This One Time With Julia by David Lampson Read Free Book Online Page B

wouldn’t stop flailing around. None of her covers were tucked in anymore. “What exactly is our plan for food tomorrow morning? That’s what nobody will tell me.”
    “I’m telling you right now.”
    “It’s not like I want all this responsibility. But if I don’t worry about it, who will?”
    “I’m taking care of it. You’re sleeping, Julia. Just try to close your eyes again.”
    She couldn’t hear any of the words I said, but the sound of my voice seemed to be calming her down. “I’m going to take care of it,” I said again, and then kept talking in this very gentle way, until gradually she stopped moving around so much. Eventually she lay completely still and closed her eyes. I tucked in her covers again, and then kissed her forehead just like I had wanted to all day, and she slept without talking for the rest of the night.

CHAPTER THREE
     
    When I woke up it was already the afternoon and Julia was coming out of the bathroom wrapped in this big fluffy towel. Her hair was all wet and she smelled like shampoo. “Get up, Joe. We slept almost twelve hours.”
    “What’s happening?”
    “Shouldn’t we go see if your brother will let you back in?”
    That was the last thing I felt like doing, but I couldn’t think of a way out. I got dressed, and gave some food to Alvin’s doggie, and then we took the elevator down and got into the car. Julia never mentioned talking in her sleep the night before. I don’t think she had any idea that she’d done it.
    Driving was even easier for me that morning than the day before. On the way, Julia wanted to know why Alvin and Marcus hated each other. I couldn’t think of a great answer. All I could remember was this one time when our Uncle Ruby hired this old woman to teach us Italian. Alvin and Marcus and I would sit around with her all day trying to read these really colorful Italian magazines, and the old woman would never give us any help at all, because she said the language would come more naturally if we discovered it ourselves. After a few weeks we realized she didn’t speak any Italian at all. Alvin really loved that. That’s exactly the kind of thing that made Alvin really happy. But Marcus had a huge problem with it, and said something to our uncle. When our Italian teacher ended up getting fired, Alvin was so mad he wouldn’t talk to Marcus for a year. I was surprised when the whole story came back to me right there in the car with Julia, because I hadn’t thought about it since.
    “But how long ago was this?” she asked.
    “We were just a bunch of tiny little kids.”
    “And that’s it? That’s the reason they still don’t get along?”
    “I think that’s one of the reasons. I guess you can ask him yourself.”
    All the apartment buildings in Sherman Oaks looked basically the same to me, with the iron fences and the same community swimming pool, and even after a year it sometimes took me a second to remember which one I lived in. Outside, I noticed that the dumpster was filled with piles of clothes, and a chair, and the smashed pieces of a dresser, and a bunch of shoes, and a pretty good rock collection, and some basketball posters. It all belonged to me. Marcus had thrown all my stuff away.
    I rang the doorbell a few times before Marcus came to the door in nothing but a towel. He had shaving cream all over his chest.
    “Hi Marcus.” I tried to smile at him, but he wouldn’t even look at me. “Julia, this is my brother Marcus.”
    “Really nice to meet you.” Julia beamed at him and offered her hand. Marcus wasn’t in a friendly mood, but he shook it anyway.
    “You called here yesterday,” he said.
    “That’s right.”
    “You’re Alvin’s girlfriend.”
    “I used to be. But that’s not why I’m here.” Julia giggled. For some reason meeting Marcus was making her act very young. “Joe said maybe I could use your computer. I’m going to see if I can find an earlier flight.”
    “But Joe doesn’t live here anymore. How