Page 78 of Talk Nerdy To Me
Chapter 23
BASE
“Are we really the first ones here?” Taylor groans as I take a seat in the front row of the empty room.
About ten chairs are in a row with a narrow table in front of it, and there are at least twelve rows of chairs and narrow tables in this semi-spacious convention room inside the clinic.
“I wanted to make sure we got up front,” I tell them, smirking when Sticks flips me off and plops down beside me.
“Fucking suck up,” Randy says, grinning as he goes to sit down beside Sticks.
Taylor takes a seat by him, and I glance around, trying to catch clues as to what this speech is going to be—
“So what’s this all about anyway?” Sticks asks me.
“I asked her to come with us this weekend, and I thought it would be good to show some support of her interests. Hell, the Sterlings apparently told her they had better things to do, but worded it like it ‘wasn’t their thing.’”
“And this is how you’re going to be better than a Sterling. You’re competing with family for no reason, you know?” Sticks asks me.
“I’m not competing. I just think it’s shitty they constantly support everyone else in their circle, but can’t show up for something like this,” I point out. “Besides, I want her more comfortable around you dicks before we leave. This will help with that.”
Sticks mutters something.
“Don’t make me point out all the shit I’ve done for you assholes,” I tell them as about five or six people walk in, stacks and stacks of doughnut boxes being carried and deposited onto a table.
Salem and Tria walk in, then pause when they see us. Salem blinks as she starts to grin, then goes over to start directing the doughnut people.
Tria approaches us, a confused expression on her face. “You guys are here for Britt?” she muses.
“Yeah. Though don’t tell us what she’s lecturing about,” Taylor says, his words dripping sarcasm. “Base likes to be surprised. But we’re leaning toward it being about breast cancer awareness, since this clinic was built by Sterlings and dedicated to Rain.”
Tria’s grin spreads a little wider. “I’m happy to hear you like surprises. Rain actually does most of the breast cancer awareness speeches. She usually comes to help with Britt’s things, but today she had to fly to Denver.”
The doughnuts start getting put onto plates, and weirdly it looks like they have Fruit Roll-ups as well that they’re assembling on the table.
“We get free doughnuts?” Randy asks, no longer sounding as though he hates this.
“Yes,” Tria tells him, her lips twitching. “But you can’t eat them until after the demonstration.”
“Demonstration?” Taylor asks, sounding as confused as I feel as Tria gets called away.
Salem goes to the back, messing with a projector, and loud chatter behind us has me turning around as waves and waves of…young girls start to walk in. Most range between ages thirteen and maybe sixteen, with a few a little older, not counting the mothers or grandmothers who are escorting the very young ones.
“Base…” Sticks draws my name out, a hint of trepidation in his tone as more giggling little girls flood in, filling up the seats all around us.
A lot of mothers cast us looks that make me want to go shower because I feel like I’ve done something terribly offensive just by being here.
“What the hell kind of lecture is this?” Taylor hisses.
“We need to get out of here. We’re legit getting pointed at,” Sticks mutters under his breath, turning back around and ducking his head as his neck flushes.
“Hell no,” Randy says—fucking loudly. “Two words: Free. Doughnuts.”
“Let’s go. I’ll tell Britt—”
Before I can finish that, Britt is walking onto the small, raised platform in front of us, grinning at me like she can’t believe I’m actually here. But it’s the gratitude in her eyes that has my ass staying planted in my seat.
“Fuck. We’re never going anywhere now,” Sticks whimpers, looking from me to her as I grin at her.
