Page 30 of The Big Easy & Other Lies
I smiled. Let’s see if Rhett could figure this one out.
I fastened them in and caught my smile in the mirror. It had been a long time since I had been excited to go to school in the morning. My deepening crush on Rhett was in no way convenient. But I couldn’t lie; wondering when I would see him during the day made getting ready way more fun. And nerve-wracking.
I slid the second earring into place and studied my reflection, messing with the hoops. Was this quirk of mine enough to keep his attention? Did I want it to?
He seemed possibly...awesome. Inconveniently awesome. And he thought I was interesting, which was a thousand percent more thought than anyone besides Bran and Livvie gave me. But dating Rhett—or anyone—made no sense.
I sighed. It didn’t matter. I was getting ahead of myself. Maybe he didn’t want to date. Maybe he was looking for a friend to hang out with. Or an easy hookup. Maybe I was making myself crazy trying to read the mind of a guy I didn’t know. Which was another fantastic reason to not get involved.
Suddenly annoyed, I tugged the earrings out and tore through my underwear drawer. I shucked off my jeans and changed into a Cam Lingerie Special, a pair of hipster briefs I’d doctored with a decal on the butt, a drawing of Graves the Bulldog, LaSalle’s mascot, wearing a helmet and a blinged out necklace reading, “Tool.” The guys on the football team were not my favorite.
I pulled my jeans back on. Rhett couldn’t figure out my lagniappe now. It wasn’t his business, anyway. I rebuttoned them right as Livvie laid on her horn.
I raced out of the house, slamming the door behind me in the hopes that it would annoy Delphine. I was still ticked enough about the night before that I wasn’t ready to go back to slinking around. Let her stew on that door slam all day.
A note waited for me in my locker, a request from Mrs. Broussard to see her at lunch, but that was the only surprise for the morning. No Rhett. I didn’t see him there until the last bell before lunch. I shoved my pre-calc book inside my bag and turned to find him looking very touchable in a dark gray T-shirt that had been washed to within an inch of its life.
“Hey,” I said.
“Hi,” he responded, but his brow was furrowed in concentration while he studied me.
Livvie walked up with Bran, who stopped and stuck his hands in his pockets. “Is standing around and staring at people what the cool kids around here do for fun?” he asked.
Rhett smiled. “Sorry. I was trying to figure out her tell today.”
“Her tell?” Bran asked.
“Yeah. Like her eagle patch yesterday.”
“You mean her lagniappe.”
“Lagniappe,” Brett repeated. He said it likelan-yap,the A sounding flatter than when we said it.
Bran looked me over and grinned. “I know what it is, but you’ll have to get her to drop her drawers if you want to see it,” he said.
“Shut up,” I mumbled.
Livvie smacked his arm. “Did you just invite him to try to get in Cam’s pants?” she asked. “She doesn’t do that,” she informed Rhett. “What Bran meant to say is that—”
“It’s on her underwear,” Bran said. “Good luck with that. I’ve known her three years and never seen her protest panties.”
Rhett looked like he was trying not to laugh. “Protest panties?”
“Geez, Bran. Seriously, shut up.” I shoved a five-dollar bill at him. “Bring me back some lunch. And by that, I mean get out of here.”
“You’re not coming?” Livvie asked.
“Capstone stuff,” I said. “Mrs. Broussard wants to see me.”
“Have fun. Let’s go eat, Bran.” Livvie tugged on his sleeve to draw him away.
He followed her but then stopped. “Hey, Rhett, you want to come with us?”
“Thanks, man, but I don’t know what I’m doing for lunch yet.”
Bran nodded and sped up to catch Livvie. I turned to face Rhett, wondering where the conversation was supposed to go after a public discussion of my underwear.
“Boxers. Black. No print. If it makes you feel better to have the details on mine,” he said.
