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information.
    But Shira just nodded and Saar sat up to take a puff from the hookah pipe before passing it to Gaby.
    Gaby looked at the pipe warily. “I’ve never smoked hookah before. Is it like pot?”
    “No, it’s… less.” Saar motioned downward with his hand.
    Gaby took a puff. “I don’t feel anything.”
    “It’s not drugs,” Saar said. “It’s just to relax. Besides, you have to take a deeper breath.” He demonstrated, blowing thick smoke out through pursed lips.
    Gaby tried again, this time exhaling white smoke.
    “ Madhim !” Saar slapped Gaby lightly on the back.
    “ Todah rabah ,” Gaby said, sounding as American as possible.
    Saar leaned close to her ear. “It’s like kissing when we smoke from the same pipe,” he said softly.
    “You should know I have a boyfriend,” Gaby said, more to throw him off balance than to create distance between them.
    “Really? Where is he? In your pocket?” Saar moved behind Gaby and wrapped his arms around her, slipping his hands into her sweatshirt pockets.
    Gaby giggled and squirmed away. “He’s Israeli but he lives in New York. He taught me all the Hebrew I know,” she added, fully aware that she was making her relationship with Benny sound more serious than it was.
    “Like, ani ohev otach ?” Saar asked, giving her a wink.
    Gaby thought back to her unanswered messages. Benny would play this game where he would say something in Hebrew and if Gaby understood him, he would reward her with a kiss. After hanging out together the past couple of months, her Hebrew wasn’t too shabby. She had used the excuse that she didn’t know any Hebrew for years to get out of homework assignments. Too bad her school couldn’t come up with as good of an incentive as Benny had to get her to learn the language. But he definitely never said he loved her.
    Saar smiled knowingly. “ Lo meshaneh ,” he said and blew a puff of smoke in her direction.
    Gaby looked away from Saar’s all-seeing green eyes, and wished it really didn’t matter what Benny said or didn’t say.
     
    ****
     
    The next morning, fierce sunshine woke Gaby up. She groggily cracked open her eyes. She had forgotten to close the t’risim , the heavy white window shutters that were capable of keeping the room as dark as night regardless of how sunny it was outside. She reached over and shut them with a slam.
    Then, hearing noises in the kitchen, she got up. Maybe she would catch Rafi before he left for his first day of school.
    His room was empty when she peeked in. In the kitchen, her mother leaned against the counter, drinking a cup of coffee, looking at the view of mountains and bright blue sky through the window.
    “Good morning, Gaby,” her mother said. “Can I make you some coffee?”
    “No, I want to go back to sleep. Where’s Rafi?” Gaby sat down on the daybed and crossed her legs underneath her.
    “He left for school already. His ride leaves at seven-fifteen.”
    “Wow, that’s early,” Gaby said. She may be a total loser with nothing to do, but at least she didn’t have to wake up at the crack of dawn. “Hey, are you going to the kindergarten today?”
    “Yup, my first day. And it’s not called kindergarten, it’s called ma’on . It’s for babies who are pre- kindergarten.”
    “That’ll be a nice break for you. Kids that young don’t talk back.” Gaby smiled.
    “Yes, that would be a welcome change,” her mother said ruefully. She paused and then looked determinedly at Gaby. “I’ll be home around four and I want to talk to you about something then.”
    “Talk to me about what?”
    “Let’s discuss it later. I have to go to work. I don’t have time right now.” Mrs. Kupfer turned to the sink and started washing her mug.
    “Come on, just tell me!”
    Mrs. Kupfer held the counter for a minute and then turned to face Gaby. “About going to seminary.”
    Gaby’s mouth dropped open. Every time they were getting along, her mother had to try to control her. “You