Page 22 of The Big Easy & Other Lies
He waited for elaboration. I didn’t offer it.
Bran piped up again. “Cam works on costuming and sometimes set design. Not acting.”
Rhett’s confusion cleared from his face. “Makes sense.”
Something about that bothered me. “Is it strange to think I would be up on stage? A lot of actors are shy in real life.”
He didn’t answer. Instead he counted on his fingers.
Livvie broke the silence after a couple of seconds. “What are you doing?”
“Counting how many words Cam said. It’s the most she’s spoken to me since I met her.”
Livvie and Bran both laughed, and I smiled. “Bless your heart too, Rhett.”
He winced. “I’ve got a Southern mama. I know what that really means.”
“Why New Orleans? And why your senior year?” Livvie asked.
A shadow flickered through Rhett’s eyes before he answered. “Family issues. Being away seemed like the smart thing to do.”
No one pursued that. A beat went by and he cleared his throat. “Not that I think you’re going to tell me much, but how’s theater arts?”
Determined to surprise him, I took a second to consider it. “Less fun than living in a house made of candy, more fun than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.”
He laughed, and Livvie shot me an approving smile. I tried not to roll my eyes at my self-appointed life coach.
“I think you’ll like it,” I said. “Mr. Gervis is pretty cool.”
When Peggy walked up with our order, I decided I loved her for deflecting the attention from me again. Silence blanketed the table, broken only by chewing and a small groan from Rhett when he bit into his po-boy. “You gotta be kidding me.”
“Nope. It's as good as you think it is,” Bran said. “Welcome to the Big Easy, where at least the food is good.”
“Why is New Orleans called the Big Easy?” Rhett asked. “What does that even mean?”
“Don’t know,” I answered. “There’s nothing easy about living here.”
“Except the food,” Bran corrected.
“Amen,” Rhett said.
Then there was only the sound of eating for a while.
I took a few bites of my burger, but I was too distracted by all the attention we were attracting to enjoy it. Sidelong stares and whispers, even some overt pointing, made it hard to choke down.
Livvie read my face. “At least it’s only seniors. At the cafeteria, we’d be dealing with the whole school.”
Rhett finished his bite. “What are you talking about?”
Couldn’t he tell he’d been pinned on a giant microscope slide and had the weight of thirty sets of eyes on him?
Bran nodded once in the direction of the dining area. “People are watching you. Chameleon hates that.”
I kicked him. “Shut up, Raisin Bran.”
Rhett glanced over at the tables and then back. “Whoa. And, um, chameleon?”
“Cam,” Bran clarified. “She doesn’t like when her camouflage is busted.”
