Page 111 of Cryptic Curse

“Why do you wear that earring?”I ask Ted.

He shrugs.“Because I like it.”

“My dad says earrings are for girls,” I say.

“No,” Ted says.“Lots of guys wear earrings.Lots of guys wear necklaces and bracelets too.”

I frown.“But why do you wear that particular earring?”

“The star?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I’m a Texan, for one.”Ted gives me a grin.

“Right.The Lone Star State.”

“Born and bred,” he says.

“Me too.We were all born here.My mom and dad too.”

He wrinkles his forehead.“Your mom wasn’t born in Mexico?”

“No.Her parents were, but they came here before she was born.”

“So you’re all native Texans.”

“Yeah,” I say, “and we love the Lone Star State, but we don’t wear star earrings.”

“Well,” Ted says, “that’s only one of the reasons why I wear a star earring.”

“What’s the other reason?”

Ted fiddles with the star as he unscrews it, takes it out of his earlobe, and holds it out to me.

He places it in my palm.

It’s light.

“Is it real silver?”I ask.

He chuckles.“It’s actually white gold.”

“Where’d you get it?”

“I bought it for myself when I graduated from high school.With some graduation money.”

“So…you were going to tell me the other reason why you like the star.”

“Yeah.”He looks up.“Because it reminds me of the stars in space.”

Stars are professional in space, aren’t they?

That’s what Ted said when I told him Dad said the earring was unprofessional.

Instinctively I look upward too.Of course it’s broad daylight, so I don’t see any stars.

“It’s amazing how we can see so many of them here on the ranch,” Ted says.“When you’re in a big city, the light of the city filters them out.”

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