Ten Too Many

in which... a lot happens

* (^^ Zander) *

We pulled into the parking lot and clambered out. I looked around and felt my eyes widen.

"This place is huge!"

Leo looked amused.

All the little kids were bouncing around with excitement and pulling on my arms. I extracted myself and escaped, but Jake grabbed me in a playful headlock as a red car pulled up. "Ack!" I pulled at his arm. "You're going to mess up my hair!"

He let go as Jasmine got out. Her eyes landed on me and she smiled.

"Nice hat," she said. I smiled and glanced up and the faded red brim of Leo's baseball cap, which was crammed over my braid.

Jake shot a quick smile at her before Mason saw her and waved.

She smiled and adjusted one of her many dangling bracelets. "Hi Mason!"

I wondered why all beautiful girls had to be so perfect and make others feel like glorified slugs.

"All right. Listen up!" Cookie addressed everybody. "I'm going to have to repeat the rules, since some people," she eyeballed the general direction of the older twins. "Can't seem to remember them. The little kids are coming with me and some other grown-ups, and you older guys can head wherever, as long as Jake or Jasmine's within the vicinity."

"What about," Markus asked, "Me?"

She rolled her eyes. "You were part of the problem a few years ago."

I smiled and grabbed my water bottle.

"So," I linked my arm through Naya and Birdy's. "What'cha wanna do?"

Leo and the other boys were walking ahead of us. Jordan turned around. "How about the roller coaster?"

I rolled my eyes. "At," I glanced at my watch, "Nine-thirty in the morning? No, thanks."

We kept walking until we saw an animal tent.

"We should come in here. There're usually old people in here, and they give great tips on showing animals," Jayden said.

I laughed. "Old people?"

Jordan grinned and we stepped inside. As my eyes adjusted, I took in the rows of pens, and people walking through them.

Jayden was, of course, right, and the majority of the men walking through were older.

By the sheep pens, a Mexican dude stopped the twins and said their names with a rolling accent. "How much trouble you in today?"

Jordan grinned. "Not enough to make us grounded, but you know."

The guy grinned and caught sight of me. "I don't think I've met you before, querida."

I smiled and noticed how worn work boots. "Probably not, I'm just here for the summer."

He nodded and squeezed Naya's shoulder. "Well, you gonna get another little piggy this year?"

She grinned. "No sir, I figured a calf would be better off."

He grinned again. "Ah, that was fun watching last year. So, when you get in the ring with the calves, you wanna head straight for the middle. They'll cluster together in a herd, and the one in the middle will be slowed down."

I stood next to the group and listened as he gave us all tips on showing everything from cows to rabbits, or catch-it.

I placed a couple chunks of information away, for when I did catch-it sheep.