Three Sisters by Norma Fox Mazer Read Free Book Online Page B

want to do is watch a little TV.”
    “Oh, right, you’re a terrific soap opera fan.”
    “I can’t convince you?” He let his hand drop lower.
    Karen linked her fingers with his. “Does that shirt make you feel sexy?”
    “Everything makes me feel sexy,” he said seriously.
    “Me?”
    “Well, yes!”
    Later, after school, she had an appointment with Rachel, the hygienist, in her father’s office. The last time Karen had been into the office, the hygienist was Jenny; the time before that, Terri. It seemed as
    if every time her father hired a DH, she immediately got married, moved west, or went back to school. And every time Terri-Rachel-Suzie-Mary-Pat-or-Jamie left him, her father would say, “Sometimes I think I have bad breath.” Another dentist joke.
    Into the chair, on with the baby bib, open the mouth. She turned her thoughts to Davey to keep them off the cleaning and scraping. What a coward! It wasn’t true, as some people thought, that being the daughter of a dentist took away the fear and loathing. Her father had her on a six-month schedule, but Karen always canceled her appointment and made a new one. Putting off the dread day.
    “You haven’t been flossing too well, Karen.”
    “Mrrmrghh.” About Davey now. She liked that she made him feel sexy. She liked feeling sexy, herself. The problem was—different definitions of sexy.
    Rachel bent her spotted face over Karen. “Don’t forget, brush gently, you don’t want to injure your gums.”
    “Mrrmrghhh.” The way it was with Davey, she felt constantly as if she were walking a tightrope. Teetering along a wire strung over a gorge -
    Her father came in. “How’s daughter number three doing?”
    “I think she has some work over here, Dr. Freed.”
    Now they were both peering into her mouth.
    - a gorge, and down below—crocodiles, rocks, a raging -
    “You haven’t been here in, let me see—” Rachel looked at the chart.
    - furious river. If she leaned too far in either direction, slipped off that wire, it would be goodbye, Karen.
    “It’s over eight months, Karen,” Rachel said.
    Goodbye, Karen? No more Davey? Her breath caught in her chest. “Eight months?” she said, sitting up in the chair. “I wonder how that happened.”
    That evening she and Tobi were playing chess, the board between them on Tobi’s bed. “Tobi,” she said, “I want to ask you something.”
    “Shoot.”
    “It’s about sex.”
    Tobi looked up from the board. “No.”
    “I didn’t even ask you the question and you’ve got an answer.”
    Tobi leaned back on her hands. She was wearing a Jane Fonda leotard, purple and white stripes, gold belt, the legs cut way up on her thighs. “What do you want to know?”
    “It has to do with Davey and me. I don’t want specific advice so much as, ah, just, ah, a general—”
    “If no won’t do, Karen, spit it out.”
    She picked up a pawn and put it back down again. “Tobi, when did you first do it?”
    “Hold it, hold it. What’s that got to do with you and Davey?”
    ‘“Well, he’s, ah—”
    “Oh … so that’s it.”
    “Right. We haven’t exactly talked about it in so many words, but—”
    “No,” Tobi said again. “Don’t.”
    One thing about Tobi, all her opinions were firm. Yes. No. Do. Don’t.
    “Why not?”
    “You’ve got time.”
    “My idea is, I should be in love.”
    “Good, Karen. You just wait.”
    “Did you?”
    “That’s right.”
    “How old were you?”
    “Karen—” Tobi leaned forward. “I just—” She broke off. “I don’t want to talk about it. It’s personal. And don’t you go blabbing, either.”
    I just—Had Tobi been about to say she just did it for the first time? With Jason? Karen studied Tobi, while Tobi studied the board.
    Liz came in. She’d showered; her hair was wrapped in a towel. “Doughnut holes, anybody?” She held out a box from the bakery.
    “You’re going to get fat,” Tobi said.
    “And you’re going to disappear one of these days if you don’t