Free Bouquet of Lies by Roberta Smith Page A

Face.
    Her stomach muscles tightened and her breath caught in her chest. She wanted to talk to Jake, but what would she say? Hi, how are you? What about after that?
    She could thank him for taking stinky Big Boy or Big Guy or whatever his name was out of her face.
    Yeah. She could say that.
    Darla forgot about dinner and hurried downstairs before her confidence waned.
    The cat purred on Jake’s lap now and Jake was scratching it behind its ears. She swallowed and came closer.
    “Jake.”
    He raised his eyes as he stroked the scrawny tabby. “Well. Well. Well. Look what the cat dragged in.”
    She bit her lip, worried, and then remembered. That was his sense of humor; he had a cat in his lap.
    “So serious,” he added.
    Her breath hiccupped. She was serious. Too serious. Jake always told her that when she didn’t laugh at his jokes. Lacey always laughed.
    She smiled and tried to look relaxed. “The cat didn’t drag me. You did.”
    He tossed the animal aside and stood. “Kicking and screaming, I bet.” He looked at her, a small smile on his lips. The eyes were the same. Ready to tease.
    “Um.” She squirmed.
    “Darla. Darla. You never did know what to say. That’s one of the things I love about you.”
    Her jaw lowered, but nothing came out.
    “You’re too skinny, I can tell you that. I didn’t notice it the other day when you ran past me. All I could think about was how your grandfather is still an ass. And how you still haven’t learned to not let him get your goat.”
    She looked at the ground. She hated talking about her grandfather.
    “And you still do that when I mention him. So forget I said anything.”
    She raised her eyes. “I came to thank you.”
    “Thank me?”
    “For getting that guy out of my face.”
    “Oh, that.” He sort of shrugged. “And here I thought you finally came down because we were friends. I told Lacey, if you didn’t acknowledge me soon I was going up to your room and stand there until you did.”
    Darla put her arms behind her back and scraped the ground with one foot. She couldn’t picture Jake in her bedroom. It was too girly for one thing and he was anything but. She squeezed her lips together.
    He suddenly laughed. “I’ve missed that confused little rabbit face. Although I guess I shouldn’t. The first time I saw it, the three of us were playing Hide and Seek in the house. You were so little and we thought we’d never find you until we heard you calling. Do you remember that?”
    Darla shook her head.
    “We tried to follow your cries, but we couldn’t get to you. And your grandfather showed up with a smirk on his face and this strange, squeaky laugh.”
    Her grandfather rarely laughed anymore, but he used to all the time. A weird high-pitched snicker. She hadn’t thought of it in years. She heard it now in her head.
    “I went and got your dad. I had to push Edward out of the way to do it.”
    Darla wrapped her arms around her waist. She didn’t remember playing Hide and Seek. Not in the house, anyway. The image of a dark room with scary monsters popped in her head.
    “Harper came back with you in his arms. You had wet streaks down your little face. And you took these short hiccuppy breaths that reminded me of a rabbit.”
    Jake was quiet for a moment. “Guess I shouldn’t like it when you make that face.”
    His eyes lowered to the side. “You know your dad just plopped you down and told us to find another game. Like, here she is. No big deal. Never did figure out where he found you.”
    Darla took a step back. “I, um, should go in.”
    “Oh, you should huh?” His smile returned. “I shouldn’t have dredged up that story.”
    “It’s okay.” She shrugged.
    “I could have brought up anything else. Like when I taught you how to ride a bike and you learned so fast. Or how I taught you to skateboard. Or when you insisted I play dress up and I finally gave in.”
    Darla giggled. “I remember that. You made a great girl.”
    “Only played that