'What's up Cole?' I said, opening the door. I greeted him how we always greeted each other. In way I couldn't really describe; low handshakes and a kind of slouchy walk we picked up off MTV, the videos, the rap¹ shows. We liked to be American about it. But it was still very personal to us. We added something to it, is what I'm trying to say.

Cole grinned like a madman. 'Hey brother, you were floating! Where's your magic carpet?'

I pointed² to the chin-up bar.

'Oh, I see. Getting fit for the ladies,' he said, even though I had no success with the ladies and he knew it. 'Can I come in?'

I said, 'Yeah, but be quiet on the stairs. My sister's asleep. And be careful, bro. You know these ceilings are low! Good to see you, man.'

We went up to the lounge³ and talked about some stuff, stuff that was happening in school. Cole was one of those people who's always trying to put a spin on things. All you got from him was, 'Of course she likes you', and 'Don't worry about that, he won't give you any trouble'. So by the end of a conversation with Cole you sort of felt you were the king of the world, even though he was the one with his head in the heavens. I remember he was talking, flattering⁴ me and everything, and I kept looking at him and feeling this strange pride, as if the fact that he was so tall was something to do with me. Then I got this burning urge to show him to Kelly.

'Wait here,' I said, 'I want to get somebody. Just a minute. Just stay here.' I knocked on Kelly's door a few times but of course she didn't answer so I pushed it open a crack. It smelt⁵ like shit in there. I didn't think the sheets had been changed since she moved back. She was asleep but she had an old black and white film that she'd been watching, The Philadelphia Story, playing on the video.

Sometimes she'd watch this film three times in a day. If I walked in she'd always say something like, 'Now, you see Jimmy Stewart? There was a man. There was a tall, handsome man.' or if the other guy was on screen, she'd be like, 'that's how a man should wear a suit. Can you see the cut of that suit?' I didn't give a shit about the film or anybody in it. Kelly was always telling me about stuff I didn't give a shit about. But for some reason, I wanted her to see Cole. I didn't know if it was me or her who would get a buzz⁶ out of（戒掉） it. Maybe neither of us. But I wanted it. I was persistent⁷. I said, 'Kelly! Kelly, I want to show you something.'

She didn't move. But I kept on. I wanted her to see Cole so much it surprised me. She was asking me, 'What is it? Just tell me what it is. What is it?' But I wanted her to see Cole without warning, the way I first saw him, coming into a room like a moving statue - something great and still that had been given life. Finally, Kelly moved her big fat butt⁸ out of that duvet, but she was only wearing a pair of knickers. 'OK,' she said, 'OK, I'm up. This better be good.' You're fourteen. You don't want to see your sister naked. Not under any circumstances. I told her that. I said, 'Kel, you've got to put something on.'

She cut her eyes at me and moaned⁹ a bit more, but in the end she put a dressing¹⁰ gown on and followed me into the lounge. She kept on muttering¹¹（咕哝） , 'This better be good', and I kept on telling her to shut up and se.

I know that people say I won't ever forget your face when such and such happened...and half the time they don't mean it, but I mean it. I can see her face now if I close my eyes. It was fantastic! I saw this amazing curve, like a piece of fruit, right across her face. She smiled like I hadn't seen her do since she moved back, like I'd never seen her do before. I don't want to say I won't see it again. That would be a jinx. There's a line from a film she was always watching - The time to make your mind up about people is... never. Generally, I don't enjoy films like that - nothing happening, everything slowed down - but I always thought she had a point, the thin-lipped woman who says that. And it's not my business to say it won't ever happen again -what do I know? - but it felt like a on-of. It wasn't only the smile, it was her eyes as well, which were watery¹² like she wanted to cry. A week earlier I'd read about the Lumiere brothers - so was this what they looked like, the people who saw those first films, in Paris or whatever? In the dark - watching the flat people walk, watching the flat trains move and the fake¹³ steam - were they smiling? Kelly's face. I said I'll never forget it and I won't. Then it changed. As if she'd remembered something she'd forgotten; leaving the lights on or the key in the door; and then this look I'm talking about was gone. There was silence for a while and then in the gap I said, 'Look how tall my friend Cole is!'