Jake
Damn, bro’s got himself deep in the friend zone
What was the point of this text thread?
Mikey
Yeah, guys, you stole my thunder!
June’s going to be in town, so I say we all hit up Rudy’s after the rodeo
Ellison
Wasn’t that the plan anyway?
Mikey
Oh shh Firecracker. This way if we make it a special plan, none of you can bail out.
Haydie, bring your girl. We’ll get you out of the friend zone, buddy
I rolled my eyes and turned my phone off. I’d deal with them all later.
On my way to my room, I noticed Sierra’s door was still slightly open. The shower was running in the bathroom, and Pancho was chewing on a bone in her room. I had no idea how long she’d be, but I knew she normally kept her room closed to prevent Pancho from getting out.
As I grabbed the door handle, a flash of bright-blue fur caught my eye. I didn’t mean to snoop or invade her privacy, but curiosity got the better of me. Instead of closing the door or moving away like I should have, I leaned back slightly, peeking my head in the gap between the door and frame. Sure enough, my suspicions were confirmed, and a blue stuffed tiger was neatly placed on the bed near her pillows.
She kept it. After all this time, she still has it.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
sierra
SUMMER BEFORE SOPHOMORE YEAR
The Goldfinch fairgrounds were so lit up that you could practically see them from across town. Apparently that only happened during two weeks of the year: the Goldfinch County Fair and Gulch Days, the summer kickoff celebration.
I didn’t plan to go to the fairgrounds, but my parents were fighting downstairs, so I fished out twenty bucks from under my bed and snuck out the window. If I had to listen to screaming, it may as well have been from people on rides or kids having fun. I’d have to figure out a way to get home that wasn’t walking three miles in the dark, but I’d cross that bridge when I got there.
I’d never been to a real carnival or fair before. Ponderosa Valley had a small-scale fair, but my parents never took me, and I wasn’t old enough to go wandering around town by myself. Not that anyone would have cared, but I hadsomeself-preservation skills.
Lights from the rides and carnival games danced across the sky, and a symphony of music, laughter, and the happyscreams of children surrounded me as I took everything in. The smell of fried food filled the air, combined with the distinctive musk of livestock and show animals.
Not really sure where to go, I wandered down the rows of carnival games, observing kids with their parents, teenagers hanging out with their friends, and couples on their first dates.
“Sierra!” A familiar voice called out my name.
I spun around to see Hayden, Keenan, and two of their friends, whose names I couldn’t quite remember.
Hayden jogged over to me, despite the other boys telling him to wait up. “Hey!” he called out, waving his hand in a wild gesture. “Fancy seeing you here.”
My cheeks flushed, warmth flooding into my body. “Hi.”
“Are you here by yourself?” he asked as he looked around for my nonexistent companion.
I nodded. “Yeah, I, uh, needed to get out of the house.” I didn’t mention that I walked all the way here.
“Same. Well, that and I just got my driver’s license, so Keenan practically begged me to drive him here.” He laughed, and the sound was like honey. Warm and soothing.
