DropEverything
Low
Springtime in Hollow Brookis in full bloom. There is nothing more beautiful than a blue-sky spring morning in this mountain town. The hollyhocks climb in hues of red and purple, and the lavender verbena glows against the verdant green hills. When my mother was still alive, she adored her magnificent yet humble flower garden. Lisa took it over once I killed our mother, and after that, well, she effectively killed the flowergarden.
My phone buzzes in my purse, and I pluck it out—speaking of my brown thumb-wielding sister.Three weeks you haven’t shown your face in this town! Three weeks! Do you even existanymore?
Suffice it to say, Lisa is a tad bit irate. I’ve been avoiding her like the overprotective plague, because for one, I could never lie to my sister. And secondly, every detail of my life as of late requires that I lie to my sister. Have I mentioned that lying to my sister can lead to Oscar-worthy level theatrics? In layman’s terms, all hell breaks loose quicker than a firecracker goes off on the FourthofJuly.
Maybe this weekend!I shoot off the text, knowing full well I’ll come up with yet another golden goose of an excuse. God knows I’d love to see my sisters and my nieces. But, at the moment, I’m staring up at a short, boxy building with the wordsHallowed Groundsstamped on the outside in huge silver letters. Back at Whitney Briggs I spent all of my glory days nestled in the armpit of this caffeine asylum. I love the fact that Hollow Brook has an off-campus option for those of us living on the other side of university life. And I think that The Sloppy Pelican can be exactly the answer to the Black Bear for those of us over twenty-one as well. Ironic since the Black Bear is a bar first and foremost. Nevertheless, I stride in and the thick scent of gloriously slow-roasted beans bowls over mysenses.
“Good God, I’ve died and gone to java heaven.” It’s the same layout inside as the one at Whitney Briggs, same dark wood floors, sturdy steel furniture. Only this version has oversized nature prints strewn around the walls with inspirational quotes attached to each one in lieu of pennants in the university colors of orange and blue. And I can’t help but note that this version, much like the last, has a bevy of bodies all slumped over their very own laptop. I guess some things never change. You can take the kid out of the university, but you can’t take the porn sites out of the university kid. I jest. Hollow Brook is a notorious college town with over three major universities circling the area that I know of, so of course the town is bound to be brimming with intellects who nary stray from their modular pixilatedworlds.
No sooner do I step up and put in my order than my phone bleats again. Only this time it’s not the sister I’ve been avoiding. It’s the best friend I’ve beenevading.
Earth to Low? You still alive? What’s new with my brother? Please tell me you have not fallen in love with him! He’s in a world of hurt, and the last thing he needs is you in his bed with a whip andblindfold.
I smirk down at the note from my bestie.The whip and the blindfold were too vanilla for him. We’ve moved on to far more sadistic pastures. BTW, have I expounded lately the pleasures of a Prince Albert piercing? Your brother truly is a bad boy! Levi suggested I get the female equivalent, so we’re at the tat shop now. Which brings me to my next question: Should I be worried if the place reeks of three-day old meatball sandwiches?I give a brief chuckle as IhitSend.
She texts right back.Back away from my brother! Do not pass go! Do not collect another 200 orgasms! And for God’s sake, do not indulge yourself in female mutilation.A moment of silence thumps by before she shoots another text my way.Levi’s at the gym. You’re not funny bytheway.
Really? ’Cuz I think I’m hilarious.My insides squeeze tight at the thought of collecting something as delicious as orgasms from Levi Masterson. And he’s at the gym? A brief visual of him sweating and grunting while his biceps pop turns my panties into raging rivers.I blink back to life before sending off another text.And would you please stop? I haven’t touched your brother—who by the way became anuncledue to very salacious circumstances!I’ve already congratulated Raven on her niece, but decided to spring my knowledge of all things family secret for a more opportune moment likethisone.
Soyouknow.
Just as I’m about to text her back, they call my name and I collect my large mocha frap and scan the place for an empty table. My eyes snag on a wily looking redhead, and for a brief second we ogle one another with the same puzzled look on our faces while trying to figure out where the hell we know eachotherfrom.
Then it hits me, and I try to make a break for the door but, evidently, it’s hit her too because she bulldozes her way past all the geekery and loners this place has to offer just in time to blockmyexit.
“It’syou!” we both shout at the same time. Our chests each pumping with the same determinedspeed.
“You owe me five hundred dollars!” I grit through my teeth atLex, Lexy, Alexia, Alexa-who-the-hell-cares food critic landed me in prison extraordinaire. “And I hope you gotfired!”
A cool chortle escapes her lips as she steers me to the table against the window laden with her oversized Louis Vuitton bag and Chanel sunglass case preening from the topofit.
“On second thought, give me the purse and we’ll call it even,” I say, falling in the seat across from her. She’s gorgeous in a psychotic kind of way. Her lips are painted a bright shade of fuchsia. It’s an unforgivable offense and every sorority girl knows it, although something tells me I’m not dealing with your average sorority girl here. “You’re a Barnes’ girl, aren’t you?” It comes out accusatory, but I can’thelpit.
Her eyes widen, accentuating her perfect wing-tipped lashes. “How didyouknow?”
“It doesn’t take a genius.” Barnes is the private all-girls’ college up the road from Briggs. Those Barnes’ girls were always making the trek to the Black Bear to steal a Briggs’ girl’s lunch—or should I say midnight snack. Why anyone in their right mind would want to go to an all-girls’ university is beyond me, unless, of course, girls were their flavor ofchoice.
She leans in quickly and gone is that happy-to-see-me smile, those wild eyes traded in for a beady, nasty glare. “No, I did not getfired. But nice touch getting yourself a set of silver bracelets. My boss saw that on the news and bought the fact I told him I was mugged by somelunatic.”
On the freaking news? Dear God. Can’t breathe. “Should I dump my coffee over your head or just slosh it all into your purse? Honestly I want to know which way it wouldhurtmore.”
“Stop.” She cuts a crazed look around the establishment before leaning in farther. “My ex was in there.” Her lips pull down a moment like she might cry. “I didn’t want to see him. Not then,notever.”
“Well, then might I suggest you stay very far away from The Sloppy Pelican because he’s one-third owner and acheaponeatthat.”
“Cheap?” Her neatly penciled-in brow hikes into her forehead, and I can’t help but notice the fact her fingernails are sharpened to long pointy tips with the intent and threat to emasculate. “How so?” It sounds as if adding a monetary allowance to Axel’s worth is exactly how he might rid himself of this Prada wrappedparasite.
And then just as quick as my anger reared its ugly head in her honor, the next hour turns into a bona fide coffee klatch as if we were old friends. I can’t help it, though. In my defense, I miss Raven. Not the texting version that accuses me of kinking up the sheets with her big bro, but the real deal, the in-the-flesh version that gasps and sputters with laughter the way Lex here has been doing right along with me. Have I mentioned she’s hanging on to every word with bated breath? Lex has successfully managed to scratch a friendship itch I didn’t even knowIhad.
“And that, my dearLexy Poo,has been my life for the last threeweeks.”
Her lids hang low as that smile is wiped right off her face. “Call me Lexy Poo again and they would have been the final three weeks ofyourlife.”
“Fairenough.”
