Big Picture: Stories by Percival Everett

Author:Percival Everett [Everett, Percival]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781555970550
Publisher: Graywolf Press
Published: 2014-02-17T21:00:00+00:00

Pissing on Snakes

Laney decided to walk the remaining miles to the shitty little desert town where the shitty little police had her shitty little brother locked in a cell for drinking too much and generally being himself. She was walking because the belt on the water pump of her truck’s engine had broken. Mitch walked alongside her and his mouth was, as usual, open:

“I told you not to buy a piece of shit Japanese truck.”

Laney was a couple of yards ahead of him and she muttered, “Fuck you, you lame-ass rodeo has-been.”

“What was that?”

“I said, ‘fuck you.’” She stopped and turned to him, looking at his narrow face.

“And what else?”

“I think ‘fuck you’ about says it all.”

“You know, I didn’t have to come with you.”

She laughed and again with her back to him said, “I didn’t ask you to come. I told you to stay. I didn’t ask you to walk to town with me either. You can go back now if you want.” In her pocket she fumbled with the string she had used to measure the pump belt.

Mitch caught up with her, matched stride with her.

She looked over at him. He wasn’t a bad-looking idiot, but an idiot nonetheless and it was laughable that he considered himself to be tagging along as protection. She wasn’t sure why she had first gone out with him, much less why she had agreed to let him come along now while she bailed out her good-for-nothing brother.

“Laney, I’m sorry. Okay?”

“Sorry for what?”

Mitch looked down at his sneakers hitting the highway. “I don’t know, but I am. I don’t want to fight, that’s all. I’m really tired of the fighting.”

“Then take your stupid ass back to the truck and wait there.”

“Why do you talk like that?”

“I’m not talking like anything. Why do you hear like that?”

“Like a damn sailor.”

“Fuck you.”

“See,” Mitch said.

She glanced at him quickly, then looked back at the highway. He was too tall and too skinny and his hair was retreating, showing more of his face, a face not aging well. His mustache at least worked as cover. She took a deep breath. “Okay,” she said, “no more fighting.”

Mitch nodded. He looked behind them. “You’d think one car would go by.” He kicked his heels as he walked. “Your brother has a drinking problem.”

“He’s a low-life scum. Of course he has a drinking problem. But he’s my brother.” She sighed and rolled her head to loosen her neck. “Whatever the hell that means.”

“Can’t choose your family,” Mitch said.

“That’s true up to a point,” she said.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Figure it out.”

The sun was on full and Laney was sweating. The dry air was stealing away the moisture and any possibility of coolness. She was thirsty. “I wish I’d brought a canteen.”

“Yeah, me too,” Mitch said, then, “I mean, I wish I’d brought one, too.”

“Christ, Mitch, calm down.” Laney couldn’t believe she had ever let this guy touch her. It wouldn’t happen again, she assured herself.

The service station was one of those no-name kind with a gravel yard.

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