Read Online Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere by Julie T. Lamana - Free Book Online

waste too much time out here pouting. It sure doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to waste a minute of your birthday being mad about something we can’t control.”
    He hollered for the twins. They came hopping over. Daddy scooped them up, but didn’t let out his usual big ol’ belly laugh. Khayla and Kheelin giggled most likely ’cause they were too little to see what I wasn’t seeing in my daddy’s normally happy eyes.
    I watched them all go inside, leaving me there with myself. I tilted my head back and stared up at the sky. I couldn’t remember a time when I’d seen the clouds move so fast.
    The hurricane was coming closer
. Stupid storm. I considered the possibility of running inside to tell Daddy about what Mr. Babineaux had said. I decided right then that I’d tell Daddy as soon as my party was over.

    â€œHappy birthday, Armani!” TayTay held the giant pickle she was nibbling on up in the air and gave me a one-armed hug. I wondered if she could feel the light-green juice running down her arm. She flashed me her famous smile, letting me know that she didn’t care one bit about whatever might be running into her armpit.
    I looked over where Daddy was standing at the big black burner and cooking pot. Him and Uncle T-Bone and Georgie were all standing around, watching steam rise. It never did make no sense to me that some people like to stand and watch food cook. Uncle T-Bone’s newest girlfriend was off by herself, smoking near the bushes.
    â€œUncle T-Bone looks happy,” TayTay said, pointing over that way with what was left of her pickle.
    â€œYeah, I guess.” I watched my uncle and the way he was grinning from ear to ear, just a-flashing that shiny gold tooth of his all over the place. TayTay was right—it was good to see him happy. After he first got back from Afghanistan, he was acting messed-up in his head. Memaw said that being in a war and seeing people die like that can make a person completely lose their mind. Lucky for us, that didn’t happen to Uncle T-Bone—he just lost his mind for a little while.Course, I thought he’d lost it again when he went and hooked up with Miss Shug.
    Just looking at the way she stood there in her stupid, huge, floppy tangerine hat got on my nerves. “Ugh, I can barely even look at that woman,” I said, and turned away.
    â€œI like her,” TayTay said.
    â€œWho?”
    â€œMiss Shug. I think she’s pretty.” TayTay had lost her mind.
    â€œTay—
seriously
? Miss
Shug
ain’t even her real name. Uncle T-Bone says we gotta call her that ’cause she’s so sweet—like a big spoon of sugar.” I pretended to stick my finger down my throat. “There ain’t no one that sweet.” I curled up my lip and stole a look back over there at the woman and her fake laugh. “Whatever. I think she’s gross and her hats are obnoxious.”
    â€œGirl, you need to stop.” TayTay smiled and shook her head from side to side, licking her pickle fingers. “Don’t be so mean.”
    â€œMean? I ain’t mean, I’m just keepin’ it real. I know one thing: You ain’t gonna catch me calling her
Shug
or
Sugar
. I’m calling her Miss. That’s it, just plain ol’ Miss.”
    â€œYou’re so funny, Cuz,” she said. “Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. Last weekend me and my dad were driving by the church, and there was Georgie standin’ outside Uncle T-Bone’s, practically up in the bushes, staring in the window.”
    â€œFor real? Are you serious?”
    â€œYep. But why? I mean, what’s the point in lookin’ in Uncle T-Bone’s window?”
    A tree somewhere made a cracking sound. I seen Daddy turn and look over his shoulder.
    I kept my eyes on Daddy. “I’ll tell ya why—’cause Miss walks around that house with no clothes on all day, an’ Georgie’s so