Western Spark

Tanner's Jacket

Author Note: This short story is a prequel to Western Flame. There are no spoilers to the book, so please do read at your heart's content! 

I hope you enjoy this brief glimpse into a really special moment in the West Brothers universe, one I really enjoyed writing. 

Enjoy!

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October 2005

Stiffness invaded every part of Tanner's body as he crouched down in front of his locker. Of all the mornings that coach had them run beep test drills it was the morning after he'd been throwing a wagon of delivered second-cut kicker bales at the hay elevator until eleven o'clock the night before.

Tanner hissed under his breath as he stood back up, his chemistry textbook in his hands. So far, for the first month of school, he had balanced his chores and football practice without much complaint. But today? He hurt everywhere, and still had half the day and actual football practice to get through.

"Friday's game, you comin' to the rally beforehand?"

Tanner turned to Brian, who was rummaging for his own books two lockers down, and nodded, slamming the door closed and rucking the lock into place. He wanted to go, it all depended on his father and what he needed. Last year it had been a fight to get him to agree to football at all. But his mother had interfered, and signed the permission forms. This year dad had signed it himself, grudgingly.

"I'm gonna ask Melanie to meet me there. You think she'll want to go?" Brian said, sighing. "I finally have a chance with her, maybe."

Tanner leaned against the locker wall, shoulders slumped, hands in his pockets, book and binder under his arm. Brian had been pining over Melanie since the beginning of last year. He'd been pissed when she started dating a guy in grade eleven. She was a flirt, and knew exactly what Brian thought of her. Which was dangerous.

"If she does, be careful. She dumped Rowan, what, two weeks ago? You don't want his fist in your face if she decides you're her rebound," he muttered.

Brian rolled his eyes but didn't reply as the first bell rang, students spilling out into the hallway. Talking a mile a minute, laughing, shoving each other, the slam of locker doors tinny and sharp. Tanner stayed put, waiting for all of it to pass.

Books and papers cascading to the floor caught his eye, skidding across the polished tile, hitting the toe of his shoe. He looked down. It was a grade nine math book, with random notebook paper scattered from where it had been dropped all the way over to him.

"Get out of the way," someone snapped, and Tanner's head swivelled to a girl, furiously gathering up what she had dropped. Thin arms poked out of a threadbare pink sweater and loose jeans swamped her body. Her long hair was pulled into a harsh ponytail, freckles and pale skin practically glowing out from underneath.

She wasn't wearing any of those rubber bracelets all the girls piled on to their arms, or weird choker necklaces with crosses. Her running shoes looked to be a size too big. This girl was completely out of place amongst all the crop tops, boots, and skintight jeans passing by.

Someone kneed her in the back, another one shoved her to the side. She just kept right on picking up her things, as if she hadn't just been hit. He and Brian shared a quick look. Assholes, all of them, Tanner thought.

"Here, let me help," he said, picking up her textbook, stepping across the hall to hand it to her. She looked up, and her eyes widened.

"Th-thanks," she said, but didn't reach for it, her hands already full. He crouched down to shield her from the crowd of idiots walking by. One of them laughed and kicked at the papers, sending them scattering further. Brian swiped them up and set them on her hastily gathered pile, then strode after whoever had done that, a shouted "Hey asshole" echoing down the hall.