Page 114 of Pride High 2: Orange

“And I’m driving,” she added.

“Okay, okay!” he said while laughing. “Do you mind if I have another?”

“Go ahead. Just know that if the police show up, I’m going to run through those trees over there and circle back to my truck. If they catch me, I’ll pretend not to know who any of you are.”

“Stone cold,” Omar said while tipping his flask into a freshly opened can. “Speaking of which, let’s find ourselves a nice place by the fire.”

They joined the others. Almost everyone was sharing a blanket. Anthony and Cameron were snuggled up under one. So were Keisha and Mindy, which she felt a little envious of. Whitney was doing some sort of interpretive dance in front of the fire while two guys nearby bobbed on their feet and stared at her.

“This is nice,” she said as Omar scooted close and pulled a blanket over their shoulders.

“It’s going to be so great,” he said. “Have you been up here before?”

“Never at night.”

“Just you wait. The view is amazing.”

He sought her hand under the blanket. Silvia took it, and as they chatted with the others while listening to KJHK—a local college radio station—she could almost pretend that she didn’t have a care in the world. Although each time her eyes met Keisha’s over the fire, she felt like she’d just downed a shot of vodka. And when Keisha detached herself from Mindy and walked over, Silvia felt positively woozy. Keisha wore a yellow knitted hat pulled over her short-cropped hair. A matching yellow scarf was wrapped around her neck multiple times before spilling over a burnt orange puffer jacket, making her look like some sort of sun goddess, especially in the glow of the fire. Although her words were grounded rather than divine as she addressed Omar.

“Where are the restrooms in this epic party of yours?”

“Don’t worry, we thought of everything.” Omar let go of Silvia, reached for a plastic bag, and pulled out a roll of toilet paper. “Here ya go! Just choose a spot and… you know.”

“How luxurious,” Keisha replied. “What should I do with the used toilet paper?”

“Oh!” Omar reached for the bag again and pulled out a garden spade. “For serious business.”

“Girls always use toilet paper, no matter their business,” Keisha informed him. Then her eyes shifted to the left. “Are you coming?”

“Of course!” Silvia said as she stood.

“And girls always conduct business together,” Omar said, shaking his head.

“Hey,” Keisha countered. “I’ve seen my brothers lined up on the side of the road plenty of times. Or up against a barn. So boys do it together too.”

“Heh. I guess we do.” Omar pulled out the flask and shook it. “One for the road?”

“I don’t drink,” Keisha replied, “but thanks.”

Silvia’s face was burning as they walked away. “He’s a really nice guy,” she felt the need to say. “Even though he can be…” She failed to find the words, so she finished lamely with, “He’s nice.”

“Mm-hm,” Keisha replied. “When were you going to tell me that you have a boyfriend?”

“I figured that Mindy already told you.”

“Oh, she did. Butyouhaven’t mentioned him once. Not to me. Which is strange considering all the things we talked about on Christmas. But maybe you’re just private.”

“I am,” Silvia said, feeling defensive, because she wasn’t obligated to tell anyone anything. Not if she didn’t want to.

“That’s fine,” Keisha said easily. “Do you mind standing guard?”

“Sure.”

Silvia waited at the edge of the trees and shivered, splitting her attention between the parking lot and the people gathered around the fire, although little of it registered with her. She was troubled by Keisha’s words, which were annoyingly accurate. Silvia had avoided mentioning Omar or even thinking about him while at the farm. And she’d felt kind of embarrassed when introducing him. Not because of who he was. But because she probably wasn’t supposed to have a boyfriend. Not if she was right about herself.

“Your turn,” Keisha said when she reappeared. “Just don’t follow my tracks to the very end. Or at least avoid the yellow snow.”

Silvia didn’t laugh, more concerned with explaining her behavior. “This is all new to me,” she said meaningfully. “Like brand new.”