Ray Coty and Denise DeLisle were my constant childhood companions. We rode our bikes all over, but mostly to the 'Dead End' and the bookmobile. The Dead End was an area that remained wild and undeveloped at the back of our neighborhood. Sometimes my mother would pack us cheese sandwiches and pretzels and we would spend the whole day there. Then once a week, we would ride our bikes to the bookmobile. It was beyond tiny and before long we had read whatever was on offer. The librarian began bringing us books we might like. We would take turns reading the same book and make up different endings. Ray always concocted the most ridiculous versions. We would laugh until we cried. If I had to pick one memory to hang onto, it would be of laughing with Ray as he 'improved' my stories and made them more and more outrageous.