The Tourist Trap

Chapter 23

The next day I spent the afternoon outside under the hot sun, mowing the fields. 

It wasn't hard work with the with the tractor mower my dad had bought the summer before, and I didn't mind doing it. Especially considering it kept me out of the house and away from any more confrontation with my family. 

So far, this has to be the most bizarre summer of my life. I had my first kiss, my first maybe boyfriend, my first ever friendship with invaders. But I was also fighting with my dad for the first time ever. I guess the bad really did come hand in hand with the good. 

I was just turning the mower along the side of the driveway to work on the edges, when I saw a familiar SUV pull in. 

My heart seized up in fear, but I kept on mowing, hoping the car would just pass me by.

What on earth is Marni Locke doing here on a Sunday afternoon? She hadn't bought extra lessons for her brats, did she?

I focused my eyes straight ahead as the SUV approached, pretending I didn't even notice it.

Please let her keep going, please let her keep going, please let her

But the SUV stopped right behind me and before I knew it, Mrs. Locke had thrown it into reverse and was staring me down from her driver's side window. There was nothing I could do but stop the mower and deal with her. I hit the brake and killed the engine.

"Tell me something," she said without so much as a hello. "Where do you get off, skipping your lessons with my sons.?"

My whole chest hollowed out as I looked at her. Good afternoon to you too, Mrs. Locke, I thought. How are you today.

Of course my tongue stayed firmly in place, cemented to the bottom of my mouth. My pulse was pounding so hard through my veins, they were throbbing.

She got out of the car and slammed the door. Her white shirt was tied above her perfectly flat stomach. 

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm paying you to teach my sons to ride, not some woman with a bad attitude," she said, whipping her sunglasses off so she could glare at me better. "You're the one who came highly recommended, though I can hardly see why."

I swallowed against a sun dried throat. 

Had Mrs. Locke really driven all the way down here on a Sunday afternoon just to chew me out? Didn't she have anything better to do? 

I took a deep breath and somehow screwed up my courage. "It was just one lesson," I said weakly.

Great. Way to fight rudeness with timidity.

"One lesson during which my kids were yelled at, threatened, and given a time out for thirty minutes!" Mrs. Locke shouted, her face creasing with rage. "Thirty minutes! That's half of the lesson! I'm not paying for that!"

My mind reeled. Penny had given the boys a time out? She hadn't mentioned that yesterday when we were closing up the stable. What had they done to her?

"Well, I... I guess if you want your money back for that lesson you can talk to my dad..."

Although, he'll ground me on the spot, I thought.

"I'm not talking to your father, I'm talking to you," she snapped. "So let's get one thing straight. I expect you to be at each of my sons' lessons from here on out. If not, I'm demanding a full refund. Are we clear?"

My heart slammed into my rib cage. Tell her off! Tell her that her kids are psychos! Tell her that if Penny gave them a time out they must have something really horrible.

I started at her beady eyes and I knew I wasn't going to say any of those things. 

Some people have a hard time coming up with comebacks on the spot. My problem is, I come up with a ton of them, I just can't get myself to say anything.

"Yes," I said finally, loathing myself. "We're clear."

Just to add insult to injury, Mrs. Locke fixed me with a triumphant smile. "Good, we'll see you next weekend."

With that, she got back into her car and slammed the door. She executed a three point turn that took her tires right over the grass, creating a nice big rut, and peeled out.

*   *   *   *

Hello my lovely readers!!!!

Another appearance of Mrs. Locke. I don't know why, but I love writing for her. It's almost like I can finally take some of my anger out and I do it through her, I don't know how much sense that makes.

That's not to say that I like Mrs. Locke though, because trust me, I don't.

As you could probably tell, this is a filler chapter, better chapters are coming soon!!!

Please remember to vote and comment!!!

Spread the love about my book as well, I'll do the same for any of my readers that would like me too, just ask me in my message board and I'll spread the word for y'all!!!

Much love, Kylie