guy in the entire swamp.”
I laughed. I couldn’t help it.
“Why are you laughing? That’s rude, you know. I just spilled my guts to you.”
“I know. It’s not funny. Well, it kind of is, but only because I know how it’s torturing Trip, and he totally deserves to be tortured a little.”
“Maybe a little,” admitted Peter. “He’s being a big baby about it.”
I calmed down. “Well, of course he is. He was probably raised to hate gay guys. You can’t blame him for being conflicted.”
“Conflicted. That’s a great word to use for Trip, actually.”
“Poor guy,” I said, play frowning.
“Poor guy, my butt,” said Peter. “He needs to stop playing games with me and get real.”
“Oooh, he’s playing games?” I rubbed my hands together. “Tell me. This sounds awesome.”
“Geez. You need to get a boyfriend, Bryn.”
His words hit me like a cold shower.
His face went from scolding to shocked, as soon as he realized what he’d said. “Oh, crap, Bryn. I’m so sorry. That was a stupid thing to say.”
I waved him off. “No. Don’t worry about it. I’m okay.”
Peter looked at me through narrowed eyes. “What are you doing, Bryn? I see something on your face I don’t like…”
“Pimples? I have a few, I know.” I brushed my face absently, trying to blow him off.
“Don’t play with me, girl. I’m not stupid. You’re planning something.” He grabbed my wrist with his girly claws. “Tell me right now.”
“No,” I said, pouting. “It’s none of your business.”
Peter’s mouth flopped open and closed. “Huh? Wha…? You …?” He dropped my wrist and lifted a finger, wagging it at me. “Oh, no ma’am. You are not playing that game with me. I told you my secrets now you’re going to tell me yours. Or else!”
“Or else what?”
“Or else …” he narrowed his eyes at me. “I will tattle on you. To Kowi.”
“You wouldn’t,” I said menacingly.
“Oh, yes I would. So tell me now, or I’ll leave right this instant.”
“Do you have any idea how much you sound like a mother hen right now?”
“Mother hens cluck, and I am not clucking around.”
I giggled. “That was pretty good.”
“Yeah, I know, right?” Peter was smiling despite his seriousness. “Now, come on. I’ve told you my junk, now you tell me yours.”
I could hardly argue with my own words thrown in my face. “Fine. I’ll tell. But you have to promise to keep your big mouth shut about it.”
Peter mimed zipping his lip and locking it.
“Throw away the key, too. Don’t think I don’t know your game.”
Peter rolled his eyes and mimed throwing a key over his shoulder.
I thought about it for about two seconds before I told him. “As soon as my leg is better, I’m going after Bodo. And Winky’s coming with me.”
CHAPTER THREE
PETER’S PROTESTS FELL ON DEAF ears. No matter what he said, I was going to find Bodo, so I ignored him. His voice reminded me of buzzing bees, and I fell asleep to the sound of his droning on and on about the danger involved, and all the reasons I should just stay here in the swamp minding my own business. I woke up several hours later, alone.
“Come on, Buster. It’s got to be dinner time by now. Let’s go find the food.” Buster did his excited happy-dance, making me laugh with his enthusiasm for something he didn’t understand one bit.
We wandered over to the eating area. Fohi, Rob, and Yokci were the first people I saw, standing in the hut with some other guys. The food hadn’t shown up yet. They came over to talk as soon as they saw me.
“Oh, man …” said Fohi, “… are you okay? I didn’t really see your leg before you left, but Paci said it was bad.” He was staring at my bandage.
“It’s okay. Not that deep. No stitches or anything.” I was looking around for Paci, but didn’t see him anywhere. I didn’t want to ask anyone where he was, though, so I just focused on the guys standing around me.
“Listen, Bryn … I
I laughed. I couldn’t help it.
“Why are you laughing? That’s rude, you know. I just spilled my guts to you.”
“I know. It’s not funny. Well, it kind of is, but only because I know how it’s torturing Trip, and he totally deserves to be tortured a little.”
“Maybe a little,” admitted Peter. “He’s being a big baby about it.”
I calmed down. “Well, of course he is. He was probably raised to hate gay guys. You can’t blame him for being conflicted.”
“Conflicted. That’s a great word to use for Trip, actually.”
“Poor guy,” I said, play frowning.
“Poor guy, my butt,” said Peter. “He needs to stop playing games with me and get real.”
“Oooh, he’s playing games?” I rubbed my hands together. “Tell me. This sounds awesome.”
“Geez. You need to get a boyfriend, Bryn.”
His words hit me like a cold shower.
His face went from scolding to shocked, as soon as he realized what he’d said. “Oh, crap, Bryn. I’m so sorry. That was a stupid thing to say.”
I waved him off. “No. Don’t worry about it. I’m okay.”
Peter looked at me through narrowed eyes. “What are you doing, Bryn? I see something on your face I don’t like…”
“Pimples? I have a few, I know.” I brushed my face absently, trying to blow him off.
“Don’t play with me, girl. I’m not stupid. You’re planning something.” He grabbed my wrist with his girly claws. “Tell me right now.”
“No,” I said, pouting. “It’s none of your business.”
Peter’s mouth flopped open and closed. “Huh? Wha…? You …?” He dropped my wrist and lifted a finger, wagging it at me. “Oh, no ma’am. You are not playing that game with me. I told you my secrets now you’re going to tell me yours. Or else!”
“Or else what?”
“Or else …” he narrowed his eyes at me. “I will tattle on you. To Kowi.”
“You wouldn’t,” I said menacingly.
“Oh, yes I would. So tell me now, or I’ll leave right this instant.”
“Do you have any idea how much you sound like a mother hen right now?”
“Mother hens cluck, and I am not clucking around.”
I giggled. “That was pretty good.”
“Yeah, I know, right?” Peter was smiling despite his seriousness. “Now, come on. I’ve told you my junk, now you tell me yours.”
I could hardly argue with my own words thrown in my face. “Fine. I’ll tell. But you have to promise to keep your big mouth shut about it.”
Peter mimed zipping his lip and locking it.
“Throw away the key, too. Don’t think I don’t know your game.”
Peter rolled his eyes and mimed throwing a key over his shoulder.
I thought about it for about two seconds before I told him. “As soon as my leg is better, I’m going after Bodo. And Winky’s coming with me.”
CHAPTER THREE
PETER’S PROTESTS FELL ON DEAF ears. No matter what he said, I was going to find Bodo, so I ignored him. His voice reminded me of buzzing bees, and I fell asleep to the sound of his droning on and on about the danger involved, and all the reasons I should just stay here in the swamp minding my own business. I woke up several hours later, alone.
“Come on, Buster. It’s got to be dinner time by now. Let’s go find the food.” Buster did his excited happy-dance, making me laugh with his enthusiasm for something he didn’t understand one bit.
We wandered over to the eating area. Fohi, Rob, and Yokci were the first people I saw, standing in the hut with some other guys. The food hadn’t shown up yet. They came over to talk as soon as they saw me.
“Oh, man …” said Fohi, “… are you okay? I didn’t really see your leg before you left, but Paci said it was bad.” He was staring at my bandage.
“It’s okay. Not that deep. No stitches or anything.” I was looking around for Paci, but didn’t see him anywhere. I didn’t want to ask anyone where he was, though, so I just focused on the guys standing around me.
“Listen, Bryn … I
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