The Way We Were Page #2

I have to.

The story is due on Tuesday

and it's just gotta be good.

Look who's here,

America the beautiful.

How much do

you have in the treasury?

Five hundred 42 dollars

and 18 cents.

Possible themes

for the prom.

"Caribbean Holiday,"

"Jungle Fever"...

Hey, you should be

listening to this.

"Niagara Falls."

"Thirteen Colonies," "48 States."

"Thirteen Colonies," "48 States"...

J.J. J.J.

J.J., listen.

"The 48 States," "Starlight, Star Bright"

and "In My Merry Oldsmobile."

How about "Bread

Lines Can Be Fun"?

How about "The Stalin Shuffle"?

Ha-ha-ha.

What are we gonna have?

Hamburgers?

How about "The College Grad

Meets The Leningrad"?

She's a million laughs.

What do you want?

Coke.

What do you want?

Coca-Cola?

Coca-Cola.

Excuse me.

You're all decadent

and disgusting.

Come on,

we weren't making fun of you.

You make fun of everything.

You think politics is a joke.

You make fun of politicians.

What else can you do?

Think Franco's funny?

Franco? Is he here?

Yeah, Franco. He's a politician.

He's funny? Hitler has a funny

moustache. Why not have a Nazi prom?

Well, we thought of that,

but the uniforms itch.

Uh-huh...

Comes the revolution,

maybe we'll have a sense of humour.

Two burgers, two cheeseburgers,

four Cokes.

Onion?

Yeah, in the Cokes.

If I read comparatively few

of your stories aloud in class,

it's because I think we

learn best from what's good.

Or at least, talented.

Today I'm going to read,

with a great deal of pleasure,

a remarkably good story

from a surprising new source.

The name of the story is

"The All-American Smile."

And it's by Hubbell Gardiner.

"In a way, he was like

the country he lived in.

Everything came too easily to him,

but at least he knew it.

About once a month he worried

that he was a fraud.

But then most everyone he knew

was more fraudulent.

Sometimes he felt...

- There's really no reason

for us to change.

But of course by then,

they were too lost or too lazy.

It had always been too easy."

The trouble with some

people is they work too hard.

Are you speaking to me?

Want a beer?

I don't drink.

One sip. One sip of beer.

Well?

You carry your books all the time?

That's what I crossed the street for?

I'm celebrating.

What are you celebrating?

I got you to cross the street.

Listen, I'm sorry I, um...

I haven't told you that

I really liked your story.

You're a good writer.

Thank you.

Mrs. Simpson married the Duke

of Windsor. It's in tomorrow's paper.

How do you know that?

The papers aren't out yet.

I work in the Linotype room

two nights a week.

You never quit, do you?

Well,

thanks for getting me

across the street.

Hey.

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