Jessup tells Wyatt to go fuck himself. Wyatt laughs, like Jessup isn’t serious.
Is Jessup serious? He doesn’t know if he is or isn’t.
Whenever Deanne is around, Wyatt makes himself scarce, but he hasn’t said much to Jessup about Deanne. And he has toned down his language since Jessup and Deanne started dating, but Jessup can’t tell how much of that is simply to avoid an argument. Kaylee has been less shy. One minute she’s bubbly and friendly, the next minute she’s calling him a race traitor. “It’s one thing if you’re just messing around with that girl, Jessup, if you want a taste of it, but don’t be ridiculous. You need to commit. One hundred percent, Jessup. Nothing less. Have some goddamned pride. Stick to your own. I know plenty of pure white girls who—”
But Jessup is good at changing the subject. He’s good at pretending everything is okay. A survival skill.
Wyatt drifts away and Jessup’s phone buzzes. Deanne.
can’t come
why not
dad says no
why no?
snow. roads are bad. doesn’t want me driving
what? no snow in mississippi? jk
I want to see you. I miss you
me too
tomorrow night? after work?
Jessup puts his phone away just as Alyssa Robinson corners him. They are working on a presentation for English that they are supposed to give the week after next. He likes Alyssa. She was in his kindergarten class and then in other classes off and on through now. He’s pretty sure she doesn’t like him—she lives near the university, comes from the kind of family that doesn’t mix with Jessup’s kind, that calls the housing complex on east hill “East Village” instead of “the Jungle”—but if she has a problem with him, she’s kept it hidden. She’s the sort of kid who grows up to privilege in Cortaca. Math and Spanish tutors even though she’s got straight A grades, plays lacrosse and goes to lacrosse camps during the summer, does volunteer work at the SPCA and the food pantry, has known she was going to Williams College, her parents’ alma mater, since she was in kindergarten. Everything easy for her, but she works hard anyway because she doesn’t know how else to be. He agrees to meet her Wednesday morning in the library before school so they can game-plan. That satisfies her. She knows that Jessup will do his share of the work.
For the next hour, Jessup moves around the room, bullshitting with guys on the team. He moves easily through the room, always aware of the way Corson, beer in hand, seems to keep himself at maximum distance. At one point, Jessup chats for a few minutes with one of the players from Kilton Valley, the kid with the small afro, football talk, the kid saying, as long as you beat us, hope you make a run of things. Played a good game. He doesn’t sit, doesn’t stay in one place long. A little before eleven, he texts Deanne:
still not coming?
no. sorry. you know how my dad is
he making you run wind sprints?
very funny
a little. I miss you
me too. see you at work?
Okay. goodnight, babe
If he’d known Deanne wasn’t going to make it, he would have just gone home with his family after they left Kirby’s, spent the night at home, celebrating David John’s release. Eleven o’clock isn’t too bad, though. He’ll get to bed at a reasonable hour. Knows he’ll spend the night dreaming of the way Deanne feels against his body. Good dreams. Easy to sleep with that in his head. He goes out to the deck, where Wyatt is hanging out with Kaylee, tells them he’s taking off. Wants to get up early to go hunting.
He’s back inside, about to leave, edging his way into the entrance hall when he hears Corson calling his name.