Tutus & Cowboy Boots (Part 2) Read Online Free PDF Page A

a boy.” What is she talking about? “He thinks
with his penis, not his brain.”
    “Ew, Gran! Please don’t say anymore!” I say,
covering my ears.
    “It’s the truth. He’s as good as they come,
but they get those hormones going and it’s like they’re from
another planet. Believe me I know. Your gramps and I were young
once.” I stop her right there. I can’t handle this
conversation.
    “Gran, stop! I don’t want to hear about you
and Gramps.” Just the thought makes me sick. She starts to
giggle.
    “Your gramps was a good man, but he was hot
stuff back in the day. All the girls thought he was the cutest, and
how I got him, I’ll never know.”
    “I do, Gran. It’s your snarky attitude and
no filter.”
    “Hey, I just call it like I
see it, and right now, I see two young’uns starting to fall like me
and your gramps.” I shake my head. There’s no way. I like Barrick a
lot, but I’ve got so much I want to do. I want to perform and that
can’t happen here. Performing… shit! It’s
freaking January and I’ve got to get my routine down and get my
applications in. Even if something happened
between us, it’s not like it would last forever. We’re teenagers,
and we all know how those statistics work out. “You okay, Cade?”
Gran asks.
    “Um, yeah. Just realized I forgot to do
something,” I say. She turns to the stove.
    “Will you put ice in the glasses?” Gran
asks, and as she starts to ask about last night, we hear the front
door shut.
    “We’re in the kitchen,”
Gran yells. Crap! I’m still in my wet clothes. Gran turns and tells me to wash
my hands thoroughly and I’ll be fine. I do as she says, and as I
dry my hands on the dishtowel, I feel him walk up behind
me.
    “Want some help?” he questions.
    “Sure. I’ll get the ice if you pour the
drinks,” I state. “Oh and I want water, not tea.” The thought of
all that sugar still makes my teeth hurt.
    Barrick helps me like this is a normal thing
for him. I think about Dad and how we never did this as a family,
and here Barrick is helping in the kitchen. Thinking of Dad makes
me think of all I left behind and my mind begins to race as I think
about next year. How could I have been so stupid to lose focus? All
I wanted to do was dance and now I don’t even know where to apply.
When Gran gets my attention to let me know everything is ready, I
notice Mom isn’t in the kitchen.
    Where’s Mom?
    “Regina!” Gran yells down the hallway.
“Food’s ready.”
    “Just a second,” she says.
    “Y’all go ahead and fix your plates. I’ll go
and see what she’s doing.”
    Gran exits the kitchen, leaving Barrick and
me alone.
    “I thought you would’ve changed by now,” he
says.
    “Gran stopped me to talk and I didn’t have
time. I did wash my hands though,” I say as I wiggle them in front
of me.
    “Everything okay?” he asks as he sees me eye
the food on the table.
    “Yeah, it’s fine.” He looks at me like he
doesn’t believe me and starts to laugh.
    “Country ham, black-eyed peas, greens, and
cornbread. It doesn’t get any better than this.”
    “I beg to differ. We look like we’re eating
Daisy’s food,” I say as I wrinkle my nose.
    “You have to eat it today. It’s New Year’s.
The greens bring you wealth and the peas bring good luck.”
    “What are you talking about?” I
question.
    “Y’all don’t do this up there?” He motions
toward the ceiling, and I find his sense of direction super
cute.
    “Nope. Sometimes Mom would make pork and
sauerkraut, but most of the time it was Chinese or chicken wings
while we watched the bowl games. This is crazy.”
    “You have to at least eat a bite of each,”
he says.
    “Fine,” I say as a put just a few greens on
my plate. As for the peas, I like them so I add several spoonfuls,
then I take a small piece of ham and cornbread. I notice that
Barrick has poured vinegar all over his greens. “What are you
doing?”
    “Tastes better this way.”
    “Let me