Page 205 of Lost Lyrebird

There’s a story there, and I make a mental note that I hope will stay put, so I can ask her about it later.I’d like to know why and what this part of her personality stems from.Why the “masks” as she likes to call them?When did it start, and why does she still think she needs them in certain circumstances?

When I make it back to Lily, she’s sitting in a lawn chair beside Bodie.He’s talking animatedly, and she’s laughing at something he said.I pass her a water bottle, having just grabbed one for each of us.She takes it with a pleased smile and pats the chair beside her.Before I take my seat, I throw a few more logs into the fire pit, then move my chair closer to her so I can curl my arm around her shoulder to ward off the chill creeping into the night air.

“So then,” Bodie picks up his story.“This guy tries to cut me off, right, because he’s a dick, right?He’s driving like an asshole, weaving in and out of traffic, and he’s honking at people, like this motherfucker is the most important guy on the fuckin’ planet and it’s somehow our fucking fault he’s late for his nine to five or some shit.”

“Oh no, what did you do?”

He grins wickedly, and Lily half-covers her eyes.

“What do you think I did?”

She shakes her head.

“I got in front of him and slowed my ass down to a crawl.If he moved left, I moved left.If he moved right, then yeah, whatever I could do to make his day as fucked as he was making everyone else’s.”

“I’m surprised he didn’t run you over.”

“Probably wanted to, but that’s the thing about the cut, Lil’.It demands respect or at least a good dose of fear, and that is power in and of itself.”

“So what ended up happening?”

“Well, eventually he got off the freeway, so I followed him to his office.You know, just to let him know I knew where he worked.And that’s when the idea came to me.I just thought if he’s gonna drive like a douchebag, he’s gonna own that shit.I had Taz design me a sticker, and his was the first car I tagged.”

Lily’s face lights up.“You got one on you?I wanna see it.”

His brows pull together, and he shifts in his chair.He searches his pockets.When he doesn’t find one, he says, “I have some up in my room.One sec.I’ll be right back.”

He takes off, and Lily turns to me.“Did you know about this?This side hustle he has going on?”She seems delighted by Bodie’s antics, like he’s not a grown-ass man who’s going to get arrested eventually for harassing civilians.

“Yeah, I’ve been DB’d.”

“DB’d?”

“That’s what he calls it.The Douche Bag of the Day Award.Park outside the lines or over them, speed through a school zone, use your cell phone, cut someone off, don’t let someone merge, forget to signal, hog the fast lane.He becomes afuckingmenace.Thinks he’s some kind of traffic vigilante.Looks for any damn reason to tag someone now.Follows them, slaps his stickers on their car.Never mind that douchebag is one fucking word, the bastard has made it two and made a fucking trend out of it.The green flowing in from it is insane.”

“You’re kidding?”

Shaking my head, I take a sip from my beer, then mutter, “Not even a little bit.”

“What’d he tag you for?”

“Fucking tailgating him.”

She laughs, which has me scowling.“I’m sorry.It’s just.That’s hilarious.”

Bodie’s out of breath by the time he gets back.He doesn’t just give her a sticker.He hands her a bunch of the swag from his new business venture: a box of stickers, vinyl signs, a red T-shirt, and a white hat.

“Holy shit!I freaking love this!”She unfolds the shirt and checks out the design.I have to admit, Taz did a phenomenal job on it.It’s a blend of new school but also a bit comic.There’s a douchie-looking guy with a fuchsia polo tucked into high-waisted jeans, which are rolled up over white sneakers.His bald head is light blue, and an actual bag.There’s a white douche nozzle rising out of the top of his head.The small nuances, tribal tattoos, white earbuds, speckled scruff on his jaw, and trophy he’s holding up speak to Taz’s skills and creativity.The detail is amazing, and the guy’s smarmy smile tops the cake.

It’s too bad Taz is dead set on the darker shit, because he’s got killer skills in this area too.

“Pretty sweet, right?I’ve hired some college kids to pimp it out and even have a little warehouse.The brand is growing crazy fast.We can barely keep up.”

“So you’re not working full-time at the shop?”she asks.

He shakes his head and takes his seat, picks up his beer, and sets it on his thigh.“I do.And doin’ both is gettin’ to be too much.Might sell the rights to this biz after it’s grown a bit.It was just an idea I had and mainly, I just wanted to fuck with people.Turns out that other people love fuckin’ with other people too.Now anyone who wants to has a way to call the asshole drivers of the world out.Somethin’ that’s been a long time comin’, in my opinion.”

“Do I get to keep these?”she asks as she holds the red T-shirt to her torso.