Page 56 of Intermission

Ryan takes a plate from me and loads it into the dishwasher. “So tell me about this Noah Spencer,” he says in a low voice. “I have a feeling there’s a little more going on than what you’re telling Mom and Dad.”

“I’m working up to it. You know how they are.” I, too, keep my voice low. I glance toward the breakfast room. “Did you see Dad’s face when I told him Noah is transferring to atheatreprogram?”

“Yeah.” Ryan nods. “So they’re still giving you a rough time about wanting to major in musical theatre, huh?”

“Can you call it ‘giving me a rough time’ if they don’t even take it seriously?”

He sighs and loads another dish when I hand it to him. “And you say Noah’s a freshman in college? That’s a little old for you, isn’t it?”

“No, it’s not. We have a lot in common. And, um, he’s not a freshman.” I hand my brother a glass. “He’s in his second year.”

“I see.” Ryan is quiet as he loads another two dishes. “And I take it you’re a... couple?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“I know Dad’s fairly oblivious, but Mom knows you’re dating him, right?”

“Um, no. Not yet. Like I said, I’m working up to it.”

“But youaregoing to tell them soon, right?”

“I’ll have to. I mean, we haven’t reallydated-dated yet. We’ve been too busy. Noah works a lot, and since he took time off for musical practices, there wasn’t a lot of other time available. We rode together a lot. Hung out on breaks. You know.” I shrug. “But now the musical is over. He wants to do the whole chivalry thing, you know? Come in, meet the parents.” I pantomime a shiver. “It’s a little scary.Mom and Dad can be so—”

“Oh, come on. They’re not that bad.”

“Oh yeah? Remember when Gretchen went out with that boy from Sommerton who was planning to go to tech school for computer programming rather than a four-year school?”

“No.”

“Oh, yeah. You didn’t come home much that year.” I shut off the water and lower my voice to a whisper. “My point is that Mom and Dad are total snobs when it comes to that stuff. And Noah wants to be an actor. Anactor, Ry! What if they say something really rude and hurt his feelings?”

“I don’t think the acting thing is going to be as big a deal as the age thing.”

It’s not something I think about anymore when I’m with Noah, but... “The age thing?”Gulp.

“Yes, Faith. The age thing. You’re only halfway through high school.”

“So you think I’m too immature?”

“I didn’t say that.” Ryan arches an eyebrow. “Usually,I would say you’re a lot more mature than other kids your age.”

I catch his meaning. The tone of my last comment was a tad petulant.

“But life experience informs a person’s natural maturity level. Face it, Faith. Noah might’ve played a teenager inThe Sound of Music—and he did a great job—but in real life, Noah Spencer is an adult.”

“Nineteen is still a teenager.”

“And,” Ryan says, crossing his arms, “regardless of how mature you think you are, you’re still a minor.” He sighs. “Grab the dish soap.”

I fill the reservoir and replace the soap under the sink as Ryan closes the dishwasher door and starts the cycle.

“So,” he says, leaning against the counter, “are things getting, uh, serious between you two?”

“Yeah.”

A line forms between his eyes, just under the one creasing his forehead. “How serious?”

“Chill, bro,” I laugh. “It’s not like we’re talking about getting married or anything. Geez.”