A Wrinkle in the Rye

Imagination is a pretty wonderful thing.

This afternoon, as I was enjoying a beautifully breezy walk down 18th street, I started thinking about some really good books and specifically, the really good characters from these really good books. Still, undoubtedly one of the greatest adolescent characters in all of literature is probably Holden Caulfield from J.D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye." But what about a female counterpart? Although my reading in literature is relatively narrow, I think Meg Murry from the "A Wrinkle In Time" book series is a lovely choice to counter Holden's cynical, sarcastic and dry-tempered dispositioin. So good in fact, I got to thinking how they might even get along (should they ever find their way out of their own pages and into the other person's world). Holden and Meg, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G...etc, etc. Holden would hate that I'm saying this about him and so would Meg for that matter. Which is why maybe, things would work out between the two of them. I imagine a first date at the most expensive hotel bar/restaurant in NYC, with Meg being their right on time and Holden coming 10-15 minutes, casually late. The conversation goes something like this.

HOLDEN: Sorry, I'm late. I like your glasses (he's lying of course).
MEG: That's OK. Thank you!
HOLDEN: You want something to drink? I'm having a Coke. With a little rum of course. What'll you have?
MEG: That sounds good. I've never tasted Rum before. Mrs. Whatsit likes it though.
HOLDEN: You like to dance (he pulls out a cigarette)?
MEG: Um, yeah. But I've only danced before with Charles Wallace.
HOLDEN: Who?
MEG: Charles Wallace. He's my younger brother.
HOLDEN: Well, will it kill you to dance with someone other than your brother?
MEG: Hey! Don't make fun of me!
HOLDEN: I wasn't.
MEG: Yes you were. You're just like the kids at school, aren't you? Just another one of THEM!
HOLDEN: You know something? You make a guy wanna be way the hell away from you.
MEG: You're pathetic. I thought you were one of the smarter boys at school.
HOLDEN: I'm way the hell smarter than you are.
MEG: I don't have time for this.
HOLDEN: No kidding. This kills me.
MEG: What does?
HOLDEN: Nothing.

Okay, so maybe things wouldn't work out after all. It sounded good at first.