On Paper Wings

by Magan Vernon

  Great, just the type of girl I wanted to have hate me, one that liked to shoot animals as a hobby. Nikki Sinclair was her name. From Elsbury. I wondered why I never heard of her before. I tried scrolling through more of her pictures, when a voice knocked me out of my trance.

  “Oh my god, those boots are totally cute, where did you get them?”

  I expected it to either be some girl mocking me, or maybe a girl with an actual great fashion sense, but when I looked up at my admirer, it was actually a guy with fiery red hair and the biggest smile I’d ever seen.

  “Um, Nordstrom’s. They’re Tory Burch,” I said, tentatively, afraid there might be another fight.

  He took the seat next to me, crossing one leg over the other, so his jeans rode up, and I could see argyle socks poking out from his Sperry’s. This guy definitely wasn’t like the ones I was used to around Elsbury, and probably was even interested in my boots for himself.

  “So cute. I wish we had a Nordstrom’s close to here, or that I could pull those off.”

  I nodded, setting my phone in my purse. “Thanks, I’m Libby by the way.”

  He put his hand out and shook mine limply. “Sawyer Blanchard and I can tell that you obviously aren’t from around here, Miss Libby.”

  “Is it really that obvious?”

  He laughed, a sound that was very raspy and contrasted strongly to his high-pitched southern twang. “Well, I saw you drive up in that little red beamer and, with your fashion sense, ain’t nobody around these parts ever looked as good as you do.”

  I smiled. I knew he wasn’t saying it to hit on me, and it was nice to have someone appreciate my fashion. “Yeah, I’m from up north, near Chicago.”

  He put his hand to his chest right under his bow tie. “Ugh, I am so jelly! There has got to be way more going on there than this god forsaken place. I live over in DuPont and let me tell you, St. Joseph community college is big city life compared to that place. Why would you ever come here?”

  “Well, it started off just for the summer when I stayed with my aunt, but now I kind of met a guy and decided to stay.”

  He tsked, shaking his head. “You northern girls always have something for the redneck Romeos.” He leaned in, lowering his voice. “If you’d asked me, it’s nice to have a guy that knows how to work with his hands, but I’d much rather have a guy that knew his way around the Calvin Klein rack.”

  I giggled, covering my mouth so I didn’t snort. “Oh my god, that is too funny.”

  “Funny, but true.” He wiggled his way-too-thin eyebrows.

  “Very true.”

  ***

  Thank God I was able to avoid Nikki for the rest of the day, and, after exchanging numbers with Sawyer, I thought I would at least survive with at least one friend at school.

  Since I only had classes in the morning, I headed back into Elsbury for the afternoon to work at Aunt Dee’s antique shop. It was in the little downtown area that Elsbury had and was one of the only places that actually stayed open when the economy tanked. My sister informed me that was the case, because it wasn’t actually an antique shop, but more of a pawn shop. I tried to argue otherwise, saying she hadn’t actually seen the place, but, in reality, she was right.

  I pulled into a parking space at the front of the store, then quickly bounded into the building. The little bell rang overhead, announcing my arrival. My fashion challenged friend, Dina, stood at the front counter browsing through a magazine, but she quickly looked up when she saw me coming, a big smile crossing her overly red painted lips. She told me that if Taylor Swift could pull off the red painted lips, she could too. On Taylor it looked regal, on Dina it looked like she may have drank way too much cherry Kool-aid.

  “Hey! How was the first day of school?”

  I looked around the shop, making sure there was no customers, or Aunt Dee poking out of her office before I spoke. “It was good, except something really weird happened in my first class.”

  “Weird?” She raised a bushy eyebrow.

  I nodded, strolling over to the counter and setting my purse behind it. “Yeah, this girl came up to me, started calling me all these names, and saying stuff about Blaine and me.”

  “Really? Do you know who it was?”

  “Well, I looked her up online later and saw that her name is Nikki Sinclair. Do you know her?”

  Dina laughed. “Of course I know her. Everyone knows her. Her daddy fixes cars off Parrish Road. She’s a little spitfire that one.”

  “If everyone knows her, how come I didn’t?”

  A far off look crossed Dina’s face, then it was as if a light bulb went off. She pursed her lips together in a small O shape. “Oh, she’s probably one Blaine didn’t want you to meet.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Am I seriously going to have to deal with Blaine’s past conquests? Isn’t it enough that I had to make an ass of myself in front of Julie?”

  Dina was one of Blaine’s past conquests herself, unfortunately. It was a one night stand, and they were both drunk. I didn’t blame either of them for it and liked to put it at the back of my mind whenever possible.

  “All the boys like Nikki. She’s like one of the guys herself. She hunts, fishes, and can go muddin with the best of them.”

  “That doesn’t sound all that attractive to me.” Of course, her giant rack and tiny waist did make up for her in the attractiveness column. She was probably Blaine’s dream girl.

  Dina shook her head. “Hopefully, you shouldn’t have to worry about her. I remember them hanging out some before you moved here, but as far as I know they were just friends. Her daddy works on his truck, and I don’t know how much he’d want his only daughter running around and mixing business with pleasure.”

  “I hope you’re right about that one.”

  Dina let out a breath of air through her teeth. “Honey, when are you ever going to stop giving that boy such a hard time? He obviously loves you to pieces.”

  “Some days I think that, and other days, I don’t know. When a girl just comes out of the woodwork and gives me grief for being Blaine’s girlfriend, I just wonder how many more times I’m going to have to deal with shit like that.”

  “Girl, you knew he was trouble when you started with him. What’s stopping you now?”

  I didn’t have an answer for that. I didn’t have an answer for much of anything. The whole day was crashing on me like one big headache.

  Dina shook her head. “Sometimes I think you two cause more problems than necessary. Can’t you just enjoy your time?”

  “That’s easy for you to say. You’re single.”

  She looked down at her press-on nails. “Well, sort of single.”

  “Um, what? Did I hear that right?”

  She smiled, pushing her glasses up before she looked back at me. “Me and Jackson have been talking again.”

  I squealed. Jackson worked with Blaine on the road crew. He was a few years older, Dina’s age, with a big red beard and the swagger of a true southern gentleman. I loved the guy like a big brother and apparently him and Dina dated a year ago for awhile, but that ended when she had the drunken tryst with Blaine. Thank God it looked like he was finally looking to forgive her.

  “Shh!” She put her finger to her lips and looked around before dropping her hand. “It’s nothing official, yet, but I’m hoping so.”

  “That’s so awesome! Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

  “Like I said, nothing is set in stone, and you were busy bitching about Nikki Sinclair, so I couldn’t just pounce it in the middle of that nonsense.”

  “Ugh, fine, I know, I’m a drama queen and self-centered.”

  “I didn’t say that!”

  I waved my hand and let it fall flat. “Yeah, yeah. I know that.” I glanced at the kitten clock whose tail swished back and forth above the register. “I guess I’d better go back and try to see what’s on the books for a few hours of work before I have to pick Britt up.

  “Have fun!” Dina waved to me as I headed to the bac
k office. I had enough swimming through my head with school and Nikki Sinclair. Hopefully, burying myself in work would let me clear my head, or, just fill it up with more nonsense.

  ***

  I rolled up to the high school parking lot, and a few boys in John Deere hats stared at my car like it was a piece of meat. A few of them even whistled. Britt and her best friend, Sarah, pushed past the crowd. Sarah was probably just as big as Britt, but she carried herself like she was a glam Barbie doll. She was wearing a sleeveless, sequined silver top with a black pair of pleather capris and wedge heels. While I couldn’t get Britt to even change out of her gym clothes, her best friend looked like she was dressed to go out.

  Britt opened my front door and pushed the seat forward, so Sarah could wiggle her way into the backseat. Sarah shimmied in, making whooping noises. “Oh, Libby girl, this car is hot, hot, hot!”

  “Thanks.” I adjusted my sunglasses as Britt took the seat next to me.

  “This is the kind of car I wish my daddy would get me for my sixteenth birthday, but he’ll probably just go down to Bubba Sinclair and get me the first junker he sees.”

  There came that name again. Sinclair. Dina said that Nikki’s dad worked on cars. I wondered if it was the same one. I pulled out of my parking spot and glanced in the rearview mirror at Sarah. “Would Bubba Sinclair happen to be Nikki’s dad?”

  “Yeahhhh.” Sarah drew out the word, staring out the window. “Everyone loves that girl because she can hunt and drive like a boy, but has the tits of a girl.”

  I rolled my eyes, hoping the girls couldn’t see it behind my sunglasses.

  “Why do you ask about her?” Britt pushed.

  Shit. I’d been caught.

  “No reason. She just goes to St. Joseph.”

  Sarah leaned forward, popping her big, blonde head between the seats. “Didn’t she and Blaine have a thing?”

  I tightened my grip on the steering wheel. I did not want to talk about what girls Blaine had a thing with. Whatever thing it was. I should have just kept my big mouth shut.

  But, Sarah just kept talking. “That’s right, they did! Come to think of it, it was just about up until the time he met you. Ohhh Libby girl, I bet she ain’t too fond of you.”

  “You can say that again,” I muttered.

  “Oh my god! Did she say something to you? Did she pull out her pocket knife and try to gut you like a fish?” Sarah squealed.

  “Ugh! No she did not, thank you very much.”

  Britt moved back and forth in her seat.“Well, don’t leave us hanging! Did you just meet her today or something?”

  I sighed, then hashed out the details about my first meeting with the gun toting blonde. I thought maybe the girls could shed some light on something for me.

  “Wow,” Britt said. “You definitely did something to piss her off.”

  “That’s just the thing. I didn’t do anything.”

  “Well then maybe you should talk to Blaine about it,” Sarah added.

  “I can’t just go out and talk to Blaine about her.”

  “Why not?” Britt asked.

  “Because that’s not something I can just pop out and say. ‘Gee Blaine some girl came up to me in class and started talking crap to me. I was told you two used to fool around, so maybe you can enlighten me on the topic’.”

  “Okay, maybe you shouldn’t say it that way.” Britt fiddled her thumbs in her lap.

  I pulled up to Sarah’s trailer. It was the first trailer I had actually ever laid eyes on. There was nothing wrong with trailers, but Sarah’s family definitely didn’t take care of theirs. It used to be blue, but now it was mainly rust colored, with a rotted out wood porch on the front, and a roof with at least three different satellite antennas duct tapped on it.

  Britt got out, then pulled the seat forward, so Sarah could scramble out. As soon as she made her way out of the back seat, she faced me, her big mascara coated lashes fluttering. “I hope you figure out what to do with this Nikki Sinclair thing. I’d hate to see that bitch get to you.”

  “Thanks, Sarah.”

  ***

  After dropping Britt off at home, I decided to make another stop; Blaine’s house. When the Louisiana summer heat was still at its peak, he worked early in the morning and was off pretty early in the afternoon. I just hoped he’d be home. I was in luck, because when I pulled up to his parents’ house, I saw his big red truck parked out front.

  I pulled up next to it and could already hear his two blood hounds, Sadie and Blue, barking from the porch. I got out of my car to see him sitting on the front porch, rocking in a chair underneath one of the fans, wearing nothing more than a pair of cargo shorts and a big smile on his face. “Hey, baby.”

  “Hey,” I called and moved the few feet from my car and up to the front porch.

  “How was your first day of school?” He smiled, which lit up his whole face, especially his bright blue eyes. Most girls say a guy has a great pair of eyes, but Blaine Crabtree had the most gorgeous eyes I’d ever seen. They were bluer than the Mediterranean Sea, and when he smiled they just became that much bluer.

  “It was...interesting...” I leaned against the railing, trying to think of the best way to bring up the topic. He just asked about school. I didn’t have to bring up Nikki. So, I didn’t. “I met this cool guy named Sawyer.”

  “A guy?” He raised his eyebrows.

  I rolled my eyes. “Don’t get all jealous on me. He’s gay as the day is long.”

  He let out a sigh of relief. “Good, I didn’t want to have to go and kick anyone’s ass.”

  Really? He was going to go that route. “Don’t pretend to be all macho. You don’t need to kick anyone’s ass.”

  He reached forward and grabbed my hand, tugging me off the railing and onto his lap. With that he wrapped his arms around my waist and continued rocking. “I will do whatever I please. Especially when it comes to any guy hitting on my girl.”

  “Okay, then do I get the same privilege when a girl hits on you?”

  “There ain’t no girls hitting on me. Everyone within a thousand mile radius knows I belong to the prettiest girl in the Parrish.”

  Well, that wasn’t a lie. Nikki seemed to definitely know we were together, but that still didn’t stop her from going all crazy bitch on me.

  He squeezed my sides. “Is something bothering you baby?”

  “No...I mean...yes...I mean...” I let out a deep breath. “I met some girl today at school who was a total bitch to me, then I found out you used to date her before we met. Like right before we met.”

  “Oh.” I was expecting him to say something else, but instead he just rocked back and forth a few more times.

  “Oh? That’s all you have to say?” I tried to make eye contact with him, but he just stared off into the front yard.

  He shrugged. “What do you want me to say? Just like your asshole of an ex, all my girls are in the past.”

  “You’re not still friends with Nikki Sinclair?”

  He winced as soon as I said her name. “I didn’t think it was her you were talking about. Or maybe I was just hoping it wasn’t her.”

  “I feel like there’s something you aren’t telling me.”

  He furrowed his brow like he was deep in thought, then he shook his head. “Nothing I’m not telling you. I mean there’s not much to tell. I hung out with Nikki for a little while last spring before I met you. I was actually supposed to meet up with her that night after Sarah’s, but other things kind of took over my mind that night.”

  “Wait, hold up.” I leaned forward, putting my feet on the ground and stopped the rocking chair. “You were still seeing her the night we met?”

  “Baby.” He groaned.

  “Don’t Baby me. Answer the question.”

  He blew a raspberry, then raked his hands through his hair. “Yeah, I guess I kind of was. But we were never technically together, and I told her about you that next day. She was pissed, but she knew I wouldn’t be hanging around her dadd
y’s shop for awhile, then I heard she was getting with some guy over in DuPont.”

  I shook my head. “Why didn’t you tell me any of this before?”

  He shrugged. “I didn’t think it was important.”

  “Uh, yeah kind of important to tell someone that you had a girlfriend the night you met them.”

  “She wasn’t my girlfriend. Just a friend.”

  “A friend you were sleeping with?” He didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to. His face said it all.

  I shook my head, groaning. “This is stupid. I know it’s in the past, but I don’t want to deal with some girl you were with a few months ago.”

  “Do you want me to talk to her about it?”

  I leaned back, pressing my back against his chest. He wrapped his arms around my waist hugging me close to him. He definitely showered since he had been home and smelled like soap and peppermint. “I don’t know if I want you talking to her. That will just add fuel to the fire.”

  “I’ll do whatever you want me to, baby. I just want to make sure that you know it’s way over between me and her. I belong with you, and no one else.”

  I closed my eyes, taking in everything he’d said. “I believe you. It’s just a lot to take in. It’s been a very long day.”

  Blaine pushed my hair away from my neck and placed a soft kiss on the sensitive skin where my neck met my shoulder. “Then let’s just sit here for awhile.”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  Chapter 3

  I made it through the rest of the week without Nikki trying to attack me. I secretly thought Blaine might have had something to do with it. That, and I was also constantly with Sawyer when I was around campus. I thought Blaine was going to have his eyes bug out of his head when I first told him I was hanging around with a guy, but the more I told him about Sawyer’s obsession with fashion the less Blaine tensed up about it.