The Other Shoe Read Online Free

names of ’em. Strange, huh?”
    â€œNo, I don’t think so. I’m not too musical myself. Not at all, really. You should be grateful for whatever little gift you’ve got that way. Imean, they kicked me out of the church choir, if you can believe that. Tin ear.”
    â€œThat was mean. You’re big on that church thing, aren’t you?”
    â€œMy family is,” said Teague. “No. I guess I am, too. Or at least I try to be.”
    â€œAround here, seems like it’s mainly assholes that pack them churches every Sunday. Aw, that’s not quite it either. But you know what I mean.”
    â€œMaybe. But I have to say, the majority of the people in our church are really nice. It was the same in Iowa City. I’m a Congregationalist.”
    â€œI probably don’t know what I’m talkin’ about. I’m kinda goin’ off what I know about my family. They’re kind of assholes. The deal with churches—I just don’t like people lookin’ down on me, but you probably never had to put up with that. You must think I’m pretty bad, the way I talk?”
    â€œYou’ve been very nice to me,” he said. “Very Christian, I might say.”
    â€œI’ve got somebody you really oughta have a little chat with, ’cause with your education you could sure tell ’em—some of these people, you know, they give out them pills like candy. Real expensive candy. I never saw a pill cure anybody of anything, except maybe aspirin fix a headache.”
    â€œDeeply Christian,” Teague emphasized. “I’m humbled.” Her mention of someone else had brought him up short. He was not interested in her future, or his future, or anything or anyone outside this very moment.
    â€œYou’re what?” she said, “‘humbled,’ did you say? I never had that effect on anybody before. You’re a lotta firsts for me. That what I said about my family—I don’t want you to get the wrong impression or anything, or take it the wrong way. I really do love ’em. Most of’em. Kind of. But religion-wise, you know, I’m nothing. Must be nice to be a believer, if you really do believe.”
    She had invaded the borders of his cosseted life, and he’d never be just as he had been before, but how, exactly, he’d changed was not yet clear. The girl undid her braid and ran her fingers through it, and it was a wave, nearly a cloak on her shoulders. Teague was forming a new faith.
    â€œLove,” she said, “is a very tricky deal.”
    â€œI’ve heard that. But for me it’s been just Mom and Dad and the grandparents. My little sister. Pretty straightforward stuff.”
    â€œSome guys have a way of keeping things simple. I bet you’re one of ’em.”
    â€œI was. Simple. But that might be a nice way of saying stupid. Because I think if I’d been paying attention, I would have known better. I would have known that things are not simple.”
    â€œNo. I meant nice,” she said. “You seem very nice.”
    â€œOh, gee.”
    â€œWell, what’s wrong with that?”
    â€œNothing. But it doesn’t seem to count for much, either. Especially if you don’t know any other way to be.”
    â€œI can’t believe you don’t have a girl.”
    â€œI do and I don’t,” he said at last. “I guess I should have mentioned it before.”
    â€œOh.”
    Teague wallowed in. “I don’t love her, is the thing. We’re friends. Or just companions, you could even say.”
    â€œDo guys even need to be in love? I think that’s way down the list of what they’re looking for.”
    â€œI’d need it,” he said. “I see that now. And with Janice—that’s her name, Janice—we’ve been off in different schools, and we always see each other when we’re home, summer and the holidays, but . . .we