Read Online The Perfect Place by Teresa E. Harris - Free Book Online

the back as she talks with the customers who come in. One is a woman with a voice that could cut glass.
    â€œCan you believe it? Scoundrel broke into the sheriff’s house and stole Eunetta’s pearls,” the woman says. “Ain’t that a cryin’ shame?”
    â€œReckon it is,” Great-Aunt Grace replies.
    â€œI hear the sheriff and Eunetta are offering a reward to the man who finds the heathens responsible.”
    â€œOr woman.”
    â€œRight,” the woman says slowly. “You got any more Juicy Fruit?”
    â€œLast rack, top shelf,” Great-Aunt Grace says, and then the two of them start talking about the new pastor at the church—“He’s full of nothin’ but hot air,” says Great-Aunt Grace—and I turn my attention back to the shelves.
    â€œMy mama is real bothered by the break-ins,” Terrance says. “Is there a lot of crime where you’re from?”
    What kind of question is that? I don’t answer.
    â€œI guess not. We moved here because my father got a job as the head of the zoology department at the University of Richmond. We’re staying with my grandma until we find a house that meets my mama’s standards.”
    Head of the zoology department? Terrance’s family must have a gang of money. So what’s he doing here, cleaning shelves with me? The question almost breaks free, but I clamp my lips shut and hold it in. Terrance keeps right on talking, moving on from the break-ins to his terrarium, the time machine he’s planning on building, and his quest to find out what the special sauce on a Big Mac is made of. It’s not Thousand Island dressing like everyone thinks, Terrance says. The ingredients are way more sinister than that.
    For the next hour, conversation comes pouring out of him fast and unstoppable, like a waterfall. He doesn’t stop even to swallow. Isn’t his mouth getting dry? Or the back of his throat starting to itch?
    â€œSo, long story short, I mentioned the theory of evolution one too many times. Now my grandma is concerned with the state of my soul. That’s why I decided to start doing volunteer work, to earn some Jesus points, you know? She told me to steer clear of Ms. Washington because she’s different in a bad way.”
    Great-Aunt Grace is just bad. Period.
    â€œBut I like a challenge, you know? Besides, Ms. Washington gives me free candy for helping out.”
    â€œAre you
serious
?
”
    Terrance jumps at the sound of my voice. “Um, serious about what?”
    â€œThe free candy.”
    â€œYup.” Terrance holds out the Pop Rocks as proof. “Don’t you get free candy too? I mean, you’re related and all. Anyway, do you want to hear a joke my dad’s friend told me? He’s an oncologist. All right, here goes. Knock, knock.”
    Silence.
    â€œYou’re supposed to say, ‘Who’s there?’ Okay, whatever. I’ll say it. Who’s there? Interrupting doctor.” Terrance pauses. “Now
you
say, ‘Interrupting doctor who?’”
    He’s staring at me expectantly, and I don’t think he intends to stop until I play along. I spit out the words: “Interrupting doctor—”
    â€œYou have cancer.”
    Now it’s my turn to stare at Terrance. He looks at his shoes, then up at me. “It’s the cancer part, right? Society is just not ready to laugh about it. Maybe I should change it to ‘You have tyrotoxism.’ Poisoning by cheese. That’s funny, right?”
    â€œLet’s just clean the shelves, okay?” I say.
    â€œOkay, but first—what about this one? A guy walks into a bar with a zebra. Wait, no. It’s a giraffe. Let me start over. So this guy walks into a bar with a giraffe . . .”
    I close my eyes and grit my teeth.

Eleven
    T ERRANCE tells me all about how his father is off in Venezuela, studying huge tarantulas called Goliath bird