The local sheriff was patrolling around the orchard.His lights flashed as I debated my next move.Moose Creek had one officer who took care of the town during the off-season.When it got super busy, like on the Fourth of July weekend, some officers from the county next to us would also patrol the area.Thankfully, it was not a busy weekend.That meant it was only Douglas.
Sheriff Douglas’s favorite pastime was writing speeding tickets.The biggest threats he dealt with included attending town meetings, yelling at people for littering, dressing up as Santa during Christmas time, and one time shooting a duck on accident.He claimed that the duck was endangering a child nearby.Everyone knew the duck wasn’t a threat, yet he got away with it because what are small town cops for?
Fawn saw the lights and bolted toward his car.Her long legs glided through the trees, making it almost impossible to keep up with her.Her yellow leash dragged behind her as she pranced.I had to think fast.I knew Fawn would come back to me eventually, but I still needed to do something about Sheriff Douglas, so I formed a plan in my head.
“Darren, you have to put me down and hide,” I whispered.I crawled off his shoulders and whispered to the rest of them, “Hide!Hide!I have an idea.”I did not have time to ensure the band did as I told them.I sprinted after the blur of white spots and yellow cord, screaming, “Come back, Fawn!”
Fawn was heading toward the gate we conveniently left open.Was I the last person in?I should have closed it.I wasn’t thinking enough.One single mistake like that could be detrimental.
Sheriff Douglas’s car crept up to the entrance to stop.He turned off the ignition and his headlights, and the world became dim once again.
I slowed down, wheezing for air to time it exactly right.
Sheriff Douglas stepped out of his vehicle with authority.He wore a tan uniform, a brown textured cowboy hat, and black work boots.He straightened his spine as he said, “Little lady.What are you doing in Nate’s Nectarine Farm at this time of night?”
“I’m sorry, Sir.My dog got off her leash as I was walking back to my campsite, and she ran into that peach orchard, so I was forced to go in and find her,” I lied, finally catching Fawn in my arms.
My fingers shook.I was anxious to lie.I had to play the part of a scared girl because police are trained to tell if someone is misleading them.I was a frightened girl, just not in the way I pretended to be.
Sheriff Douglas was known in town, yet our paths had never crossed.I was lucky, he didn’t know who I was.
I tucked my front curls behind my ear.“Am I in trouble, Officer?It won’t happen again.I promise.Please don’t tell my parents!They said I could only get a dog if I were responsible for it.Oh God, now they will take her away!”
“Calm down.It’s okay.Tell me how the gate opened.”
“I don’t know, Sir!It was open when she ran through.Maybe the owner left it open.”
“Okay.Don’t worry.It will be all right.Do you need a ride back to camp?”
“No, thank you, Officer.I will take my dog straight back,” I said, making sure Fawn’s leash was connected to her collar and walking toward the direction of the campsites.I ambled, waiting for Douglas to leave in his car.He watched me for a while until, eventually, he closed the gate, got in his vehicle, and rolled down the road.When I knew the coast was clear, I hurried back into the orchard toward the band and Darren to enlighten them on what I had done.We had to leave swiftly before Douglas looped back around the orchard and unraveled my string of lies.
“I didn’t know you could lie like that, Copper.”Darren chuckled.
“It was more of a slight fib.I can lie, when necessary, but I don’t like doing it.Can we please get out of here before I panic?”
“You did nothing wrong.We took fruit from the land we were born on.There is no reason to feel guilty for taking something that grows out of the ground,” Keith said.
Whatever the band or Darren said could not make me feel better about the circumstances.Nate’s farm would not struggle financially from missing twenty peaches, but stealing was not something I did.I was the one who suggested going there and picking the peaches, and yet I felt on edge.Teenagers did stuff like that all of the time.I needed to get my head on straight if I wanted to be with the band.Sneaking in to steal peaches was child’s play compared to what The Matches were used to.
Tonya latched her guitar case and carried it back to the van.
Darren locked the gate after we went to the other side.Then, he jumped the fence.
I wondered if Darren felt guilty, too.He seemed at ease, calm, and collected, while I was scared.
When we reached the bus, I was burnt out.I missed my privacy and seclusion.My mind struggled to know what I wanted.I wanted to be with the band, I wanted to be with Darren, but something in my gut told me it was wrong.When I was with them, I felt on top of the world one minute, and the next, I wanted to hibernate in a hole.
We squashed together on the bus.Tonya grabbed each of us a peach to eat on the road.
Darren passed me one.
I smiled at him to let him know I would be all right as I accepted the peach into my hands.It would take me a minute to compose myself.
Tonya bit into the peach.“Bloody hell.This is amazing.You all need to take a bite,” she said, astonished.
Dark pink juice squirted down Keith’s chin as he dove his teeth into his peach.He opened the door and spit the peach out.“That’s disgusting.Mine was sour.”Mason laughed at him.“Whatever.Take a bite, and we will see who is laughing,” Keith said, pushing the peach to his chest.
“I will.I am not weak like you,” Mason said as he bit into his peach.Mason’s face scrunched up as he chewed and looked like he was trying not to throw up.His adam’s apple bulged when he swallowed the piece whole.“See, that wasn’t so bad,” he said, holding in a gag.
