18
Taxx was a pub on campus committed to over-the-top cottage décor. The walls and tables were littered with mounted animals, from bears to rabbits to skunks, and the couches were covered in red and black plaid. It looked like a kind of hunting club of old, although it had only been open for a year or so. There was a small wooden stage for musicians and readings and other events, and high tables that servers weaved between with trays of pints, their arms held high. Aurelle had been to Taxx many times, but had never attended a Badlands launch. This time, however, as a writer, she walked in a different person. She was wracked with nerves. Diana followed her in the door, reaching down and running a hand over Aurelle’s hair, a comfort and a reassurance. They found a table close to the stage,
