people, not just her.”
Paci scratched the back of his head and rubbed it a little. “Yeah, that’s the thing. She didn’t have anyone other than Jeremy, and he’s still alive as you can see. She was close to her grandma, but she was old, you know? I mean, she was going to die soon anyway, even without the virus. So Coli kinda lost less than anyone, but she’s handling it the worst.”
“Another mystery.”
“Yeah. The swamp is full of ‘em.” Paci reached out and playfully slapped me on the upper arm. “So let’s get back to that slut thing.”
I frowned at him. “No, let’s not. It wasn’t one of my proudest moments. I’d rather not re-live it, if you don’t mind.”
“I’m just curious why she called you that name in particular. I mean, it’s not like you go around sleeping with guys here. I’d know it if you did.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Isn’t that kind of a personal question?” I was trying not to smile, but it struck me as pretty ridiculous that someone would sleep around in the swamp. It just seemed funny for some reason.
“Yeah, it’s personal. But we’re friends, right?” He took a step closer to me. He wasn’t in my personal space yet, but I could tell by the look on his face that he wanted to be.
I took a step back. “Yeah, Paci. We’re friends. But that’s it. Right?”
He shrugged. “Sure. It’s whatever you want. I’m here for ya.”
“Good.” I uncrossed my arms. “Come on. I’m tired. I’m going to go lie down and go to sleep. Alone.”
“It’s only ten o’clock.”
“Yeah, well, I tire easily these days, I guess. It’s too frigging hot to do anything else anyway.”
“We could go swimming,” he said, in a teasing voice.
“Yeah, right. I love being gator bait.”
“We have a gator-free swimming hole. Wait… haven’t you been there yet?”
I stopped and turned to face him. “Are you messing with me right now?”
He put his hands up in surrender. “No, I swear. I wondered why I hadn’t seen you there before.”
My face fell as soon as I realized why he’d never seen me there before, and I started walking again. “No, thanks. Go have fun. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Paci rushed to catch up with me. “Why are you so bummed all of a sudden?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
“No. Enlighten me.” He grabbed my arm and made me stop walking.
“No one wants me there. That’s why I haven’t heard of it.”
“Oh, bullshit. Don’t talk like that. Everyone wants you there.”
“Everyone?” I looked at him, challenging him to argue.
“Well, okay … one person doesn’t. But she doesn’t matter. I’ve invited you, so you can come.” He grabbed my hand and pulled. “Come on. Come with me, right now.”
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”
“Why not? You think I’m going to make a move on you? Come on. Trust me. I’ll keep my hands to myself.”
“Bodo’s not out of the picture, Paci.”
“Nobody said he was,” he responded, speaking softly. He pulled on my hand once more, a gentle tug. “Come on. You’re not afraid, are you?”
I smiled. “I’m not that easy, Paci.”
“That’s not what I heard,” he said, before he dropped my hand and ran away.
I couldn’t resist; I ran off after him, stopping from time to time to grab a branch or rock and throw it at his back.
“Can’t catch me! Too slow!” he yelled over his shoulder.
We ran for five minutes before a circle of huts appeared in front of us, all of them connected by a raised, circular walkway. Torches were lit along the way, but the place seemed deserted.
“Where are we?” I whispered breathlessly, finally catching up to him because he’d stopped to wait for me.
“This is part of the old Miccosukee Village that used to be for tourists. We still use it for making cloth and stuff, and some of the kids
Paci scratched the back of his head and rubbed it a little. “Yeah, that’s the thing. She didn’t have anyone other than Jeremy, and he’s still alive as you can see. She was close to her grandma, but she was old, you know? I mean, she was going to die soon anyway, even without the virus. So Coli kinda lost less than anyone, but she’s handling it the worst.”
“Another mystery.”
“Yeah. The swamp is full of ‘em.” Paci reached out and playfully slapped me on the upper arm. “So let’s get back to that slut thing.”
I frowned at him. “No, let’s not. It wasn’t one of my proudest moments. I’d rather not re-live it, if you don’t mind.”
“I’m just curious why she called you that name in particular. I mean, it’s not like you go around sleeping with guys here. I’d know it if you did.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Isn’t that kind of a personal question?” I was trying not to smile, but it struck me as pretty ridiculous that someone would sleep around in the swamp. It just seemed funny for some reason.
“Yeah, it’s personal. But we’re friends, right?” He took a step closer to me. He wasn’t in my personal space yet, but I could tell by the look on his face that he wanted to be.
I took a step back. “Yeah, Paci. We’re friends. But that’s it. Right?”
He shrugged. “Sure. It’s whatever you want. I’m here for ya.”
“Good.” I uncrossed my arms. “Come on. I’m tired. I’m going to go lie down and go to sleep. Alone.”
“It’s only ten o’clock.”
“Yeah, well, I tire easily these days, I guess. It’s too frigging hot to do anything else anyway.”
“We could go swimming,” he said, in a teasing voice.
“Yeah, right. I love being gator bait.”
“We have a gator-free swimming hole. Wait… haven’t you been there yet?”
I stopped and turned to face him. “Are you messing with me right now?”
He put his hands up in surrender. “No, I swear. I wondered why I hadn’t seen you there before.”
My face fell as soon as I realized why he’d never seen me there before, and I started walking again. “No, thanks. Go have fun. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Paci rushed to catch up with me. “Why are you so bummed all of a sudden?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
“No. Enlighten me.” He grabbed my arm and made me stop walking.
“No one wants me there. That’s why I haven’t heard of it.”
“Oh, bullshit. Don’t talk like that. Everyone wants you there.”
“Everyone?” I looked at him, challenging him to argue.
“Well, okay … one person doesn’t. But she doesn’t matter. I’ve invited you, so you can come.” He grabbed my hand and pulled. “Come on. Come with me, right now.”
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”
“Why not? You think I’m going to make a move on you? Come on. Trust me. I’ll keep my hands to myself.”
“Bodo’s not out of the picture, Paci.”
“Nobody said he was,” he responded, speaking softly. He pulled on my hand once more, a gentle tug. “Come on. You’re not afraid, are you?”
I smiled. “I’m not that easy, Paci.”
“That’s not what I heard,” he said, before he dropped my hand and ran away.
I couldn’t resist; I ran off after him, stopping from time to time to grab a branch or rock and throw it at his back.
“Can’t catch me! Too slow!” he yelled over his shoulder.
We ran for five minutes before a circle of huts appeared in front of us, all of them connected by a raised, circular walkway. Torches were lit along the way, but the place seemed deserted.
“Where are we?” I whispered breathlessly, finally catching up to him because he’d stopped to wait for me.
“This is part of the old Miccosukee Village that used to be for tourists. We still use it for making cloth and stuff, and some of the kids
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