The Tourist Trap

Chapter 27

Oddly enough, there were no protest rallies staged in the next few days and things were relatively normal, except that everywhere you went people were debating about what should be done.

My parents, of course, became completely obsessed. They spent half of their time calling up friends in towns people, trying to rally support against the strip mall, as if there were anyone in town who are hadn't already heard it through the normal gossip channels.

Apparently if it was going to be taken in the near future, although I couldn't get a straight answer about when that would exactly take place. I had a feeling that a lot of people thought if they put it off long enough, maybe Robert Kent would go back to the city and forget all about it.

Luckily, my parents were so distracted that they didn't even notice that Penny was taking on more of my students. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew that I was supposed to be making money for my entrance fee, but I always seem to forget about that when Jared called up to propose a trip to the make out beach or drive up to the mountains for a picnic.

Being with Jared, in fact, made me forget about a lot of things. Whenever when we were together, I stopped thinking about the strip ball and the competition, even about the fact that I was heading to college in the fall.

All that mattered to me when Jared was around was Jared. One afternoon he even did manage to get me on his motorcycle. And I have to say, it was a one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life.

When people in town asked me about my feelings on the Lawrence farm, which state inevitably did I told him in the truth that I had absolutely no idea how to feel about that matter.

On the one hand, Donna's dad was psyched up beyond belief about the idea of renovating the theater and drawing more people from neighboring towns. On the other hand, I loved the yearly apple festival and that brought the entire town a lot of money and tourism so everyone benefited from that.

What was a small town girl to do?

The week after the town meeting, I went to pick up donuts in the truck for a double date with Christopher and Jared. I was really relishing the thought of a few hours clear of the strip mall debate.

Jared and I hadn't talked about it since he put a little on the subject by the pool, and I knew Dona wouldn't bring it up, as it had taken over her household even more completely that I had taken over mine. In fact, Donna and Derek were locked in a battle of wills about everyone's favorite subject even as I walked through the front door, their voices echoing from the kitchen at the back of the house.

" hey guys! It's me!" I shouted.

There was a cleaning someone tossed some dishes into the sink and then a bang someone slammed the cabinet door.

" God, Derek! You are so thick!" Dona shouted, stalking out of the kitchen and down the hallway toward me. She grabbed her bag from the bottom stair in front of me and reached around the door. " Don't you even care about the theater?"

" Of course I do! But who does he think he is?" Dona replied, his face a raging red as he followed her. " He acts like this Bennell event Savior, swooping in here to bail our family out when Cassie's dad was right!" he said, thrusting a hand in my direction. " He is just trying to buy us all off! He thinks he's going to look all saintly by helping us out and everyone's just going to fall off all over him in thanks."

" Could you be any more cynical?" Donna asked, crossing her arms over her chest. 

" Could you be any more naïve?" Derek shot back, mimicking her pose.

Sometimes I was jealous of Dona and derricks close relationship and I wish I had a brother or sister to hang out with this was not one of those times.

Donna clucked tongue and Derek looked us up and down as if you were seeing us for the first time. I was wearing a pair of old but flattering riding pants and Donna had on jeans even though it was 85° out.

" Where are you guys going?" Derek asked.

"Riding," I replied. "With Jared and Christopher."

He was goin to find out sooner or later.

"Oh, that's great!" Derek said, throwing his hands up. "Dads up all night trying to figure out what to do and you to are sleeping with the enemy."

"Ugh!" Donna exclaimed.

"We are not sleeping with anyone!" I flushed.

"It's an expression, but you better not be." Derek said, narrowing his eyes.

"Look Derek, Christoph and Jared are no the enemy," Donna said flatly. "And whatever Mr Kent's motives are, wouldn't it be great to have the theater renovated? I mean, come on, it's all mom and dad have talked about since we were children.

Derek stood up straight and crossed his arms over his chest. " So they will do it themselves," he said.

Donna rolled her eyes.  " Yeah, because they've gotten so far with that plan up till now." She whipped the door open and skipped out, leaving Derek slack-jawed behind her.

" I guess we're going," I said to him, shrugging by way of apology.

" Cassie," He said, stopping me in my tracks.

" Yeah?"

He took a couple steps toward me and looked me dead in the eye. " just look after her, OK? She never thinks before she jumps."

I smiled slightly. Even in the middle of the night down, drag out fight, Derek never stopped being the overprotective brother.

" I got it. Don't worry, all right? Christopher is fine. He's a nice guy."

" Well I hope so, because all she's been talking about for the past 24 hours is the dance," he said.

My heart took a nosedive. " The dance. You mean the dance? The Summer fling?"

"Yep" it was the grimaced yet in the history of yep.

" Did he ask her?" Would have been shocked if Christopher had asked Donna to the annual country club dance and she hadn't told me.

It was the biggest invader event of the year and locals were hardly ever asked. When they were, it was usually because they were, for lack of better word, sluts.

Everyone knew when invader won it from a local on the night of the Summer Fling. And I couldn't imagine that Donna was willing to give that to Christopher. She barely even knew the guy!

" Not yet. But she obviously wants him to," Derek told me. My relief must've shown on my face, because he added, "He must not be such a nice guy if you're happy they're not going."

" No! Not at all! I just know they're not that serious. She's probably just being Donna. Day dreams are her life"

He shrugged slightly at the truth of this.

" Don't worry. Really," I told him. "It's just a harmless little fling."

"Yeah," he said, glancing passed me out the door, were Donna was checking her lipgloss in the trucks side mirror. " But a fling is only harmless for the person who doesn't get flung."

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Hello all!!!! I hope y'all liked this chapter!!! There really is not much to add right now but next chapter will be worth while. Trust me.

Much love, Kylie