Marne looked over at Bobby and smiled broadly.
"Just about an hour ago, little brother," she responded. "So, how was your shower? Work up a good lather?"
"Yeah, plenty of lather," he said. "There's scary movies on tonight; want to watch with us."
"Old or new," she said. "I don't like the new gory ones."
"It's an old one," Bobby said. "Your favorite, 'Bride of Frankenstein.'"
"Ooooo," she squealed. "Boris Karloff and Elsa Lanchester. I'm in."
"And guess what's up in the fridge?" he said, teasing.
"Uh uh," she shouted. "Not submarines from the firemen?"
"Three of them," he said of the giant hoagies the local fire department sold once a month to raise money. "Mom picked them up for us because they were going to the cabin to clean it up for hunting season."
"Oh, man, after a month of dorm food, that's gonna taste soooo good," she said.
"That's not all," he said.
"What," she responded.
"You'll find out -- in due time," he said, laughing.
Turning on her heels, Marne pointed at me.
"What's he talking about, Slacker," she said. "What else is up there?"
"Uhhhhhhh," I said teasingly, a little more comfortable wrapped up in my sheet.
"Come on, you goof, tell me," she demanded, a crazy smile spread across her face.
It was a look I had never before seen -- gleeful silliness. Her eyes sparkled with mischief and her wide smile brought out a hidden kind of beauty.
"Ok. Ok," I said. "Bubba made potato salad, from red potatoes with the skins left on."
"Oh, wow," she said. "If only we had Sundrop, it would be perfect."
"Ding! Ding! Ding," Bobby chimed in. "Go over and open the bar fridge."
Marne, up on her toes, ran across the room taking tiny little steps to the bar her mason father had built in the corner.
She pulled open the old Frigidaire, and on the top shelf sat a six-pack of Sundrop, a great beverage that preceded Mountain Dew. It was much fizzier and much, much better.
"Oh, my God," she said. "And there's ice in necks. This is going to be so good. When's the movie start?"
"What, did you lose your memory?" Bobby said. "It's at 11:30, right after the news."