Page 35 of Merry Mayhem
I follow her down the steps. “You all just really like otters?”
“There is actually more of a reason than that,” she says. “I know you’re from Autre, and over there, they think they are the ones who are otter crazy with the animal park and everything. But we claimed otters as our obsession a long time ago.”
I chuckle. The animal park in Autre is something. It started as a petting zoo. Actually, from what I hear, it started with just a couple of otters who adopted the Landry family when they were only running the swamp boat tour company. But it slowly grew into a petting zoo, then into an animal park, and is now a full-fledged animal sanctuary for several endangered species.
There are giraffes and penguins on the bayou because of the Landrys and Autre, Louisiana.
I’m not kidding.
“So what’s the story there? Why otters? Like to the extent that you put up statues?” I asked.
She opens her mouth, then shuts it and shakes her head. “Honestly, that’s probably a story for another time.”
I laugh. “Fine. Just get it in your head that you and I are taking that little otter trophy home. All in.” I hold up my closed fist.
She gives me a fist bump and laughs. “I’m ready.”
I love her laugh. I love that she’s doing this. I love how this entire thing has transpired.
I said all in, and I mean it.
I haven’t beenall inon something since I packed my car one Saturday at eleven p.m., kissed my mom’s cheek, and headed for Louisiana with no warning to Sierra…or anyone else.
That was two years and a whole new life ago.
But it’s me. It’s how I do things. I’ve tried to be more level-headed, contain my spontaneous urges, and not just jump in with two feet and a wish.
Fuck that. That hasn’t worked out for me so well, so I’m back to all in.
I don’t know if Thea Chabert is really ready formyall-in.
But I have a whole weekend to get her there.
CHAPTER 9
THEA
“Sugar cookies with frosting or without?”
I think for a moment.
Josh is definitely a frosting type of guy. I’m not sure how I know that, but it feels right. So I writewithouton the little whiteboard I hold in my lap.
“Okay, show us your answers!” Nora says into the mic she’s holding.
We all—the twelve people sitting on the stage in the middle of Main Street, the six pairs who will be competing in Merry Mayhem—turn our boards to show the audience our answers.
There are cheers and groans, and we all lean to look at our partners’ answers.
I was right. Josh said frosting.
“You likeplainsugar cookies?” he asks, mock-horrified.
“I likeallcookies,” I say. “But given the choice Nora just gave, yeah, without.”
That’s a total lie. Of course, I would choose frosted sugar cookies. With lots of colored sugar and sprinkles, too. What am I? On a cleanse?
Actually, even when I’m trying to reduce my sugar intake, I’d still take frosted sugar cookies with sprinkles over plain ones. I’m no heathen. And skip the cookies? Please.
