she was fifteen, she would be close enough to my age, maybe she could at least steer me in the direction of the closest mall. All I saw when I opened my eyes was what looked like a chubby, pasty boy with freckles and a bad black bowl cut.
"Where's Brittany?" I mumbled as I flopped down in the yellow plastic kitchen chair.
"I AM Brittany." An annoyed voice came from the other person at the table. Maybe I was wrong about it being a boy at the table, or that she would be able to point me in the direction of the mall. The girl was a hot mess!
She was chubby and short, probably around five feet tall. That would have been forgivable if she at least had some sense of style. Her black coarse hair was just styled in a bowl cut, and freckles took over her plump pale face. She slouched over the morning newspaper in her oversized LSU t-shirt and a pair of gym shorts. It looked like I would have a summer project ahead of me with this girl.
"I hope you two are hungry!" Aunt Dee sang as she poured some grease into a frying pan. I could smell the biscuits in the oven and knew that I would definitely have to go for a long run after breakfast to make sure they wouldn't be sticking to my thighs.
"I'm Libby, your cousin by the way." I leaned in toward Brittany.
Brittany sighed, in an annoyed sort of way. "I know."
"Well, I mean, since I’m going to be living here at least for a little while, I figure maybe we could get to know each other. You know, you can like show me around." I twirled a loose strand of hair. I couldn't ruin the only chance with potentially the only person I had to talk to all summer.
Brittany looked up from the newspaper and then back at Aunt Dee who was busy stirring up some gravy with her back to us. Brittany then locked her green eyes on me.
"Alright, look, there's a party tonight at my friend's place. I mean, it's no society party or whatever, but it'll be something to get you out of the house." Her thick Louisiana accent poured out of her chapped lips. She sounded reluctant at first, like she was hoping that I might say no, but then a small smile crept across her face like she maybe had some fate in a future friendship.
"A party?" What kind of party could a fifteen-year-old girl be going to? I mean I guess there had been plenty of people in my high school that could throw some parties. Not that I was ever invited to any. But I remembered almost the entire football team getting suspended for a party that got a bit out of hand in another suburb. So it was entirely plausible that some high school kids in Louisiana might be able to throw something together.
"Shhh." She pursed a short, nubby finger to her lips. "We'll tell Grandma you're going with me to my friend Sarah's, which is half the truth, and she won't know half the difference."
I nodded as Aunt Dee turned toward us with a big pan of jumbo biscuits in her hand. "I am so glad to see you two getting along." She smiled. "Now, who wants breakfast?"
∞
"What to wear. What to wear," I mumbled as I tossed through my clothes, aimlessly throwing them on the floor as I went through my suitcase.
"You know this isn't one of your Chicago parties. It's just more of a t-shirt and jeans type of thing." Brittany chimed in as she leaned against the bed post.
"Yes, but I want to make a good first impression. What do you think all your friends would think if they saw me walk in with what I had on when I met you?" I questioned and looked over a halter top to meet Brittany's gaze.
I spent most of the day getting situated around the house. After I put away my things, I searched the internet for anything that could be remotely entertaining in Elsbury, Louisiana. Needless to say, when the population is only five thousand people there isn't much around for entertainment.
Aunt Dee had told me that she would take me over to the gift shop the next day so that I could start working. The pay would be very minimal, but like she had said, with free room and board I
"Where's Brittany?" I mumbled as I flopped down in the yellow plastic kitchen chair.
"I AM Brittany." An annoyed voice came from the other person at the table. Maybe I was wrong about it being a boy at the table, or that she would be able to point me in the direction of the mall. The girl was a hot mess!
She was chubby and short, probably around five feet tall. That would have been forgivable if she at least had some sense of style. Her black coarse hair was just styled in a bowl cut, and freckles took over her plump pale face. She slouched over the morning newspaper in her oversized LSU t-shirt and a pair of gym shorts. It looked like I would have a summer project ahead of me with this girl.
"I hope you two are hungry!" Aunt Dee sang as she poured some grease into a frying pan. I could smell the biscuits in the oven and knew that I would definitely have to go for a long run after breakfast to make sure they wouldn't be sticking to my thighs.
"I'm Libby, your cousin by the way." I leaned in toward Brittany.
Brittany sighed, in an annoyed sort of way. "I know."
"Well, I mean, since I’m going to be living here at least for a little while, I figure maybe we could get to know each other. You know, you can like show me around." I twirled a loose strand of hair. I couldn't ruin the only chance with potentially the only person I had to talk to all summer.
Brittany looked up from the newspaper and then back at Aunt Dee who was busy stirring up some gravy with her back to us. Brittany then locked her green eyes on me.
"Alright, look, there's a party tonight at my friend's place. I mean, it's no society party or whatever, but it'll be something to get you out of the house." Her thick Louisiana accent poured out of her chapped lips. She sounded reluctant at first, like she was hoping that I might say no, but then a small smile crept across her face like she maybe had some fate in a future friendship.
"A party?" What kind of party could a fifteen-year-old girl be going to? I mean I guess there had been plenty of people in my high school that could throw some parties. Not that I was ever invited to any. But I remembered almost the entire football team getting suspended for a party that got a bit out of hand in another suburb. So it was entirely plausible that some high school kids in Louisiana might be able to throw something together.
"Shhh." She pursed a short, nubby finger to her lips. "We'll tell Grandma you're going with me to my friend Sarah's, which is half the truth, and she won't know half the difference."
I nodded as Aunt Dee turned toward us with a big pan of jumbo biscuits in her hand. "I am so glad to see you two getting along." She smiled. "Now, who wants breakfast?"
∞
"What to wear. What to wear," I mumbled as I tossed through my clothes, aimlessly throwing them on the floor as I went through my suitcase.
"You know this isn't one of your Chicago parties. It's just more of a t-shirt and jeans type of thing." Brittany chimed in as she leaned against the bed post.
"Yes, but I want to make a good first impression. What do you think all your friends would think if they saw me walk in with what I had on when I met you?" I questioned and looked over a halter top to meet Brittany's gaze.
I spent most of the day getting situated around the house. After I put away my things, I searched the internet for anything that could be remotely entertaining in Elsbury, Louisiana. Needless to say, when the population is only five thousand people there isn't much around for entertainment.
Aunt Dee had told me that she would take me over to the gift shop the next day so that I could start working. The pay would be very minimal, but like she had said, with free room and board I
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