Page 27

SCOUT

“It wasa full house of pervs. They needed all hands on deck,” Desi said, his head hung low.

I grimaced at the picture in my head and softened. “Oh.”

“I came as soon as I could but you gotta mop after each viewing. Did you decide to blow me off that quickly? For Mick?”

“He came out here while I was waiting for you.”

“I know Mick. He wasn’t just talking.”

“Well, I was.” I looked him over and raised a brow. “Is that a costume?” He was wearing all black, and everything was tight. He looked good, but it wasn’t the Desi I was used to seeing. He raised his arms and looked down at himself.

“I’m Danny fromGrease, you know, without the jacket.”

“Do you have a Sandy?”

“No Sandy. Do I get to see your place?” He nodded to the house.

I turned back to my house. I had been nervous about this all week. I cleaned the baseboards and scrubbed the carpet even. Just based on what Desi had told me about his life, I knew he was slumming by coming here. My nerves fluttered, but I nodded.

“Sure. It’s a little crowded right now, but I’ll walk you through. The keg is in the backyard.” I extended my hand, and he took it, squeezing. His warmth seeped into mine as I tugged him forward.

“You look good, by the way!” he shouted as we walked into my house with the loud music and even louder guests. I glanced down at myself. I was wearing jeans and a belly shirt, like normal, with a flannel over it. I had, however, taken time to curl my hair and do my makeup.

“Thanks! You hungry? We have pizza!” I pulled him through the living room to the kitchen. I took him to the flimsy card table. There were only a few pieces left and they looked depressing at best.

“I’m not hungry.” Desi offered a polite smile, but I saw the look of distaste on his face, which made me cringe. I felt like I was watching him piece by piece, realizing he had made a mistake. He looked at the blankets covering my windows, the yellow, smoke-stained walls, and the old pizza. He was out of my league, and we both knew it.

I tried to let go of his hand, but he squeezed it tighter. His smile relaxed me. Was this all in my head?

“Let’s get you a beer!” I called over the music. We rushed through the rest of the house, which wasn’t much, and went out into the backyard.

“Woah. I didn’t realize the party was this big.” He blinked when he saw the full yard with people, more speakers, a bonfire in the back, and alcohol everywhere.

“My ex-roommate used to use this as my birthday party and Halloween. She invited everyone she ever came into contact with and now it’s just a thing everyone knows about.”

“It’s your birthday?”

“No, it was last week.”

“When?” he demanded.

“The day before yours. The twenty-second.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” He looked almost… hurt.

“Because you were celebrating yours? Plus, why would you care? We just met.”

“I do care.” His lips tightened. “I know I shouldn’t, but I do.” His voice came out as barely above a whisper. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-six.”

“Scout! Is this the cabrón you were waiting for in the front?” I turned to Chino, one of my friends, calling to us. He waved us over. “Come, get a drink!”

I turned to Desi and said, “We can talk about our birthdays later. Let’s have fun tonight.”

He snapped out of it and followed me to the keg where a group of my friends stood.