Free My Friend Leonard by James Frey Page A

never got the chance, never had a chance.
    I wish she were here.
    Would give whatever, everything.
    For five minutes.
    One smile.
    One laugh.
    One kiss.
    Just one.
    Alone.
    I clutch myself.
    Sleep.
    Knock. I open my eyes. Another knock. I sit up, get out of my bed, walk toward the door another knock. I open the door. Leonard and Snapper are standing in the hall. Both of them are wearing thick white bathrobes.
    Leonard is holding a small box. He speaks.
    Time for the pool.
    He hands me the box, steps past me. Snapper follows him.
    Go put that on. We’ll wait for you.
    They walk into the room, I walk into the bathroom. I close the door, open the box. I take out a small bathing suit. It is a bikini bathing suit, small and thin with black and white stripes. I open the door, walk into the room. Leonard and Snapper are looking out the window, have their backs to me.
    Leonard.
    They turn around. I hold up the suit.
    What the fuck is this?
    Leonard smiles.
    Your bathing suit.
    I’m not wearing this.
    Why not?
    You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.
    What’s wrong with it?
    It’s a fucking bikini bottom, Leonard.
    He laughs.
    Not it’s not, it’s a Speedo, it’s a fine swimsuit.
    What are you wearing?
    He smiles, opens his robe. He’s wearing the same suit.
    What’s Snapper wearing?
    Snapper opens his robe. He’s wearing the same suit. I laugh, shake my head.
    No way, Leonard. I’m not wearing it.
    Competitive swimmers wear them.
    I’m not a competitive swimmer.
    Europeans wear them.
    I’m not European.
    Motherfuckers with style wear them.
    I’m not a motherfucker with style.
    He looks at Snapper.
    He doesn’t want to wear it, Snap.
    I heard him.
    What do you think about that?
    He ain’t a swimmer and he ain’t European and he ain’t got no style. Why should he wear it?
    Leonard turns to me.
    Let’s go. And bring your robe.
    Where we going?
    Snap and me are going to the pool. You’re going to the gift shop to find another suit, then you’re meeting us at the pool.
    Okay.
    Leonard and Snapper walk past me and out of the room. I grab my robeand follow them. We ride the elevator down and Leonard and Snap get out before me and I go further down and I go to the gift shop and I return the striped Speedo and I find a nice large, normal American bathing suit. I try it on it’s two or three sizes too big. I have to tie it tightly tie it to keep it from falling down. It’s just my size, just the way I like it. I walk to the counter and a woman behind the counter asks for my room key and she charges the bathing suit to my room.
    I go to the elevator, the pool. There are gray marble floors simple white walls. There are simple wooden lounge chairs along a wall and there is a Jacuzzi built into the floor at the far end. It is warm, and the crisp clean smell of chlorine is strong. Leonard is swimming laps in the pool and Snapper is sitting in the Jacuzzi. I walk toward the Jacuzzi. Snapper looks up, speaks.
    Nice suit.
    Thanks.
    Fits nice.
    I laugh, look toward Leonard.
    What’s he doing?
    Swimming back and forth.
    Why’s he doing that?
    He’s been exercising like fucking crazy ever since he got out of the drug place.
    Fuck that.
    That’s what I say. I go with him, but I don’t do it.
    Leonard stops at our end of the pool.
    Nice suit.
    Thanks.
    You coming in?
    No.
    You’re skinny, but you’re in bad shape. You should exercise.
    No thanks.
    I’m going to do some more laps.
    Go ahead.
    Leonard turns and starts swimming, back and forth, back and forth. I get into the Jacuzzi it’s hot. I close my eyes and lean back and let the heat soak in it feels good, relaxes me, calms me. When Leonard finishes his lapshe gets into the Jacuzzi and me and him and Snapper sit and relax. It feels good.
    When we’ve had enough we get out and we put on our robes white and thick and we go to the restaurant. People stare at us. Most of them