand to try today. She drank rum and went to "art parties" where she kissed men indiscriminantly. She didn't get along with her parents and wrote morose poetry about being misunderstood. She felt herself very grown up and independent. Her roommate was her best friend. She had been smoking since she was fourteen. As a child, Erica had been in a commercial for fishsticks. She was currently doing a stint as girl friend to a rockband called Lucy. Erica was beautiful in that all-american-ivory-girl kinda way. She was petite with thick blonde hair that fell almost to her waste. She had clear skin and big green eyes. She wore long hippie skirts with batik patterns on them and long t-shirts. Grace had never met a guy that hadn't, sooner or later, asked to meet her. Grace was six feet tall, and though she had lost over thirty pounds at the end of her senior year in high school, she was far from petite. Very far. She wore hippie skirts, too, though she had to yank them down onto her hips to get them long enough. She usually coupled them with big bulky sweaters she hoped would hide the bulge of her hips beneath the elastic waistband of the skirts. Grace's hair came down her back in auburn-from-a-bottle waves. She had been told by friends of the family as she was growing up that when she got older she was going to look more and more like her mother, who looked like Ingrid Bergman. She was still waiting. And though she didn't exactly feel unattractive, being with Erica had a way of making her feel somewhat pale in comparison. Grace's friendship with Erica was a mixture of jealousy, fear, and wonder. There were times, usually when Erica was working on yet another conquest between visits from her boyfriend the drummer, when Grace couldn't fathom the fascination Erica held for men. She couldn't stand to be around Erica and her latest kill. Grace spent these times with another girl in the dorm. Sharon was neither as attractive nor as interesting as Erica, though she did sleep around quite a bit. Sharon didn't smoke, but Grace overlooked that minor defect of character, and they got along famously. It was during a period of disenchantment with Erica that Grace met Paul. He was a little shorter than she, and had a mop of curls hanging over one eye. He was thick of build and had a baby face that broke into a smile straight out of The Great Galsby. His laugh bubbled up from his toes and infected everyone around him. He didn't want to date Erica. He'd done that during summer school. He'd learned his lesson. Grace was impressed with the honesty and candor with which he expressed himself. He didn't mince words. He said what he thought with out being deliberately unkind. And though he didn't smoke either, Grace was sure she had found someone special. Grace, Paul, and Sharon spent long spring days on the parkway, playing around outside the dorm, or lazing in front of the TV. They went out nights looking for road signs or yard art to steal. When Paul didn't feel like going, he let Grace borrow his car. He even gave her his spare key. * * * It started with a faint flush whenever Paul was mentioned, and turned into a full-fledged blush when he was around. She grew very aware. Her nerve endings were hypersensitive. When he plopped down next to her to watch TV, and his elbow happened to touch hers, all of her concentration was immediately centered on that square inch of contact. Grace was falling for him. Hard. At night, she and Sharon would sit up and talk about the stuff they always talked about; classes, music, Paul and how cool he was, the latest guy Grace had walked in on Erica with. Grace was always very careful to not say anything that might clue Sharon in to how she really felt. Sharon: That was really cool of Paul to let us borrow his car to drive to Knoxville to look at that blonde guy today. Grace:(looks at her feet) Yeah, he's the best. Maybe he'll wanna go up on the parkway or something tomorrow. Sharon: That'd be sweet! It's supposed to be clear all week. Ohh! Ohh! Tomorrow night let's see if we can get a road sign to decorate my room. He'll want to do that! Grace: Definitely! We can call him tomorrow and ask. (imagines driving down a deserted stretch of highway at midnight with Paul) I'm gonna go smoke a cigarette. Wanna come watch? Sharon: Tempting, but I think I'll sit this one out. Grace: Your loss. See you in a bit. Sharon: Later. I'll give him a call while you're smoking. Grace: Cool. (Grace walks off right. Sharon picks up the phone and dials.) Sharon: Paul? Hi. This is Sharon. What're you doing tomorrow night, late? Me and Grace were talking about going out to get a sign to decorate my room, (flips her hair) Yeah, that might be cool. We could call Len and Chris and see if they wanna go. too....hmm? Oh nothing right now. Just hangin' out. Yeah, sure, you're welcome to come up for a while, if you want! Ok, call from the lobby. Yeah. Bye. (Sharon hangs up phone. Grace reenters room.) Grace: Was that Paul? Sharon: Yeah. Grace: What did he say? Sharon: He says it sounds cool, and maybe we should call Len and Chris and see if they wanna go, too. Grace: (shrugs) Whatever. You just gonna hang out and do your homework all night? Sharon: (starts doing her toenails) Yeah. Probably. I might go to bed soon. Grace: That's cool. I think I'm gonna go up now. Lunch tomorrow? Sharon: Sure thing. Grace: Later. Have fun studying. Sharon: (roles her eyes) Oh yeah, thanks. (Grace exits. Sharon starts to clean up the room. The phone rings.) Sharon: (answers phone.) Paul? I'll be right down, (exits) * * * They were in two cars. Sharon was in the car ahead with Len and Chris. Paul and Grace drove in silence. Harry Connick Jr crooned, "I know you, so well I can tell by the sound of your voice If you're really in love with me And you are. Yes you are." Grace stared at her window, watching Paul's silhouette in the lights from the dashboard. He leaned foreward and turned down the music. Grace felt her pulse speed up. "Grace, there's something I want to ask you." "Smoking" Continued on page 10
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Object’s are ‘parent’ level descriptions to ‘children’ items, (e.g. a book with pages).