Page:Jay Little - Maybe—Tomorrow.pdf/43

 Shaking himself out of his self-absorption, he glanced at his watch. "Darn, it's only ten to seven," he mused. "Oh, well …" He yawned again and a little smile crept across his face. Delicate laughing lines formed under his eyes. He had been mistaken for a girl. All his life he had viewed the thought with wonderment: a boy who should have been a girl. For a long time that had been a dream but last night it had almost happened.

"… you beautiful doll." The words were clear and real this time.

His eyes closed and blinked open again. It was amusing now and he felt complimented by the mistake. He was different, separated from masculinity more than ever. The words came back, served to remind him of his secret longing, and remained.

Gaylord tossed on the bed, wondering if Blake would like him if he had been a girl, recalled how always there had been something dreamlike about Robert Blake. But then, so many things seemed like dreams to him. That man at the dance last night. Surely that had been a dream. The way that woman pawed over Max … a dream. Thelma White. That also seemed like a dream now … like something that had not actually happened. That just couldn't happen to him. It was dream stuff. Or was it all real and true and was it that he, Gaylord, was the dreamer?

Well, he'd find out when he saw her again. If she smiled at him in that ugly way of hers he'd know if it was really a dream or not.

Thelma White …

Gaylord wanted to forget that name. He didn't want to ever hear it again. She had tricked him … had even mentioned something about Robert Blake … what had she said about Blake?

Robert Blake … Bob.

Good-looking, honorable, and strong. He knew his own mind. He'd never go with a girl like Thelma White … she had lied about him. He'd never make fun of anyone or even allow someone to say ugly things about his friends … not Bob … not Bob. Yes, Bob was good. He would be so proud to have him for a friend. But he thought of Joy.

Joy …

Where did he and Joy go last night?

They had probably gone for a ride after the dance … a long 33