My sister, Bay, sat in the bathtub while I poured in a gallon of milk which we?d read in Cosmo was an emollient.

?Stinks,? she said, but she wanted softer skin for Monte. Her hair was coated in mayonnaise.

She lay back and put cucumber slices over her eyes and asked me if I?d tell her again about Colorado, how in the spring you could ski in cutoffs and a windbreaker, no gloves, graphite poles in your bare hands. We wanted to leave Mississippi, our mother?s nagging, our father?s slam of every guy we brought into the house, and go away to college in Boulder. We?d share an apartment like we?d always shared a room, but sleep in double beds with our boyfriends. Dates didn?t have to end in the driveway. They could start up again in the middle of the night, or the next morning, better than a marriage, because you weren?t tired of each other, you weren?t tired at all. True love exploded your heart, sent out electrically-charged debris that traveled through all parts of you.

My mother knocked sharply on the door. ?What did you do with the milk??

?I?ll run out for more,? I said.

?I need it for pudding,? she said.

I borrowed the car and drove to Winn-Dixie, took the long way so I could ride by Kyle?s house. He was shooting baskets in his driveway with my sister?s boyfriend, Monte.

?Wanna ride to the store?? I said. They jumped in the car, Kyle riding shotgun. He put his warm hand on my thigh. Monte lit a cigarette and exhaled smoke at the back of heads.

?Bay?s in the tub,? I said, figuring that would interest them. I could talk about her easier than I could myself.

?Doing what?? Monte said, smirking. He poked Kyle in the shoulder like they?d both seen her naked. He was older and worked the swing shift at the Hercules dynamite plant. On the weekends, we double-dated, took Kyle?s car because Monte?s truck was small.

?Luxing herself up,? I said, her pimp.

?You could learn a few things from your sister,? Monte said. ?The word is you?re a fridge.?

?He didn?t hear that from me,? Kyle said, and squeezed my thigh.

I kept my eyes on the road.

I ran in for milk, Snickers, a half-gallon of peppermint ice cream. They passed a joint over the back seat while they waited. I stood in the longest line, took my time. Bay and I would start over in Colorado, pick better boyfriends, get a refund on these two jokers. Next time I?d blow the doors off the guy.