Page 92 of Hide and Keep

And that can’t happen. No pussy’s worth a million dollars, not even Ever Munreaux’s sick one.

“Hi,” Eighmey greets from a few feet away.

“Hello again.” My voice comes out an unnatural deep timbre.

“There’s lots of food left if you want to get yourself a plate.”

“I’m good, thanks. It’s probably been sitting out a little too long for me to risk it.”

“You sound like Ever. She’s scared of food poisoning, too.”

That solves that mystery.

“Isn’t everybody?”

“True.”

We both laugh.

“Can I ask you something?”

Eighmey raises both brows. “That sounds ominous.”

“It’s not. I was just wondering about the pickles.” I don’t trust Ever to tell me the truth.

Those thick eyebrows go even higher. “The pickles? Nathen’s pickles?”

“Is that who they’re for?”

“Yeah. It’s one of the rituals between Ever and Nathen.”

At my confusion, she adds, “Cheer’s really big on superstitions.”

Okay. Sure. Most sports are. But that doesn’t explain the bulk-sized jar of pickles or the affection he gave Ever regarding them.

“What’s the ritual?” I ask before questioning if I really want to know.

“Nathen ate a pickle once before we performed and we ended up hitting zero, so now the law, like, basically dictates that he has to eat one every time before stunting.”

“You guys aren’t cheerlead—” I catch myself. “You guys aren’t cheering today though, right?”

“Cheering? No. We don’t have a performance today. But anytime bases and flyers get together, they stunt. They willalwaysstunt.”

That’s…a lot of touching. And I’m not sure what constitutes as cheering or not to know what falls within the guidelines I laid out.

Maybe I can talk to Ever’s coach and see about getting her a female base next year.

“I got another question for you.”

Eighmey chuckles but tells me, “Shoot.”

“Is the shirt a part of your superstitions, too?”

“This shirt?”

She points directly at her tits, but this time I force my eyes to stay on hers.

“Ever was wearing one just like it on Monday.”

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