Music From Another World - Robin Talley Page 0,121
My eyes bugged out. “It’s huge! Is it a collage?”
“Yeah. Something new I’ve been working on. It started out as the same format I’ve always done, but Alex showed me how to use the enlargers in the darkroom, and I wound up doing it on a bigger scale. I’d show you, but there’s no space to take it out in here.”
“That sounds incredible. I wish I could come to the show.” I wouldn’t mind crashing overnight with Leonard’s friend, either. Getting in a few extra hours in close quarters with Tammy.
“Bad idea, Shar.” Peter bumped my ankle with his sneaker. “Mom might actually have a heart attack.”
“Try to stay on your mom’s good side as long as you can, Sharon,” Alex called, twisting around from the front seat. “I need you in one piece so you can join the softball team in the spring.”
“I’ll probably still be grounded,” I called back, but she laughed.
Slowly, the conversations in the bus got quieter and then died off, the others lost in thought or drifting off to sleep. I got out my diary and wrote that last entry. Then, south of Bakersfield, Lisa pulled over at a rest stop.
Everyone charged to the bathrooms while Tammy, Evelyn, and I hung back. Evelyn pulled a cigarette out of her purse and paused to light it.
“Hey, I didn’t get to hug you yet.” Evelyn grinned and gave me a side-hug. “How’ve you been holding up on your own in Dan White territory?”
I shrugged. I didn’t want to bring everyone down by talking about how isolated I’ve been. “Okay, I guess.”
“We’ve missed you at the bookstore.”
“I’m sorry I haven’t been able to volunteer. My mom will barely let me out of the house.”
“I know how that goes. Believe me.” Evelyn’s lips spread in a sympathetic smile. “Thanks again for bringing Tammy to us, though. She’s hand-sold more books in the past two months than I have in the past year. I told her if she wants to keep working a side gig while she’s making her way in the art world, she’s always welcome.”
“Since it’s not as if I’ve got a future working in the school system or anything,” Tammy said. They both laughed, but I couldn’t join in.
According to the Chronicle, the polling numbers for Prop 6 look worse than ever. It’ll pass in November, and soon it’ll be illegal for people like us to work at public schools. I guess I have to either leave the state or come up with a new career plan.
Of course, I could always keep quiet about who I am. But I’m not counting that as an option anymore.
“It’ll be all right, Sharon,” Evelyn said, her voice resolute. “We’ve lost every fight so far, but we’ll win the war. That’s why Harvey’s doing these debates—to change as many hearts and minds as we can. Every time we go out into the community, we’re showing the public that gay people are no different from them.”
“Hearts and minds. Right.”
“Anyway, I’ve got to pee or I’ll explode. See you in a minute.”
Evelyn paused before she took off, raising her eyebrows at Tammy. Tammy laughed, waving as Evelyn started up the hill toward the low white building.
I turned my back to the highway. If you could’ve shut out the sounds of the traffic rushing past, it would’ve been a beautiful spot. The hills ahead of us were dotted with green and brown. Gentle slopes rose to gentle peaks and dipped back down again.
“So, um…” Next to me, Tammy shifted on her feet. I met her gaze, then blushed and looked down at the grass. It was the first time we’d been alone since the day she’d left.
I could’ve given her the letter then and there. I had it with me, folded neatly into squares in my back pocket. But having her so close made me not want to wait for her to read it.
I thought again about what she’d said in her last letter. The line that had run through my head every day since. If not every hour.