Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee(53)
This whole thing rolled over me like the storm raging outside. Thunder pounding in my rib cage like something that wants to escape, that’s too small for the space it’s in. The air between us is alive with bolts of arcing blue electricity.
???
Me: You awake, DeeDeeBoo?
Delia: Yes even though I’m so tired.
Me: You mad at me still?
Delia: I was never mad at you ya goober. Just bummed we couldn’t do pre-pro. But I hung with my mom and she gave me a pedi and it was chill.
Me: Ok cool because I have some kinda big news.
Delia: Can I guess???
Me: You’ll never guess.
Delia: Oh I daresay I will.
Me: OH DARE YOU SAY???
Delia: YES I DARE. YOU AND LAW-MAN TOTALLY FRENCHED.
Me: DEEDEE!!!!!!!!
Delia: TELL ME I’M WRONG.
Me: YOU ARE IN FACT NOT WRONG, CHARLOTTE HOLMES.
Delia: SCREAMING. KNEW IT.
Me: How????
Delia: Um literally it was the easiest thing imaginable to guess.
Me: WHYYYYYYYYYYY.
Delia: He’s ALWAYS looked at you with The Look and when you were watching him fight, you returned The Look.
Me: Sigh. RIP to my chill.
Delia: SO. HOW WAS IT???
Me: I MEAN HE KISSES LIKE A COOL GUY.
Delia: Do tell!!
Me: He seems to…know how his body works.
Delia: OOOO LALA.
Me: And he’s good at moving around someone else’s body.
Delia: LOL @ “someone else’s body” like whoever could that be, pray tell?
Me: Hahahahaha. Anyhoo.
Delia: So is this a thing now?
Me: I guess??? I DEF WANT MORE. DID NOT SEE THAT COMING.
Delia: Ok but you gotta stop dryhumping long enough to do pre-pro tomorrow.
Me: Oh 1,000%. I’m super sorry again for ditching out tonight. Law-man needed cheering up.
Delia: “Cheering up” LOL. Loving these euphemisms.
Me: He’s a big reader btw. Who knew?
Delia: That’s hot.
Me: He was reading a Bloodfall book when I got there.
Delia: NICE. Good taste.
Me: It was a sexy surprise.
Delia: How awesome is this storm btw?
Me: So awesome. This rain is bonkers.
Delia: Even if you’d come over tonight I probably would have made you watch the storm with me and we wouldn’t have gotten any work done.
Me: Truth.
Delia: Wanna know what I find so romantic btw while we’re on the subject?
Me: ???
Delia: You know how pythons are taking over the Everglades?
Me: EEEEEK WHAT.
Delia: Yep. I guess people released pets or something?
Me: That is HORRIFYING.
Delia: I know right? So imagine someone had to release a boy python and someone had to release a girl python and somehow they found each other in that huge swamp.
Me: AW. I hate snakes more than I hate having cramps but that is romantic.
Delia: Is Lawson staying in Jackson after graduation?
Me: I think so. I think he wants to keep training with his same coach or whatever.
Delia: Nice. Well, I’m having a hard time keeping my eyes open. Congrats once more on frenching.
Me: Hey, I’m sorry again for ditching you tonight, love.
Delia: All good. But to punish you I’m picking out a real doozy of a movie.
Me: Haha I deserve it.
Delia: We’re gonna do “The Werewolf vs. the Vampire Woman.”
Me: THAT. SOUNDS. TERRIBLE.
Delia: Yeah, it was made in 1971 and it looks like they went to a porn set and handed the actors costumes and were like “here put these on when you’re done boning and we’re gonna make another movie real quick.”
Me: Omg.
Delia: Yep. And the script reads like they wrote it while the actors were changing. Ok, gonna go sleep. Love you, JoJoBee.
Me: Love you, DeeDeeBooBoo.
???
I’m still too amped up to sleep, and it doesn’t help when Lawson texts me.
Lawson: Thanks again for the “pancakes.”
Me: I guess “pancakes” are my favorite food now too.
Lawson: Your “pancakes” are the best I’ve ever had.
Me: I should make you “pancakes” again soon.
I lie and stare at the ceiling, ignoring the show that burbles from my laptop speakers, and feel him fade from my lips. My whole body is still crackling like a bonfire.
I keep running through the last part of Delia’s and my text conversation. Before we started talking about the movie. A different feeling is beginning to creep through the euphoria and is winding itself around my stomach (like one of those pythons that apparently now infest the Everglades). I guess Lawson is staying in Jackson. That sucks. That’s another thing to think about. I’d love it if I could avoid making my own life more complicated than it needs to be.
Dear Dad, Yeah, I called you Dad. You don’t know this, but I’ve struggled for a while with what to call you. Sounds like you struggled a bit with that yourself. But I’m calling you Dad because you did in fact make me, so you’re my dad no matter what. I guess I could call you “Father,” but that makes me sound like I’m a hedgehog on some gently whimsical and badly drawn European kids’ show.
Anyway, graduation was last night. You also wouldn’t know this, but graduating from high school wasn’t a given for me. Mom was there. She looked great in her new dress. My friend Jesmyn and her boyfriend, Carver, drove down from Nashville to be there.