Page 26 of Don't Look Down
“Not one word, Leigh. I know, I know. Now, can I trust you to keep this quiet?”
“Me? Subterfuge? Sign me up. I got you.”
“Hey, now, that’s a big word for such a tiny brain.” My hand reaches out to tousle the waves of light brown hair hanging in his face.
He knocks my hand away, shakes his hair back, and starts backing up toward his car. Middle fingers up. “Fuck off,Landon.”
I laugh and shoot him the bird right back.
7
Skylar
Alaugh bursts out of my mouth. At this rate, my abs will be sore tomorrow. Landon and his friend are a mess and I’m here for it. They’re ridiculous in the best way. We’ve been playingCall of Dutyfor about thirty minutes or so now, and I've barely stopped laughing.
Luc is giving Landon shit nonstop, heckling the hell out of him.
His gamertag is iamNOTyourfather, and when he first entered the game chat, I wasn’t ready. Luc Darth Vader breathed into the mic and said some stupid shit to Landon that had us all in stitches.
We’re mid-game when it finally occurs to me to ask a very important question.
“So, Luc, are you a Star Wars fan?”
“Totally a fan. Number one fan. Those movies top my list of favorites to fall asleep to. I can’t stay awake through one to save my life.”
“Bahaha. Oh my god, stop it!” My laugh is practically a cackle, but I give zero fucks. He’s hilarious, and everyone should know it. “Sir! Are you kidding me?”
Landon is laughing a little, but laughs harder at my reaction.
“God’s honest. I’ve tried to watch the saga many times over the years, but haven’t made it more than fifteen or twenty minutes. I try to stay awake, but next thingI know, I’m knocked the fuck out for hours.”
“I can assure you, he’s not exaggerating,” Landon chimes in.
“What about the newer movies? The standalones, likeRogue One?” Disbelief, threaded with genuine curiosity, fills my tone.
“Nope. No luck with those either.”
“Huh. So where’d your gamertag come from?”
“I’m not even close to my dad, but when I was a kid, everyone would always joke with me.Hey, Luc, I’m your father.Shit got old real quick. I guess it was my way of taking it back. Making it my joke. Saying it out loud, it sounds so stupid, but it’s my reason.” There’s a difference in his tone. His voice has gotten more serious than I’ve heard from him thus far. There’s probably more to this story.
Landon clears his throat. He, too, sounds like some of his humor has faded when he speaks. “I never knew that.”
“It’s not that serious, guys. Kid shit. I wouldn’t even call it bullying, but it was excessive back then. It hurt, but I got over it. And now it’s mine.”
“Well, I love it even more now. It’s hilarious to me that you're not a fan.”
“Hey, correct yourself, sir. I am the number one fan, remember?”
“Oh, sure, yes.” I clear my throat. “Luc, the biggest of all big Star Wars fans, please, pardon my slight upon your honor.”
“Now, that’s what I like to hear.”
“Don’t boost him up, Sky. His head is big enough already.”
“Yes, it is. Quite massive, if I do say so myself. And your boy Landon can attest to that.”
“Ooh, tell me more. It seems we have somehow shifted onto one of my favorite subjects,” I practically purr into the mic.