cool dip," Tom said.
"See you tonight," Helen said. She raised up on her toes and kissed his cheek. Tom nodded and turned to leave. Helen knelt beside me once more.
"Are you really all right?" she asked.
I sat up and sighed. "Yes."
"What happened?"
"Nothing."
"Why didn't you at least act grateful to Tom for saving your life?"
"My life was not in danger!" I snapped. Then I quieted down. "I got tired is all. I don't like this being made into a big production."
28
29
CHRISTOPHER PIKE
Helen nodded, studying me. "You embarrass easily, Josie."
I returned her stare. "So do you, Helen." I added, "Let's not talk about this with my dad. It'll only make him worry."
"I understand," Helen said.
"Good." I got up. "Let's get out of here. Too many people are staring at me."
Chapter 2
30
The sky was almost dark when I awoke from my nap. I was alone in my room. After returning from Paradise Beach, I had lain down in bed for a quick rest. Neither Helen nor I had intended to pass out for any length of time. We didn't want to sleep during the day and be up all night. I didn't know if Helen had managed to stay with the game plan, but when I checked my watch and discovered I had been out for four hours, I realized it might take a few days to adjust to the new time zone. My chest felt fine, no pain at all.
Dressing in blue jeans and a yellow blouse, I left the room and searched for the others. I didn't go straight to my father's room but passed through the lounge area at the front of the hotel, where there was a small bar and snack shop. There I found Silk, watching a rerun of "Gilligan's Island" and stirring a bloody 31
CHRISTOPHER PIKE
Mary. What a prize, I thought; she came all the way to Greece to watch bad TV. We had the lounge to ourselves.
"Where's my dad?" I asked.
"He's in the room, writing," Silk replied. She had on a suede purple pants outfit, too much makeup. With the approaching night it had cooled some, but it was still too warm for suede. Silk took a sip of her drink.
Her gaze was easy, too accepting; it had not been her first transfusion from Mary, I realized.
"What did you do today?" I asked.
"Went for a walk on the beach."
"Did you go in the water?"
"It's too cold."
"The water is in the eighties, for godsakes."
"Don't swear," she said.
"What?"
"I said, don't swear. A girl your age should watch her mouth."
I snorted. "A girl your age should watch her liver."
Silk giggled. If it had been her first drink she would have been annoyed. "You don't like me much, do you, Josie?"
I shrugged. "What's there to like?"
Silk put her feet upon a nearby chair. "I don't know. I'm not a bad person. I'm pretty. I'm talented. I make your father happy."
"You don't bring him happiness. You bring him distraction."
"In this world the two are synonymous."
32
THE IMMORTAL
I sat beside her. "In your world the two are synonymous. My father has talent; you have schemes. You like my father for what he has, what he can do for you. Well, I have to warn you, in Hollywood sleeping with a writer is no way to break into the movies. The writer is way down on the totem pole, below the director, the producer, the studio execs* and the stars. You'll never be a star, Silk. You can't fool an entire audience. You'll never be my father's wife. You may be able to fool him for the time being, but he's smart. He has nothing in common with you:"
Silk blinked at me, dazed, then belched into her drink before moving the glass to her lips. "You sound pretty sure of yourself for a bitchy little snot," she muttered.
I grabbed her drinking arm before her mouth could touch the booze. I held it hard for a moment, wanting to shake the drink onto her clothes. Silk stared at me, momentarily helpless. I saw then how pathetic her life was, living this fantasy that was so deeply entrenched that she actually rehearsed her Oscar acceptance speech each night before she went to bed. I had heard her reciting it through the wall. I let go of her arm, suddenly
"See you tonight," Helen said. She raised up on her toes and kissed his cheek. Tom nodded and turned to leave. Helen knelt beside me once more.
"Are you really all right?" she asked.
I sat up and sighed. "Yes."
"What happened?"
"Nothing."
"Why didn't you at least act grateful to Tom for saving your life?"
"My life was not in danger!" I snapped. Then I quieted down. "I got tired is all. I don't like this being made into a big production."
28
29
CHRISTOPHER PIKE
Helen nodded, studying me. "You embarrass easily, Josie."
I returned her stare. "So do you, Helen." I added, "Let's not talk about this with my dad. It'll only make him worry."
"I understand," Helen said.
"Good." I got up. "Let's get out of here. Too many people are staring at me."
Chapter 2
30
The sky was almost dark when I awoke from my nap. I was alone in my room. After returning from Paradise Beach, I had lain down in bed for a quick rest. Neither Helen nor I had intended to pass out for any length of time. We didn't want to sleep during the day and be up all night. I didn't know if Helen had managed to stay with the game plan, but when I checked my watch and discovered I had been out for four hours, I realized it might take a few days to adjust to the new time zone. My chest felt fine, no pain at all.
Dressing in blue jeans and a yellow blouse, I left the room and searched for the others. I didn't go straight to my father's room but passed through the lounge area at the front of the hotel, where there was a small bar and snack shop. There I found Silk, watching a rerun of "Gilligan's Island" and stirring a bloody 31
CHRISTOPHER PIKE
Mary. What a prize, I thought; she came all the way to Greece to watch bad TV. We had the lounge to ourselves.
"Where's my dad?" I asked.
"He's in the room, writing," Silk replied. She had on a suede purple pants outfit, too much makeup. With the approaching night it had cooled some, but it was still too warm for suede. Silk took a sip of her drink.
Her gaze was easy, too accepting; it had not been her first transfusion from Mary, I realized.
"What did you do today?" I asked.
"Went for a walk on the beach."
"Did you go in the water?"
"It's too cold."
"The water is in the eighties, for godsakes."
"Don't swear," she said.
"What?"
"I said, don't swear. A girl your age should watch her mouth."
I snorted. "A girl your age should watch her liver."
Silk giggled. If it had been her first drink she would have been annoyed. "You don't like me much, do you, Josie?"
I shrugged. "What's there to like?"
Silk put her feet upon a nearby chair. "I don't know. I'm not a bad person. I'm pretty. I'm talented. I make your father happy."
"You don't bring him happiness. You bring him distraction."
"In this world the two are synonymous."
32
THE IMMORTAL
I sat beside her. "In your world the two are synonymous. My father has talent; you have schemes. You like my father for what he has, what he can do for you. Well, I have to warn you, in Hollywood sleeping with a writer is no way to break into the movies. The writer is way down on the totem pole, below the director, the producer, the studio execs* and the stars. You'll never be a star, Silk. You can't fool an entire audience. You'll never be my father's wife. You may be able to fool him for the time being, but he's smart. He has nothing in common with you:"
Silk blinked at me, dazed, then belched into her drink before moving the glass to her lips. "You sound pretty sure of yourself for a bitchy little snot," she muttered.
I grabbed her drinking arm before her mouth could touch the booze. I held it hard for a moment, wanting to shake the drink onto her clothes. Silk stared at me, momentarily helpless. I saw then how pathetic her life was, living this fantasy that was so deeply entrenched that she actually rehearsed her Oscar acceptance speech each night before she went to bed. I had heard her reciting it through the wall. I let go of her arm, suddenly
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