WELDON FALL GENTLY CHAMPNEYS Dave rustled the frozen leaves and kept his head down—down from the crystalline sky, down from crimson sunset colored trees. He thought how nothing ever changed, how life dragged on and on and still came out the same. Nothing happy, exciting, or beautiful ever happened. Life was plaster of Paris. You spend a lifetime shaping, molding, and it still comes out plaster of Paris. Sometimes it looks like marble or molds like clay, still — plaster. Nothing changes. Dave thought how he once had walked by, rustling the leaves. Leaves used to seem creative, exciting—on- ionskins on frozen were something cellar stairs. They mellow, cold, and aging like cider. He used to walk head high and watch the icy whiteblueness of the sky. He had stopped and tested the flavor of the sunset colored trees. He had stayed to feel the loneliness of autumn. Now, autumn was death of nature, of friendship, of happiness. Winter was together—together singing Christmas carols, laughing on a toboggan in a snow bank, flashing silver blades on a frozen pond. He thought of it as the white blanket thrown over and hiding everything ugly or dead. He wanted to forget the leaves. ' Dave kicked the leaves across the path and clomped onto the wooden bridge at the canal. He leaned against the splintered railing and eyed his reflection in the water. His hair shone with the luster of raw gold and tarnished bronze. He had (4) .He. jerked boldly carved features with a graceful sweep in his nose and jaw. His chin held the faint hint of a dimple, which became clearest when he flexed his cheek muscles and set his teeth. His downward sloping eyebrows titled to a deep-thought wrinkle in the middle. They pitched over slightly narrowed eyes. Firm molded lips faded into a sandalwood complexion. He knocked a leaf into the his head and turned back to the water, He spoke. almost to himself. “Forget it, J. tell you,” ..“Honest,” she said. my never: oat to Eddy | Black again..1 won ‘t even.look at him any. more — _ the ‘same. “with Jack.” 3 Dave stood motionless for a long time. He knew she didn’t mean it. canal with his foot. The water rippled, distorting the image. He gripped the She’d go Black or right back someone to else. Corley She even try the trick she pulled Teen Dance or might at the again. in his wrists, felt the pull in his fore- She worked things out so cleverly: how she had to go take care of her arms, then loosened the muscles. He heard a rustle down the trail and hair, and Jack went out right after her, how she came back ten minutes turned later with her hair looking the same, and Jack followed her back in. Dave wooden rail and tensed the muscles sharply. A girl, about seventeen, with fawn colored hair ran toward him, her gray-blue coat open and flapping and her hair bouncing on her shoulders. Dave turned back to the water and thought how in all his nineteen years he had never found any girl so utterly irresistible. He thought of her hair, how it waved like the spun glass on a Christmas tree, and how her bangs repelled in the center like two south-pole magnets. He squinted - LEAVES thought how her nose tilted slightly upward, and how her clove-brown eyes sparkled and looked very mischievous. tilted up; -her-fawn -colored “Please. I’m sorry.” Dave faced her squarely. it!’ he said almost curtly. ‘Forget She toed across the bridge and touched his arm testingly. She half whined. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Her voice grew fuzzy again. “Davey, honest | didn’t.” She drew close and stroked his hair with her fingers. te- hair fell in one gentle wave onto her shoulders. Her eyes quivered open. They swam. with. tears.. “Davey?” Her voice trembled. He pulled her close to him. “Listen, Sandy.“ His tone’ grew quiet yet _ firm. “Sandy, you didn’t hurt my feelings. It—it’s just better this way.” His tarnished -bronze hair*flashed against the white-blue sky. “Now forget it. Forget me.” His voice turned harsh. + "Yes, forget: you’ve ever seen me!’ He pushed her away and turned up “Dave?” She used her fuzzy, practiced voice. She had used it before on Dave whenever she wanted something. “Please. Listen to me.” Her bouncing run slowed as she approached the bridge. She whined. and: pulled his. brows gether. Maybe she just needed boys to notice her. Dave felt kind of sorry at that. She said she loved him. Maybe she couldn't work plaster either. She was just made that way. No, ane wouldn’t change. Bet y Ht hs Dave turned his head ae ae he looked at her tightly closed eyes. He stepped toward her and gripped her shoulders firmly. Her oval face the hill. — | Beverly Lund ; “Davey!” she sobbed. The leaves rested cold and heavy