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Back The Third Brother Save as PDF
Chapters (116)
  1. Cover
  2. Also by the Author
  3. The Third Brother
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. PART I
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. PART II
  67. 60
  68. 61
  69. 62
  70. 63
  71. 64
  72. 65
  73. 66
  74. 67
  75. 68
  76. 69
  77. 70
  78. 71
  79. 72
  80. 73
  81. 74
  82. 75
  83. 76
  84. 77
  85. 78
  86. 79
  87. 80
  88. 81
  89. 82
  90. 83
  91. 84
  92. 85
  93. 86
  94. 87
  95. 88
  96. PART III
  97. 89
  98. 90
  99. 91
  100. 92
  101. 93
  102. 94
  103. 95
  104. 96
  105. 97
  106. 98
  107. 99
  108. 100
  109. 101
  110. 102
  111. 103
  112. 104
  113. 105
  114. 106
  115. 107
  116. 108

Mike is now stoned enough on the hash to ask about Dorr again, which is what he really wants. He waits for an opening. The conversation rolls and splits and reconnects. They all talk about how crazy families are. Burton’s family shipped him off to boarding school. Bridget’s father worked in a zoo. Mike gets to talking about his parents, too, which he knows is not good.

“Same as all the rest,” he says, trying to concentrate through the dope but giving away too much, he realizes, as he speaks. “Drunk, crazy. They’re old-fashioned about it. Stigma. Shit, they’ve made it this far.”

Mike lights a cigarette and tries to calm himself, determined not to mention the breakdowns, undiagnosed, ignored. “But you have to trust people to take care of themselves,” he continues. “It’s all just part of the deal.”

“Not lost their minds yet?” Bridget wants to know.

“Best training for an artist is an unhappy childhood,” says Burton.

That cliché, thinks Mike.

Harrison shows up with a bottle of bourbon. “Is the bar fighter here?” he asks, laughing.

“I would like to see snow,” says Tweety.

Bridget and Paul and Burton all want to get out of news and make art and eventually go home, but Tweety would just like to be in some snow. She has never even seen snow, except in movies, and she can’t imagine being in it. Specifically, she would like to stand under a snowing sky and look up and catch snowflakes on her tongue.

“The hell with snow, and I’m never going home,” says Harrison, stroking the top of his shaved head with one hand and pouring his bourbon with the other. “What about you, Mike?”

“I want to go home, too,” he says, “but just to my hotel.”

They all laugh.

But suddenly it’s as though an alarm clock has gone off in Tweety. She says has to leave. She thanks Burton formally. Watching her get up and collect herself, Mike is again taken with her body and wonders if maybe he should take her home with him after all. Tweety smiles at him and says thank you, very seriously. She extends her hand to him and as they shake he can feel her softness. She stands at full height and smiles once more at everybody, then disappears out the door, looking from behind like a girl Mike might have known back home, leaving in jeans and a T-shirt after a long party.

41

Mike’s father was filled with regret for sleeping with Dorr’s sister. He tried to explain his feelings to her, but that only infuriated her. She understood that she was nothing. They never spoke again.