"Lou was sick that day." "It had rained." "We'd put plastic sheets in the garden for Lucy's party." "The kids didn't care about the rain... or Lou." "Take it, I got lots." "Pervert!" "I'm not a pervert I'm a collector!" "Durex are better!" "How would you know?" "Durex are durable!" "The others are crap!" "You guys are revolting!" "And so romantic!" "At least I know what it's for!" "It's not a hat!" "Little guys are always show-offs." "Cowboy!" "He still plays kickball." "Hotdog!" "Cheers!" "A..." "I..." "D..." "S" ""A ass-injected death sentence!"" "You're hot!" "A temperature!" "If you have a temperature you stay in bed all day" "I'll sing you what Mum sang to me" "Asshole!" "He must be drunk!" "Real dumb kid stuff!" "He's 'had a shower." "he won't wash all week!" ""I hate the army , hate war," ""I hate priests, I hate hate, I hate men "" "Not so loud!" "Lou is sick!" "Turn it down!" "Stop yelling!" "No freedom of speech?" "I'm thirsty" "What's wrong?" "I feel bad." "Why?" "What's wrong?" "I drank too much" "Like what?" "Everything Beer, vodka" "Just throw up" "I can't." "You don't know the trick?" "Open your mouth!" "Wide!" "Drinking at your age is revolting!" "Wash your face." "Put on this clean T-shirt." "Sorry about the weather." "It was a great party." "See you Monday!" ""I gave you my heart.." ""My faithful heart..." ""It will never change..." ""Winter may melt away..." ""Beloved spring..." ""may run its course..." ""Autumn leaves..." ""Summer fruits..." ""All things may pass..." ""But one day you'll return" ""My own sweet love..." ""And never leave again "" "Go back to the party as if nothing happened." "Don't say you were sick." "Go home now." "I wonder if she has a boyfriend" "She's so pretty, so charming" "Good party despite the rain?" "Afternoon parties are kid stuff!" "Didn't stop you from swiping my vodka!" "Boys say drinking's for men, so they got the littlest guy drunk." "Not very nice." "How about you?" "Drink?" "No way, I hate it!" "Julien will be sick tonight" "He's small, but he's funny" "Know what he says?" "Little twirps are better than big twits!" "So the kid who threw up is Julien" "He got to me, the way." "he watched me singing.-." "It almost hurt" "He couldn't have looked more pathetic, yet I found him superb." "I wanted to see him again, so I went to Lucy's school, hoping he'd run into me." "It happened differently:" "I ran into him." "Watch where you're going!" "You OK?" "Fine." "It's you!" "Sit down," "You throw up, get hit." "Never a dull moment!" "Your driving's pretty good, too!" "Want to go to a pharmacy?" "A cafe?" "A cafe will be fine!" "Get in." "Beat it!" "Whats the big deal?" "Always the last!" "'Cause we're cool!" "You don't want a coffee, right?" "A Coke, please." "You like Coke?" "Gives me a little buzz," "Gives me a little buzz." "You're in Lucy's year?" "Same home room?" "Yes..-9C." "Vacation's coming." "'Bout time!" "Doesn't that hurt?" "You want to go to a pharmacy?" "Treat me to a video game , instead of a Coke." "How much?" "5 francs." "I'd like a coffee...and a Coke" "You're nice." "Shit!" "I like the trickiest game" "New start." "OK, you twins." "you're in for it!" "They throw the knives either high or low, so you gotta jump or duck." "Each floor... has a villain a big guy or a wizard," "When you hit him you go up and get closer to rescuing Sylvia... on the 5th floor." "I'm on the 2nd floor now." "The jars falling down." "have snakes in them.." "or dragons" "You lose points if they get you!" "I knew I wanted... to see him again." "But not so close to the school" "Shit!" "Want to try?" "It was good to watch him" "He was wrapped up in his game." "With such skill and passion.," "The house was so calm..." "A vague feeling of absence..." "You're very quiet." "I'll tell you a secret!" "When I was your age," "I was in love with a man who was 15-20 years older than me" "It was hard for him, but he didn't touch me." "We'd meet in the afternoons, and spend hours together just talking-." "." "I loved feeling so important, so unique," "Why tell me?" "It bothers me." "Now I'm supposed to spill my heart out to you?" "I don't do that, at least not at home." "Feelings are so important" "Feelings are so important when you're 14, 15, 16..." "." "Now I remember:" "I wasn't crazy abut him, just flattered he was crazy about me," "Cut it out!" "Have you ever played video games?" "Not very often." "But you've tried them?" "There's one in the cafe near school, but it's really hard." "Why you'd want to know?" "To play when... you go out alone?" "Thanks!" "It's nice!" "Where are there other." "games like that one?" "There's lots up the road!" "?" "in another cafe." "Know the game with a guy in white?" "A karate man in a pagoda with stairs?" "Kung Fu Master!" "Not here" "I like that one better." "Do you have Kung Fu Master?" "Check up the street" "CONDOMS" "Your laces, again!" "Who is it?" "I'll get the door!" "Lucy's at her Dad's," "They're not for her" "They're for Lu and me?" "For me too!" "I bought 3" "Let's eat 'em then!" "I'm not dressed It's Sunday" "I don't care." "Lucy calls them boarding school PJ's" "I almost went to one," "With my parents in Africa, it was go to boarding school or to my grandma." "." "I'll take old folks over prefects!" "You came to see Lucy?" "No, she told me she'd be at her dad's" "I was bored." "We're bored too." "Daddy didn't come visit today" "We could form a lonely hearts club!" "You'll come with us then, but it's a surprise!" "What surprise?" "You'll see" "First heat some milk." "then we'll go." "The surprise is a video arcade!" "Great!" "Not just any old game!" "It has your favorite!" "Really?" "You play this time" "Take off your sweater" "It's hot in here." "How do you back off?" "You always gotta go for it!" "Damn!" "Put up a fight!" "Kick low!" "It's hard," "I get confused." "Wait!" "Don't kick at nothing!" "It's too fast!" "Behind you!" "Good!" "Your game's hard!" "Use your fists." "I'm screwing up!" "Don't laugh, concentrate!" "It's hard, my heart's racing!" "Don't get trapped!" "Do something!" "You're really lousy!" "You take over then" "Can I play too?" "Here's the wizard!" "What wizard?" "He keeps reappearing." "He won't turn Julien into a toad!" "A wizard,.." "Wonderful!" "Look, he came out of the cloud!" "The hunchback is a slimy creep" "What's a slimy creep?" "Got him!" "Not bad!" "Poor Sylvia, still waiting.." "The 4th floor's different:" "Bees and dwarf warriors." "Not Snow White's 7 dwarfs?" "Way to go!" "Goodbye, Miss Lou." "The young man?" "Friend of my daughter's." "So long, have a nice day!" "Unhappy ending!" "Poor Loulou!" "She's dead tired." "Don't just stand there, it's raining!" "Give me the bags." "No more Coke?" "No there isn't!" "Coke's bad to drink at night." "Makes you edgy." "Done your homework?" "Nothing for me to sign?" "Good time with Dad?" "He's got a dog now" "You clean your room?" "On a Sunday that ended too soon," "I took it all out on Lucy." "She said nothing." "Am I mean on Sundays.." "when she's been with her father ,?" "You and I do the report, OK?" "And Benjamin too" "He's never around." "Your place or mine?" "It's due after Easter!" "Gimme a break!" "Yeah, right!" "What's with Lucy?" "He's got the hots!" "He'd better cool down a bit." "She's a stuck up!" "So I gotta do my report with Jacotte!" "She's the pits!" "Who'd you like to get?" "I don't know Maybe ...the history teacher" "At least she knows about the Nazis." "A teach with an ass like that... should be retired!" "One-track mind!" "I heard a good joke:" "Why don't Belgians squeeze lemons?" "They're afraid of lemon AIDS!" "Pretty good!" "You assholes!" "AIDS jokes aren't funny" "I've read a lot about it..," "Are you a fag?" "...it's no laughing matter!" "HETEROSEXUALS CONFRONT AIDS" "I hate Biology!" "On the oral exam..," "Lavigand got asked things we never studied!" "I studied the heart:" "I studied the heart!" "Not even one question about it!" "He's always like that." "He flunks anyone who's absent," ", He even flunked Julien, who's been out slick." "What a slime!" "The guy's a total maniac!" "Bye, Mom!" "The home room teacher of 9C, please?" "It's you," "I'm calling about Julien." "No, I don't know his last name, but he's been absent recently." "Lucy forgot to get classwork for him." "Can I stop by?" "Now for the respectable... parent routine." "At school or the lawyer's," "I always wear a necklace and a suit." "The final touch: pearl earrings." "He's a friend of Lucy's." "No one told us anything." "His parents are in Africa." "His parents are in Africa." "That's why!" "Lucy didn't know the address." "Thanks." "If all parents cared like you!" "Who is it?" "I'm here for Julien." "I'm from the school." "Please go right in" "He'll be glad of a visitor." "Come in." "Lucy tell you to come?" "Yes." "You're pale" "I'm sick of everything!" "Even me?" "I've been expecting you for 2 days now," "Well, I'm here." "Well, I'm here" "I'm sick of... being sick, being here, being 14, with this crap on my teeth!" "," "I can't help you." "I'm not a dentist," "Don't be sad" "You're in pajamas." "When you visited me, I was in pajamas" "Just like old folks.." "Just like old folks." "visiting each other in a home" "Get well quick." "Go back to school" "Call me if you need me." "Lou spilled the milk." "What's wrong?" "Your face is all red." "I saw a sad movie." "What was it?" "An oldie you wouldn't like" "When did you go?" "4 o'clock." "I saw you at school at 4 o'clock." "I thought you'd come to get me." "But you stayed in the car" "I thought you were avoiding me." "and 15 minutes after" "I watched you go in" "Sherlock Holmes!" "Sherlock Holmes!" "Did you see Mrs Lavillie?" "That's it." "'Cause I skipped on Thursday?" "Exactly!" "Was she mad?" "You bet." "Skipping classes and lying.." "don't go down well there!" "But I covered for you." "I said we dealt with family matters." "I said we dealt with family matters" "Thanks." "It's a great concept" "My friend's gifted!" "Yes, but she's late" "It's 2 day's overdue" "But now we've got it!" "What's the problem?" "Over here, you'll be safer!" "They were all bitching:" "No one could reach you!" "You depressed?" "In love?" "Really?" "Got a guy?" "Just kidding." "Nothing to report." "Don't be like Isabelle." "Cried so long over Bob she dried up, got to be all bones." "Have fun while you're single!" "You've still got what it takes!" "That innocent look..." "You could get a guy..." "Maybe a young one!" "You're vulgar!" "Like folks who've got it made:" "Family, kids, steady job." "A happy family can be a drag, you know." "A good husband good to others." "I'm saying you're free, so you should have fun." "Remember when we were young..." "Speak for yourself!" "I wasn't daring!" "Now I tell Lucy: "Don't do this, don't do that"" "I haven't even mentioned the pill!" "You're out of it." "Input condoms in the bathroom!" "You do?" "Thomas and his friends are 15 now." "You should hear them." "There's not much romance... in first love these days!" "How are they otherwise?" "The eldest and Mary are fine." "She's so funny now." "Thomas is in jerk phase." "He's awful!" "But he's so nice always hugging you!" "Sure!" "He's sweet and lazy!" "He's flunking all his classes, he's even worse at home." "Jars left open." "same with the toothpaste, pajamas in the tub but the combs are lost." "You should see his room!" "Jeans lying in a heap on the floor." "sneakers on his pillow, underwear in the ashtray on his desk..." "He leaves a trail behind him:" "cookie crumb near the TV... means he was there." "If the TV's on cable, he watched a skin flick that night" "Boys are curious and vulnerable it's rather touching..." "You don't live with one!" "You hate a messy house, that's all." "You're lucky to have a boy." "Sure I love him!" "But 15 is a difficult age." "Granny, I'm sick of inhaling this stuff" "Better safe than sorry!" "But I'm well!" "Stay on the safe side..." "Or you'll be sorry!" "The forecast calls for bad weather even in the South." "Another day of captivity for Marcel Carton," "Marcel Fontaine, Jean-Paul Kaufman," "Jean-Louis Normandin." "French hostages in Lebanon still denied their freedom." "The Constitution Council... decided last night to adopt." "the Lamassour amendment..." "You made it back!" "Jerk!" "He stabbed me" "How can that be?" "I didn't see it coming." "I always get screwed here." "Doesn't matter" "What a beauty!" "A trusty steed!" "This is more our style." "The Chappy's real cool." "It has no guts" "." "It's "fixed"." "But it's easy to unfix:" "Cute open, ditch the governor." "Then you retune the carbs." "Then you re tune the crabs." "Take it easy, kids." "I'm debating: this one looks.." "...racier... but the Chappy's a lot faster." "Now if I tested them..." "You need your parents for that." "But take off the plastic:" "Rain's stopped." "New bikes cost too much." "That one's not bad." "Yeah, but you seen the mileage?" "I like the raincoat!" "It's neat." "You look different." "You look different." "It's awesome!" "I found it in a trunk." "It's 30 years old and smells of mothballs." "I combed the flea market to find one... like Colombo's." "Can't be found." "I'll trade you." "or what?" "For what?" "." "A calculator." "A real gem!" "Not just any calculator!" "Straight from Japan." "Can't be found here." "It's a deal." "Then I got a call that thrilled me..." "I have good news." "Let's celebrate together." "I said yes, then blurted out, "I'd like to celebrate.' '" "Meet me soon, at 5:15," "At my cousin's, 42 Lafayette St" "At my cousin's , 42 Lafayette St" "It's cool." "Get Lucy to babysit Lou." "You'll make it?" "Yes." "I instantly said yes." "Can I call you Mary-Jane now?" "Of course." "I call you Julien." "No more Mrs." "Do people still say "My love"?" "He hung up." "I ran to meet him." "Want a drink?" "A cocktail with orange juice in it" "A screwdriver and a Coke, please" "The usual: tea with milk." "and a cookie for my darling, and a cookie for my darling, my lovely baby..." "Don't make fun of people!" "I see!" "Your teeth, they're free!" "Great!" "That's the good news..." "There's more.." "You're very coy." ""Your cousin's place is really a hotel bar." "Honest!" "Honest!" "He lives here." "His family owns the hotel." "His family owns the hotel." "We can go upstairs.." "It's really neat." "Let's go up." "Come on, let's go." "And the drinks?" "We'll have them sent up... or I'll come down." "Before me." "I won't go to a hotel room with you!" "You're crazy!" "It's really my cousin's!" "Here's the other surprise." "Cousin!" "I'm sure you made up" "Cousin I I'm sure you made up this cousin!" "You're chickening out!" "You're too young to smoke, and not in a lift!" "Shut up, "Mommy' '!" "Little brat!" "Little brat!" "I love Mary Jane, she's pretty..." ""I'm shy, she's she.''" "Well, I got a love letter, got my face slapped, too." "I'd best not see him again." ""There will be casualties" ""in the business world'" ""and in ethnic circles." ""We don't want to hang a rich Jew" ""on every telephone pole,"" ""if it can be avoided."" ""But Jude-Marxism must be..." ""...rooted out of our populist state" ""that is backed by our finest forces"." "Let's copy that." "Come sit on the floor, don't be uppity!" "I'm writing this." "Someone has to!" "Lucy is such a good girl!" "There!" "I've written a summary:" ""Hitler, a frustrated artist," ""son of a customs officer," ""volunteered for the army."" "Seems Nazism didn't get off to a great start." "The Party only had 6 members." "I can see them: in an 8th floor garret with no elevator." "6 moronic Nazis shouting "Hell, Adolf!"" "Here's more gossip:" "Hitler Youths wore baggy shorts." "Stop!" "Let's finish this before vacation!" "Where you going?" "England, to my grandparents." "Lucky you!" "I stay here: my folks never move." "I'm off to Switzerland." "England's nicer" "Do I go in your bag or on my bike?" "You don't know London?" "You'd like it." "There's all kinds, dressy people, slobs..." "I adapt to all countries." "I promise I'll do the whole report, even illustrate it, if you leave me room." "And me?" "You provided the eats, the helmet, the pad" "You're OK." "You can sign my drawings." "Can you buy me some "Doc" Boots?" "They're cheaper in London." "I'm not going to lug shoes around for you." "They're huge, and heavy." "Wear sneakers like us." "Only "Converse"!" "You and your brand names!" "You're so dumb!" "OK, pals, sign my nice pictures." "I'll trade them for friendship." ""I , Lucy, promise..." ""...to take Julien to London if he-.." ""... agrees..." ""...to lift his pinky..." ""...when he drinks tea."" "There!" "Lou, you bring the hen?" "What's wrong, Lou?" "Is it your first trip to London?" "You must answer in English." "Great!" "A nursery!" "It's full of games." "You'll be in here with Lou," "I'm in here with Lucy," "I'm in here with Lucy, in the room I had as a girl." "Want to sleep above or below?" "Below." "No, on top." "Come on, we're tired." "1,2,3, go!" "When Julien's grandmother phoned me, before we left" "I didn't know of Lucy's pact with him." "That kept things in the family." "It was hard: now he'd become a pal of my kids!" "Go, Lucy, go Julien!" "Faster!" "So who won?" "You did!" "What's AIDS mean?" "What we call AIDS in France." "That's a good one!" "He said if there are 50,000... cases now... at this rate there'll be... 2 million in 5 years." "One night of passion may kill her?" "Reminds me of something!" "Condom collector!" "Wow!" "Condom collector!" "Wow!" "Shall I turn off the TV?" "Shall I turn off the TV?" "Yes, it's a drag!" "It's really quite fun." "OK, we got the point!" "..Go look behind the balustrade." "." "There's a surprise." "Honest!" "Honest I" "Look." "A swimming-pool!" "That's just a bucket, a bath-tub..." "Or less: a coffee-cup!" "In the summer we swim in it." "In the summer we swim in it." ""Water's chilly today!"" "Really, we swim in it..." "In winter it's a great hiding place." "To play cowboys." "Your mom lived here as a kid?" " Yep.." "Mom, can I have one?" "Quick, Lou, they're explosive eggs!" "You'll be blown to bits!" "Be nice to my sister!" "Julien' Lucy' let's cross." "AIDS all they talk about here!" "The British are sex-mad!" "Got anything else against us British?" "It'll be the same in France, same news, same deal" "And as many drawings as this?" "What's that?" "You crazy?" "Put it in your pocket." "Look, Lou." "Nice, huh?" "When I was little, I loved Easter." "Kids love it." "My mother hid eggs" "Now I hide eggs" "Do things repeat themselves?" "The same acts, same feelings?" "Do all women, once in their life, fall for a young boy?" "Did my mother?" "Or only those who don't have a son?" "You're nuts!" "So you're hiding eggs?" "I've got the dirt on you!" "Guess so." "Those pajamas!" "It's your fault." "My fault?" "." "' You grabbed my pajamas..." "Not at all!" "I'm here." "This is Happy Easter?" "You make me sick!" "Because he kissed me?" "You slept with him?" "OK, let's talk English." "What do you people call." "...seducing a 14 year-old boy?" "Statutory rape, is that it?" "You're proud of my grades!" "I don't know..." "I can't say what you did:" "I don't know  the dirty words." "And you lecture me." "15 year olds can do this, but not that!" "Watch out!" "Boys can hurt you!" "Don't fail in love now '" "Don't fall in love now!" "Lucy, shut up." "You're jealous" "Jealous of a brat!" "You can have him!" "Jealous because he desires me, when to you I'm old and washed up" "You're not old, and I'm not jealous." "But you're 20 years older!" "That's disgusting!" "And in your parents' garden!" "In this very garden where." "at your age I flirted with boys Julien's age" "Let's have an egg fight!" "I have a blue and green one." "Seagulls!" "Look, Lou!" "Know what they caught?" "Lobster." "Lobster but they had no mayonnaise!" "Times were hard!" "'Will we be alone here?" "Yes, Lou." "We're out in the wilds!" "No more busses, phones no school!" "It's called a desert island!" "It's called a desert island!" "Is that guy going to come back?" "Who knows?" "He's British!" "Maybe not, maybe in a few days '" "No one ever sails by here?" "No, never, but we have flares." "What are... flares?" "Adventure" "You can sleep with Lou in the big bed'" "I'll sleep in the cot." "I'd rather she slept in this bed." "Unzip the two bags, then zip the two together so it makes one big bag" "For the two of us" "Full moon and an oil lamp, that's life." "Tide's gone out!" "You won't make it" "I will!" "Come back, water's too cold!" "I dare you!" "There're 3!" "Bring  the basket." "Did you find any eggs?" "." "Stay where you are-.." "Don't move!" "We found 15 at least.." "Big omelet!" "An omelette." "Some of them squawk "Mom!" Hear them, Lou?" "Mom, Mom!" "What is it?" "That's me!" "That's you?" "You're too much!" "That's you!" " OK. ." "Listen to that one!" "They mock us!" "I like the one who says:" ""Mom!" "Mom!"" "I want Mom I" "It's disgusting." "It's lovely." "You want to touch it" "I'm sure it's soft." "Yes, it is." "More!" "Put lots in my shovel." "." "Thanks.." "Look at the guy..." "He's great!" "He's lost his head." "A brother's better than a sister." "I love you very much" "So do I." "Who do you like best?" "Lou or me?" "Both, Captain, sir!" "I'd like to spend my vacation here" "I'm too old for you." "No, you're not." "But this place could use some video games." "I'm happy." "I promise you." "Kiss me or I'll die." "She gets a head start." "Lou won again." "Did you somersault?" "I never know." "Lucy says so little." "What do you play?" "Depends." "Sometimes we play "Dungeons and Dragons"" "The game takes place in your head" "You're a character and your adventure is decided by the dungeon master." "He conducts the game." "All you need is paper," ". a pencil and dice." "So I'm a medieval warrior." "And a thief." "More like an assassin." "We're in a medieval setting" "The mission may be to free a captive princess." "To free her... but dodge the monsters." "All the monsters you meet, like trolls, gnomes, goblins." "like trolls, gnomes, goblins" "It's all done by dice, even my skill, my might, my intelligence." "I can buy weapons, swords, maces, daggers, weird knives." "weird knives." "So I smite him." "My score depends on the dice, the type of armor he's wearing." "the type of armor he's wearing." "If he has 2, a shield and chain mail," "I have to score 20 on the die to hit him." "If I hit him with a sword that rates 1 to 6," "I score 1 to 6 points of damage." "There's also LP's" "What are they?" "Life Points" "That's the number of points you have" "When you've got 0, you're dead" "You can be revived by  a wizard if you have a reviving ring." "You play that game often?" "You play that game often?" "Very often." "Did you have fun when you had a husband?" "Move it, crabs, tide's coming in!" "It came in fast!" "Sure caught us, it's all wet..." "The cover's wet." "Come, Lou." "I want to sleep!" "I want to sleep!" "What's all that?" "Well, am I beautiful?" "You look like a witch." "That's not true!" "You're a stinker!" "Mom's cuter than.." "... you are." "Your hazel eyes.." "the color of fall.." "and all those freckles... you didn't have them in Paris" "And those teeth," "I knew them when they were in braces" "That little shadow.." "It's pretty." "I know I won't be around... when you start shaving." "What do you mean?" "I won't be around." "People drift apart.." "That's how it is..." "Don't say that." "Don't." "I love you so much." "And you never say anything." "I don't know if it's because.." "I don't know if it's because-." "you're shy..." "But I'd do anything for you." "But I'd do anything for you" "Anything." "You'll forget me." "Don't say that." "I'll never forget you." "Even if it's a lie, thanks." "It's the truth." "I'm so afraid of losing you." "I'm scared too, but don't say it." "Once we left the island, everything went wrong, very fast." ""They" took Julien from me." "All of them." "his grandmother, who told all, the principal." "Julien's mother, back from Africa, threatened to have me arrested." "I was a monster, I had sinned against nature' ruined everything." "Julien had to change schools, so did Lucy." "And Lucy's father took her from me." "I was a bad example." "They left me Lou, but not for vacations." "I spent the summer alone in Paris, wandering around, asking myself questions, worrying..." "Had he loved me, forgotten me?" "I didn't mind if he forgot me but minded if he despised me, or spoke ill of me." "And I wondered about trivialities." "Was his cousin in that hotel, where I'd felt ashamed?" "I went by one evening, there was a guy at the door" "Was it his uncle?" "I avoided the place after that." "but I saw the "Hotel du Nora" all over, until I felt sick." "Julien never phoned or wrote." "WHEN ON VACATION, USE THE MAMA" "Was he in Africa?" "Or locked up somewhere?" "Or locked up somewhere?" "I had told him how, when I was young, I'd had a love affair by mail via  General Delivery at the Central Post Office." "Had he remembered that story.?" "I stopped by that post office now and then," "I'd written him there," "General Delivery of course" "Where else could I write him?" "I hoped for a letter from him some day, but he never wrote." "I thought of him , alive and funny, but it was as if he were dead." "Then autumn came." "very early that year... very early that year..." "Hi!" "Are the flowers for Lou?" "She's not here." "She's with her dad" "No, they're for you." "Well, come sit down." "Is the dog Dad's?" "Mine now I changed his name." "From "Bistro" to " Bonny"." "Dad OK?" "Why weren't you sitting at the table?" "I don't know, I was here, reading.." "I don't know, I was here, reading.." "I didn't know when you'd come." "You expected me?" "I see so little of you." "But you look well." "Long hair looks lovely on you." "I think you've grown." "Not in 2 weeks!" "How's the new school?" "What news?" "It's fine." "It's fine." "At first it was tough, but now." "I've made friends." "Boys!" "Yeah, 3 of them" "Inseparable..." "They've adopted me." "Has one adopted you more than the others?" "No, they're..." "Well, there's one.." "I think he's nicer." "What's a nicer boy?" "He has to be on the tall side..." "Not too dumb, sort of easygoing..." "A non-smoker: smoke stinks... be attentive.." "not wear a leather jacket... or cowboy boots.." "easy to talk to, and no... easy to talk to, and no... gossiping to guys or gals..." "And he doesn't date another girl..." "That means kissing in the bushes!" "Why'd you say that?" "A boy told me that dating..." "A boy told me that dating.." "... a girl means to flirt with her." "You know that!" "That's what he said..." "We don't discuss that." "Shall I put on water for tea?" "Here, take the flowers in." "If you hate gardening, get a gardener" "Not worth it, this time of year." "Maybe in the spring, for your birthday party," "I'll put flowers everywhere, OK?" "My pals got up a petition so video games are part of final exams:" ""Reflexes and concentration"." "Did you sign it?" "Sure, it's just a gag." "I play, too, in an arcade near school." "But I change games, so I don't improve." "But it's fun." "We go at noon and skip lunch." "Sometimes instead of lunch, I read" "I love to read." "I do too." "Reading and playing, I like both." "I just read: "Froth on a Daydream" by Van." "Liked it?" "A lot." "I'm so glad!" "I adored that at your age." "It stood for passion." "It still does." "I also read Dostoevsky's "Gambler"" "Well!" "Playing games, that's passion too!" "Yeah, I got it!" "It's in the bag!" "That's for the phone." "Do me a favor?" "Depends." "Get me some paper and make a call for me." "You can call this woman, I can't." "Tell her Julien saved Sylvia and you saw it." "Tell her I tried for 6 months and.." "... just made it." "Say also that Sylvia... you won't forget?" "Thanks..." "For the phone." "Another nutcase!" "Who's this?" "Mom's not home." "Screw that!" "It's a pain!" "Later!" "OK." "Got a girlfriend?" "Used to." "Who dumped who?" "Was she built?" "Just a housewife with big feet and no tits." "Had 2 daughters: one too old, one too young." "She was nuts about me so I played along." "She wasn't much of a lay, no spring chicken, and a bit of a drag.." "But I did my duty..."