Sweet Jiminy Read Free

now.”
    â€œNews to me.”
    â€œS’posed to help with the colored vote or some shit.”
    â€œShit sounds ’bout right.”
    Bo willed himself to continue staring at his book. Do not look up, do not give them that satisfaction, he told himself. He wasn’t even sure he was denying them glee to begin with. Did they even see him here? Had those comments, that tone, been provoked by his presence, or, had he been elsewhere, would they still have landed like spittle on the parched grass browning in the sun?
    This was why Bo had decided to leave Fayeville; he didn’t have time for this. He sighed and tried hard to keep his attention on the diagram of the amygdala on the page in front of him as he wondered whether he was stressed enough to cause his own amygdala to jump-start his adrenal glands. There was no need to get worked up. He had to concentrate. There was a point to his studies, and distractions were only as successful as one let them be. Bo had learned to be strict with his. Forcing himself to stay calm, he focused anew.
    The sound of a car horn immediately interrupted him.
    â€œBo Waters! Is that you?”
    He looked up to see two blue-haired old ladies staring at him from the open window of a gigantic Buick. They looked like Martian poodles out for a space cruise. He blinked and registered them.
    â€œMiz Hunt, Miz Butrell, hello,” he said as he rose quickly to his feet.
    He could feel the benched men staring as he crossed the grass to the waiting car. His MCAT book was heavy and unwieldy, and it made him self-conscious. He turned the cover around so it was facing his leg, away from the gaze of the women before him.
    â€œI thought that was you,” Willa said triumphantly. “I didn’t know you were back. Why haven’t you been to see us?”
    Bo smiled politely. He liked Willa Hunt, but knew better than to indulge in any true familiarity. That same old hesitation always hooked him, even with the nicest people.
    â€œI’ve just been home a couple weeks,” he replied good-naturedly.
    â€œWell I’m gonna have to take a switch to your great-aunt Lyn for not telling me so!”
    Bo forced himself to smile at this. He thought he saw something flicker in Willa’s eyes, perhaps remorse for her choice of phrase? It was too late regardless; her only option was to steamroll ahead. Jean Butrell seemed oblivious, content to let the two of them find their own way out of the quagmire of this already awkward conversation.
    â€œI haven’t been able to see nearly any of the people I’d like to yet,” Bo said. “I gotta catch up on my catching up, I guess.”
    Willa smiled, a little gratefully, Bo thought. Though it could have been his imagination.
    â€œWell, the yard’s all grown up as usual, so if you wanna make a little money while you’re here, just stop on by,” she said graciously.
    Bo did want to make a little money, but he’d budgeted his time with only the MCATs in mind.
    â€œIf I can get a break from studying, I’ll be sure to head on over.”
    â€œYou taking summer classes?” Willa asked. “I thought Lyn said you’d graduated.”
    She said this kindly, like she’d be nothing but supportive if Bo had failed to stick to the normal schooling schedule. College was a lot to take on, after all.
    â€œI’m all done with regular classes, but I’m taking the MCAT at the end of next month in order to apply to medical school, so I’ve gotta buckle down for that.”
    â€œOh!” Willa exclaimed, her mouth a perfect O of surprise.
    Bo couldn’t tell if she was happy to hear this or not.
    â€œWell my, my, that is something’,” she clucked. “Good for you.”
    Bo nodded, but said nothing more.
    His decision to stay silent led to an uncomfortable pause, something unfamiliar on these Southern streets when ladies of a certain age and breeding were involved. Willa