.. well, these Auctioneer guys, I guess.” Julie looked her second-oldest friend up and down.“Helena, hon?” Julie whispered. “Are you building ...p to telling me that you want a baby and you want Troy to be the father?”Helen felt a burning sensation on her leg, then realized she’d dropped her cigarette in surprise. She jumped up and back from the couch in both amazement and an effort to pick up the cigarette before it burned anything else.“Ok, Julie, this is really you, right?” Helen asked. “Ok—so here's what we're going to do. Parker—first thing in the morning, you call that dude in Austin, and tell him Matthew's out—no more running. I don't care what you tell him, just make it happen. Dillon—no more acid dude—you can't handle it. Don't let nobody stick their finger in ur mouth—that's how they doin it. And no more trips out to that spot on Rt 5---ur gonna get urself k I l l e d ! And sell that fuckin bike---need to get rid of shit that reminds you of this shit”. After another. The car of course was only the representation of all of it for her. When she got into one of these momentary rages, she thought of it all: teen agers hooting and running the stop sign, hitting her car broadside, being killed themselves and rendering her legs unusable. Then Billy’s unforeseen and world ending reaction that he couldn’t relate to her as a cripple and leaving. From a certain view point, Carol was doing okay. She worked at a Realty Agency and was doing okay but didn’t take care of. Just tell me the truth. That’s all I want.”Tyler looked at her helplessly. The anxious edge of truth. Of confession. Everything was always lies. Concealed feelings and hesitation and uncertainty.Not his type. Beyond her he didn’t have a type, truth told. Anyone would do. He felt the seep of half-memories; overflowing ashtrays and lipstick stained cigarette butts and the choking edge of too-much perfume. Anyone, almost. Would she hate him if she knew? All those women. Night after night. He.